GEF National Coordination

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• GEF National Coordination
• Country Mechanisms, Processes, Experiences

Sub-regional Workshop for GEF Focal
Points Eastern and Southern Africa Nairobi, 14-16
May 2007
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Overview

• GEF Focal Points and their coordination roles
• National coordination mechanisms
• Elements of successful national GEF coordination
  mechanisms
• Common challenges to coordination
• Benefits of national GEF coordination
• Country experiences with coordination

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Why this presentation?

• GEF Focal Points have consistently requested
  guidance on improving GEF coordination in their
  countries
• Through GEF National Dialogue process
• During 2006 GEF Sub-regional consultations
• In responses to GEF CSP questionnaire sent to
  Focal Points in late 2006

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Sources for this Presentation

• GEF National Dialogue Initiative and CSP study
  GEF National Coordination - Lessons Learned
  (2005)
• Country presentations at Third GEF Assembly
  National Dialogue side-event on GEF coordination
  (2006)
• Case studies prepared for CSP by national GEF
  Focal Points on GEF coordination (2007)

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I. GEF Focal Points

• Play critical coordination roles regarding GEF
  matters at different levels
• National
• Regional
• Global

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GEF Focal Points (continued)

• National coordination
• Sectoral coordination (inter-ministerial and
  inter-agency), including with convention focal
  points
• Outreach to other national stakeholders (civil
  society organizations, academic/scientific
  institutions, private sector)
• Liaison with GEF Implementing and Executing
  Agencies (IAs/EAs)
• Linkages with other international cooperation
  agencies

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Across range of sector activities / environmental
issues
From policy makers to local groups
FPs help influence policy by upscaling lessons
FPs facilitate coordination with sectoral
agencies on integrating global environment into
development plans
FPs help inform, mobilize and Engage wide range
of stakeholders
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GEF Focal Points (continued)

• Regional coordination
• Participation in GEF constituency meetings and
  activities
• Engagement with regional cooperation frameworks
• Involvement in regional projects and initiatives
• Global coordination
• Liaison with GEF Secretariat
• Constituency representation on GEF Council (on a
  rotating basis)

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II. National GEF Coordination Mechanisms

• Support Focal Points coordination roles
• Different models and compositions
• National GEF Committee most common
• May include Government, civil society, private
  sector, IAs/EAs, other donors
• Provide sectoral expertise
• Provide institutional continuity given FP changes

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III. Elements of successful national GEF
coordination mechanisms

• Leadership by committed, informed, dynamic
  individuals
• Broad participation by national stakeholders,
  including civil society
• Clearly defined roles for IAs/EAs (whether as
  regular members, observers, or resources persons)
• Informed about global environmental issues and
  up-to-date on GEF policies and procedures

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Elements of successful national GEF coordination
mechanisms (continued)

• Means to integrate GEF and national priorities
  and strategies
• Effective links with convention focal points and
  activities
• Monitoring role of national GEF projects and
  portfolio and application of lessons learned
• Capable of growth and evolution

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IV. Common challenges to coordination

• Focal Point personnel changes hamper continuity
• Resource constraints
• GEF procedures frustrate national stakeholders
• Broad stakeholder participation proving difficult
  to achieve

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V. Benefits of national GEF coordination

• Benefits specific to the GEF
• ? Facilitates endorsement of GEF project concepts
  by Focal Points
• ? Increases awareness and appreciation of GEF and
  its mandates and activities
• Encourages greater local, sectoral, and national
  involvement in GEF programs and projects
• Promotes participation in monitoring of GEF
  projects
• ? Fosters a shared commitment to goals of the GEF

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Benefits of national GEF coordination (continued)

• Benefits integrating the GEF
• ? Enables better integration of GEF in broader
  national environment and sustainable development
  frameworks
• ? Reveals commonalities and synergies involving
  national GEF portfolios and related government
  and donor activities and projects
• ? Improves flow of information among stakeholders
  and quality of decisions made on global
  environmental matters
• ? Encourages and sustains involvement of national
  stakeholders in the global dialogue on the
  environment

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VI. Country experiences with coordination

• Following examples show how countries have
  managed coordination challenges and the good
  practices that have evolved in distinctive
  national contexts

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Country experience Bolivia

• Broad participation of national stakeholders in
  GEF Committee
• Nearly equal representation of Government and
  civil society members
• Five Vice-Ministries, including OFP and PFP
• Two national NGO networks
• Indigenous peoples organization
• Ecology institute
• Private sector organization
• Potential benefits
• Transparent and democratic decision-making
  facilitated
• Global environment goals and information widely
  disseminated

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Country experience Cameroon

• GEF National Consultative Committee Role
• Identify and Prioritize Project Concepts
• Provide technical and financial advice to
  identify and validate project concepts that
  comply with GEF priorities and strategies and
  reflect national priorities and plans
• Facilitate GEF Focal Point endorsement

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Country experience China

• China GEF Office
• Established by Ministry of Finance and State
  Environmental Protection Administration in 2000
• Composed of director and four technical staff
• Objective to better fulfill Chinas roles and
  responsibilities under the international
  conventions with improved management of GEF
  projects by
• Studying convention and GEF strategies and
  policies to propose government responses

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Country experience China (continued)

• Capturing new GEF developments for translation
  and dissemination to national stakeholders as
  needed
• Supporting potential project proponents
• Providing GEF training to existing and potential
  government partners
• Training project management offices in financial
  budgeting and reporting
• Promoting and facilitating information exchanges
  between projects
• Preparing documents for GEF Council meetings
• Disseminating information about GEF in China to
  national stakeholders and the international
  community

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Country experience Colombia

• Coordination and Portfolio Monitoring
• Small GEF Coordination Committee consisting of
  OFP (Ministry of Environment), Agency for
  International Cooperation, GEF IAs
• Functions include
• Regular reviews of project execution
• Tracking portfolio synergies and results

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Country experience Costa Rica

• GEF National Consultative Council
• Composed of convention and thematic focal points
  and SGP National Coordinator
• Meets monthly to
• Review project proposals and GEF pipeline
• Monitor projects
• Analyze GEF policies in terms of national needs
• Is kept informed of GEF policies and procedures
  by Political Focal Point

22
Country experience Egypt

• Coordination and National Capacity Self
  Assessment (NCSA) process outcome
• To help overcome capacity constraints and
  integrate environment into sectoral plans
  requires
• Establishment of coordination mechanism GEF
  National Steering Committee
• Strategic planning
• Monitoring and self assessment

23
Country experience Federated States of
Micronesia

• National coordination and consultation challenges
  and SIDS
• FSM geographic and demographic situation presents
  biggest challenge
• Each of 4 FSM states is semi-autonomous
• Islands relatively isolated over a vast area of
  ocean
• Lack of human and financial resources to travel
  to cover isolated islands
• Majority of consultations through internet and
  e-mail (if available)
• Consultations to develop GEF strategies and
  priority settings benefit from and contribute to
  existing mechanisms and networks developed since
  the FSM gained independence in 1979

24
Country experience Ivory Coast

• Coordination mechanism and project review
• Operational Focal Point is supported by a
  Technical Secretariat
• Composed of representatives from
• Ministry of Environment, Water, and Forests
• National Bureau of Technical and Development
  Studies
• National Coordinator of OFP housed in the
  National Investment Bank
• Role is to review projects based on GEF criteria
  and national environmental policies

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Country experience Mauritius

• Coordination at project level
• Ministry of Finance and Economic Development (OFP
  and PFP) ensures projects designed according to
  national priorities
• Project development team, led by relevant line
  ministries and including NGOs, private sector,
  academia, creates project ownership
• GEF project National Steering Committees,
  composed of high level representatives of key
  stakeholders, meet 4-6 times annually to monitor
  overall project implementation

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Country experience Mauritius(continued)

• Benefits of coordination mechanism
• Views of key stakeholders gathered and
  incorporated in project concepts and proposals
• Duplication of work is avoided
• National strategies, studies, priorities, and
  targets incorporated in project design
• Cross-sectoral issues addressed
• Project implementation workloads shared among
  various agencies

27
Country experience Mexico

• Coordination and the RAF
• National Coordination Committee (1999) designed
  to review and support proposals for GEF financing
  and promote interagency cooperation
• Consensus on GEF interventions means
• Broad stakeholder consultations
• Coordination mechanism
• Ensure optimal use of limited and scarce
  resources
• Comply with national strategies
• Assess proposals, review stakeholder roles and
  avoid undesirable practices (first come first
  served, portfolios dominated by agency
  interests, conflicts of interest)
• Review and approval - Guidelines, criteria, and
  priorities for July 2006 - June 2010 , including
  a methodology to assess global benefits
• Project portfolio approval and endorsement by
  Focal Points

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Country experience Philippines

• GEF Coordination with Conventions
• OFP developed coordination mechanism with
  Convention focal point agencies (FPAs)
• FPAs organize multi-agency committees to oversee
  convention commitments including GEF projects
• For RAF priority-setting
• Biodiversity focal point convened core group of
  NGOs
• Climate change focal point convened Interagency
  Committee for Climate Change

29
Country experience Poland

• National coordination and EU accession
• Government activities and policy debates
  dominated by process of joining European Union
• Poland to graduate from GEF funding after joining
  EU
• Government of Poland decided to decline new GEF
  resources in 2006
• National Steering Committee previously focused on
  country-driven projects, often co-financed by SGP
  and national environmental funds

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Country experience Poland (continued)

• Committee will continue to monitor existing
  projects until completion
• Committee plans to evaluate experience of
  cooperation with GEF
• National Steering Committee includes
  representatives of
• Ministries of Environment, Economy, and Finance
• Ozone Action Centre
• Institute of Environmental Protection
• EcoFund
• National Fund for Environmental Protection and
  Water Management
• Institute for Sustainable Development (NGO)
• SGP National Coordinator

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Country experience Sri Lanka

• Coordination and National GEF Strategy
• New coordination mechanisms needed to implement
  effectively National GEF Strategy
• Support unit for OFP in Ministry of Environment
• Sectoral Expert Committees (in GEF focal areas)
  to support OFP in project proposal review and
  evaluation
• GEF coordinator network linking OFP and other GEF
  project implementing agencies

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Country experience Sri Lanka (continued)

• GEF National Steering Committee to support OFP
  to
• endorse projects for GEF funding
• monitor and evaluate GEF funded projects in the
  country
• review action/development plans and programmes
  at the national/sectoral/provincial level and
  identify areas best suited for GEF interventions
  including strategic directions
• advise and assist NOFP to develop guidelines and
  coordination and dissemination mechanisms
• provide directions for the GEF Small Grant
  Programme

33
Country experience Uganda

• Coordination and Mainstreaming GEF and poverty
  reduction
• All government-supported GEF activities must be
  consistent with and included in the relevant
  sector of the Poverty Eradication Action Plan
  (PEAP)
• GEF Coordination Committee includes convention
  focal points
• Each convention focal point heads thematic
  subcommittee responsible for submitting potential
  GEF project concepts to full committee
• Convention focal points required to take account
  of PEAP national priorities in developing
  potential GEF projects

34
Country experience Vietnam

• Coordination and GEF National Strategy design
  process
• Produce recommendations for effective
  collaboration and harmonization of GEF program
  for next five years by
• Reviewing 10-year GEF portfolio
• Reviewing coordination processes by different
  agencies for accessing GEF funding
• Analyzing national priorities of key sectors to
  determine opportunities and priorities for GEF
  funding
• Carrying out needs assessment for building
  capacity among key beneficiaries for implementing
  strategy
• Establishing Steering Committee chaired by GEF
  Vietnam Chairman and including line Ministries to
  review and approve strategy