NISD
Namibian Institute of Sustainable Development: a strategic alliance between the Desert Research Foundation of Namibia and the Namibia Nature Foundation
In 2009 the Boards of Trustees of the Desert Research Foundation of Namibia (DRFN) and Namibia Nature Foundation (NNF) decided to create a strategic alliance between the two organisations and to create a “Namibia Institute for Sustainable Development” incorporating both the DRFN and the NNF.
DRFN and NNF continue to work in their individual capacities, and the “Namibia Institute for Sustainable Development” provides an umbrella mechanism for coordination and collaboration, open up new areas of work, rationalise areas of focus and achieve increased efficiency of service delivery.
As part of this process, the two Boards of Trustees were consolidated into one Board. Financial and office administrations will possibly also be consolidated and an Executive Director will be appointed to run the “Namibia Institute for Sustainable Development”, the DRFN and NNF. The Executive Director will be assisted by the Directors of DRFN and NNF.
The two organisations play an important role in ensuring that Namibia’s environment remains healthy and productive and that Namibians use their natural resources in sustainable and productive ways to combat poverty and improve people’s quality of life – in short, promoting sustainable development.
Vision
The Namibian Institute for Sustainable Development supports Namibia to develop the programmes, partnerships, processes and capacity to achieve Vision 2030 and collaborates at SADC and global levels to further this vision.
Purpose
To establish an effective, efficient and dynamic Namibian Institute to promote sustainable development including economic growth, improved livelihoods and environmental productivity and resilience.
Objectives
– To strengthen collaboration and form a strategic alliance between the Desert Research Foundation of Namibia (DRFN) and the Namibia Nature Foundation (NNF), as the core founder members of the Institute, and to make provision for other relevant and value-adding organisations to join this alliance
-To develop and implement a long-term strategic plan and a suite of programmes in support of the Vision and Purpose of this Institute
– To support, guide and provide strategic input to the establishment and operations of a Namibian Association and Council for Sustainable Development
– To build smart partnerships with key stakeholders and potentially effective and supportive organisations and individuals, ranging from local to international, and including communities, private sector, NGOs, academic/research institutions, government, regional and international organisations and donors
– To build capacity and skills, including at systemic, organisational and individual levels, and specifically including the building of management skills (with emphasis on leadership, vision, accountability, responsibility, decisive decision-making), and focusing on being effective in a competitive global economy.
The main advantages that we foresee from this development are:
– The establishment of a new, dynamic and broad-based Institute that is better placed to address and implement the challenges of sustainable development in Namibia and to respond to changing circumstances, including climate change;
– The potential to build and strengthen capacity and skills all levels, and to improve service delivery to the sector, to partners and to society;
– The potential to strengthen collaboration and cooperation between different organisations, to build and facilitate partnerships and coalitions and thereby to create areas of critical momentum and capacity to effect change and progress;
– Work to strategic advantages and be in a position to better focus on comparative strengths;
– Reduce competition between the partners within the Institute;
– Improve efficiency and cut costs (economies of scale)
– Be more competitive in a global market;
– Create new opportunities and more innovative approaches for promoting sustainable development, and
– Provide support to the establishment a national Sustainable Development Association.
For more information about the Namibian Institute of Sustainable Development, please visit the NISD website, or contact Mrs. Viviane Kinyaga, Director of the DRFN and Dr. Julian Fennessy, Director of the NNF.