The ASEAN Climate Leadership Programme (ACLP), launched by the Climate Smart Land Use in ASEAN (CSLU) in October 2020, came to an official end December 2020. The programme brought together 27 participants from nine ASEAN Member States (AMS) to enhance their leadership skills while contributing to ASEAN policy processes and outcomes related to climate change, food security and land management. The ACLP was designed as a contribution to the work of the ASEAN Climate Resilience Network (ASEAN-CRN).
The ASEAN Climate Leadership Programme (ACLP) aimed to enhance participants’ leadership skills while contributing to ASEAN policy processes and outcomes related to climate change, food security and land management. It was designed as a contribution to the work of the ASEAN Climate Resilience Network (ASEAN-CRN) and will aid the implementation of ASEAN strategies such as the Vision and Strategic Plan for ASEAN Cooperation in Food, Agriculture and Forestry (FAF) (2016-2025) and the ASEAN Strategic Plan on Environment (ASPEN) 2016-2025. The ACLP was organised jointly by the Climate Smart Land Use in ASEAN (CSLU) project with funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA).
The ACLP consisted of five virtual workshops interspersed with additional group work and individual reflection time.The participants explored the role of land management in food security and climate change in the context of the ASEAN and its Member States. Guided by the Theory U as a change management framework, the participants practised and enhanced their leadership skills by developing self-defined change projects and interacting with each other as well as with other stakeholders who contributed their knowledge and perspectives to the programme. The process was facilitated by experts in leadership.
In the ACLP final workshop in mid-December 2020, the participants shared insights into their individual leadership journeys and presented the change projects they had developed to their peers, coaches and mentors and the supervisors who were invited to attend the presentations. Furthermore, participants highlighted how the programme had enhanced their understanding of the climate-smart land use concept, while enabling them to practise their leadership skills and expand their networks at regional level.
‘During the change project work with my sub-group, I learned that instead of always pushing forward to achieve a goal, it is also fine to reflect and consider other options from different perspectives. It’s like stepping back to leap forward,’
said Ms. Rafeah Rabiatun binti Othman,
one of the participants from Malaysia’s Department of Agriculture.
Mr. Martin Hansen, GIZ Country Director for Indonesia, ASEAN and Timor-Leste, and Mr. Glenn B. Gregorio, Director of SEARCA, were present at the ACLP virtual closing and certificate award ceremony. Both leaders reflected on the relevance of leadership for driving transformational change towards a more resilient low-carbon society and economy in ASEAN. Moreover, they congratulated all participants for completing their leadership journey and highlighted that,despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the participants had delivered an exceptional example of cross-border, cross-institution and cross-sector collaboration, showcasing true ASEAN spirit.
Additional to SEARCA, a number of other organisations and experts have contributed to the programme, including the ASEAN Secretariat; the ASEAN-CRN; the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (FAO-RAP); the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security; the Stockholm Environment Institute; Grow Asia; the Center for People and Forests; and the Amsterdam Leadership Academy. The design process of the ACLP as been enriched by co-creation, cooperation and experimenting with these actors – reflecting some of GIZ’s Cooperation and Leadership principles.
ACLP participants will stay connected through different media channels such as a website (under development), a Facebook group, and virtual meetings. The ACLP documentation will be disseminated shortly and further knowledge products based on the programme’s approach and content will be developed and shared across the region in the coming months.
Name and contact person:
Ms. Zahra Mutiara, Advisor Climate Smart Land Use (CSLU) in ASEAN
Email: zahra.mutiara@giz.de
Link to further materials
Booklet Programme
The ASEAN Climate Leadership Programme
https://asean-crn.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/ACLP-Booklet-2020.pdf
Article: 27 Leaders for Better Land Management in ASEAN,
https://asean-crn.org/27-leaders-for-better-land-management-in-asean/.
Key buzzwords / “tags”
ASEAN, Climate Smart Land Use, Land Management, Food Security, Climate Change, Leadership
