UNDPGEF Small Grants Programme

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UNDP/GEF Small Grants Programme
Acting Locally, Conserving Globally Tom
Twining-Ward, UNDP-Samoa (tom.twining-ward_at_undp.or
g)
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UNDP GEF Small Grants Programme

• Established in 1992
• Administered by the UNDP on behalf of the GEF

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SGP is offered in 63 countries
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SGP works with local communities

• Provides up to 50,000 grants to NGOs and CBOs
• Has funded more than 4,000 community-based
  projects world-wide

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SGP Challenges GEF and the community

• The SGPs greatest challenge is to reconcile GEF
  criteria and community needs and priorities.

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Capacity Building and Raising Awareness

• SGP projects meet this challenge by building
  local capacities and raising public awareness
  about GEFs main concerns -- biodiversity
  conservation, climate change mitigation, and
  international waters protection.

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SGP ChallengesGlobal Criteria and National
Priorities

• The SGP must balance global criteria and goals
  with programme implementation that is appropriate
  to each country context.

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SGP Meets the Challenge by

• Operating in a decentralized and flexible manner
• Responding to national and community priorities
  and needs by being demand-driven
• Involving a wide variety of stakeholders at the
  local and national levels

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SGPs Country-Driven Implementation

• National Host Institution
• National Coordinator
• National Steering Committee
• Country Programme Strategy

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SGP Emphasis on Participation

• SGP project development, implementation, and
  monitoring and evaluation is based on
  participation by community members and local
  stakeholders

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GEF SGP in the Pacific

• First request at regional GEF Training and
  Scoping Workshop, held in Nadi in 1995
• Requests articulated at, inter alia, GEF CDW,
  COP6, regional and global WSSD PrepCom and from
  AOSIS, PIF Ambassadors, etc

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Global Meetings

• Second GEF Assembly meeting held in Beijing in
  October 2002 called for early action on expansion
  of SGP to the Pacific region
• WSSD Plan of Implementation called for action at
  all levels with specific reference to the need
  for community-based initiatives and for adequate
  financial resources.through GEF Focal Areas

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Mission Recommendation

• The SGP should expand its activities to SIDS in
  the Pacific Island region that meet SGP criteria
  in a phased approach over the next four years,
  using a hybrid arrangement for a Pacific SGP
  which would combine national, sub-regional and
  regional mechanisms, as appropriate.

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Criteria

• Ratification of Conventions
• Government interest and agreement to the
  programmes implementation modality 
• Presence and adequate implementation capacity
• Potential for an annual programme portfolio size
  which justifies the cost of management
  arrangements that meet SGP principles
• Resources mobilization potential 
• Existence of significant global biodiversity
  together with environmental threats and needs in
  GEF thematic areas.

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Hybrid Management Arrangements

• Proposed hybrid management arrangements which
  include national and sub-regional mechanisms,
  while at the same time operating within an
  overall regional facilitation and
  experience-sharing Pacific SGP umbrella

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National Level

• Fiji, Samoa and possibly Vanuatu meet the
  criteria for SGP operation using normal SGP
  mechanisms
• Countries should submit official letters
  confirming interest to start process
• Other countries may also apply for national
  participation if they believe they meet SGP
  criteria and can establish a portfolio which
  would justify the management costs involved

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Sub-regional Level

• Countries which so desire and where this may be
  justified in terms of overall SGP criteria, can
  also apply to participate in SGP under a
  sub-regional arrangement
• Such an arrangement might be appropriate for
  Micronesian countries under the auspices of the
  Micronesia Conservation Trust

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Regional Level

• Countries that does not fit under national or
  sub-regional programmes, can be part of a
  regional mechanism
• Regional Pacific GEF-SGP office established
  headed by regional facilitator
• Responsible for consultation and development of
  umbrella reggional strategy and establish
  multistakeholder oversight and approval
  arrangements

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Visit the SGP websitewww.undp.org/sgp