1. enhance the level of transparency and participation at the country and regional levels in the development of GEF projects, and
2. build greater understanding and awareness at the country and regional levels of global environmental issues and concerns, with special emphasis on the four focal areas of the GEF. 5. Timely implementation of this project also represents a response to a continuing series of requests from GEF participating countries and stakeholders, including governments, NGOs, Implementing Agency staff, consultants, scientific and technical specialists, and private companies, for useful information and tools to facilitate successful GEF project development.6. The project is being developed and executed jointly by UNDP, UNEP, and the World Bank, working in consultation with the GEF Secretariat, as an operational expression of the mandate, established in the Instrument, to operate the GEF "on the basis of collaboration and partnership among the Implementing Agencies."7. It has at its foundation the GEF Project Development Workshop which was created jointly by the Implementing Agencies over the past year, and builds on the success of this innovative cooperative venture. This Workshop was displayed to GEF Council members during the October 1995 Council meeting at a lunch-time presentation made by the three Implementing Agencies. PROJECT OBJECTIVE The objective of the project is:8. To enhance the capacity of an ever-widening range of GEF stakeholders in participating countries to identify, develop, and manage well-designed, high-quality, country-driven GEF-eligible projects which produce maximum global benefits consistent with the GEF Operational Strategy.GLOBAL BENEFITS9. The project will produce the following outcomes which will enhance the GEF's ability to bring about global environmental benefits:
3. Build within GEF-eligible countries a working understanding among key actors in sustainable development of central GEF concepts, objectives and strategies (as articulated in the Instrument, the Operational Strategy and other relevant documents).
4. Ensure the development of well-designed and formulated country-driven projects consistent with the eligibility criteria as articulated in the GEF Operational Strategy.
5. Build broader and more coherent GEF "teams" based on stronger linkages and working partnerships between in-country stakeholders, GEF operational focal points, the Implementing Agencies, the GEF Secretariat, and the relevant international environmental Conventions.
6. Provide essential tools for public outreach that can be of use to stakeholders in building greater awareness of global environmental issues and the GEF's particular role in helping to resolve them.
7. Increase the effectiveness of Implementing Agency Headquarters and Country Office staffs in their work with the GEF and in their ability to provide guidance and support to GEF stakeholders outside the Implementing Agencies. Specifically, within the first year (Phase 1) of the two-year term of the project:
8. Participants from an estimated 40-50 countries will participate in intensive skill-building training programs at the country, regional and subregional levels, specifically focused on the design and development of activities producing global environmental benefits in the four GEF focal areas. These participants will include representatives of government ministries, NGOs, the private sector, and GEF focal points on the country office and regional staffs of the Implementing Agencies. Country-level GEF operational focal points will be empowered in carrying out their responsibilities through access to current and in-depth GEF information, as well as through their participation in coordinating the programs.
9. Approximately 6-8 national and 3-5 regional or subregional training programs will catalyze project development processes among resource-sharing countries which effectively address global and transboundary environmental concerns in a coordinated manner, and facilitate the exchange of experience between stakeholders, including GEF operational focal points.
10. GEF stakeholders -- representatives of government ministries (including GEF operational focal points), NGOs, community groups, the academic and scientific communities, the private sector, and the media -- will have user-friendly access to an array of authoritative source materials, documents, tools, and resources, specifically selected and designed to enable them to participate more effectively with the GEF, to meet country obligations under relevant international environmental conventions, and to integrate global environmental issues into their national development and environmental planning processes.
11. In Phase 2 of the project, at least 2,000 GEF stakeholders in participating countries will receive accurate, up-to-date, and concise executive level briefings on the GEF and global environmental concerns which will provide them with the essential background to the GEF, its strategies and operations.PROJECT DESCRIPTION10. The "Casting the Net Widely" project is composed of three interrelated components, which together form the backbone of a proactive yet responsive strategy for national and regional capacity-building: (a) The GEF Project Development Workshop (b) The GEF Tools and Resources Initiative (c) The GEF Briefing Program (a Phase 2 activity)11. The first phase of the project (to run from the second quarter of 1996 through the first quarter of 1997) is designed to launch the initiative, and after an assessment of the results produced, the remaining elements of the proposal would be submitted to GEFOP, and Council, as a "Phase 2" to be carried out during the remainder of 1997. This strategy comprises a multi-layered approach which recognizes and responds to differing levels of need among different categories of stakeholders:

 Product/Project           Objective                  Target Audience            
Component                                                                        

The GEF Project            To facilitate GEF project  Country operational focal  
Development Workshop:      design, development and    points, potential project  
·  country workshops       review consistent with     proposers, and             
·  regional/subregional    the GEF Operational        implementing agency        
    workshops              Strategy                   country personnel:         
                                                      mid-level government       
                                                      representatives; local,    
                                                      national, and regional     
                                                      NGOs; local business       
                                                      community; academics.      

Tools & Resources          To foster understanding    Same as Project            
Initiative:                and ownership of the GEF   Development Workshop,      
·  publications            by sharing and             plus: media; executing     
·  Internet                disseminating essential    agencies (international    
·  CD-rom                  project development        and national);             
·  video                   materials and resources    international NGOs;        
                           via cost-effective         senior government          
                           electronic communications  officials; HQ staffs of    
                                                      Implementing Agencies.     

The GEF Briefing Program   To build clarity,          Country and regional       
[a Phase 2 activity]       awareness and a basic      audiences seeking greater  
                           understanding of the GEF   general understanding of   
                           -- its history,            the GEF (but who do not    
                           structure, operations,     need project development   
                           strategies and focal       skills): senior            
                           areas                      government officials;      
                                                      media; city and state      
                                                      officials; international   
                                                      and national NGOs;         
                                                      academic and scientific    
                                                      community; staffs of       
                                                      international agencies;    
                                                      non-GEF staffs of          
                                                      Implementing Agencies.     

1. All activities will be demand-driven at the country level, and will respond to the expressed needs of an inclusive spectrum of GEF stakeholders.
2. All activities and materials will be designed to be flexible and adaptable to meet differing needs in a cost- and time-effective manner.
3. All activities and materials will reflect the most current available data and information, and will be updated regularly as conditions require.
4. All activities will provide sustainable benefits to participants which can ultimately translate into global environmental benefits. These include:
   1. enhanced networks of relationships among stakeholders in-country, within regions, and with Implementing Agencies;
   2. enhanced understanding of global environmental issues, with a particular emphasis on the four GEF focal areas; and
   3. enhanced planning and project development capacity relating to environmental objectives.13. An additional target audience for all three of the project components will be country and headquarters personnel of the Implementing Agencies, where there is a growing need for unified, GEF-specific orientation and training programs. Such programs will promote better understanding of the GEF, more integration of global environmental concerns within Implementing Agency activities, and more effective collaboration and cooperation between and among the Implementing Agencies at all levels in implementing GEF activities. The following sections provide overviews of each proposed project component:The GEF Project Development Workshop14. In late 1994, UNDP, UNEP and the World Bank launched a collaborative initiative to develop a powerful, interactive training program to empower GEF-eligible countries to initiate and participate effectively in GEF project development. The product subsequently developed (and recently revised to incorporate the newly adopted GEF Operational Strategy) is a three-day, highly participatory curriculum for groups of around 30 people in participating countries with hands-on responsibility for the development of GEF projects.15. The GEF Project Development Workshop ("the Workshop") is intended to facilitate GEF project design, development and review. While the Workshop provides a solid foundation of knowledge and understanding about the purposes and operations of the GEF, it functions principally as a capacity-building, enabling activity to support the development of "country-driven" projects and activities" and a sense of in-country "ownership" of the GEF.16. Consequently, its focus is on the principles and practices of GEF project development and design rather than on the GEF as an institution. In addition, the Workshop focuses particular attention on the linkages between the capacity provided by the GEF and the fulfillment of countries' obligations under the relevant international environmental Conventions. Workshop Objectives17. Several of the Workshop's objectives can be summarized as follows. Participants will:
5. have an understanding of the GEF -- what it is and is not, what it will and will not fund, how it operates, the roles of the three Implementing Agencies -- sufficient to participate successfully with the GEF in a country or region.
6. be able to articulate and apply the distinctive mandates, functions, operating principles, structures and processes of the GEF.
7. be able to apply GEF eligibility criteria to distinguish potentially GEF-eligible projects or activities from those that are not.
8. be able to interact appropriately with the GEF project development, approval and funding cycle.
9. have access to an initial network of resources, expertise and information for successful GEF project design, development funding and implementation. Overview of Workshop Agenda18. The elements of the three core units of the Workshop are listed here.Unit One: What is the GEF? Workshop purpose and agenda, Review of the GEF Pilot Phase, Overview GEF Briefing, GEF Operational Strategy, Thematic Areas: Biodiversity, Climate Change, International Waters, Ozone, Country and Regional Context, Incremental CostsUnit Two: What is -- and is not -- a GEF-Eligible Activity? Types of Activity (Enabling Activities, Long-Term and Short-Term Projects), Eligibility Criteria, Focal Area Project Priorities, Characteristics of Successful Projects, Consideration and Discussion of Participants Specific Project ConceptsUnit Three: How Does an Eligible Idea Become a GEF Project? Participation in the process, Project Design and Development Milestones (The Project Cycle), The Project Concept, PDF, The Technical Reviews, The Project Brief, STAP's Role, The Project Document. Participant Materials19. An extensive set of background materials are provided to Workshop participants which enable them to make practical use of what they have learned in the Workshop, and to share the Workshop widely with colleagues. Participant materials include: Substantive GEF Thematic Area Briefings on Biodiversity, Climate Changes, International Waters, Ozone, Land Degradation; Incremental Costs Background Paper; The Instrument; Summary of the Independent Evaluation of the Pilot Phase; Project Development Worksheets; Operational Strategy; GEF Project Eligibility Criteria; The Conventions; Project Documentation Guidelines, Review Parameters and Formats (for PDF A, B, C, Project Concept, Project Brief, Project Document, and STAP Roster Technical Review); Display of the Project Cycle; Glossary of Key GEF Terms and Definitions; Bibliography and Organizational Resources; Workshop Participants Evaluation Form; etc. GEF guidelines and best practices for public involvement will also be included once developed. Delivery of the Workshop20. While the Workshop is not in itself a "country programming" exercise, it can be used to spark the creation or enhancement of a country operational focal point, network, or team capable of developing a (formal or informal) priority-setting, review and "screening" process for GEF activities in-country. 21. The Workshop has been tested in the field, refined, and is now ready for use by the GEF in country and regional settings. In the first phases of project implementation, Workshops will be led by trained staff from the Implementing Agencies. In most cases, each Workshop will be facilitated by two Leaders representing different Implementing Agencies. 22. The Workshop component of the project will include a series of country workshops, selected regional and subregional workshops, a set of intensive training programs for potential Workshop Leaders, and an ongoing program of updates and enhancements to the materials to ensure the accuracy and effectiveness of the Workshop. Country Workshops23. To date, more than 55 requests for presentations of the Workshop have been received by the Implementing Agencies from participating countries. In the past, these requests have been addressed on an ad-hoc basis. 24. This project will provide resources to permit the Workshop to be presented systematically in countries requesting it. In Phase 1 (second quarter of 1996 through first quarter of 1997) approximately 6-8 country workshops will be presented (averaging approximately 1 ½ workshops for each of the five geographical regions over the year of the project of Phase 1). Selection and scheduling of presentations will be determined by an interagency committee in consultation with the GEF Secretariat, based on criteria which will include:
10. demand generated from country stakeholders for assistance in building GEF project development capacity;
11. equity (i.e., ensuring that stakeholders in all regions eligible for GEF funding have access to this product);
12. maximizing global environmental benefits by to responding strategically to identified and agreed needs and opportunities, with a particular emphasis on priorities set forth in the GEF Operational Strategy; and
13. filling gaps in the GEF project portfolio (i.e., ensuring balance in geographical distribution within the portfolio). Regional Workshops25. In certain cases, a regional or subregional approach to workshop presentation will be more appropriate and cost-effective than individual country-level presentations. These include subregions where there are common transboundary concerns, areas in which shared management of resources is relevant, small island developing states, and other locations in which cross-fertilization with neighboring countries has particular relevance.26. An estimated 3-5 regional workshops will be conducted in Phase 1 (averaging less than 1 workshop for each of the five geographical regions over the year of the project of Phase 1). Most of these will be held in conjunction with already planned meetings and gatherings, thus enhancing the cost-effectiveness of the initiative. Workshop Leader Training27. To date, the Workshop has been led by senior Implementing Agency personnel who have participated in a Workshop Leader Training Program. A key objective of the project is to broaden the base of people who are qualified to lead the Workshop, both within the Implementing Agencies and among stakeholder organizations (including government focal points and other ministries, NGOs, and academic and scientific institutions).28. Several Workshop Leader Training Programs will be undertaken in 1996, with the goal of establishing a cohesive body of 20 trained Implementing Agency GEF staff capable of leading the three-day Workshop. In 1997 (in Phase 2) efforts will be made to train IA Country Office staff, and on a trial basis, to government and NGO representatives outside the Implementing Agencies, to allow for greater outreach of the program. Updates and Enhancements29. The Implementing Agencies have committed the necessary resources to maintain and update the Workshop materials through the end of 1996. Additional resources will be required to continue this work in 1997.The GEF Tools and Resources Initiative30. To foster enhanced stakeholder ownership and empower country-driven GEF project development, the project will undertake an initiative using the Internet and other forms of highly cost-effective electronic communication to share and disseminate essential project development materials and resources.31. These resources will include, but will not be limited to:
14. the text of the GEF Project Development Workshop and all associated materials
15. an annotated guide to the GEF project cycle
16. a user-friendly version of the GEF Operational Strategy
17. operational documents and forms (e.g., Project Brief formats, PDF forms, etc.).32. This component of computer and electronic dissemination of GEF tools and resources is designed to:
18. Provide in-country, user-friendly access to vital information and tools for GEF project development.
19. Promote networking and cost-effective communication globally and within countries and regions.
20. Enhance transparency, broaden accountability, and ensure an accelerated and more cost-effective method for development of initial project concepts.
21. In addition to distribution of such materials via the Internet, the project envisions using other electronic technologies which are increasingly available in GEF-eligible countries such as interactive channels (for example, CD-rom) and through video. To maximize cost-effectiveness, such tools will be drawn from the growing stock of already-existing tools. For example, videotape would be derived from the Workshop, rather than developed de novo in a studio setting; a cd-rom could be created incorporating the entire contents of the Workshop; all essential GEF documents; relevant Project Documents; various GEF forms and procedures related to project development; and a photo library of GEF projects now under implementation. 33. Such tools and resources would be of particular support to the Implementing Agency country and regional offices and missions which are the first line of approach and most important interface between the GEF and in-country stakeholders. Others, including government ministries, NGOs, private businesses and the media would also find much of value in such a relatively inexpensive package.34. This set of tools, maintained and updated on a twice-annual basis, would also significantly cut down the time and resource transaction costs of the Implementing Agencies in responding to the great volume of requests for information on a wide variety of GEF-related matters which they daily receive. [Note: GEF-related documents will be made available on Internet only after conformity with agreed upon policies and standards has been confirmed by a Secretariat-led task force.]The GEF Briefing Program[a Phase 2 activity -- second quarter of 1997 through fourth quarter of 1997]35. Both the Secretariat and the Implementing Agencies regularly receive requests for several-hour to one-day presentations on the GEF. These come from a variety of sources: international conferences, NGO consortia, governments, executing agencies for GEF projects, and the country and regional offices and missions of the Implementing Agencies. Using materials developed for the Project Development Workshop and the Tools and Resources component, a one-day, free-standing GEF Briefing will be created for larger audiences. The emphasis will be on building clarity and basic understanding among those participating in these sessions, rather than on developing the types of skills required by potential project proposers (as is done in the Workshop).36. Specific additional modules on more technical aspects of the GEF -- such as calculating incremental costs and in-depth exploration of participatory project development methodologies -- will be developed to meet the particular needs of agency staffs.37. Cost-effectiveness will be at a premium in the development and implementation of the one-day briefing. The content will draw upon already-developed materials and tools (such as the Workshop), thus significantly containing research and development costs. Implementation will be tied to existing meetings and Workshops, thus substantially limiting agency travel costs and in-country logistical needs and expenses.SUSTAINABILITY AND FOLLOW-ON38. The core intention of the project is to build in-country and regional capacity. As it is envisioned that a steady flow of projects will continue to be developed and come before Council, the proposed project seeks to develop a sustaining and well-maintained information and training infrastructure which can be adapted to the evolving needs of the GEF. To ensure the continued flow of sound project proposals, the project is specifically designed not as a "one-off" training module, but as an ongoing effort that will be periodically updated and elaborated to ensure conformance with changing GEF guidelines, Council decisions, and procedures.39. Fundamentally, the capacity being developed, and the network of resources and relationships being put in place through this project, represent a strong and sustainable enhancement of country and regional capacity to develop and implement projects addressing global environmental concerns. Training of trainers activities, and the access to information and resources provided through the Tools and Resources Initiative, will also serve to make the benefits of the project sustainable, with a growing "life of their own."40. In proposing the project, UNDP, UNEP, and the World Bank are making a commitment to allocate the necessary staff, resources and time to ensure that in-country capacity is built and nurtured in the coming years. At the same time it is recognized that successful implementation of this project will only stimulate more demand for capacity-building assistance in the years to come. This project is one vital step in an ongoing process.IMPLEMENTATION ARRANGEMENTS41. The project will be an operational demonstration of collaboration and partnership between the three Implementing Agencies: UNDP, UNEP and the World Bank will be jointly responsible, in partnership with the GEF Secretariat, for implementation and execution.42. An interagency and Secretariat coordinating committee will be established to identify, review and agree to precise modalities of implementation, including, for example, the roll-out program for the Project Development Workshop. Initial steps will include agreement on the specific criteria determining responses to country requests for project activities, including (but not limited to) the general criteria set forth in Section 4 (a), above.43. The interagency coordination committee will prepare a work plan for the program identifying: (i) the countries, regions and other fora in which workshops and briefings will be held, (ii) responsibilities of each IA in organizing the workshops and the briefing program, and, (iii) specific budgets for each workshop and briefing, by agency. Based on the interagency agreement on the work plan and budgets, each IA will access necessary GEF funds according to its standard practices, and will be accountable for the funds so allocated.44. Through this coordinating committee, the Implementing Agencies will also share responsibility for the sustainability of the project through periodic updating and dissemination of new material. Project Development Workshop45. The GEF Project Development Workshop was developed, pilot-tested and finalized in 1995. It will be the first of the three project components to begin implementation.46. Initial implementation steps include dissemination of new materials to participating countries, development of a comprehensive national and regional workshop calendar, and conducting Workshop Leader Training activities.47. One agency will play the lead role in organizing each Workshop, with assistance from the other two. The lead agency will enlist the support of its country or regional offices or missions for assistance in identifying and inviting participants, scheduling the Workshop dates and making all logistical arrangements. It is envisioned that the GEF country operational focal points will play a central role in identifying with the agency the appropriate participants, as well as in participating closely in organizing and following-up the Workshops. Tools and Resources Initiative48. One Implementing Agency will be designated to execute the Tools and Resources Initiative on behalf of its two partners. (Given its already-existing global computer/information network -- the Sustainable Development Network Programme -- UNDP may represent the logical focal point for this effort. UNEP's Information and Public Affairs and Geographic Information Database units could contribute significant expertise in information technology and communications.) The immediate focus will be on providing tools and resources via the Internet (as described above) and promoting their existence on the Internet through a variety of means.49. The materials made available on the Internet will then be configured for CD-rom format (with the possibility that new and additional materials will be added). The Implementing Agencies and Secretariat will jointly determine the distribution mechanism and list for this material.50. Experimentation with video will be the final subcomponent of this initiative. The first video presentation to be produced will be based on either (or both) the Workshop and the Briefing Program. Initially, these video modules will be provided to IA Country Offices for their use with project proposers. Briefing Program [a Phase 2 activity]51. Development and pilot testing of the one-day briefing is planned to be completed in the second quarter of 1997, with dissemination beginning during the third quarter.52. The first target audience of the Briefing will be staff within UNDP, the World Bank and UNEP who are outside the central GEF units , but who nonetheless play an important operational role with GEF project development and implementation within their respective agencies. The goal of the effort will be to build greater understanding and more internal agency cooperation. Particularly important in this regard will be country task managers responsible for individual GEF projects, agency environment divisions (in the case of UNDP and the Bank), and regional bureau staff.53. As Workshops are scheduled, opportunities for one-day add-ons of the Briefing for a wider in-country audience will be identified and Briefings scheduled. A one-hundred person briefing, for example, might include: 20 representatives of sectoral and cross-cutting ministries; 30 NGOs; 20 members of scientific and academic institutions; 10 local business people; 10 members of the press; and 10 representatives of international agencies and NGOs. Implementation Timeline

      Project Milestones          1996                            1997                           

                                1st      2nd     3rd     4th     1st     2nd     3rd     4th     
                                Quarter  Quarter Quarter Quarter Quarter Quarter Quarter Quarter 

                                                                                                 

Pre-Project Activities                                                                           

            PHASE 1                                                                              

Project Initiation                                                                               

6-8 Country Workshops                                                                            
delivered                                                                                        

3-5 Regional Workshops                                                                           
delivered                                                                                        

Workshop Leader Trainings                                                                        
delivered                                                                                        

Workshop curriculum and                                                                          
materials updated                                                                                

Workshop materials on Internet                                                                   

Evaluation of Phase 1                                                                            

            PHASE 2                                                                              

CD-Rom GEF Toolkit distributed                                                                   

Workshop/Briefing Video                                                                          
produced/distributed                                                                             

4-6 Country Workshops                                                                            
delivered                                                                                        

3-5 Regional Workshops                                                                           
delivered                                                                                        

Workshop/Briefing Leader                                                                         
Trainings delivered                                                                              

20 GEF Briefings delivered                                                                       

Workshop & Briefing updated                                                                      

Project Final Evaluation                                                                         

Project Completion                                                                               

                                                        Phase 1     Phase 2      
                   Project Component                    Budget      Budget (2nd  
                                                        (2nd qtr    qtr '97 -    
                                                        '96 - 1st   4th qtr      
                                                        qtr '97)    '97)         

(a) Project Development Workshop                                    $810,000     
 ·  Participant materials, and travel and logistics                 (details to  
(for presenters and participants), Phase 1: estimated               be           
6-8 national workshops ($140,000); estimated 3-5                    determined   
regional workshops  ($220,000)                          $360,000    based on     
 ·  Updates and enhancements                              $20,000   experience   
 ·  Translation and production of leaders and                       of Phase 1)  
participant materials in French and Spanish               $80,000                
 ·  Workshop Leaders trainings                            $50,000                

(b) Tools and Resources Initiative                        $50,000   $100,000     
 ·  Internet (R&D, distribution, maintenance)                                    
 ·  CD-rom (R&D, distribution, maintenance)                                      
 ·  Video (production, distribution)                                             

(c) Briefing Program                                         - 0 -  $200,000     
 ·  Travel and logistics                                                         
 ·  Participant materials                                                        
 ·  Updates and enhancements                                                     
 ·  Special curricula/modules (e.g. participatory                                
  methodologies, Incremental Cost, etc.)                                         

                    PROJECT TOTAL                       $560,000    $1,110,000   
                                                                    (estimated)  

WORK PROGRAM PROPOSED FOR COUNCIL APPROVAL

GEF/C.7

GEF Council Meetings

Return to GEF Home Page Menu