GEF-SGP TURKEY

1. GEF-SGP TURKEY Country Portfolio Evaluation Finding about SGP: “SGP Turkey, since 1993 has demonstrated its overall effectiveness and provided both a model and a mechanism for delivering GEF funds to local stakeholders”. “SGP has been a major success in Turkey, with an early start in 1993 mainly by inducing people’s participation in biodiversity protection”. “SGP's past experience and future presence going beyonda regular GEFlifewould be the guarantee forthebest allocation of money, for a good M&Eand long term track of the results. And SGP would benefit as well, getting in close contact with regular GEF and learning from its experiences and guaranteeing its long term functionality within the GEF”. 183 projects + more than 130 grantees (NGOs, cooperatives, unions) + over 3.5 M USD funding allocated (around 8 M USD with co-financing) + more than 20 NGO-NGO and more than 10 NGO-business cooperation. (Yumurtalık , Caucasus black grouse, Gökova, KBA etc.)

2. COUNTRY EXPERIENCE - 1 • SGP Grantees – SGP Webpage, SGP Annual Projects Meetings, SGP Bulletin, SGP e-group. • Turkish Government and UNDP • Biodiversity and Natural Resources Management (GEF-2) Project – Small Grants Component • Collective efforts for biodiversity and climate change at the national level • Other Partner Organizations • BTC (Small Investments Fund) • Prime Ministry The Fund for the Encouragement of  Social Aid and Solidarity (Social Risk Mitigation Project – SRMP) • Delegation of European Union to Turkey and MoEF (Nature Conservation by Supporting Local Communities Joint Grant Program)

3. COUNTRY EXPERIENCE - 2 • NGOs • Buğday Association for Supporting Sustainable Livelihoods (partnership for production of SGP’s Outreach Materials), • Bird Research Society – KAD (Communication of SGP Activities and Projects, to enhance and manage the SGP’s web site and, to provide technical support to SGP projects in building their web sites and, in designing the educational and promotional materials), • Underwater Research Society – SAD (SGP Networking), • Turkish Technology Development Foundation – TTGV (Partnership on NGO Capacity Building, Project Guidance, Monitoring and Evaluation in Climate Change Focus Area), • Documentary Filmmakers Union – BSB (SGP Documentary) • Local Authorities - High potential • Antalya Greater Municipality, Bursa Nilüfer Municipality etc. • Private Companies& Media– High potential • Atlas Magazine – Yeşil Atlas Magazine, NTV – YeşilEkran, Bisan

4. REGIONAL EXPERIENCE Bulgaria – Strengthening the Capacity of NGOs to Create and Use Wild Bird Indicators as Toll to Affect Policy Change for the Achievement of the Convention of Biological Diversity and European Union Targets to Halt Biodiversity Loss by 2010 Lebanon –R & D transfer from SGP Turkey supported “Wind Energy Used for Pumping and Irrigation in Edirne Kuzucu Village” project.

5. FINDINGS – 1 • “Donor Coordination Meeting”, initiated with initiatives of individuals from donor organisations aiming at regular information sharing; failed to continue after a few meetings; member turnover decreased the level of commitment, organizations should be committed, not just staff of them on an individual basis. • Administrative costs, not foreseen or not taken into consideration, • Procedural differences, • Problem of synchronization in routine operations and planning, • Lack of donor organizations and scarcity of bilateral and multilateral funding,

6. FINDINGS – 2 • Partnership building attempts to commence at a period later than project design, resource planning and budgeting, • Develop relationships with media and private companies to disseminate results, as a sample setting grant program, • Potentially focus on coordination with the overall GEF in Turkey, via utilising SGP as the grant delivery mechanism in larger size projects, • Periodic dissemination of information related to projects, and sharing of results. • Increase the effectiveness of SGP webpage; flow charts, tests guiding application process and communicate steps in implementation.