Strengthening KCCEM to build the capacity of conservation professionals in the Albertine Rift Region

Project title: Strengthening KCCEM to build the capacity of conservation professionals in the Albertine Rift Region

Project number: NICHE-RWA-025

Requesting Organisation: Kitabi College of Conservation and Environmental Management (KCCEM)

Project description: Biodiversity conservation will play an important role in developing the economy of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The conservation sector in Rwanda is closely linked with the tourism sector, a pillar under the country’s ambition to transform its agricultural-based economy into a services economy.

KCCEM is the country's main training institute. It targets mid-career conservation professionals. KCCEM trains these professionals to improve their skills by liaising with a different stakeholders including policy makers, community leaders, tourists and researchers.

Objectives

The project's overall objective is to reinforce KCCEM's capacity to offer professional training to all categories of conservation professionals in the Albertine Rift Region. This will increase the performance of the conservation sector through better collaboration between stakeholders, better biodiversity protection, more visitors and higher satisfaction ratings.

KCCEM is expected become a legally recognised public higher education institution. Once this status has been obtained, KCCEM will need to further improve its management systems to meet the requirements that come with its status as a public institution and the need to generate a substantial part of its income through course fees and others sources of income.