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April 2007 |
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Subregional Exchange Workshops for GEF Focal Points in 2007
The GEF Country Support Programme (CSP) is organizing its first annual series of Subregional Exchange Workshops for GEF Focal Points in 2007. The CSP is designing the workshops to provide a platform for fostering dialogue on environmental and sustainable development concerns, as a response to focal point priorities based on a survey conducted in November 2006 and feedback received during subregional consultations. The workshops will also reflect strategic guidance received from the CSP Steering Committee in December 2006. Between March and December 2007, the CSP will conduct eight such workshops. Workshop Objectives The workshops seek to enable countries to participate effectively in the GEF to address their global environmental priorities, with the following specific objectives for focal points: 1) Learn about new directions and developments in the GEF, interact with GEF partners, provide country views, and discuss follow-up actions 2) Share knowledge and learn from country experiences and good practices on priority themes and topics 3) Participate in regional- and constituency-level exchanges and discussions Workshop Structure and Content Workshops will take a modular approach with a sequence of thematic sessions, each designed to respond to a theme and achieve an outcome in response to focal points’ requests. There will be some standard sessions for all workshops, such as a session that provides an update on GEF policies and procedures including the CEO’s reform agenda, and other sessions designed to respond to the priority accorded by focal points. Each session will be outcome oriented, with directed attention given to a specific theme, and will include some of the following: an introduction, presentations, expert panels, working groups, plenary discussion, and conclusions and wrap-up of the session. GEF focal points, the GEF Secretariat, and the Implementing and Executing Agencies will deliver presentations, sit on experts’ panels, and participate in working groups. Each workshop will bring together operational and political focal points from the countries in the subregion. The following are the various sessions that that CSP is developing. Session 1: Welcome, Introduction, and Workshop Objectives Standard Session Outcome: To welcome participants, provide GEF and regional context, introduce participants, and review workshop agenda. Session 2: Update on GEF Directions and Policies Standard Session Outcome: To update focal points on new directions and developments in the GEF and provide further information on policies and specific topics of interest to focal points. Session 3: Integrating GEF in Environment and Development Plans and Policies Modular Session Session 4: Developing National GEF Strategies and Setting Priorities Modular Session Outcome: To learn from and discuss experiences in developing national GEF strategies and setting country priorities with respect to the GEF. Session 5: Enhancing National GEF Coordination, Communications, and Outreach Modular Session Outcome: To learn from and discuss experiences in developing GEF coordination mechanisms at the national level, coordinating with sector agencies and stakeholders, and improving outreach. Session 6: GEF Clinic Standard Session Outcome: To enable focal points to raise any specific matters for follow-up or clarification with GEF Secretariat, Implementing Agencies, Executing Agencies, and CSP staff through bilateral consultations. Session 7: Managing Workloads, and Utilizing Tools and Resources Available for Focal Points Modular Session Outcome: To discuss experiences in management of focal point workloads, and to learn about tools for communications, tracking of projects, building institutional memory, and utilization of different types of GEF resources available for focal point support. Session 8: Enhancing Regional Cooperation, and Integrating GEF within Regional Frameworks Modular Session Outcome: To promote focal point exchange with peers on matters of regional interest and enhance regional cooperation and integration of GEF within regional frameworks, policies, and programs. Session 9: Conclusions, Follow-up Actions, and Closure Standard Session Outcome: To review key workshop outcomes, identify follow-up actions and next steps, formulate workshop conclusions and recommendations, and provide workshop evaluation. Upcoming Subregional Workshops On March 7-8, 2007, the CSP conducted the first subregional workshop in Istanbul for GEF focal points from Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States . The second was held in Bangkok, Thailand for East and Southeast Asia on April 2-3, 2007. A complete schedule of all CSP Subregional Exchange Workshops in 2007 will be made publicly available on the new CSP Knowledge Facility for GEF Focal Points to be launched in April 2007 at www.gefcountrysupport.org. Stephen Gold, Global Manager, and Tehmina Akhtar, Knowledge Management Advisor, GEF Dialogue Initiative and Country Support Programme prepared this article.
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