| Overview : In South Africa, protected area (PA) management authorities face the challenge of justifying their current public expenditure levels, or arguing for additional investment, in a context of dwindling public budgets. The challenge of defending current budget allocations to protected areas and negotiating additional public financing of priority investments will increase due to austerity measures. Currently, budget allocation totaled approximately R3.6 billion for all management authorities in 2015 and are currently under pressure, decreasing by an average of 2% between 2015 and 2016 across all state management authorities. According to the Department of Environmental Affairs (2016), further budgetary cuts are to be expected over the next three years. In order to negotiate for maintaining current budget levels and lobbying for priority investments, management authorities need to develop their capacity to make the case and negotiate with treasuries and other departments. Making the case for greater PA funding involves providing selected protected areas management authorities with the information, analysis, communication material and capacities to better demonstrate social, environmental and economic benefits thereby aiding them to defend and increase their budget. This TOR is designed for a Protected Areas Expert who will work with the BIOFIN country team (Project Leader, Project Coordinator) as well as the BIOFIN Global Team on evaluating how a stronger case can be made for PA funding for management authorities (MA) in the province of the Northern Cape, and assist the province in being able to make a stronger case for budget allocation. |
