Institutional and project evaluation of the Work Group Racimos de Ungurahui, the Peruvian National Federation of the Achuar (FENAP) and the Federation of Native Communities of the Corrientes River (FECONACO)

Summary of the evaluation:
Since this report includes the evaluation of three different organizations and three different projects, this summary is seven pages long. This summary presents separately the background, findings and recommendations regarding Racimos, FENAP’s and FECONACO ‘s project work and institutional functioning.

Background:
1.1 The Work Group Racimos de Ungurahui (hereinafter Racimos)

Racimos is a non-governamental institution with an important record of advocating for the rights of the indigenous peoples in the Peruvian Amazon. It is recognized by both the indigenous organizations and their leaders, and by state institutions and officials, other NGOs.
It has supported the securing of regular legal status for indigenous communities and organizations, the defense of indigenous territories and the promotion of a legal strategy to support the territorial claims of several indigenous peoples. Its work on extractive industries, Racimos has focused on strengthening the organizations to evaluate the socio-environmental impacts of oil extraction. It has also made substantial contributions in formulating legal proposals on indigenous rights.
Since the early 2000s Racimos has worked in the areas of the Pastaza, Corrientes, Cenepa and Ucayali rivers, and in Selva Central. From the 2008 and onwards RFN has given to Racimos institutional support. This project includes activities in the Pastaza, Corrientes, Cenepa and Ucayali basins. Several of the projects are actually projects of the respective organizations, and Racimos plays the role of operator and adviser.

1.2 The Federation of Native Communities of the Corrientes River (FECONACO)

FECONACO, founded in 1991, represents 26 native communities of the Corrientes River in Northern Loreto. These communities have different ethnical affiliation: they are Achuar, Kichwa and Urarina. One of its most important achievements is the signing, in 2006, of the Acta de Dorissa with the oil company, Pluspetrol, operating in the area. This Act obliges the oil operator to inject oil production water in the underground stopping the spilling of oil in rivers and lakes. It commits the regional authorities to give appropriately health care to the affected population and to support alternative economic activities in compensation for the destruction of their livelihoods.

Racimos and Rainforest Foundation Norway supported FECONACO in reaching the agreement mentioned. Since 2007 Rainforest Foundation Norway has given institutional support to FECONACO in order to enable it to follow up the commitments stated in the Acta de Dorissa. The project includes also the documentation of territorial use of the communities affiliated to it and an environmental program focused on the effects of oil extraction.

1.3 The Peruvian National Federation of the Achuar (FENAP)

The FENAP was founded in 2000 by two Achuar organizations of the Pastaza basin, the Achuarti Irundramu (ATI) that represents 18 communities, and the Achuar Organization Chayat, that represents 19 communities. During the last 15 years, the Achuar of the Pastaza province have impeded oil extraction in their ancestral lands, they have demanded the legal recognition of their territory and the fulfilment of their right to define their own development priorities.
In the last 10 years, Racimos has supported the Achuar of the Pastaza. In line with Achuar priorities, the main objectives of this support have been institutional strengthening, the legalization of the Achuar territory and the defense of their right to decide about extractive industry that may affect their livelihoods.  Since 2006, Rainforest Foundation Norway has given financial support to achieve these objectives.

Methodology:
The evaluation has a strong qualitative approach with emphasis on stakeholders’ participation. The evaluators conducted interviews with all members of Racimos, both individually and collectively in meetings. They visited the Pastaza and Corrientes areas, interviewed the staff of the FECONACO and FENAP and they evaluated the result and effects of Racimos’ support and of several the projects’ activities. They participated in FECONACO’s and FENAP’s general assemblies and could interview their participants.

The evaluators interviewed also relevant actors, such as other NGOs working in the area.
Additionally, the evaluators analysed relevant documents such as administrative records, political documents, other evaluation reports and project documentation (work plans and budgets).

The evaluation included two workshops, one with the FECONACO and other with Racimos and FENAP, in which the findings and the recommendations of the evaluation were presented and discussed. In these workshops, FECONACOs and FENAPs leadership and Racimos’ board agreed how the recommendations were to be followed up.

Key findings:
2.1 Project and institutional evaluation of the Work Group Racimos de Ungurahui
On Racimos’ project work in the Corrientes and Pastaza basins

In the Corrientes basin, Racimos had supported the organization FECONACO helping it to follow up the commitments contained in the Act of Dorissa. It has also provided technical and financial support for oil monitoring activities.

Racimos has shown some weaknesses and failures in its intervention in Corrientes. The evaluation concludes that Racimos does not have a constant presence in the zone, especially in the communities which means that the advisory services and accompaniment are limited in scope and duration, have an emphasis on legal matters and political-administrative initiatives, and are focused on persons at the leadership level. The work implementing the Acta de Dorissa demands sustained efforts. These include an in-depth analysis of the impacts which the Acta could bring (and has brought) to the life and dynamics of the communities and their organization. The efforts aimed at the organizational strengthening of FECONACO, pursued jointly by Racimos and Shinai, are in that context also of limited scope and duration and do not translate into a closer and more reflexive relationship between the leadership and their communities. 

In the Pastaza basin Racimos has supported FENAP and has focused on the legalization of the Achuar territory and on sustainable resource management. Anthropological, legal reports and cartographic documentation on ancestral territorial used have been completed and validated by the Achuar people.

With respect to control over extractive industries, the Achuar of Pastaza represented by the FENAP made an important gain with the representatives of the oil company Talisman, at the Assembly of Shareholders in Canada agreed not to begin operations in their territory if the population was not in agreement. In 2010 a self-consultation was conducted on oil activities in their territory; most of the communities rejected such activities.

In spite of these important gains the evaluation observes that Racimos’ work in the area may become dispersed across several topics (integral territory, community land-titling, land-use management, resources management, and food security) which, albeit with complementary objectives, are not explicitly included as part of a pre-defined strategy. The evaluation considers that more emphasis should be placed on the territorial appropriation of the communities, on the support for regional and national organizations to define a strategy with respect to integral territories, and on strengthening FENAP which shows an strong dependence towards Racimos.

Racimos’ strategic framework profiled in 2003 is coherent and consistent but its objectives and results do not correspond to an analysis of the adverse context in which the indigenous movement is unfolding. The objectives and results are too general and ambiguous and, hence, practically unattainable. Moreover, Racimos does not define the specific changes proposed, and it lacks strategies for attaining the general objectives, which leads to is activities becoming dispersed.

2.2 Project and institutional evaluation of FECONACO
On FECONACOs project work in the Corrientes Basin

The project has obtained important results in its work on indigenous territory and environmental monitoring. FECONACO has currently a very good database on indigenous territorial occupation in the Corrientes Basin. The participative methodology used has been appropriated since it takes into account local knowledge and use practices when territories are defined and limited. This participative approach has made possible to resolve border conflicts and has promoted local reflection on the environmental impacts of ongoing oil activities.

FECONACO has also an outstanding database – it might be the best on the country - on the environmental impacts of oil activity in the Corrientes Basin. FECONACO’s strategy to constitute a local group of environmental monitors who can follow up the oil company’s obligations of cleaning up contaminated areas, and who can register and denounce new oil spills has been highly adequate. 

The evaluation observes, however, that FECONACO’s leadership could have made better use of these databases. The FECONACO’s leadership could have used the territorial database more actively and systematically their demands on land titling. The database on oil contamination could have been used in advocacy campaigns targeting regional and national authorities and in awareness campaigns targeting the local population in Loreto.

On FECONACO as an organization
FECONACO, based on Iquitos, is undoubtedly an important indigenous organization in Loreto which has obtained important gains. Neither the regional authorities nor the oil company can ignore its role and presence.

FECONACO represents the Achuar, Urarina and Kichwa communities of the Upper Corrientes River. In spite of it, the Kichwa and Urarina communities do not have representatives in the FECONACO’s board, and their demands are not reflected in the FECONACO’s political agenda and priorities.

FECONACO’s organizational structure is not adequate. Its estatutos do not ensure the membership of the communities but rather of private persons, and they do not define properly the functions and obligations of its leadership. This contributes to weaken the possibilities of the communities to hold their leaders accountable for their actions.

Although FECONACO has its own administrative staff, it still does not have an adequate administrative structure and control mechanisms that secures the appropriate management of funds.

2.3 Project and institutional evaluation of FENAP
On FENAP’s project work in the Pastaza Basin

The work done by Fenap and the Achuar of the Pastaza with the support of Racimos regarding the legalization of the Achuar territory and the state recognition of the Achuar’s right to self-determination is central for the indigenous peoples in Peru. The FENAP is concluding the anthropological, legal and cartographic information that documents the Achuar’s territorial occupation in the Pastaza basin. The process of auto-consultation carried out by the FENAP in the communities it represents, has strengthened the Achuar demands.

In spite of these important achievements, the evaluation observes that there is no an adequate legal strategy in place to obtain the legalization of indigenous territories. The development of such strategy is necessary since Peruvian legislation is contradictory in this regard. In order to ensure territorial control, it is necessary to resolve existing border conflicts between  the Achuar and other indigenous peoples.

FENAP has successfully implemented economic alternatives that reinforce territorial control, reduce the pressure on natural resources (as fish) and ensures the participation of local communities. However, it is an unequal distribution of project resources between communities that may cause inter-community conflicts weakening the Achuar’s political organization.

FENAP is a representative organization of the communities situated in the Pastaza basin and gathered in the Achuar organizations ATI and ORACH. As a result of FENAP’s work, the Achuar communities of the Pastaza have a common political agenda regarding territorial control and self-determination and collaborate closely on these issues. FENAP’s general assembly function as mechanism of accountability of FENAP’s leadership.

FENAP has not developed sufficient administrative and organizational capacities; it does not have its technical team showing a high degree of dependence of Racimos. There are no process of capacity building on political leadership and indigenous rights which could strengthen FENAP’s autonomy. Racimos has not a strategy to transfer administrative or technical capacities.

Recommendations:
3.1 For the Work Group Racimos de Ungurahui

The evaluation considers that Racimos on the legalization of indigenous territories should coordinate with other indigenous organizations working with the same topics in order to develop a common political and advocacy strategy. Racimos should also put emphasis on processes for de facto territorial appropriation by the communities.

With respect to Racimos’s support to indigenous organizations, in particularly when it serves as operator of their projects, it is recommended that its roles, functions, procedures, budgets, reports, contracts, and other aspects be clarified, and that this be made explicit in the institutional documents.

At the institutional level, the evaluation considers it a priority to pursue a process of institutional reengineering of Racimos, accompanied by external staff, and to undertake a review of its strategic framework that provides the institution with a basic instrument to strengthen its identity and its institutional outreach.

Once a long-term strategic plan has been agreed upon, Racimos should define an operational structure appropriate to the challenges it is facing so as to be able to ensure it attains the objectives and goals it has set for itself. In addition, it should make progress defining operational plans and annual budgets of the institution, instead of putting them together on a project-by-project basis. 

3.2 For the FECONACO
The evaluation recommends that FECONACO reviews its statutes in order to define clearly the functions of its leadership. This might ensure that FECONACO continues to be a representatie organization. The FECONACO should consider moving its headquarters to Trompeteros in order to strengthen the contact between FECONACO’s leadership and its constituency. The evaluatin suggests that the project supported by RFN might help to strengthen this relationship by empowering the communities FECONACO represents. Regarding oil monitoring the monitors should report their work both to the communities and to the federation’s leadership. The FECONACO should use actively the maps which were elaborated with the participation of the communities to demand the authorities the legalization of ancestral lands.

At the institutional level, the FECONACO needs to establish a better operational and administrative structure. The FECONACO should have better control mechanisms in place that secure the correct management of funds. RFN should contribute to this by demanding and financing institutional audits yearly and by demanding quarterly account reports.

The FECONACO should continue the trials initiated against those allegedly responsible for the mismanagement of the funds of the institution occurred in 2010.

3.2 For the FENAP
The evaluation considers that FENAP’s demand on state recognition of the Achuar territory is highly relevant. The FENAP should put more efforts on ensuring that the Achuar communities have a comprehensive and effective territorial based on inter-communal agreements for their protection and management.
 
The evaluation recommends the strengthening of FENAP and of the organizations that form part of it. It is recommended to develop strategy to build a culture of transparent decision making and management of collective goods and resources. This strategy should target the FENAP’s leaders and communities and must create spaces for reflection within the communities and between them and their organizations.

Comments from the organisation, if any:
The recommendations have been followed up by the Rainforet Foundation Norway in close cooperation with Racimos, FECONADO, FENAP and external consultants.