CIVIS Update #1 Consult on Climate

  1. Overall updates (since the last update)

This is our first update made on Grove, we’re happy to share that work on the Primer has started on sure footing.

  1. Progress on the goals listed while on-boarding

Our first milestone of on boarding Justice Adda to support with the design elements of the primer has been completed, our research is underway, with our team collating information on 64 public consultations undertaken by the Indian government since 2014.

  1. Any challenges

None at the moment.

  1. Any new avenues of collaboration (with other Grantees of RCF or other NPO/NGO)

We are looking to engage with other RCF portfolio organisations down the line, our current focus is on the research for the primer.

  1. Highlights from the initiatives being undertaken as part of your organization

N/A

  1. Outcomes you are chasing for the next 6 months (these can remain the same if unchanged since the last update)

N/A

  1. KPIs (please use this section to let us know of the impact and reach of your work since the last update)

N/A

  1. Can Rainmatter be of help with anything at all

Nothing at the moment - thank you!

  1. Any additional details you would like to provide

N/A

  1. Please also share any images or videos that you have documented as part of your work

Documentation is underway, we will share content as a part of subsequent updates


ACTIVITIES

Collaboration Post Made

Announcement post on collaboration on the Primer has been made. Draft of the post is available here. Once approved, we aim to post it on February 5th, i.e. Consultation Day.

Timelines and Launch Date of Primer

The date for the launch of the primer has been chosen as 22nd April 2023 - World Earth Day. The team aims to finalise the first draft of the Primer by 28th February 2023, leaving the next three weeks for content review and designing process.

Questionnaires created

Along with our research, we are working to ensure the information available in the primer is practical and nuanced. For this purpose we would be interviewing environmentals, activists and media persons to understand how public consultations on climate policy have been conducted so far, gaps in implementation, awareness, etc.

Two sets of questions and lists of persons to contact have been prepared. Interviews would commence in the week of January 30th.

Intern onboarded

  • For the month of January 2023, we engaged an intern, Nivedita Bansal, a student of Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development at Utrecht University in the Netherlands to assist us with research and communications tasks.
  • She assisted the Civis team on three tasks:
    • Collating information on 64 public consultations undertaken by the Indian government since 2014. The information gathered includes a summary of the draft policy, target groups engaged with, consultation period, organisations involved in promoting the consultation, articles and opeds written around the time of consultation.
    • Creating a database putting together organisations working in the environment domain, who we can engage with for outreach activities in relation to the project.
    • Questionnaire for interviews with environmentalists and activists.

Designers Onboarded

We have had two calls with the team at Justice Adda to explain the scope of work involved in making the Primer. The Justice Adda team have agreed to design the Primer and are excited to collaborate with us on the same. Formalities for confirming the partnership, such as signing of MoU and finalising scope of work, are pending.

NEXT STEPS

  • Analyse all research and data collected with the help of the intern to identify trends and patterns of public consultations in the climate domain to outline the best possible strategies for each stakeholder group identified in the research outline.
  • Setting up and conducting interviews with environmentalists, activists and media persons reporting on climate policies.
  • Starting the first draft of the Primer post recording learnings from interviews and research.
  • Create a timeline for executing an outreach plan based on the decided launch date of the primer.
1 Like
  1. Overall updates (since the last update)
  • Research, interviews and first draft of two sections out of the four outlined in the Primer have been completed. These two sections are Citizen Action and Role of Media.
  • For the Citizen Action section, the text and recommendations made in the draft are largely based on the research conducted by our team, our experience in facilitating public consultations in the environment domain, interviews with climate activists and best practices from successful consultations conducted in the past. We have conducted interviews with 2 researchers and climate activists - Ayadi Mishra, a UN(SDSN) Local Pathways Fellow and Srijani Datta, an activist from Youth for Climate India. These interviews have helped ensure the content of the Primer is nuanced with practical examples that citizens can relate to. More interviews are currently being lined up for other sections of the Primer.
  • For the media section, we conducted interviews with three journalists covering the climate policy beat in different regions of the country - Prayag Desai (Hindustan Times), Vaishnavi Rathore (Scroll.in), Bhanu Sridharan (Citizen Matters). These interviews were very helpful as they informed the recommendations being made in the section on ‘Climate Action in the Media’. It also helps inform the tone and manner in which these recommendations are being made to ensure that Primer can be easily adopted in their work and help increase citizen engagement in climate policy making.
  • Draft of contract to engage Justice Adda has been made and sent over to them. Awaiting inputs from them to finalise the contract.
  • We have on-boarded another law student intern from National Law School Odisha to assist us with the Primer.
  • Colour scheme for the Primer has been finalised. Image attached.
  1. Progress on the goals listed while on-boarding

50 percent of the draft primer has been completed.

  1. Any challenges

We have had some trouble connecting with some researchers and climate activists. However, we have gathered enough information and insights to complete certain sections of the primer.

  1. Any new avenues of collaboration (with other Grantees of RCF or other NPO/NGO)

Not at the moment. Our focus for the next two weeks is to finish the draft of the Primer. Once the draft is complete, we will be reaching out to other organisations to start executing the outreach plan as outlined in the initial proposal.

  1. Highlights from the initiatives being undertaken as part of your organization

Our key takeaway from the last three weeks has been the interviews we have conducted. We learned about many on ground difficulties in the existing consultation process in India and have managed to add in additional information to make the Primer stronger.

  1. Outcomes you are chasing for the next 6 months (these can remain the same if unchanged since the last update)

N/A

  1. KPIs (please use this section to let us know of the impact and reach of your work since the last update)

N/A

  1. Can Rainmatter be of help with anything at all

Yes. We would like help in connecting with certain organisations from the Rainmatter portfolio and if possible some other climate activists and organisations not in the portfolio. List of names will be shared with Marisha over email.

  1. Any additional details you would like to provide

N/A

  1. Please also share any images or videos that you have documented as part of your work

No images or videos to share at the moment. Most of our work has been research and interviews so far.

NEXT STEPS

  • We have begun section on Civil Society Action this week and will continue with our interviews with researchers and climate activists from various organisations working in climate policy.
  • We will complete the first draft of the primer by February 28th.

Thanks for the update, Shonottra!
For interviews, would recommendations - Mayank Aggarwal (Mongabay) and folks at LIFE. Will wait for your email on org connects.

1 Like

Thanks, Marisha! Will reach out to them as well.

Hello,

Mentioned below is the third update from the Climate Primer project:

  1. Overall updates (since the last update)
  • First draft the Primer has been completed and presented to Marisha on March 9, 2023. While reviews are ongoing, a copy has also been sent to Justice Adda.
  • Sample illustration with colour scheme has also been received from Justice Adda and forwarded on to Marisha over email on March 9.
  • An outreach plan has been created to identify design and video collaterals, engagements with media and partner organisations, etc. Work as per this plan has commenced.
  1. Progress on the goals listed while on-boarding
  • First draft complete.
  1. Any challenges

None at this stage.

  1. Any new avenues of collaboration (with other Grantees of RCF or other NPO/NGO)

Conversations with Siddharth Agarwal at Veditum were very helpful in identifying new areas of collaboration on primer. Discussions still under way. As for exploring more avenues, a detailed outreach plan containing such information will be send across in the coming week.

  1. Highlights from the initiatives being undertaken as part of your organization

NA

  1. Outcomes you are chasing for the next 6 months (these can remain the same if unchanged since the last update)

Working with Justice Adda and finalising the Primer, and executing the outreach plan/

  1. KPIs (please use this section to let us know of the impact and reach of your work since the last update)

NA

  1. Can Rainmatter be of help with anything at all

Not at this stage. We shall reach out on relevant aspects on the outreach plan.

  1. Any additional details you would like to provide

None at the moment.

  1. Please also share any images or videos that you have documented as part of your work

NA

@shonottra Is it possible to share the primer link here?

Hello! It’s still in the draft stage. WIll share soon :slight_smile: