Blog Unlocking Financial Opportunities for Locally Led Climate Action: Building Foundations for Resilient and Investment-Ready Climate Projects in Siaya County, Kenya
The Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT - through the AICCRA project - conducted a workshop in Siaya County (Kenya) from November 4-6th, focusing on enhancing the quality of climate project proposals and equipping participants with the tools to develop investment-ready and impactful projects.
By Dorcas Jalango, Caroline Nguvi and Caroline Mundia
Siaya County is one of Kenya’s 45 counties participating in the World Bank’s Financing Locally Led Climate Action (FLLoCA) Program, charting an inspiring path toward sustainable, community-driven climate resilience. By empowering both local communities and county officials, FLLoCA is fostering robust governance frameworks and catalyzing impactful climate actions at the grassroots level.
Structured across three tiers - the Ward Climate Change Planning Committees (WCCPC), the County Climate Change Planning Committee, and the County Climate Change Steering Committee - this governance model ensures inclusive decision-making. It anchors the community at the heart of climate-responsive project development.
Since FLLoCA’s inception, significant progress has been made in Siaya County, including the submission of 91 project proposals from 30 wards, with 21 shortlisted for funding. However, a review of these proposals revealed gaps such as unclear objectives, weak justifications for interventions, misaligned budgets, and insufficient focus on livelihood impacts. These shortcomings showed the urgent need for targeted capacity-building to align project goals with sustainable outcomes.
Bridging Capacity Gaps in Project Development
Building on past collaborations with the County, the Alliance and AICCRA conducted a three-day workshop, equipping participants with the tools to develop investment-ready and impactful projects. This workshop brought together technical officials from Siaya’s Directorate of Climate Change, WCCPC representatives, and community members, with three main objectives:
- Provide feedback on the developed concept notes: Engage participants in reviewing and refining existing project concept notes for alignment with impactful outcomes,
- Conduct training on investment readiness and planning: Equip county staff and community members with skills for developing bankable proposals and ensuring investment readiness, and
- Provide technical guidance on developing bankable proposals: Offer expert technical support to transform concept notes into comprehensive proposals that meet donor standards and clearly demonstrate sustainable livelihood benefits.
Insights from Siaya County Leadership
Mr. Michael Oliech - Chief Officer Water, Irrigation, Environment, and Climate Change
“Climate change is profoundly affecting our communities, and it is imperative that we act not just as responders but as proactive stewards of our environment. Planting Indigenous trees on my farm has been my first step - trees that provide environmental benefits and serve as medicinal resources, as our forefathers did. Our focus must go beyond ‘business as usual’ to building sustainable systems that enhance livelihoods, ensure food security, and foster economic resilience. Let’s embrace innovative solutions that integrate conservation with development, creating a resilient, prosperous future for generations to come’’.
“Siaya County remains dedicated to advancing the National Climate Change Action Plan by empowering grassroots leadership through Ward Climate Change Planning Committees. Despite challenges such as deforestation and hilltop degradation, we are confident that this workshop equips our teams with the tools to implement impactful, sustainable solutions, building resilience and ensuring a brighter future for our communities.”
Prof. Jacqueline Oduol - CEC for Water, Irrigation, Environment, and Climate Change
Insights into Siaya County's Climate-Resilient Project Landscape: A Community-Driven approach
The workshop delved into understanding community-driven climate resilience projects under FLLoCA and their criteria for evaluation. Key insights emphasized FLLoCA’s focus on locally led action, highlighting climate-smart agriculture (CSA) as essential for resilience. Mr. Lameck from the M&E team detailed the selection process for 21 proposals funded under the Climate Change Resilient Investments (CCRI) Grant, stressing alignment with priorities, economic viability, sustainability and community involvement.
Discussions revealed critical themes, including: the importance of community ownership to ensure success, addressing proposal development challenges, and fostering long-term sustainability planning. Participants highlighted the need for capacity-building initiatives to create feasible projects and for increased youth engagement to make climate action intergenerational and enduring.
Effective Project Design and Investment Readiness of Climate-Resilient Projects
A team from the Alliance conducted sessions to strengthen Siaya County representatives’ capacity to design impactful climate resilience projects. The training focused on crafting high-quality concept notes, which are crucial for assessing investment viability and guiding project funding decisions. Participants gained foundational skills to align proposals with climate resilience objectives and investment readiness standards, enhancing the potential for sustainable impact.
Key training components included prioritization and investment readiness, emphasizing systematic evaluation of projects for maximum benefits, and addressing Siaya County’s urgent climate challenges. Budgeting and cost-benefit analysis sessions provided tools to establish robust financial frameworks and assess interventions' viability, balancing costs with benefits and minimizing risks.
These sessions empowered participants to develop effective, sustainable and financially sound climate projects, better positioning Siaya County to achieve both the county’s and national-level climate resilience goals.
Participants in group sessions (right) refining the project concept notes (left) submitted for technical review
The workshop concluded with an interactive session where participants - divided into four thematic groups - refined project proposals for practical implementation. The collaborative effort emphasized actionable outcomes, ensuring projects were ready for execution. Siaya County outlined the next steps for transitioning from planning to impactful on-the-ground implementation, supported by key recommendations:
Expand Capacity Building: Conduct additional training for community representatives in the remaining 12 wards to strengthen skills to help build a network of climate-ready stakeholders who can drive local climate action,
Establish Reporting and M&E Frameworks: Implement standardized systems to enhance accountability, track progress and measure project impact, and
Foster Knowledge-Sharing Networks: Create peer networks to sustain workshop momentum through resource sharing and best practices dissemination, driving resilient climate action across the county.
