Policies and Procedures for CSO Engagement in GEF Projects

1. Policies and Procedures for Civil Society Participation in GEF Programme and Projects presented byGEF NGO NetworkECW Meeting, March 2013

2. Contents • Civil society as key stakeholders in the work of GEF • Benefits of CSO Engagement in GEF projects • Opportunities for CSO engagement in GEF projects • GEF NGO Network • GEF Policies on Civil Society engagement • Resources/mechanisms supporting CSO engagement of CSOs in the project cycle • Discussion groups

3. Civil society as key stakeholders in the work of GEF • Important stewards of natural resources and environment • Direct beneficiaries from sound environmental management • Directly impacted by poor environmental management • Can provide major contributions to safeguarding global environmental benefits and ensuring sustainability of GEF programmes. • Civil Society should thus be a main partner for effective implementation and long term sustainability of GEFs work

4. Benefits of CSO engagement in GEF projects and programmes • Enhancing country ownership • Ensuring that the needs of affected communities are adequately met • Improving project design • Create linkages among community, CSOs and governments • Help to strengthen the capacity of civil society groups

5. Opportunities for CSO engagement in GEF projects • Project implementers (SGP, MSP, FSP) • Project partners or service providers • Project advisers/steering committee members • Project target groups • Monitoring and evaluation

6. GEF NGO Network • Established in 1995 to facilitate CSO input to GEF Governance • More than 500 active members in 16 regions • Facilitate Civil society input to GEF policy making and implementation. • Organise Civil Society consultations and provide input on each agenda item of GEF Council • Monitor and build capacity at regional and national level for CSO engagement in GEF activities

7. GEF NGO Network in west Africa • Currently member 57 CSOs from 7 countries in West Africa. Actively reviewing and expanding membership. Welcome inputs from focal points on active CSOs in your countries. • Current Regional Focal point to facilitate regional cooperation– • HATOF, Ghana • Details on www.gefngo.org

8. GEF Policy on Minimum Environmental and Social Safeguard Standards for GEF agencies • Adopted by GEF in 2011 • Objective : To prevent and mitigate any unintended negative impacts to people and the environment that might arise through GEF operations. • Includes criteria on seven safeguard standards - (1) Environmental and Social Assessment; (2) Natural Habitats; (3) Involuntary Resettlement; (4) Indigenous Peoples; (5) Pest Management; (6) Physical Cultural Resources; and (7) Safety of Dams. • Includes A standard specifically on accountability and grievance mechanisms

9. GEF Policy on Gender Mainstreaming • Adopted by GEF in 2011 • To enhance the degree to which the GEF and its Agencies promote the goal of gender equality through GEF operations. • Calls on the GEF and its Agencies to mainstream gender into GEF operations, including efforts to analyze and address in GEF projects the specific needs and role of both women and men, as appropriate to each intervention.

10. GEF Principles & Guidelines for Engagement with Indigenous Peoples • Adopted by GEF in 2012 • Recognition of indigenous peoples as stakeholders, partners and rights-holders • Acknowledgement of UNDRIP and support for realization of its provisions • [described in more detail in separate presentation]

11. GEF Public participation Policy • Adopted by GEF in 1996 • Effective public involvement is critical to the success of GEF-financed projects. • When done appropriately, public involvement improves the performance and impact of projects by: • Enhancing recipient country ownership of, and accountability for, project outcomes • Addressing the social and economic needs of affected people • Building partnerships among project executing agencies and stakeholders • Making use of skills, experiences, and knowledge, in particular, of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), community and local groups, and the private sector in the design, implementation, and evaluation of project activities

12. GEF Public participation PolicyKey principles • Public involvement activities should be designed so that they contribute to the environmental, financial, and social sustainability of projects. • Projects should, as appropriate, address the social, cultural, and economic needs of people affected by GEF-financed projects. • Responsibility for assuring public involvement rests within the country, supported by the GEF Agencies • Public involvement activities will be conducted in a transparent and open manner. • All GEF-financed projects should have full documentation of public involvement activities. • There should be transparency in the preparation, conduct, reporting, and evaluation of public involvement activities in all projects.

13. Implementation • The current policy states that GEF Secretariat should • establish operational guidelines for assessing the effectiveness of public involvement activities in the project's design and implementation plan; • Monitor and evaluate the impacts of public involvement in terms of improving projects; • Facilitate the exchange of good practice • Explore ways to strengthen the role of NGOs in project preparation design and implementation • Ensure funding is available to governments, executing agencies and as appropriate CSOs for promoting public involvement.

14. The GEF Agencies will • The current policy states that GEF Secretariat should support countries in • involving stakeholders at the earliest phase of project identification and throughout design, implementation, and evaluation. • providing relevant, timely, and accessible information to as many stakeholders as possible; • provide the financial and technical assistance necessary for recipient governments and project executing agencies to ensure effective public involvement. • facilitating broad as well as project-specific consultations, especially at the local or sub-national levels; and • promoting the participation of stakeholder groups throughout the project cycle. This promotion includes awareness raising and capacity strengthening activities. • Develop guidelines for public involvement in their own GEF-financed projects

15. Need for update • The current policy has limited scope, provides inadequate guidance • Many changes with GEF and standards for engagement since 1996 • Many other related policies and guidance adopted by GEF eg gender, minimum standards for ESS, engagement with IPs etc • Broadening of agencies enhances needs for further guidance.

16. Preliminary Gaps identified in current policy • CSOs as a major partner in GEF programme implementation and as co-funders • Participatory programme development • Involvement of CSOs in National Portfolio Formulation exercise and ECW meetings • Stakeholder engagement plans for projects and programmes • Access of CSO to resources • Public access to information

17. Need to Review and update the GEF Public Involvement Policy • The 1996 GEF Public Involvement Policy should be reviewed and updated to enhance the effectiveness of its implementation and introduce new concepts and practices for public participation. • Specific guidelines to operationalise the Policy in the should be prepared.

18. Proposed Process to develop Guidelines on public involvement It has been agreed that a review of the Public involvement Policy will take place through a participatory process in 2013-2014 to enable for consideration by the GEF Council in June 2014 It will involve: 1. Review of experience and lessons learned for best practices for CSO engagement in GEF projects. 2. Gather information on policies and practices by GEF Agencies 3. Seek feedback from key stakeholders through ECW and other meetings 4. Develop further guidance 5. Modify the policy if required

19. Other Resources/mechanism supporting CSO engagement in GEF • At the country planning level and through national dialogues • At sub-regional ECW meetings • At GEF Secretariat level • At GEF Agencies level

20. At Country Planning Level • Inputs should be invited by GEF Operational focal points through annual meetings with CSOs • CSOs should be invited to National dialogues and national portfolio identification exercises to propose ideas for potential projects or programmes. • CSOs can provide guidance on planning stakeholder engagement when developing a project • CSOs can offer services to execute projects or specific components, based on their expertise, experience and technical capacity.

21. At sub-regional • CSOs are invited from each country to Expanded Constituency Workshops (ECWs) to be updated on GEF strategies, polices and procedures and to have the opportunity to discuss priority issues and share lessons and experiences.

22. At GEF Secretariat level • Participate in the bi-annual GEF-CSO Consultation meeting & GEF Council meeting, GEF Assembly, GEF Replenishment Exercise and convention meetings. • Contribute to the GEF’s international policy-making process. • Participation in these GEF meetings is coordinated by the GEF-NGO Network, an independent global network of about 500 NGO members.

23. At GEF Agencies level • Participate in the stakeholders workshops during project identification and throughout design, implementation, and evaluation • Participate in broad as well as project-specific consultations, especially at the local or sub-national levels • Benefit from the awareness and capacity strengthening activities

24. Issues for Discussion groups • Group 1 – CSO engagement in respective countries • 4 tables • Group 2 - Feedback on implementation of Public Involvement Policy • 4 tables

25. Group 1 – CSO engagement in respective countries/issues • What are the current policies/practices that support CSO engagement in implementation of global environment Conventions in your country/region? • What are the opportunities and constraints in CSO engagement in GEF programmes? • Highlight some of the achievements/lessons learned from CSO engagement in GEF programmes.

26. Group 2 - Feedback on implementation of Public Involvement Policy • Are OFPs, GEF Agencies or CSOs operating in respective countries familiar with the Public involvement policy and is it applied in the development and implementation of GEF related programmes and projects? • Is the current policy adequate to ensure CSO involvement? Is it being implemented? • Does the policy provide sufficient guidance to help implementation or is additional guidance needed – if so on what? • What other steps could be taken to enhance or promote the Public Involvement policy?