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Community Contribution

Environment Challenges; Kandalama Heritage Hotel in Sri Lanka

Description

Describe The Approaches Utilized To Measure / Assess This KM Initiative: 

the tools adopted were mid-term/final evaluation and impact assessment as well as regular monitoring and observation. This assessment effort was integrated with other organizational metrics. The measuring and assessing have been done by the implementing team as well as government and international professionals.

Sector: 

Hotel sector

What Do You Think Are The Main Unanswered Questions Or Challenges Related To This Field Of Work?: 

All challenges of this Hotel Project have been successfully tackled by winning many GOLD Medals for consecutive years. Maintaining the continuous support from the employees and the community is a real challenge which i would like to debate with the professionals.

What Was The Purpose Or Motivation For Assessing This KM Initiative?: 

The purpose of assessing this KM initiative is to contribute not only to support internal learning processes but also to set an example to others to learn how to face environment challenges successfully through people's participation /participatory approach and maintaining transparency with accountability.

What Would You Do Differently Next Time?: 

It is advisable for every project to do a Environment Impact Assessment before go ahead with the project idea. then, a socio-economic survey need to be done in order to understand the real situation of the related society and the economy. Community awareness on the project is vital for its success. the findings of the study is fully worth as it demonstrates how you can face challenges successfully.

What Were The Most Important Lessons Learned About The Assessment Process?: 

the critical success factors were winning the heart of the rural community who have not exposed to the world development and having limited knowledge about the tourism industry. The objections leveled against the hotel project were closely related to environmental factors. Peaceful negotiations and careful listening to the people's objections and attempts taken to involve people in the activities of the project and convincing them on positive factors, sharing benefits with local community and making them partners of the project collectively helped to win the obstacles successfully.

What Advice Would You Give To Others Based On Your Experience?: 

Before developing any project, you must do a Bench-Mark survey to analyze the existing situation. Then EI A (Environment Impact Assessment) has to be done with a feasibility study. A SWOT analysis is very useful, then you know that where you stand. Political and community support are part and parcel of any project.

Describe The KM Initiative: 

The challenges and objections cropped up from the traditional society against the tourism development and the hotel construction have been meted out with people's participation and through peaceful negotiations and enhancing public awareness about the clear objectives and the methodology adopted by the project developers.

Country: 

Sri Lanka

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This case was submitted as part of the KM Impact Challenge in 2011. The challenge was sponsored by USAID's Knowledge-Driven Microenterprise Development project, as a key part of the project’s Assessing & Learning component, which sought to improve the understanding of how investing in learning can increase and extend the overall impact of USAID's development efforts.

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