Best Practices and Lessons Learned in the Implementation of Global Framework for Climate Services—Adaptation Programme in Africa: Tanzania-Experience

This paper provides an analysis and a description of the best practices and lessons learned in the implementation of the Global Framework for Climate Services Adaptation Program in Africa (GFCS-APA) focusing on Tanzania country’s activities. GFCS-APA was the first multi-agency initiative implemented under the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS) in two African countries, namely Tanzania and Malawi with funding from the Royal Government of Norway. In Tanzania, the programme was implemented in two phases from the year 2014 to 2021 in the three pilot districts of Kondoa, Longido and Kiteto located in Dodoma, Arusha and Manyara regions, respectively. The overarching goal of the programme was to enable better management of the risks caused by climate variability and change at all levels, from end-users to policy level, through development and incorporation of science-based climate information and prediction services into planning, policy and practice. The programme focused on bridging the gap between providers and users of climate information and products through development of user-driven climate services for food security, health and disaster risk reduction. This paper aimed to analyze lessons learned and best practices in the course of the implementation of the GFCS-APA phase I and II in Tanzania. A qualitative approach was employed to analyze the lessons learned and best practices, by extracting them and exploring further on their contribution to the enhancement of climate services, as well as their applicability and potentiality for scaling out in other regions within Tanzania, and in other countries. The results indicate the identified best practices and lessons learned contributed significantly in enhancing climate services, particularly in understanding, availability, accessibility, utilization, ownership and sustainability of climate services among users (farmers and pastoralists) of various gender, as well as intermediaries and decision-makers. Results also indicate the lessons learned and the documented best practices could influence the effectiveness of climate services in other areas, to address existing challenges in access, uptake and sustainability of climate services. The best practices and lessons learned could be considered for integration in the future projects or operational activities in other regions within the country and other countries, particularly in the developing world, including Sub-Saharan Africa.