Financing for National Financing for National CommunicationsCommunications

UNFCCC Workshop, ManilaUNFCCC Workshop, Manila

Ravi SharmaRavi Sharma

United Nations Environment Programme – United Nations Environment Programme – Global Environment FacilityGlobal Environment Facility

The Second RoundThe Second Round – What can we do better – What can we do better

What have we learned from implementing the What have we learned from implementing the first national communications completed by first national communications completed by majority of NA1 Partiesmajority of NA1 Parties

How will the GEF Implementing Agencies How will the GEF Implementing Agencies respond to NA1 Parties preparing the national respond to NA1 Parties preparing the national communications based on revised COP communications based on revised COP Guidelines?Guidelines?

What are the operational issuesWhat are the operational issues

Availability of Technical SupportAvailability of Technical Support

Technical backstoppingTechnical backstopping Desk reviews of sectoral drafts through roster of Desk reviews of sectoral drafts through roster of

expertsexperts Methods and tools inventoryMethods and tools inventory Regional workshopsRegional workshops Involvement of regional/international experts Involvement of regional/international experts

and institutionsand institutions

National LevelNational Level

Improve project management and Improve project management and coordination at the national levelcoordination at the national level

Need for more transparent and Need for more transparent and participatory management practices at participatory management practices at national level national level

Need to involve more stakeholders such as Need to involve more stakeholders such as NGOs, scientists and decision makersNGOs, scientists and decision makers

Budget flexibilityBudget flexibility

Data ManagementData Management

Lack of appropriate/quality data is a Lack of appropriate/quality data is a recurrent problemrecurrent problem

Need to establish database that will allow Need to establish database that will allow easy updating of information on a regular easy updating of information on a regular basisbasis

Better access to data and other informationBetter access to data and other information More precisionMore precision

Sustaining CapacitySustaining Capacity

Strengthen capacity that is already built.Strengthen capacity that is already built. Capacity-building and training should be Capacity-building and training should be

maintained for all stakeholdersmaintained for all stakeholders Urgent need for capacity-building and Urgent need for capacity-building and

sustaining of relevant institutionssustaining of relevant institutions Support for follow-on projects

Weak Public and Policy SupportWeak Public and Policy Support

Institutional and public awareness of Institutional and public awareness of climate change issues low. climate change issues low.

More awareness raising campaigns for More awareness raising campaigns for policy makers needed.policy makers needed.

Need to increase awareness of climate Need to increase awareness of climate change impact through public awarenesschange impact through public awareness

Ensuring country drivenness and ownershipEnsuring country drivenness and ownership Retaining interest of other DeapartmentRetaining interest of other Deapartment

Synergy Synergy

Lessons Learnt for IAsLessons Learnt for IAs

Reporting - Improved M&EReporting - Improved M&E Capture of best practicesCapture of best practices Linkages/synergies to other projects, e.g. Linkages/synergies to other projects, e.g.

NCSA, NAPAs, mitigation, MEAsNCSA, NAPAs, mitigation, MEAs

From COP Guidance to From COP Guidance to OperationalizationOperationalization

Appropriate stakeholder consultation Appropriate stakeholder consultation and participation be part of “country and participation be part of “country drivenness” of proposals.drivenness” of proposals.

Narrow interpretation of country Narrow interpretation of country drivenness. drivenness.

Remove bottlenecks at the two last Remove bottlenecks at the two last milestones. milestones.

Project processing time of 188 days Project processing time of 188 days not expedited.not expedited.

Fuller assessment of quality of Fuller assessment of quality of previously undertaken climate previously undertaken climate change related activities. change related activities.

Strong presumption regarding Strong presumption regarding success of previously undertaken success of previously undertaken climate change related activities. climate change related activities.

Greater precision in COP guidance Greater precision in COP guidance and GEF guidelines. Guidelines be and GEF guidelines. Guidelines be more flexible in future with respect more flexible in future with respect to cost norms and activity matrix. to cost norms and activity matrix.

Recipient countries did not always Recipient countries did not always interpret the GEF guidelines and the interpret the GEF guidelines and the COP guidance along the same lines COP guidance along the same lines as the GEF.as the GEF.

GEF establish a better consultative GEF establish a better consultative process for formulation of next process for formulation of next guidelines.guidelines.

Preparation of Operational Preparation of Operational Guidelines did not involve countries.Guidelines did not involve countries.

RecommendationsRecommendationsFindingsFindings

Implementation IssuesImplementation Issues

GEF and IAs to explore various GEF and IAs to explore various possibilities for countries to access possibilities for countries to access software. software.

Countries reported frustration at Countries reported frustration at lack of materials and software.lack of materials and software.

UNDP to provide country offices UNDP to provide country offices with greater technical expertise. with greater technical expertise. UNEP to strengthen the use of UNEP to strengthen the use of quarterly report and develop a quarterly report and develop a system of regular visits to countries. system of regular visits to countries.

Demand on IAs for technical Demand on IAs for technical support higher than anticipated.support higher than anticipated.

New fee-based system to handle New fee-based system to handle the issue. the issue.

Budgetary resources for IAs Budgetary resources for IAs inadequate. inadequate.

Merit in continuation of NCSP. Merit in continuation of NCSP. NCSP highly valued by countries.NCSP highly valued by countries.

Provide opportunities for Provide opportunities for exchanges through international exchanges through international seminars and workshops. seminars and workshops.

Resources insufficient for Resources insufficient for sustainability of capacity building.sustainability of capacity building.

Extend duration to 2.5 years to 3-Extend duration to 2.5 years to 3-3.5 years. 3.5 years.

Project implementation periods Project implementation periods were too short.were too short.

RecommendationsRecommendationsFindingsFindings

Project ResultsProject Results

A more strategic and long-term approach A more strategic and long-term approach to enabling activities should be to enabling activities should be established. established.

Sustainability of capacity Sustainability of capacity created is in question.created is in question.

Projects provide for a well established framework Projects provide for a well established framework with appropriate tools and incentives towards with appropriate tools and incentives towards creation and maintenance of national data bases. creation and maintenance of national data bases.

Data reliability needs to be Data reliability needs to be improvedimproved

Differentiate roles and objectives:Differentiate roles and objectives:

Regional/global projects to focus on information Regional/global projects to focus on information exchange and network support, training, exchange and network support, training, development of methodologies; national projects development of methodologies; national projects to focus on preparation of reports to UNFCCC. to focus on preparation of reports to UNFCCC.

Conflict between Conflict between regional/global and regional/global and national projects.national projects.

Secure strong involvement at the highest political Secure strong involvement at the highest political level; emphasize public awareness activities; level; emphasize public awareness activities; encourage establishment or enhancement of encourage establishment or enhancement of national climate change committees; improve national climate change committees; improve participation of NGOs and private sector. participation of NGOs and private sector.

Project steering Project steering committees often committees often functioned in an isolated functioned in an isolated manner.manner.

RecommendationsRecommendationsFindingsFindings

Findings & Recommendations from Findings & Recommendations from OPS2OPS2

The GEF should adopt a cautious approach to funding The GEF should adopt a cautious approach to funding any new rounds of enabling activities to the same any new rounds of enabling activities to the same convention. All such activities must be assessed for convention. All such activities must be assessed for their effectiveness in responding to convention their effectiveness in responding to convention guidance and to country needs. It is important to guidance and to country needs. It is important to assess the use of national reports, national assess the use of national reports, national communications, and national action programs within communications, and national action programs within the strategic frameworks for a country’s national the strategic frameworks for a country’s national sustainable development program and for GEF’s sustainable development program and for GEF’s programming and project preparation activities. In programming and project preparation activities. In this context, OPS2 also recommends that the GEF this context, OPS2 also recommends that the GEF Council explore the feasibility of each country Council explore the feasibility of each country reporting directly to the appropriate convention on the reporting directly to the appropriate convention on the effectiveness and results of GEF’s country-relevant effectiveness and results of GEF’s country-relevant support for both enabling activities and projects. support for both enabling activities and projects.

Need to ensure Need to ensure that priority that priority country needs are country needs are met and met and convention convention guidance is guidance is reflected reflected effectively. effectively.

In its dialogue with each convention that it In its dialogue with each convention that it supports, the GEF should regularly seek to update supports, the GEF should regularly seek to update and clarify existing priorities and commitments in and clarify existing priorities and commitments in light of each new round of guidance it receives. light of each new round of guidance it receives.

GEF has difficulty GEF has difficulty translating broad translating broad convention guidance convention guidance into practical into practical operational activities.operational activities.

RecommendationsRecommendationsFindingsFindings

SequenceSequence

Process leading to developmentProcess leading to development Eligibility of countries for supportEligibility of countries for support Stocktaking and Stakeholder ConsultationsStocktaking and Stakeholder Consultations Good Practices in Project PreparationGood Practices in Project Preparation Indicative BudgetIndicative Budget Transmittal of OutputsTransmittal of Outputs