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PART I: PROJECT INFORMATION Project Title: Establishing a Functional Environmental Information System for the Synergistic Implementation of Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) for Iraq Country(ies): Iraq GEF Project ID: 1 9744 GEF Agency(ies): UNEP (select) (select) GEF Agency Project ID: 01558 Other Executing Partner(s): Ministry of Health and Environment & UNEP West Asia Office Submission Date: February 15, 2018 GEF Focal Area (s): Multi-focal Areas Project Duration (Months) 36 months Integrated Approach Pilot IAP-Cities IAP-Commodities IAP- Food Security Corporate Program: SGP Name of Parent Program [if applicable] Agency Fee ($) 107,825 A. FOCAL AREA STRATEGY F RAMEWORK AND OTHER PROGRAM STRATEGIES 2 Focal Area Objectives/Prog rams Focal Area Outcomes Trus t Fund (in $) GEF Project Financin g Co- financin g CCCD-1 Integrating global environmental needs into management information systems and monitoring GEFT F 767,500 455,000 CCCD-2 Strengthening consultative and management structures and mechanisms GEFT F 367,500 155,000 Total project costs 1,135,00 0 610,000 1 Project ID number remains the same as the assigned PIF number. 2 When completing Table A, refer to the excerpts on GEF 6 Results Frameworks for GETF, LDCF and SCCF and CBIT programming directions . GEF6 CEO Endorsement /Approval Template-August 2016 | GEF-UNEP/CCCD/MSP/ GEF ID 9744 Page 1 GEF-6 REQUEST FOR PROJECT APPROVAL PROJECT TYPE: MEDIUM-SIZED PROJECT TYPE OF TRUST FUND: GEF TRUST FUND For more information about GEF, visit TheGEF.org

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Page 1: Trust Fund · Web view2018/02/15  · Nevertheless, Iraq is facing a number of challenges in terms of environmental degradation, decline in water resources, and biodiversity loss

PART I:

PROJECT INFORMATIONProject Title: Establishing a Functional Environmental Information System for the Synergistic Implementation of Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) for Iraq Country(ies): Iraq GEF Project ID:1 9744GEF Agency(ies): UNEP (select) (select) GEF Agency Project ID: 01558Other Executing Partner(s): Ministry of Health and Environment &

UNEP West Asia Office Submission Date: February 15,

2018GEF Focal Area (s): Multi-focal Areas Project Duration (Months) 36 months Integrated Approach Pilot IAP-Cities IAP-Commodities IAP-Food Security Corporate Program: SGP Name of Parent Program [if applicable] Agency Fee ($) 107,825

A. FOCAL AREA STRATEGY F RAMEWORK AND OTHER PROGRAM STRATEGIES 2

Focal Area Objectives/Programs Focal Area Outcomes Trust

Fund

(in $)GEF

Project Financing

Co-financing

CCCD-1 Integrating global environmental needs into management information systems and monitoring

GEFTF

767,500 455,000

CCCD-2 Strengthening consultative and management structures and mechanisms

GEFTF

367,500 155,000

Total project costs 1,135,000 610,000

B. PROJECT DESCRIPTION SUMMARY Project Objective: To enhance capacities of Iraq for monitoring and reporting on Multilateral Environmental Agreements through a well-integrated and functional environment information system

Project Components/

Programs

Financing

Type3Project Outcomes Project Outputs Trust

Fund

(in $)GEF Project Financing

Confirmed Co-financing

Component 1: Development of a coordinated environmental knowledge and information management system

TA Outcome 1: Streamlined and integrated data and information system at the national level that takes into consideration the decentralized governance system in Iraq for use in decision-making, planning and reporting

Outcome 2: Improved regular environmental monitoring by directorates of

1.1 In-depth analysis of the current management of environmental information, data sources and flows, environmental statistics and reporting mechanisms related to the Rio Conventions, other MEAs and other relevant processes, including a mapping of relevant stakeholders

1.2 Endorsed agreement and standard operating procedures among key line ministries and agencies on the streamlining of data collection and sharing to fill data gaps and reduce

GEFTF 720,000 400,000

1 Project ID number remains the same as the assigned PIF number.2 When completing Table A, refer to the excerpts on GEF 6 Results Frameworks for GETF, LDCF and SCCF and CBIT programming directions.3 Financing type can be either investment or technical assistance.

GEF6 CEO Endorsement /Approval Template-August 2016 | GEF-UNEP/CCCD/MSP/ GEF ID 9744 Page 1

GEF-6 REQUEST FOR PROJECT APPROVAL PROJECT TYPE: MEDIUM-SIZED PROJECT TYPE OF TRUST FUND: GEF TRUST FUND

For more information about GEF, visit TheGEF.org

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environment in the governorates and other relevant agencies to integrate MEAs and relevant SDGs into the data collection and reporting procedures and system

unnecessary duplication

1.3 Systems and portal established to manage and access environmental data, information and geospatial information (e.g. GIS)

2.1 Definition, update and improvement of nationally appropriate environmental indicators, baseline data and targets based on MEAs, SDGs and other sources for use in different reporting and assessment processes

2.2 Collection and validation of environmental data, information and maps through a streamlined indicator-based monitoring and reporting system to MEAs, indicators for the environmental dimension of SDGs and other relevant mechanisms, including the Indicator Reporting Information System (IRIS)

2.3 Guidance and training on the use and application of tools to handle complex data sets and results-based, impact oriented environmental actions that cut across MEAs and relevant SDGs

Component 2: Enhancement of institutional coordination and technical capacities to mainstream, develop, and utilize policies for the effective implementation of MEAs and relevant SDGs

TA Outcome 3: Regulatory and collaborative institutional set-up for sustainable and transparent sharing of environmental information

Outcome 4: Enhanced capacities to develop and implement results-based and impact oriented policies, plans and programmes integrating MEAs and related SDGs

3.1 Enhanced consultative and decision-making processes for mainstreaming of obligations under Rio Conventions, other relevant MEAs and related SDGs, including shared environmental information systems, collaborative and endorsed institutional inter and intra ministerial mechanisms, collaborative mechanisms with major groups and stakeholders

3.2 Monitoring and evaluation mechanism established, targeted to compliance monitoring of state policies, programmes, and plans

3.3 Sustainability strategy for continued implementation of MEAs and the environmental

GEFTF 320,000 100,000

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dimension of SDGs

4.1 Training programme developed and executed to enable the integration of environmental management into planning, monitoring and reporting processes

4.2 At least 2 pilot sectors updating their strategies/plans to mainstream the environmental dimension/MEAs

4.3 Environmental education for Sustainable Development and awareness raising activities

Subtotal 1,040,000 500,000Project Management Cost (PMC)4 GEFTF 95,000 110,000

Total project costs 1,135,000 610,000

C. CONFIRMED SOURCES OF CO-FINANCING FOR THE PROJECT BY NAME AND BY TYPE

Please include evidence for co - financing for the project with this form.

Sources of Co-financing Name of Co-financier Type of Cofinancing Amount ($) Recipient Government Government of Iraq In-kind 460,000GEF Agency UNEP In-kind 150,000Total Co-financing 610,000

D. TRUST FUND RESOURCES REQUESTED BY AGENCY(IES), COUNTRY(IES), FOCAL AREA AND THE PROGRAMMING OF FUNDS

GEF Agency

Trust Fund

Country Name/Global

Focal Area Programming of Funds

(in $)GEF

Project Financing

(a)

Agency Fee a) (b)2

Total(c)=a+b

UNEP GEF TF Iraq Multi-focal Areas Cross-Cutting Capacity Development

1,135,000 107,825 1,242,825

Total Grant Resources 1,135,000 107,825 1,242,825

a ) Refer to the Fee Policy for GEF Partner Agencies

4 For GEF Project Financing up to $2 million, PMC could be up to10% of the subtotal; above $2 million, PMC could be up to 5% of the subtotal. PMC should be charged proportionately to focal areas based on focal area project financing amount in Table D below.

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E. PROJECT’S TARGET CONTRIBUTIONS TO GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS5

Provide the expected project targets as appropriate. Corporate Results Replenishment Targets Project Targets

1. Maintain globally significant biodiversity and the ecosystem goods and services that it provides to society

Improved management of landscapes and seascapes covering 300 million hectares

      hectares

2. Sustainable land management in production systems (agriculture, rangelands, and forest landscapes)

120 million hectares under sustainable land management

      hectares   

3. Promotion of collective management of transboundary water systems and implementation of the full range of policy, legal, and institutional reforms and investments contributing to sustainable use and maintenance of ecosystem services

Water-food-ecosystems security and conjunctive management of surface and groundwater in at least 10 freshwater basins;

      Number of freshwater basins

20% of globally over-exploited fisheries (by volume) moved to more sustainable levels

      Percent of fisheries, by volume

4. Support to transformational shifts towards a low-emission and resilient development path

750 million tons of CO2e mitigated (include both direct and indirect)

      metric tons

5. Increase in phase-out, disposal and reduction of releases of POPs, ODS, mercury and other chemicals of global concern

Disposal of 80,000 tons of POPs (PCB, obsolete pesticides)

      metric tons

Reduction of 1000 tons of Mercury       metric tons

Phase-out of 303.44 tons of ODP (HCFC)       ODP tons

6. Enhance capacity of countries to implement MEAs (multilateral environmental agreements) and mainstream into national and sub-national policy, planning financial and legal frameworks

Development and sectoral planning frameworks integrate measurable targets drawn from the MEAs in at least 10 countries

Number of Countries: 1

Functional environmental information systems are established to support decision-making in at least 10 countries

Number of Countries: 1

F. DOES THE PROJECT INCLUDE A “NON-GRANT” INSTRUMENT ? NO (If non-grant instruments are used, provide an indicative calendar of expected reflows to your Agency and to the GEF/LDCF/SCCF/CBIT Trust Fund) in Annex D.

5 Update the applicable indicators provided at PIF stage. Progress in programming against these targets for the projects per the Corporate Results Framework in the GEF - 6 Programming Directions , will be aggregated and reported during mid-term and at the conclusion of the replenishment period.

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PART II: PROJECT JUSTIFICATION

A. DESCRIBE ANY CHANGES IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE PROJECT DESIGN WITH THE ORIGINAL PIF6

A.1. Project Description . Elaborate on: 1) the global environmental and/or adaptation problems, root causes and barriers that need to be addressed; 2) the baseline scenario or any associated baseline projects, 3) the proposed alternative scenario, GEF focal area7 strategies, with a brief description of expected outcomes and components of the project, 4) incremental/additional cost reasoning and expected contributions from the baseline, the GEFTF, LDCF, SCCF, CBIT and co-financing; 5) global environmental benefits (GEFTF) and/or adaptation benefits (LDCF/SCCF); and 6) innovativeness, sustainability and potential for scaling up.  

1) Global environmental and/or adaptation problems, root causes and barriers that need to be addressed

The Republic of Iraq has recently joined the international community to address global environmental issues after decades of isolation, wars and conflicts. The Ministry of Environment (MoE), later renamed the Ministry of Health and Environment (MoHE), was established in 2003 and Law 27 on the Environment Protection and Improvement was issued in 2009. Starting in 2009, Iraq ratified a number of Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) related to climate change (UNFCCC, Kyoto Protocol, Paris Agreement), biodiversity (CBD, Biosafety, Ramsar, CITES & CMS), chemicals (Basel, Stockholm, Rotterdam, Minamata) and desertification (UNCCD). Annex P provides a detailed list of environmental policies and laws in Iraq, as well as international conventions that the country has ratified.

In fulfilling the obligations of these agreements, and despite the relatively recent accession to the conventions, Iraq has been preparing and submitting national reports, communications strategies and action plans, which reflects the Government’s commitment to contribute to global environment management. In addition, the Government of Iraq is committed to addressing the pressing environmental issues and achieving sustainable development goals through implementing a number of actions and projects that protect the environment and natural resources as indicated in the National Environment Strategy and Action Plan (NESAP) of 2013. The National Development Plan 2013-2017 has clear statements on environmental objectives integrating environmental and socioeconomic dimension as a development basis, and includes a list of environmental projects funded by the national budget. Furthermore, the Government of Iraq has established several cross-sectoral committees for the implementation of the conventions, such as on climate change, biodiversity, desertification, Ramsar, and chemicals.

Iraq’s distinctive geographical location and climatic conditions give it high importance with regard to managing global environment assets and generating significant global environment benefits across the GEF focal areas. The country is home to diverse and unique habitats and species. It shares one of the largest water basins in the region, with two rivers, Euphrates and Tigris, shared among four countries. The Mesopotamian Marshlands, a unique combination of natural and cultural ecosystems located in the south of the country, were recently (in July 2016) inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site of significant natural and cultural values.

Nevertheless, Iraq is facing a number of challenges in terms of environmental degradation, decline in water resources, and biodiversity loss. Iraq’s valuable human and natural resources are highly impacted by and vulnerable to climate change. Desertification rate is rising, with 39% of its land affected by desertification and 54% under threat (5th National Report to CBD). Iraq used to have a large industrial base in the region with heavy use of chemicals, and the country still suffers from large stock piles. The country is striving to adopt sound chemical management.

As shown in Figure 1 below, one of the root causes of Iraq’s limited capacity to address these global environmental issues is the lack of knowledge management and sharing, along with limited awareness and coordination among relevant agencies.

6 For questions A.1 –A.7 in Part II, if there are no changes since PIF, no need to respond, please enter “NA” after the respective question.

7 For biodiversity projects, in addition to explaining the project’s consistency with the biodiversity focal area strategy, objectives and programs, please also describe which Aichi Target(s) the project will directly contribute to achieving.

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Figure 1: Problem tree

2) Baseline scenario or any associated baseline projects

The National Environment Strategy and Action Plan (NESAP) and the State of Environment and Outlook (SoE) were launched in 2013 and 2014 respectively. Both reports emphasized the need of having an environmental monitoring system in place that serves as a “safety valve”, in order to provide an early alert of any environmental deterioration as well as accurate information that forms the basis of good decision making.

The NESAP noted that the monitoring system in place is fragmented and obsolete. The provision of information, data and performance indicators in a transparent way and updating them on a periodical basis to reflect different environment components and progress in a timely manner is imperative to support the decision making process. All environmental databases should be made available to the public, scholars and those interested in such issues to share and make use of existing knowledge and to provide information on the risks and benefits of existing activities or projects. Such facility or integrated system to cater for environmental information is currently limited and information is fragmented.

The baseline with regard to data and information for reporting and managing MEAs, as experienced and reported through the processes of preparing the State of Environment and Outlook Report, the Initial National Communication to UNFCCC, the National Action Plan to Combat Desertification (NAP), the NBSAP, the National Biosafety Report and experience with the Ramsar Convention, can be characterized as follows:

Despite a variety of environmental data generated by the different departments and ministries, there are still substantive gaps in data and information on the environment, the socioeconomic and geographical dimensions, ecosystem type coverage, and biodiversity;

No results-based monitoring. The use of indicators and targets to measure and improve environmental performance is very limited;

Data generation activities are often ad hoc. There is no policy or strategy to generate data in the short, medium and long term within an integrated and comprehensive system. This leads to information being collected multiple times by different Ministries for multiple reporting and assessment processes as well as other uses because of insufficient knowledge management and sharing;

Poor data quality in terms of accuracy and consistency; Challenges with regard to accessibility of data and information; Limited data and information exchange among stakeholders; Weak regulatory framework on data standards, exchange protocol, interpretation and use;

GEF6 CEO Endorsement /Approval Template-August 2016 | GEF-UNEP/CCCD/MSP/ GEF ID 9744 Page 6

Limited coordination among relevant ministries, agencies

Lack of knowledge and information

management system

Lack of alignment with decentralized

governance structure

Lack of awareness on global environmental issues and

MEAs

Lack of knowledge of sectoral plans and

priorities

Gaps in environmental data and information

Lack of harmonized indicators and targets

Lack of integration of env. mgmt. into planning and monitoring

Insufficient knowledge management and sharing

Limited capacity of Iraq to monitor and report on MEAs and to address global environmental issues

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Current data and information systems do not align with the decentralisation governance structure in the country; and

Limited human and institutional capacities for data, information and knowledge management and the processing of data is mainly paper-based, reactive and ad hoc.

The draft National Capacity Self-Assessment (NCSA) finalized in late 2016 further acknowledged that “knowledge barriers to MEAs implementation are most important because of the limited information, accessibility and dissemination to the target stakeholders as well as weak knowledge generation and processing, especially regarding environmental management. Even if some of the information is available, its accessibility and dissemination to the targeted stakeholders is still very weak and largely does not exist. On the other hand, it has been proven that sound decision-making is enabled by accurate, complete and relevant information, where a knowledge management system can play a key role in supporting the management staff with the needed information.” The NCSA identified a number of priority actions to be implemented under different strategic programmes. Among others, these priority actions include:

Developing a sustainable coordination mechanism between institutions implementing the three Rio Conventions and the chemical conventions;

Building a national system for information sharing through Clearing House Mechanisms (CHMs) and other tools for knowledge management related to convention themes;

Implementation of modern information technology systems that enable data sharing amongst national institutions, save time and effort and help to implement and report on global, regional and national obligations;

Enhancing knowledge for decision makers, citizens and civil society through education and awareness; and Promoting joint public awareness and education programme on synergy issues.

Addressing these priorities has become even more relevant with the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular in terms of data requirements for monitoring and reporting on MEAs and SDG indicators with an environmental dimension.

Globally, several actors have highlighted the need for integrated knowledge and information management systems at the national level and have called for initiatives to promote synergies in the implementation of the MEAs (UNEP Sourcebook, 2015). UN Environment has developed Environment Live (previously called UNEP Live), a platform that provides member states with open access to global data and knowledge on the environment, as well as InforMEA, which provides easy access to information on MEAs and their implementation in each country. In addition, the Abu Dhabi Global Environmental Data Initiative (AGEDI) and UNEP have jointly developed the Indicator Reporting Information System (IRIS), a tool that can be used for online reporting at the national level.

The Information Technology Department in the Ministry of Health and Environment has some capacity to produce GIS maps and manage environmental data, but their systems need to be developed significantly. Coordination between the IT Department, the Technical Department and the Department of Planning and Follow-up within the Ministry, as well as between the MoHE and the Central Statistics Organization of the Ministry of Planning, needs to be enhanced.

3) Proposed alternative scenario, GEF focal area strategies, with a brief description of expected outcomes and components of the project

As stated in the NCSA, a common thread running through all the conventions is the need for a “cross-cutting” platform for data, information, and knowledge to be used for public awareness and education about the conventions and the issues they seek to address. This will serve as a measure to meet obligations under the conventions and to protect Iraq’s natural resources critical for the achievement of sustainable development and thereby the SDGs.

Therefore, the objective of this Cross-Cutting Capacity Development (CCCD) project is to enhance capacities of Iraq for monitoring and reporting on Multilateral Environmental Agreements through a well-integrated and functional environment information system. It will promote the synergistic implementation of the environmental conventions in Iraq and help to develop coordination mechanisms and national capacities. The project fulfils critical elements of the obligations of developing country Parties, including Iraq, towards ratified MEAs, specifically on reporting with consistency and transparency. It will help to utilize and present data for environmental monitoring, analyses, decision

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making, information sharing in a user-friendly manner and for creating awareness among the citizens of Iraq, on issues related to Iraq’s environment and global environmental issues.

Communications and reporting on existing global platforms of the MEAs, UNEP Live, the UNEP Indicator Reporting Information System (IRIS), the Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform, WHO Global databases, Work Bank Indicators Portal, UN Statistics Division, and the convention portals will be enhanced and automated as appropriate, thus achieving efficiency and reducing duplication. The project will explore linkages with these and other platforms for the system design, including MapX, a geospatial platform developed by UN Environment’s Post-Conflict Branch that provides a comprehensive suite of information management, visualization and analytical tools. The project funds will not be used to develop these tools/platforms; rather, the project will seek to create synergies and optimize the communication with them.

The environment information system will provide a joint database of key environmental indicators for monitoring and reporting to the MEAs and related SDGs, with a GIS database, graphic representation of the data and gender-disaggregated data where relevant. The information system will also include information on the conventions and links to relevant clearing house mechanisms (CHMs), as shown in Figure 2 below.

Figure 2: Environment Information System and linkages with other platforms

The project will contribute to the following objectives of the GEF CCCD strategy: CCCD-1: Integrating global environmental needs into management information systems and monitoring. CCCD-2: Strengthening consultative and management structures and mechanisms.

Accordingly, the project will have two components:1. Development of a coordinated environmental knowledge and information management system;2. Enhancement of institutional coordination and technical capacities to mainstream, develop, and utilize policies

for the effective implementation of MEAs and relevant SDGs.

By the end of the project, the project will have achieved the following outcomes:1. Streamlined and integrated data and information system at the national level that takes into consideration the

decentralized governance system in Iraq for use in decision-making, planning and reporting;2. Improved regular environmental monitoring by directorates of environment in the governorates and other

relevant agencies to integrate MEAs and relevant SDGs into the data collection and reporting procedures and system;

3. Regulatory and collaborative institutional set-up for sustainable and transparent sharing of environmental information;

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4. Enhanced capacities to develop and implement results-based and impact oriented policies, plans and programmes integrating MEAs and related SDGs.

The detailed results framework and work plan, elaborated in a participatory process during the project design phase, can be found in Annex A and I, respectively. Minor changes have been made to the project outputs as compared to the PIF based on consultations with key stakeholders during the project design. These changes, summarized below, will not affect the project outcomes or objective.

Outcome / Output Description of the changesOutcome 2 “and other relevant agencies” has been added.Output 1.3 The two outputs below have been combined to form the new output 1.3. The two are closely

linked and need to be developed in parallel.- Upgraded IT Department with systems to serve as Environmental Information Center

(provision of hardware, software, network & capacity building)- Iraq Environment Information Portal established and publishing environmental data,

information and geospatial information (e.g. GIS)Output 2.2 The two outputs below have been combined to form the new output 2.2. The training will be the

initial step in the preparation of the data collection and validation.- Training of trainers on data collection and management methodologies, including use of the

UNEP Live knowledge platform - Collection and validation of environmental data, information and maps through a streamlined

indicator-based monitoring and reporting system to MEAs, indicators for the environmental dimension of SDGs and other relevant mechanisms, including the Indicator Reporting Information System (IRIS)

Output 4.1 The two outputs below have been combined to form the new output 4.1. These trainings have been combined in order to make best use of the available time and resources. - Training programme developed and executed to enable the integration of environmental

management into planning and monitoring processes- Training on reporting information for policy/decision making

The Theory of Change is shown in Figure 3 below.

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Figure 3: Theory of Change

A brief description of the project outcomes and outputs is provided below.

Objective: To enhance capacities of Iraq for monitoring and reporting on Multilateral Environmental Agreements through a well-integrated and functional environment information system

Component 1: Development of a coordinated environmental knowledge and information management system

Outcome / Outputs Brief descriptionOutcome 1: Streamlined and integrated data and information system at the national level that takes into consideration the decentralized governance system in Iraq for use in decision-making, planning and reporting

This outcome is focused on the establishment of an environment information system and related processes in support of the MEAs and relevant SDGs.

Output 1.1 In-depth analysis of the current management of environmental information, data sources and flows, environmental statistics and reporting mechanisms related to the Rio Conventions, other MEAs and other relevant processes, including a

The project will conduct a detailed analysis of existing indicators and systems in order to prepare for the system design.

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mapping of relevant stakeholdersOutput 1.2 Endorsed agreement and standard operating procedures among key line ministries and agencies on the streamlining of data collection and sharing to fill data gaps and reduce unnecessary duplication

The project will elaborate an agreement and standard operating procedures (SOPs) among stakeholders for coordinated data management.

Output 1.3 Systems and portal established to manage and access environmental data, information and geospatial information (e.g. GIS)

The project will provide the IT Department (and other departments within the Ministry) with systems to serve as the main repository of all environmental information and will design and implement the information portal, including capacity building for user groups.

Outcome 2: Improved regular environmental monitoring by directorates of environment in the governorates and other relevant agencies to integrate MEAs and relevant SDGs into the data collection and reporting procedures and system

This outcome focuses on improving and harmonizing environmental indicators and data collection in the relevant agencies.

Output 2.1 Definition, update and improvement of nationally appropriate environmental indicators, baseline data and targets based on MEAs, SDGs and other sources for use in different reporting and assessment processes

The project will identify and agree on measures to harmonize, update and improve environmental indicators, baseline data and targets, in line with the requirements of the MEAs and SDG.

Output 2.2 Collection and validation of environmental data, information and maps through a streamlined indicator-based monitoring and reporting system to MEAs, indicators for the environmental dimension of SDGs and other relevant mechanisms, including the Indicator Reporting Information System (IRIS)

The project will prepare for the collection and validation of environmental data to fill data gaps identified under outputs 1.1 and 2.1, and conduct the data collection.

Output 2.3 Guidance and training on the use and application of tools to handle complex data sets and results-based, impact oriented environmental actions that cut across MEAs and relevant SDGs

The project will provide training on the use and application of tools to handle complex data sets in order to enable the relevant agencies/ministries to inform decisions related to environmental actions and policies.

Component 2: Enhancement of institutional coordination and technical capacities to mainstream, develop, and utilize policies for the effective implementation of MEAs and relevant SDGsOutcome / Outputs Brief descriptionOutcome 3: Regulatory and collaborative institutional set-up for sustainable and transparent sharing of environmental information

This outcome aims to establish regulatory and collaborative mechanisms for improved knowledge and information sharing.

Output 3.1 Enhanced consultative and decision-making processes for mainstreaming of obligations under Rio Conventions, other relevant MEAs and related SDGs, including shared environmental information systems, collaborative and endorsed institutional inter and intra ministerial mechanisms, collaborative mechanisms with major groups and stakeholders

The project will identify and institutionalize measures to support enhanced collaboration, consultation and sharing of information in support of the implementation of MEAs and SDGs.

Output 3.2 Monitoring and evaluation mechanism established, targeted to compliance monitoring of state policies, programmes, and plans

The project will elaborate a mechanism to monitor and evaluate progress in the implementation of MEAs and related policies, programmes and plans through the use of the environmental information system.

Output 3.3 Sustainability strategy for continued implementation of MEAs and the environmental dimension of SDGs

The project will implement measures to ensure the sustainability of the information system and related processes and collaboration mechanisms.

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Outcome 4: Enhanced capacities to develop and implement results-based and impact oriented policies, plans and programmes integrating MEAs and related SDGs

This outcome is focused on building capacity and awareness for the implementation of the MEAs and related SDGs.

Output 4.1 Training programme developed and executed to enable the integration of environmental management into planning, monitoring and reporting processes

The project will provide training on the integration of environmental management into planning and monitoring processes, and on reporting information for policy/decision making, based on data made available through the environmental information system.

Output 4.2 At least 2 pilot sectors updating their strategies/plans to mainstream the environmental dimension/MEAs

The project will identify ways to update sectoral strategies/plans in support of the MEAs and related SDGs, by incorporating knowledge from the environmental information system.

Output 4.3 Environmental education for Sustainable Development and awareness raising activities

The project will generate and disseminate knowledge products to raise awareness on the environmental information system, the concept of sustainable development and the MEAs/related SDGs.

4 ) Incremental/additional cost reasoning and expected contributions from the baseline, the GEFTF, LDCF, SCCF, CBIT and co-financing

The project will build on ongoing efforts at the Ministry of Health and Environment in the improvement of Iraq’s Environment Performance Index, the State of Environment reporting and the environment monitoring system. The project provides incremental support to develop capacity for enhanced information management and environmental monitoring and decision making in Iraq. The additional funding from GEF under this project will lay the foundations for a more streamlined, coordinated and effective implementation of the MEAs and related SDGs, and for enhanced cooperation and coordination between the departments in the Ministry of Health and Environment and the Central Statistics Organization of the Ministry of Planning. In this way, it will catalyse actions that will accelerate the achievement of global environmental benefits in Iraq. In the absence of this project, Iraq would continue to pursue its commitments under the conventions, but their implementation would be less effective due to the lack of an integrated information and knowledge management system and limited coordination mechanisms.

5) Global environmental benefits (GEFTF) and/or adaptation benefits (LDCF/SCCF)

Implementing this project will have multiple global environmental benefits in all GEF focal areas, as it will enhance the implementation of MEAs in the areas of climate change, biodiversity, land degradation and chemicals. As outlined in Iraq’s NESAP and NBSAP, Iraq encompasses seven main terrestrial ecoregions and a variety of natural habitats including low lands, desert, steppes, plateaus and mountains, wetlands, coastal and marine habitats. The country contains about 80 types of freshwater fish, 16 of which require special protection, in addition to more than 374 types of birds, 18 of which are threatened species according to the IUCN Red List. According to the “Iraq Plants” book, there are about 2,500 types of plants, 195 of which are endemic, in addition to 74 types of mammals of 24 families, 10 types of amphibians of 5 families, 97 types of reptiles of 19 families, more than 2,000 types of insects and 2,312 types of algae (NESAP, 2013). There is a significant opportunity to strengthen Iraq’s capacity to address global environmental issues such as desertification, environmental degradation and climate change by enhancing its capacity to implement the obligations under the MEAs and related SDGs.

6) Innovation, sustainability and potential for scaling up

The project will be anchored in the Ministry of Health and Environment within its Information Technology Department (which includes a small GIS Unit). It is in this department that the information system will be built. Thus, the project will build on existing structures and will not start from zero. Collaboration will be established with the Technical Department and the Department of Planning and Follow-up for the enhancement of data management and reporting. Sustainability of the project is expected to be high given that the Ministry is mandated by law to report on the status of

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the environment on a regular basis and to collaborate with other ministries and agencies on data management. The environment information system will be a joint venture by the MoHE and the Central Statistics Organization (CSO) – this is a much needed partnership to ensure complementarity and scalability of the efforts.

In addition, a sustainability strategy will be developed as part of the project implementation, to ensure that sufficient budget is allocated to the continuation of the system after the project ends (operating expenses, development, training, etc.). The project will aim to identify clear owners of the data and include the management of the system in the operational guidelines or terms of reference of relevant authorities.

The project will utilize the latest experience and state of the art information management technologies. First, the system will be linked to global environment data platforms. Second, the project will adopt state of the art technologies and tools for data capturing, processing, analysis and presentation, and will use recent advances in citizen science, social media and infographics. It will make use of innovative training methods, including online training or webinars, and will make materials available online for use by a wider audience. Also, the project will seek to engage with local governments and line ministries to scale up the project at the governorate level, seeking to obtain investment in local infrastructure and systems.

A.2. Child Project? If this is a child project under a program, describe how the components contribute to the overall program impact. N/A

A.3. Stakeholders . Identify key stakeholders and elaborate on how the key stakeholders engagement is incorporated in the preparation and implementation of the project. Do they include civil society organizations (yes /no )? and indigenous peoples (yes /no )? 8

The main project stakeholders are the government ministries and agencies who are responsible for key sectoral policies and legislation. The project will also support consultation, engagement and coordination of programmes with a number of national and international NGOs, academia and the private sector. Consultations have been initiated with key stakeholders during the project design through a specially designed questionnaire as well as through a workshop organized in Amman, Jordan. Consultation with stakeholders will continue during the project implementation. By the end of the project, the information system will be operational, and feedback mechanisms will be integrated to assess satisfaction of the users and to continue improving the system.

A detailed stakeholder analysis is included in Annex O.

A.4. Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment. Elaborate on how gender equality and women’s empowerment issues are mainstreamed into the project implementation and monitoring, taking into account the differences, needs, roles and priorities of women and men. In addition, 1) did the project conduct a gender analysis during project preparation (yes /no )?; 2) did the project incorporate a gender responsive project results framework, including sex-disaggregated indicators (yes /no )?; and 3) what is the share of women and men direct beneficiaries (women X%, men X%)? 9

The project will make every effort to incorporate gender issues in the implementation. Roles to participate in the project activities will be equally assigned to men and women without discrimination. The project will ensure that women are adequately represented at validation and consultation meetings to participate in the definition of requirements and key environmental indicators, to help ensure equal access and benefits. Gender-disaggregated indicators have been included in the project results framework, with 50% of the beneficiaries or participants expected to be women. The project will aim to support gender mainstreaming targets of the conventions by incorporating gender-sensitive indicators into the environmental information system, building on existing gender statistics available at the Central Statistics Organization. Statistics stemming from the disaggregated data will not only improve MEA implementation but also inform public policy makers on how environmental issues concern women and girls differently and the related policy action needed.

8 As per the GEF-6 Corporate Results Framework in the GEF Programming Directions and GEF-6 Gender Core Indicators in the Gender Equality Action Plan, provide information on these specific indicators on stakeholders (including civil society organization and indigenous peoples) and gender. 9 Same as footnote 8 above.

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In addition, the project will seek cooperation with a new initiative, “Women for a Green and Safe Iraq”, currently being established by UNDP and the Government of Iraq.

Gender considerations for this project are informed by the 2014 report on Mainstreaming Gender at the GEF. The project implementation arrangements include consultative and decision-making mechanisms that will allow to mobilize the unique perspectives on the Rio Conventions implementation from the lens of gender priorities and differences. Project implementation will apply UNEP guidelines that call for measuring the following indicators:

- Total number of full-time project staff that are women- Total number of full-time project staff that are men- Total number of Project Board members that are women- Total number of Project Board members that are men

A.5 Risk. Elaborate on indicated risks, including climate change, potential social and environmental risks that might prevent the project objectives from being achieved, and, if possible, the proposed measures that address these risks at the time of project implementation (table format acceptable):

The overall project risk is considered to be low due to the fact that it will build on existing structures at the Ministry of Health and Environment as well as the Central Statistics Organization (CSO). Both institutions are mandated to collect, process and present data to the government, international organizations and the public at large. The Government is committed to make the support from the GEF effective and incremental. Few risks can be listed, assessed and mitigation measures proposed as follows.

Risk Description Level Mitigation measure(s)

High riskSecurity situation may affect the delivery of project components that necessitate face to face interactions with stakeholders in the capital

High At the beginning of the project, electronic means of communication will be established and formally recognized by government agencies involved in the project. Train the trainers and strategic system design workshops and meetings will be held outside Iraq as these arrangements and practices (with UNEP, UNDP and other development partners) have been in place since 2003. The Government and the UN have instituted such arrangements, which are implemented smoothly.

Moderate riskDelay in implementation as more time is required to negotiate agreements with data providers

Moderate High level interventions will ensure expedited conclusion of such agreements for data sharing and transparency. The project will strive to practically demonstrate how the system will function and be of benefit to the target beneficiaries so as to ensure high level buy-in of the transparent approach. The project will have selected activities to strengthen institutional mechanisms for improved coordination, data sharing collaboration and provision of capacity building support to stakeholders.

Low riskCompatibility issues of IT systems and platforms

Low During the system design phase, every effort will be made to understand the existing systems; hardware and software and the associated government IT policies, standards and specifications. Key ministries will be involved for the selection of the IT system. A reputable, qualified organization will be selected to support its development and implementation. Experience of other countries in the region such as Kuwait and the UAE in establishing environmental information systems will be utilized to anticipate such complications and avoid the loss of resources.

Insufficient funding from the Government to scale up the project at the governorate level

Low Options for scaling up the information management system will be proposed during project implementation. The advances in information technology and social networks will make low cost options viable to maintain and scale up the system. Local governments and line

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ministries will be engaged in the project implementation, which will help to improve understanding of the benefits of the system not only to environmental management but to the overall development of the regions. They will be encouraged to invest in their IT infrastructure to complement the systems that will be established at the Ministry of Health and Environment.

Lack of dedicated staff and funds to maintain the information system due to low government priority

Low Dedicated staff at the MoHE will be involved in the project implementation from its inception, and the project will aim to include the management of the system in the terms of reference of relevant staff and authorities. The benefits to the target beneficiaries will be made apparent, in order to ensure that sufficient government priority is given to the maintenance of the system and budget is allocated to the continuation of the system after the project ends.

A.6. Institutional Arrangement and Coordination. Describe the institutional arrangement for project implementation. Elaborate on the planned coordination with other relevant GEF-financed projects and other initiatives.

Project activities will be executed by the Ministry of Health and Environment of Iraq (MoHE) with the support of the UN Environment West Asia Office (WAO). MoHE will be responsible for project coordination and management, monitoring adherence to the work plan, and administering the budget related to national level activities. UNEP/WAO will support the MoHE in the financial and operational execution of the GEF resources, including technical coordination, financial management, contracting and procurement following UN Environment rules and procedures. The Executing Agency (EA) is accountable to the Implementing Agency (IA). In its separate role as the GEF IA, UN Environment, through its Science Division, will be responsible for managing the project according to the GEF requirements, reporting to GEF, and overseeing project delivery.

A regional or international partner will be contracted at the beginning of the project to provide technical assistance and to lead the development of the information management system.

The project’s organizational structure is shown in Figure 4 below.

Figure 4: Project organizational structure

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The institutional arrangements are described in detail in Annex H.

Both the MoHE and UNEP/WAO are co-implementing other GEF financed projects such the Second National Communication and the Biennial Update Report to the UNFCCC, the National Implementation Plan for the Stockholm Convention, the Protected Areas Network (PAN) project, etc. Therefore, coordination and synchronization of activities will be ensured. In addition, outcomes of previously co-implemented projects on the state of the environment, improving the Environment Performance Index, and GEF enabling activities will be used to build upon to enhance the information management system. In particular, the project builds on two previous GEF funded projects, 1) the National Capacity Self-Assessment for Global Environment Management, and 2) the First NBSAP for Iraq and Development of Fifth National Report to the CBD.

Experience from other countries in the region such as Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates will also be taken into consideration for the system design. The project design has further incorporated lessons from a GEF financed project in Kenya, “Enhanced regulatory and information systems for integrated implementation of MEAs”, which was completed in 2015. The project will be coordinated with the Special Programme on Chemicals, which has been recently approved by the Special Programme Trust Fund through the Synergies Committee established at the Ministry. Linkages with the ongoing Green Climate Fund (GCF) readiness programme and the investment by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to increase the climate resilience of the agricultural sector in Iraq will also be explored.

The project is further aligned with the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) 2015-2019 for Iraq, which was prepared by the United Nations Country Team in Iraq in consultation with the Government of Iraq and other partners. The overarching priority for the UNDAF, as for Iraq, is the enhancement of social cohesion. This project primarily contributes to priority A. of the UNDAF, “Improving the performance and responsiveness of targeted national and sub-national institutions”, and its outcomes A.1 (“Targeted government institutions capacities strengthened for accountability, transparency and provision of equitable and quality services”) and A.2 (“Government capacity at national and sub-national levels enhanced for evidence-based decision-making”).

Relevant GEF projects currently being implemented or prepared in Iraq are listed in the table below.

Project title Country GEF Agency

Dates GEF Budget Project objectives and primary activities

Coordination measures

Sustainable Land Management for Improved Livelihoods in Degraded Areas of Iraq

https://www.thegef.org/project/sustainable-land-management-improved-livelihoods-degraded-areas-iraq

Iraq FAO Concept approved in May 2017

USD 3.5 million from GEF

To reverse land degradation processes, conserve and sustainably manage land and water resources in degraded marshland ecosystems in Southern Iraq for greater access to services from resilient ecosystems and improved livelihoods.

The project will seek cooperation with this project, through MoHE and UNEP, with regard to policy integration, awareness raising and the digital land use mapping system that this project aims to establish.

Develop the National Implementation Plan for the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and the Minamata Initial Assessment for the Minamata Convention on Mercury in Iraq

https://www.thegef.org/project/develop-national-implementation-plan-stockholm-convention-persistent-organic-

Iraq UNEP Project approved in Feb 2017

USD 800,000 from GEF

Develop the National Implementation Plan (NIP) for the Stockholm Convention in order to comply with article 7 under the Stockholm Convention and develop the Minamata Initial Assessment (MIA) to facilitate the ratification and early implementation of the Minamata Convention.

The project will coordinate with this project, through MoHE and UNEP, with regard to the implementation of the chemicals conventions.

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Project title Country GEF Agency

Dates GEF Budget Project objectives and primary activities

Coordination measures

pollutants-0

Initial Steps for the Establishment of the National Protected Areas Network

https://www.thegef.org/project/initial-steps-establishment-national-protected-areas-network

Iraq UNEP Project approved in Nov 2015

USD 1.2 million from GEF

To develop and start implementing the plan for the establishment of a national Network of Protected Areas in Iraq.

The project will coordinate with this project, through MoHE and UNEP, with regard to protected areas and awareness raising.

Catalysing the Use of Solar Photovoltaic Energy

https://www.thegef.org/project/catalysing-use-solar-photovoltaic-energy

Iraq UNDP Project approved in Aug 2014

USD 2.2 million

To reduce GHG emissions in Iraq by demonstrating and catalysing the application of solar PV technology to meet the energy needs of offices, small businesses, residences and small town services (small-scale distributed solar PV power plants and utility scale plants, on- and off-grid).

Support to Eligible Parties to Produce the Sixth National Report to the CBD (6NR - Mixed regions)

https://www.thegef.org/project/support-eligible-parties-produce-sixth-national-report-cbd-6nr-mixed-regions

Multi-country (including Iraq)

UNDP Project approved in July 2017

USD 1.96 million

To provide financial and technical support to GEF-eligible Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in their work to develop high quality, data driven sixth national reports (6NR) that will improve national decision-making processes for the implementation of NBSAPs; that report on progress towards achieving the Aichi Biodiversity Targets (ABTs) and inform both the fifth Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO5) and the Global Biodiversity Strategy of 2021 – 2030.

The project will coordinate with this project, through MoHE and UNEP, with regard to CBD.

Umbrella Programme for Preparation of National Communications and Biennial Update Reports to the UNFCCC

https://www.thegef.org/project/umbrella-programme-preparation-national-communications-and-biennial-update-reports-unfccc

Multi-country (including Iraq)

UNEP Project approved in July 2017

USD 13.9 millions

To support 18 developing countries to prepare and submit National Communications (NCs) and Biennial Update Reports (BURs) that comply with the UNFCCC reporting requirements while responding to national development goals

The project will coordinate with this project, through MoHE and UNEP, with regard to UNFCCC.

Additional Information not well elaborated at PIF Stage:

A.7 Benefits. Describe the socioeconomic benefits to be delivered by the project at the national and local levels. How do these benefits translate in supporting the achievement of global environment benefits (GEF Trust Fund) or adaptation benefits (LDCF/SCCF)?

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The project’s objective is to enhance capacities of Iraq for monitoring and reporting on Multilateral Environmental Agreements through a well-integrated and functional environment information system. In this way, it is anticipated that the project will increase Iraq’s capacity to address global environmental issues and, therefore, to implement its National Development Plan, the NESAP and NBSAP, all of which consider that environmental and socioeconomic benefits are intrinsically linked. The project will lay the foundations for Iraq to be able to achieve global environmental benefits, including socioeconomic benefits, in the implementation of the MEAs and the environmental dimensions of the SDGs. These socioeconomic benefits include, among others, access to clean water, poverty reduction, the restoration of degraded land for increased food production, reduced exposure to air pollution and hazardous waste and chemicals, and increased resilience of ecosystems and livelihoods to climate change.

A.8 Knowledge Management. Elaborate on the knowledge management approach for the project, including, if any, plans for the project to learn from other relevant projects and initiatives (e.g. participate in trainings, conferences, stakeholder exchanges, virtual networks, project twinning) and  plans for the project to assess and document in a user-friendly form (e.g. lessons learned briefs, engaging websites, guidebooks based on experience) and share these experiences and expertise (e.g. participate in community of practices, organize seminars, trainings and conferences) with relevant stakeholders.

The project aims to establish a coordinated environmental knowledge and information management system. The project’s focus is, therefore, on knowledge management. Generation of knowledge products such as reports, brochures, infographics, GIS maps, and awareness materials are among the key activities foreseen. The information management system/platform developed by this project will be designed in a user-friendly way. The knowledge products and training materials will be made available on the platform, so that they can be accessed by a large group of stakeholders.

The project will assist Iraq to enhance its partnerships with regional and global information and knowledge platforms. Specifically, the project will aim to establish partnerships with Kuwait’s eMISK, UNEP Live, Yale University and WCMC. Partnerships and collaboration will catalyse the transfer of knowledge and competencies among actors and stakeholders. Lessons learned from other projects under implementation in the GEF will be included, as appropriate (in particular, in the training programmes and the information management system). Experiences from Iraq will be shared at regional and global events on synergies and in relevant publications. Knowledge management and sharing will also take place through consultation meetings, workshops, and training programmes at the national and governorate levels.

B. DESCRIPTION OF THE CONSISTENCY OF THE PROJECT WITH:

B.1 Consistency with National Priorities. Describe the consistency of the project with national strategies and plans or reports and assessments under relevant conventions such as NAPAs, NAPs, ASGM NAPs, MIAs, NBSAPs, NCs, TNAs, NCSAs, NIPs, PRSPs, NPFE, BURs, INDCs, etc.:

The project is in line with priorities identified in national strategies and plans communicated to the different Conventions. It responds to needs and gaps identified in national processes and reports such as the State of Environment and Outlook, NESAP, Initial National Communication (INC) to UNFCCC, NAP for desertification and more recently the NCSA. The Iraq NBSAP highlighted the issue of data gaps and dedicated several targets to national assessments of ecosystems services and biodiversity in key areas. The NBSAP also emphasized the need for establishing an effective Clearing House Mechanism (CHM) and for developing a sound monitoring and reporting system to evaluate progress in achieving results. The project will further build on the ongoing efforts by the Ministry of Health and Environment in the improvement of Iraq’s Environment Performance Index (EPI), state of environment reporting and the environment monitoring system. A preliminary list of existing environmental indicators is provided in Annex Q.

The National Capacity Self-Assessment (NCSA) project, implemented during 2015 and 2016 by a technical group representing all MEAs focal points in a highly consultative and cooperative manner, resulted in the identification of four priority “strategic programmes” to promote the synergistic implementation of MEAs within and across thematic clusters at the three levels of capacity development (individual, institutional and systemic). The four strategic programmes of action are listed below. This project is designed to respond to strategic programmes 1 and 3.

1) Developing and Maintaining National Coordination Mechanisms,2) Technical Training and Technology Transfer,

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3) Knowledge, Awareness and Education, and4) Resource Mobilization.

C. DESCRIBE THE BUDGETED M&E PLAN:

The monitoring and evaluation process is expected to be a key component of each outcome area within the project, based on a three-year implementation plan. Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) will be conducted utilising the results based management approach. The Results Framework provides performance and impact indicators for project implementation along with corresponding means of verification. M&E will be an ongoing process and is based on the following strategic directions:

• An effective coordinating mechanism with roles and responsibilities clearly defined and under the lead of the UN Environment West Asia Office, which has overall responsibility for project execution.

• The monitoring and evaluation process is participatory, consultative and aimed at ensuring delivery of project outputs and achievement of associated defined targets. Evaluation will be based on the status of implementation, through identification of gaps, and the measurement of impacts and level of success in the application of best practices.

UN Environment will be responsible for managing the mid-term review and the terminal evaluation. The National Project Coordinator and partners will participate actively in the process. The project will be reviewed or evaluated at mid-term. The purpose of the Mid-Term Review (MTR) is to provide an independent assessment of project performance at mid-term, to analyze whether the project is on track, what problems and challenges the project is encountering, and which corrective actions are required so that the project can achieve its intended outcomes by project completion in the most efficient and sustainable way. In addition, it will verify information gathered through the GEF tracking tools.

The MTR is managed by the UN Environment Task Manager. The Project Steering Committee will participate in the MTR and develop a management response to the evaluation recommendations along with an implementation plan. It is the responsibility of the Task Manager to monitor whether the agreed recommendations are being implemented. An independent terminal evaluation (TE) will take place at the end of project implementation. The UN Environment Evaluation Office (EO) will be responsible for the TE and liaise with the Task Manager throughout the process.

The TE will provide an independent assessment of project performance (in terms of relevance, effectiveness and efficiency), and determine the likelihood of impact and sustainability. It will have two primary purposes:

i. to provide evidence of results to meet accountability requirements, and

ii. to promote learning, feedback, and knowledge sharing through results and lessons learned among UN Environment and executing partners.

While a TE should review the use of project funds against budget, it would be the role of a financial audit to assess probity (i.e. correctness, integrity etc.) of expenditure and transactions.

The TE report will be sent to project stakeholders for comments. Formal comments on the report will be shared by the EO in an open and transparent manner. The project performance will be assessed against standard evaluation criteria using a six point rating scheme. The final determination of project ratings will be made by the EO when the report is finalised. The evaluation report will be publically disclosed and will be followed by a recommendation compliance process.

The direct costs of reviews and evaluations will be charged against the project evaluation budget. The M&E plan includes an inception workshop and report, project implementation reviews, quarterly and annual review reports, and mid-term and final evaluations.

The indicative Monitoring and Evaluation Work Plan is provided in Annex G (M&E Budget and Work Plan).

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PART III: CERTIFICATION BY GEF PARTNER AGENCY(IES)

A. GEF Agency(ies) certification

This request has been prepared in accordance with GEF policies10 and procedures and meets the GEF criteria for CEO endorsement under GEF-6.

Agency Coordinator, Agency Name

Signature Date(MM/dd/yyyy)

Project Contact Person

Telephone Email Address

Kelly West,Senior Programme Manager & Global Environment Facility Coordinator Corporate Services DivisionUN Environment

February 15, 2018

Jochem ZoeteliefSenior

Programme Officer,Science

Division, UNEP

+254 20 762386

[email protected]

10 GEF policies encompass all managed trust funds, namely: GEFTF, LDCF, SCCF and CBIT

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ANNEX A: PROJECT RESULTS FRAMEWORK (either copy and paste here the framework from the Agency document, or provide reference to the page in the project document where the framework could be found).

See annex document

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ANNEX B: RESPONSES TO PROJECT REVIEWS (from GEF Secretariat and GEF Agencies, and Responses to Comments from Council at work program inclusion and the Convention Secretariat and STAP at PIF).

See GEF Review Sheet

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ANNEX C: STATUS OF IMPLEMENTATION OF PROJECT PREPARATION ACTIVITIES AND THE USE OF FUNDS11

A. Provide detailed funding amount of the PPG activities financing status in the table below:

PPG Grant Approved at PIF: $ 50,000 (UNEP project ID 01558)

Project Preparation Activities ImplementedGETF/LDCF/SCCF/CBIT Amount ($)

Budgeted Amount

Amount Spent To date

Amount Committed

International Consultant - GEF Project Development Specialist

20,000 10,000 10,000

Consultation workshop 30,000 28,258      Total 50,000 38,258 10,000

Note: The unspent balance of USD 1,742 will be used within one year in additional project development activities.

11 If at CEO Endorsement, the PPG activities have not been completed and there is a balance of unspent fund, Agencies can continue to undertake the activities up to one year of project start. No later than one year from start of project implementation, Agencies should report this table to the GEF Secretariat on the completion of PPG activities and the amount spent for the activities. Agencies should also report closing of PPG to Trustee in its Quarterly Report.

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ANNEX D: CALENDAR OF EXPECTED REFLOWS (if non-grant instrument is used)

Provide a calendar of expected reflows to the GEF/LDCF/SCCF/CBIT Trust Funds or to your Agency (and/or revolving fund that will be set up)

N/A

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