UNDP's
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UNDP GEF-SGP:
Economically efficient, small grants feed directly into the hands
of the community builders who can best identify the needs and priorities
of the community. Small enough to discourage corruption and misuse, and
to avoid overwhelming a fragile society with new money, small grants provide
important catalytic seed funding to enable communities and locally based
NGOs to test what works for them, as well as what does not. The level
of investment promotes trial and error, and encourages the organic development
of partnerships, networks and coalitions by community members as they
seek to leverage the grant received.
“Small, strategically
targeted projects can contribute to solving global environmental problems
whilst enhancing the livelihood security of local people… there
is evidence that many of these projects deliver more favorable cost-benefit
ratios than larger projects.”
~ Second Overall Performance Study on GEF, 2001
GEF SMALL GRANTS PROGRAMME
>> Introduction
Since 1992, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme (SGP) implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on behalf of the World Bank and UNEP, has been promoting grassroots action to address global environmental concerns. Funding is channeled directly to communities and NGOs in developing countries to support the efforts of local people to conserve and restore their environment while generating sustainable livelihoods. SGP is operational in
72 developing countries in the following regions: Africa, Arab States, Asia and the Pacific, Commonwealth of Independent States, Latin America and the Caribbean. As of December 2003, about 4,500 projects have been approved.With 12 years of experience focusing on GEF thematic areas – biodiversity conservation and sustainable use, climate change mitigation, abatement of pollution of international waters, as well as land degradation and persistent organic pollutants – SGP’s projects successfully demonstrate the important contribution that civil society can make to sustainable development.
>> Proven, non-bureaucratic, country-driven mechanism
Complementing medium and large size GEF projects, SGP allocates grants of up to $50,000, averaging between US$10-20,000, directly to non-governmental and community-based organizations.Decentralized management of SGP, using a transparent and participatory approach, provides a proven mechanism that enables funding decisions to be informed, owned and implemented by local people. Specific criteria established by a global strategic framework adapted to local conditions guide the approval of grants locally while allowing SGP to be demand rather than supply driven. Planning grants, workshops and “write-shops” are organized to help communities draft grant proposals that meet their specific needs while meeting SGP criteria. Country level activities are managed by broad-based National Steering Committees (NSCs), consisting of representatives from local NGOs, government, academia, UNDP and, as appropriate, co-funding donors, indigenous peoples’ organizations, private sector and the media.
Although NSC members serve on a voluntary basis, they play an important role in ensuring decentralized, non-bureaucratic management of SGP funds. Each NSC considers whether proposals are feasible, meet SGP criteria, and what kind of technical support is needed; grants are then provided directly to the NGO or CBO. NSC members also prepare country strategies, undertake site visits, review, help design and approve grant proposals, and ensure monitoring and evaluation. Government membership on NSCs and collaboration with local government agencies enable local communities to highlight areas requiring policy change at the district, regional and national levels and influence decision-making.
SGP National Coordinators, who are locally recruited, are responsible for day-to-day management and serve as secretary to the NSC. About half of SGP National Coordinators are women.
"SGP occupies a unique and valuable niche not only within the GEF, but within all international environment and development efforts. It is unmatched by other environmental programmes in terms of its innovation, flexibility and responsiveness."
~ Second Independent Evaluation of SGP, 1998>> Partnerships
While mandated to focus on GEF priority areas, SGP has raised co-funding to meet complementary community priorities. Donors trust the proven, flexible, country-driven SGP mechanism. Co-financing has been mobilized at both country and global levels. For example, Denmark has contributed US$1 million to the programme on a global basis. Netherlands is providing some US$3 million of support to complementary sustainable livelihoods activities in Ecuador, Guatemala and Philippines. The UN Foundation has given SGP US$3 million to implement a Community Management of Protected Areas Conservation (COMPACT) sub-programme to demonstrate how community action can enhance biodiversity conservation in six natural World Heritage sites in Belize, Dominica, Kenya, Mexico, Philippines and Tanzania. The European Commission is contributing 15 million Euros to support community forestry projects in selected countries in South East Asia. Other large GEF projects, such as the Nile Basin Initiative and the Mediterranean Environment Technical Assistance Programme contract with SGP to implement small grants components of their programmes.Altogether, over 600 partner organizations provide co-financing and other support to GEF SGP activities. Efforts to link communities vertically with ongoing global and national sustainable development efforts and horizontally between a broad array of stakeholders and partners are hallmarks of SGP. While SGP considers grantees as the heart of the programme, other core partners include bilateral donors, foundations, international NGOs, national and local government agencies, national environment funds, national poverty programmes, service organizations, universities, the private sector, as well as UNDP core programmes.
"Looking back at our project experiences, I am encouraged by scenes of men and women and children coming together to address community problems; barren hills coming to life again with endemic tree species; and women and children fetching water from a tank filled by a solar-powered pump. While much still has to be done in terms of community empowerment and capacity to build on and sustain project gains, I am convinced that smallness pays great dividends."
~ Ponciano L. Bennagen, participant in an SGP-supported project, Philippines
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