The Rights – Land, Information, Networking and Knowledge Phase II (Rights-LINK II or RL II) project was implemented by Village Focus International (VFI) in cooperation with the Department of Agriculture and Land Management and Development (DALaM) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF). The project was mainly funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and had a total budget of USD 2,800,000. It was to follow immediately after Rights LINK phase I (March 2009 – March 2012).
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for RL II between VFI and DALaM signed in January 2015 marked the official approval of RL II. The delayed start was due to a combination of wider political developments and sensitivities, and the merging of the counterpart from phase I, the National Land Management Authority (NLMA), with the newly established Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE). With funding secured and staff already on board, RL II turned this obstacle into an opportunity.