A full range of Mr Paul Scherzer’s past projects is available upon request, some selected project work examples include:
LIVELIHOODS, FOOD SECURITY, AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
2011 to current – Umsizi Sustainable Social Solutions – I work as part of the Umsizi team (www.umsizi.co.za) supporting them with content for their livelihood programs, covering life skills, household food security and nutrition, regenerative and climate-smart agriculture and small business training. I work with their team helping in the design and implementation of these program across the country. I am the team member primarily responsible for the design and management of Umsizi’s SQL online database, development of the user-front end in Powerapps, GIS mapping, and the internal monitoring and evaluation of development results and outcomes.
2017 – World Bank/UNCTAD: Knowledge into Action Notes– Peer Review –The World Bank and UN Conference on Trade and Development were jointly preparing a range of ‘Knowledge into Action Notes’ aimed at supporting and guiding governments, companies and communities to achieve mutually acceptable outcomes under the banner of Responsible Agricultural Investment. I was requested to peer review three of the papers, namely those on ‘Water Access’, ‘Enhancing Food Security and Nutrition’ and ‘Alternative Business Models’.
2017 – Vedanta Resources: Alternative Second Economy and Livelihood Options – A core member of the Umsizi team appointed to design a long-term strategy to promote regional alternative economic and livelihood options in the Northern Cape to develop a more sustainable and inclusive second economy in order to minimize the impacts of mine closure in 30 years’ time.
SOCIAL IMPACT EVALUATION AND COMMUNICATION
2023 – YONECO, National NGO, Malawi – Provided volunteer social impact advice and undertook photography for a range of their programs to capture some of the impacts of their work which promotes the rights of women and children in Malawi, through various advocacy, support programs and development initiatives.
2023 – Metrofile, South Africa – Undertook beneficiary interviews and photography to evaluate the impact and contribution of their Corporate Social Investment spend to provide them with new ideas and examples of how to visually and in text communicate showcase their contributions.
2020 – Anglo American: Impact Evaluation of their 2015-2020 Social Investment Projects – Evaluation scientist responsible for evaluating the impact of a range of community-based social investment projects implemented as part of the Mining Company’s 5-year Social Labour Plan requirements across four different mining operations in two Provinces. Projects evaluated included health infrastructure donations, school sanitation infrastructure projects, school pupil character-building and leadership education programs, community water scheme and street-lighting infrastructure projects, plus small-business entrepreneurship capacity-building programs. The evaluation methodology reviewed project design and theory of change, and analyzed the efficiency, effectiveness, sustainability and relevance of the outcomes and impacts.
NATURAL RESOURCES, LANDUSE AND TOURISM
2013 – Jinja Adventure Tourism Operators, Uganda: Independent Socio-economic assessment – Appointed to undertake an independent socio-economic assessment on the impact of a new Nile River hydropower dam on adventure tourism operators and tourism-based livelihoods in the Jinja region.
2013-2015 Thanda Tanzania: Preparation of a Marine Park Management Plan and investigation of Tourism Sustainability accreditation – Appointed to negotiate with the Marine Parks Reserve Unit and prepare a Marine Park Management Plan for the Thanda Island Lodge and this four-hectare marine reserve island in Tanzania. Also requested to investigate the necessary documentation to register this exclusive lodge with Fair Trade Tourism in accordance with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council standards.
2010-2011 – iSimangaliso Wetland Park/GEF: Agricultural and forestry land and water use within the World Heritage Zone of Influence – Research consultant appointed to map in GIS the land use change over the past 30 years related to agricultural and forestry activities within the iSimangaliso World Heritage Park’s zone of influence (five separate river catchments) and, then in the relation to this land-use change and anticipated catchment hydrology and groundwater flows affected, propose feasible development set-back lines with regard to groundwater hydrology, ecology, rural livelihoods and the socio-economic environment.
2006-2007 – DWAF/DFID: Implementation of the Community Empowerment Strategy to support the Draft Water Allocation Plan for the Mhlathuze Catchment – Project Manager responsible for the implementation of a catchment wide community empowerment program around water use and catchment water resources. Responsible for facilitating community input, workshopping irrigation, forestry and business, opportunities, identifying constraints for successful uptake of allocated water supplies and preparing pathways for long term monitoring and support. Piloting the expansion of the Water Research Commission’s Intensive Home-Food Production research as part of this assignment to empower households to use water effectively at their homes for food production.