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Section II : Opportunities for NGO Action in the GEF Process

Chapter Ten NGOs & Projects—How Can I Get Directly Involved in GEF Projects

1. OPTIONS FOR NGO INVOLVEMENT

NGOs can be involved in GEF projects in a number of ways, including as an observer, advisor, monitor, evaluator, executing agency (implementor) and critic (see Box 10.1).

There are some steps that NGOs in all countries could take to begin participating GEF projects in their country (see Box 10.2).

Box 10.1 Options for NGO Involvement in GEF Projects National project selection and development. NGOs can influence the selection of projects by governments and GEF Implementing Agencies (IAs) and help to define the roles available to NGOs during the entire project cycle (see Chapter 8). This entails keeping informed about projects being proposed in a country and providing input into project preparation, design and implementation. NGOs can provide both informal or formal technical and policy advice or be subcontracted as partners in project development. Additionally, NGOs can provide technical or social assessments of project proposals under consideration.

Implementation. NGOs can play a variety of roles in project implementation, including assistance with preparatory studies and surveys, input into the design process, serving as a subcontractor to an executing agency to complete portions of GEF projects and serving as the primary executing agency. In such roles, NGOs can perform a number of tasks ranging from on-the-ground fieldwork to technical analyses to outreach and public awareness activities.

Monitoring and evaluation (M&E). NGOs can provide independent assessments of project performance based on existing GEF guidelines for M&E and other criteria. Some examples of areas that NGOs could address include: the extent to which implementing organisations have consulted with the relevant stakeholder groups, whether projects are implemented according to GEF operational guidelines and the degree to which IAs have reformed existing projects outside their GEF portfolios. Such assessments can be circulated to the organisations implementing the project, the national GEF focal point, local IA offices, other NGOs and even the GEF Council through the NGO consultation process (see Chapter 11).

Box 10.2 Basic Steps for NGO Involvement in GEF Projects

1. Identify and meet with the GEF National Operational Focal Point (within the government) and officials based in local IA offices.

2. Arrange a meeting between NGOs and the national focal point and IA representatives.

3. Choose a preferred role—from critic to implementing partner (see Box 10.1).

4. Develop and discuss policy or project priorities with the IAs.

5. Coordinate with NGOs, government officials, IA representatives and others to further these policy and project ideas.

6. Implement, monitor and evaluate GEF projects in your country.

2. BEGINNING THE DIALOGUE

Getting involved in GEF projects depends on a number of factors, such as people, timing and opportunities, as well as "GEF politics" in Washington. As a first step, you could contact your designated GEF National Operational Focal Point for information on GEF-related initiatives either underway or in the pipeline for the country. A meeting of interested NGOs and this focal point would provide a valuable opportunity to ascertain information about existing or planned projects and governmental priorities for GEF projects. This might also be a useful opportunity to establish a national contact group to serve as a regular forum for GEF-related dialogue.

Meetings with staff from the local IA offices can provide further information and advice, including general GEF materials, information on existing or planned projects, etc. If there is not a satisfactory response, NGOs have, in the past, sent complaints to the GEF Secretariat and IA headquarters. Judging by previous experiences, there could be a lot more in the project pipeline than the GEF National Operational Focal Point knows about. Often, even the IA country office staff are unsure what types of projects the GEF has decided to fund. Information flow from the GEF Secretariat and Council often takes time to reach in-country IA staff and focal points.

3. GETTING INVOLVED IN GEF PROJECTS

With this background, NGOs can become more involved in specific projects, through work on project selection and development, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation. As GEF projects evolve from the preparatory to implementation phase, a number of opportunities for NGO involvement may arise.

Beyond preparatory studies and surveys, for which an IA may contract an NGO, the actual project may offer interesting opportunities for executing certain components that coincide with NGO priorities.

Obviously, the more NGOs play a role in project design, the more likely it is that appropriate budget lines and activities are included for NGO participation. In planning your involvement, remember that one NGO is weaker than two, three or four that work and lobby together as a group. Similarly, a number of NGOs could play differing roles for the same project, from independent critic to project implementor. Also, look for NGOs in other countries working on similar types of GEF projects, and solicit information from them regarding their experiences.

If providing critical independent perspectives about a GEF project is the preferred role, then the following considerations may be helpful:

• Ensure that IAs provide all available information and documents;

• organize and collaborate with other NGOs or an umbrella group so that criticisms are not easily dismissed; and

• coordinate with an international NGO network to help ensure that the review reaches the GEF Council (e.g., through an NGO-GEF Consultation or GEF Council meeting in Washington, D.C.; see Chapter 11).

4. SMALL- AND MEDIUM-SIZE GRANTS PROGRAMME: OPPORTUNITIES FOR NGO IMPLEMENTATION

The Small and Medium-Size Grant windows present some of the best opportunities for NGO implementation of GEF projects.

Small Grant Projects. UNDP oversees a Small Grants Programme (SGP) for projects costing up to US $50,000. The SGP is designed exclusively to support projects implemented by NGOs—particularly community-based organisations. (GEFDOC #3) SGPs currently operate in 33 countries with plans for expansion to 13 more during 1997–98. (See Box 10.3) These programmes are managed by National Coordinators—either an NGO representative or an official based in the local UNDP office. National Coordinators are supported by National Selection Committees composed of other NGO representatives, as well as government and UNDP representatives. The latter two act as observers but participate as requested by the Committee's NGO members. These National Selection Committees review and approve Small Grant Project proposals for inclusion in the national GEF/SGP work programme.

The principal objectives of the SGP are to:

• demonstrate community-level strategies and technologies that can contribute to reducing threats to the global environment if they are replicated over time;

• draw lessons from community-level experience and support the spread of successful community-level strategies and innovations among community groups and NGOs, host governments, the GEF, development aid agencies and others working on a larger scale; and

• build partnerships and networks of local stakeholders to support and strengthen the capacities of community groups and NGOs to address environmental problems and promote sustainable development.

Box 10.3 Countries with GEF Small Grants Programmes

Africa: Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Mauritius, Senegal, Zimbabwe

Arab States and North Africa: Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia

Asia and Pacific: India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand

Europe and countries in transition: Poland, Turkey

Latin America and Caribbean: Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago.

In 1997–98 the programme is being extended to Albania, Bhutan, Guatemala, Indochina (Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam), Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Morocco, Peru, Tanzania, Uganda and the Palestine Authority. To find out more about the GEF-UNDP SGP and the National Selection Committees in your country, contact your local UNDP office. For information that is not region specific and concerns policy issues, you may contact SGP headquarters at UNDP. (See Annex II)

To get involved in a Small Grant Project (presuming that an SGP is operating in the country), NGO representatives could either be nominated to serve on the National Selection Committee and/or develop an SGP project idea and proposal (the average grant ranges from US $20,000 to US $30,000). SGP proposals should be consistent with the GEF s objectives and fall under one of the four focal areas.

Projects could include the following types of activities: community-based assessment and planning; pilot demonstration projects; capacity development; monitoring and analysis; and dissemination, networking and policy dialogue. The SGP has been allocated US $39 million (which includes the Pilot Phase) from the GEF Trust Fund. (For more information consult the guidelines in GEFDOC #3)

Medium-Size Projects (MSP) Programme. The April 1997 GEF Council Meeting approved a Medium-Size Projects Programme (MSP), supporting projects in the range of US $50,000 to US $1 million, with procedures to expedite the proposal review process. Governments, local community organisations, NGOs and academic institutions are eligible to apply. MSPs must (i) be based on the national priorities of the country in which they are to be conducted, (ii) coincide with the GEF's operational strategy and operational programmes, and (iii) be endorsed by the host country or countries. For more information consult the guidelines in GEFDOC #1 and De-Mystifying the GEF: A User's Guide to Getting Funding for Biodiversity and International Waters Projects by Jeff Griffin.

As IAs have just started receiving MSP applications, there is little information yet to evaluate how NGO proposals will be received. As of August 1997, the World Bank had about six MSP projects under preparation (three of which received additional project development funds); UNDP was still establishing its operations regarding the MSP (but had several projects under preparation); and UNEP has about 10 projects under preparation. The Secretariat has forwarded two UNEP proposals to the GEF Council, including a project on public participation in Latin America and the Caribbean and one on protection of the monk seal.