Background
In September 2006 the Senate of the Polytechnic of Namibia approved the establishment of the Institute for Integrated Land Management (ILMI ) . The Institute was formally launched at the end of May 2008. ILMI serves as the commercial arm of the School of Natural Resources and Tourism (SNRT) and its four departments of Agriculture, Land Management, Nature Conservation and Tourism and Hospitality Management.
ILMI is a multi-disciplinary research and consulting centre specializing in the field of integrated land management. Our expertise covers a wide range of land and natural resource sectors, with particular expertise in land administration, land reform and resettlement, land use planning, land valuation and estate management, agricultural lands management, nature conservation and tourism resource management. The Institute has with particular specialisations in surveying, mapping, land registration, urban and rural planning, environmental management, and use of participatory methodologies for research and data collection. Services Provided
The products and services provided by ILMI focus on three main areas:
• Applied research,
• Consulting services,
• Training courses (short courses).
Designing and running training courses is the most important core competence of SNRT. At present, training courses offered and conducted by the SNRT departments (Agriculture, Land Management, Nature Conservation and Tourism Management) are almost exclusively run within the formal education programmes. However, ILMI recognises that there is a demand for professional training courses beyond the Polytechnic, especially for the qualification and upgrading of staff from various ministries, NGOs and local and regional authorities.
Vision
The vision of the ILMI is to become a “Centre of Excellence” in research and training in integrated land management.
Mission
ILMI's mission is to provide support to all efforts targeted at sustainable development in Namibia and the SADC Region through excellence in providing customized training, applied research and consulting services in the field of integrated land management.
Goals
ILMI is a step towards the aim to develop SNRT into an internationally recognized Centre of Excellence while meeting the demands of industry in “Integrated Natural Resource Management”.
ILMI provides an opportunity for staff and students to test their theoretical “know-how” in real world projects and thus upgrade their skills and experience.
ILMI functions as a start up platform enabling students to gain practical professional experience under staff guidance.
Activity Focus
There are three main areas of focus in terms of activities that ILMI engages in. These are Applied Research, Consulting Services and Training Courses:
Applied Research
"Applied research" in this context, refers to any complex question, topic or problem a customer may wish to investigate. Particularly interesting fields in this respect are, for example, Environmental Impact Assessments, Land Use Planning, Regional Planning, Land Reform and Resettlement, Agricultural Land Management, etc.
Consulting Services
"Consulting services" will, in most cases, also include "studies" in one form or another. However, consulting usually goes beyond the mere compilation of a research study. It may include all sorts of technical and conceptual support for assessing institutions and organizations, establishment of new institutional structures, technical advice and maintenance. It may also include design and implementation of workshops and of customized training programmes (e.g. for staff members of ministries, town councils, etc.)
Training Courses
Designing and running training courses is the most important core competence of SNRT. At present, training courses offered and conducted by the SNRT departments are almost exclusively run within the formal education programmes of the Polytechnic. However, there is also a big demand for professional training courses beyond the Polytechnic, especially for the qualification and upgrading of staff from various ministries (MLR, MET, MAWF, and MRLGHRD), and local and regional authorities.
All these institutions are in need of formal training in a wide range of fields:
• Technical training (GIS, GPS, surveying, database management etc.);
• Conceptual and methodological training (e.g. project planning, project monitoring and evaluation); and
• Subject-matter related training (e.g. land use planning, nature conservation, modern agricultural methods, etc.).
Customer Base
The bulk of potential customers fall into one or more of the following four main categories:
• Land management related government institutions (such as NPC and the various ministries) at national as well as on the regional level,
• Bi- and multi-lateral donor organisations (e.g. EC, World Bank, FAO, KfW etc.) and their implementing partners on programme and project level (e.g. GTZ, Lux-Development, SIDA etc.),
• Local authorities with planning and land management-related responsibilities (Municipalities, town and village councils),
Private enterprise, mainly from the mining and tourism sectors.
Theme Areas
Due to the diversity of ILMI's expertise and infrastructural resources, the following broad themes represent areas within which ILMI can undertake assignments.
Land Management
• Land Administration
• Land Reform and Resettlement
• Land Use Planning
Property Management
• Land Valuation
• Estate Management
Natural Resource Management
• Agricultural Lands Management
• Nature Conservation
Tourism Resource Management
Contact
John Kangwa
Coordinator, ILMI
Tel: +264 (0)61 207 2244
Sonja Samuels
Secretary, School of Natural Resources and Tourism
Tel: +264 (0)61 207 2146
Fax: +264 (0)61 207 2196
Polytechnic of Namibia
Private Bag 13388
13 Storch Street
Windhoek
Namibia
Email: ilmi@polytechnic.edu.na
|
