Tag words: Bangladesh, Natural Resources, WASH, Roles and Responsibilities, Multiple Claimants, HLP Disputes, Negotiation

Context

The target audience for this guidance note are thematic Specialists who design and write proposals, Project Managers and coordinators who implement projects, global and regional staff who advice specialists, grant managers, area managers, and country directors.[1] This document would be useful when planning to integrate HLP due diligence within a project management cycle and identifying who on a project team should be responsible and accountable and who should be consulted and informed.

Case study of Cox’s Bazaar in Bangladesh provides example of due diligence of HLP in context of camps established on forest land with prior social forestry agreements, on lands where host communities have pre-existing rights through customary practices, parcels with multiple claimants, and disputes over rights to natural resources.[2]

Summary

The guidance note establishes verification through Due Diligence as critical to preventing harm for all projects which require access to buildings, land, property, and other natural resources. Provides a clear and concise definition of due diligence, how due diligence should be incorporated in the project management cycle, and who should be responsible and accountable for due diligence within projects, along with who should be consulted and informed.[3]

The project management cycle is outlined as follows: Programming Phase (due diligence within core competency strategies), Formulation (collaboratively designing due diligence approach), Implementation (site-specific due diligence), and Monitoring and Evaluation (effectiveness and adherence to verification process).[4]

Those responsible and accountable for implementing due diligence are identified as the staff managing the process and ultimately the senior management in countries, such as area managers, heads of programs and country directors. [5]Guidance is provided for contexts in which project managers do not have technical expertise in HLP.6

Bangladesh case study includes description of how the HLP Technical Forum designed a due diligence process to assess suitability of land for project objectives, identify and mitigate environmental risks, ensure government authorities obtained permits and adhered to regulations, and identify and verify land rights-holders to negotiate use agreements.[6]

Link to text

NRC Guidance Note Natural Resource and HLP Due Diligence

NRC Guidance Note Natural Resource and HLP Due Diligence_Arabic

Available languages: English, Arabic

[1] Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). Guidance Note: HLP and Natural Resource Due Diligence in NRC. (2021), P.1.

[2] Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). Guidance Note: HLP and Natural Resource Due Diligence in NRC. (2021), P.5.

[3] Ibid. P. 2-4.

[4] Ibid. P. 3.

[5] Ibid. P. 4.

[6] Ibid. P. 6.