Template for report and accounts for organisations under the Climate and Forest Initiative funding scheme for civil society

Transcription

1 SKJEMA 2004 Template for report and accounts for organisations under the Climate and Forest Initiative funding scheme for civil society This template for reports and accounts is to be used by organisations with agreements with Norad under the Climate and Forest Initiative funding scheme for civil society. With reference to the signed agreement, the templates are to be used for presenting progress and achieved results of the project for the previous calendar year. It should also be used as a template for the final report after the agreement period has ended. The report must include, as attachments, an audited account and audit report for the last calendar year. The report shall be according to approved project document. The progress report for the first two years ( and 2014) should be approximately ten (10) pages, and give a short and concise update. Where possible it should include results on outcome level and show effects on target groups. However, for many of the new projects it will only be possible to report on products/outputs after one or two years. In those cases, a short analysis of the likelihood that the outputs will lead to the expected outcomes should be included. The deadline for delivering the report is 1 May, unless your contract says otherwise, electronically to postmottak@norad.no. Final report for the whole agreement period (-2015) should include results on a higher level in the results chain (see figure below). The final report should give a description of outcomes in terms of effects on target groups, and explain how these outcomes are expected to contribute to the intended impact. In cases where outcome cannot be documented by the end of the agreement period, substantial evidence of outputs should be presented with an explanation on how these will lead to the desired outcome and when. Deadline for submitting the final report is 1 June 2016, electronically to postmottak@norad.no. 1. General Project Information: 1.1. Name of recipient organisation: Governors Climate & Forests Task Force (GCF), University of Colorado Law School 1.2. Reporting year: 1.3. Agreement Number: QZA-0463 QZA-13/0558 GCF Norad Report Page 1

2 1.4. Name of project: GCF Support Network for REDD+ and Low Emissions Development in GCF States and Provinces 1.5. Country and/ or region: Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru 1.6. Financial support to the project from Norad for last calendar year : $677, Thematic area: 4 (creating global consensus on REDD+) and also relevant to 1 (sustainable landscapes), 2 (REDD+ relevant commodity supply chains), and 3 (analysis, concept and methodology development that contribute to planning and implementation of REDD+). 2. Describe the project s progress for previous calendar year: Result chain: With reference to the Result Chain as illustrated above, Norad requires feedback mainly on products/ services (outputs) and end effect on target groups (outcomes) in the progress report Give a short description of the project s target group(s) and what the baseline for the target group was at the start of the project (from the approved project document). The main groups that this project targets are the Governors, key secretaries and civil servants, and their civil society partners in topical forest GCF states and provinces. This project responds to the fundamental problems of tropical deforestation and climate change and the related problems of ecological disruption, biodiversity loss, food/energy/water insecurity, and rural poverty. It is premised on the view that the problematic state of society at large today is the lack of leadership, political will, and institutional capacity (at all levels of governance) needed to deal with these problems in a coherent way and at a scale and speed that will make a difference. This is indicated most fundamentally by a deepening climate/environment/livelihood crisis; by the inability to forge effective international frameworks (of whatever form) to address these problems; the persistent lack of leadership from major emitting countries; the fragmentation of efforts across all levels of governance; and the lack of support for on-going, but increasingly fragile, jurisdictional processes that are developing new, innovative approaches to reducing deforestation and improving rural livelihoods. GCF Norad Report Page 2

3 2.2. Please repeat the project s desired impact (from the approved project document). This project seeks to contribute to climate protection, conservation of biodiversity, sustainable development, good governance, and improved livelihoods by supporting jurisdictional programs for REDD+ and low emissions development in key tropical forest states and provinces Is the project still relevant for the desired impact? (Yes/No) If No, please give a short explanation. Yes Please repeat the project s outcome(s) (effect on project s target group(s), counterpart(s), beneficiary (-ies)) (from the approved project document). The project s main outcome is to empower civil servants and their civil society partners to build robust jurisdictional programs for REDD+ and low emissions development; embed these efforts into larger ongoing processes of low emissions rural development and market transformation; and galvanize and provide structure and support for the broader emerging network of actors trying to make REDD+ and low emissions development work on the ground through capacity-building, state-national alignment efforts, and cross-jurisdictional learning, cooperation, and collaborations Are there any internal and/ or external factors that have affected the project in any significant way? Internal factors. A leadership change within partner organization Kemitraan briefly affected Output (4): GCF Country and Regional Coordination & Training. Avi Mahaningtyas left Kemitraan during the early part of, leaving a brief leadership vacuum for GCF coordination in Indonesia. This issue was resolved in November by the identification and recruitment of Sita Supomo, Kemitraan s Program Director for Sustainable Development Governance to be GCF Indonesia Country Coordinator. Ms. Supomo convened a new coordination team in order to move the GCF project from its dependence on a single focal point person. The team is comprised of a technical and communications/administrative staff led by Kemitraan personnel who have knowledge of REDD+ activities in the provinces and at the national level. GCF Norad Report Page 3

4 External factors. Currency exchange loss. The project took a US$16,000 currency exchange loss when converting from Kroner to US Dollars. This reduced the dollars available for the training program and was shared pro-rata across the regional programs. Timing of disbursements. In, we received our second Norad disbursement very late in the year, forcing us to schedule most regional trainings in the final quarter of the year, with some program spillover into (a) Specify deviations from plans. Training Program. As expressed in our approved project document, we adjusted the Training Program from the original concept of 2-3 weeklong intensive training courses to a more decentralized model focused around regional hubs (South America, consisting of Brazil and Peru; Indonesia; Mexico; and Nigeria). Trainings in were designed to meet region-specific knowledge and capacity gaps, and ranged from a series of 2-3 day trainings focused on specific topics (Mexico program) to week-long intensive sessions covering the full range of REDD+ and low emissions development subjects (South America program). Support Network. Also as described in the Project Document, the development of the Support Network was broken down into phases to be completed over the three-year project period. In phase 1 (: Development of Prototype for Proof of Concept) we developed a prototype based on just one GCF jurisdiction (Amazonas, Brazil) as proof-of-concept. This prototype was launched at the Annual Meeting, underwent a rigorous feedback and review process through a series of webinars in early 2014, and is now being used as the basis for mapping the Support Network in other GCF jurisdictions (Phase 2). Phase 3, scheduled for 2015, will focus on enhancement and expansion of the Support Network and will include Knowledge Management and Network Analysis. (b) Give a short risk assessment. Key obstacles to the GCF project s success continue to be political and financial in nature. The ongoing progress achieved by the GCF and its members continues to be fragile, threatened by political turnover and competing interests in member states and provinces. The GCF recognizes the fragility of the political environment, and tailored activities in to address it through: (1) fostering an approach to REDD+ that recognizes it as an integral component of low-emissions rural development; (2) building capacity and delivering support for REDD+ program development in GCF jurisdictions in order to fill key gaps and address the lack of support for REDD+ through workshops, training, securing additional support (for example, through the GCF Fund) and reducing the isolation of fledgling REDD+ programs; (3) increasing horizontal policy alignment and coordination efforts by socializing REDD+ and low emissions development across other ministries and sectors (outside of the environment ministries that typically engage directly with the programs), for example through the South America training (see section 2.6(a)); and (4) increasing engagement with high-level government officials (see section 2.9 below), including plans to facilitate an MOU to renew the commitment of GCF governors both through the COP in Lima in 2014, and a follow-up high-level meeting in Catalonia in The GCF continues to struggle with a lack of dedicated staff within the GCF state and provincial governments who can meaningfully and consistently engage in the GCF, its objectives, and deliverables. To address this risk, in : (1) the GCF increased its efforts to strengthen country coordination through regular coordinators meetings; (2) GCF Secretariat staff traveled more frequently to GCF jurisdictions to engage in person with coordinators, civil society partners, and government staff through various meetings, workshops, and the Training Program; and (3) the GCF created tools to connect member state and province staff to important resources and tools (e.g. the GCF Support Network) and user-friendly GCF Norad Report Page 4

5 interfaces to enhance member contribution to the Database, newsletter and website. In addition, the GCF attempted to mitigate the risk of relying on a single person as a country coordinator by renewing its Scope-of-Work agreements with organizations, rather than individuals. Working with organizations also allows GCF members to benefit from the work that a particular organization may be doing outside the scope of its GCF coordination role. A third risk to the project is the insecurity of year-to-year funding. Norad s contribution covers approximately forty percent of the total GCF budget and the GCF s other funders (the Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation and ClimateWorks Foundation) support the GCF on an annual basis, with grant proposals for the following calendar year generally requested by September of the previous year. In 2014, the foundations are supporting an evaluation of the GCF, which is scheduled to conclude in September The results of this evaluation will likely influence the commitment to and scale of future support from these organizations for the GCF. In late, the GCF also initiated a strategic planning process (GCF Vision 2020/ Strategic Plan), which will include a financial strategy that takes into account the current funding structure and maps out ways to secure and leverage other resources. At the GCF Annual Meeting in October, GCF members renewed their commitment to seek funding for the project as a whole, as well as funding for jurisdiction-specific programs. Results: Reporting of results must at least be at the output level (above the activity level). In addition, outcome must be stated where possible (see result chain above). Where it is too early to document outcome, please explain why Main outputs and outcome(s). (a) Report on the main products/services (outputs) the project has delivered to achieve the planned outcomes. Output 1.1: GCF REDD+ Knowledge Database In early, the GCF initiated a process to complete, improve, and update the GCF Knowledge Database with the help of GCF members and key partners. This included a review by the members, followed by outside review by REDD+ expert Dr. Michael Dutschke of data for Campeche, Chiapas, Madre de Dios, Cross River State, and all six Brazilian states. He analyzed gaps in information provided by the members and provided recommendations for improving data collected for the Database. The Indonesian members used a portion of their Country Coordination budget to hire Content is the King to update its provincial information and develop outreach materials based on the data collected (the final report and supporting materials are available here and are being translated to English and incorporated into the Database). The Secretariat also worked with Markit on Demand on various enhancements to the site, chosen with input from the Country Coordinators. In November, the GCF assumed hosting responsibilities for the Database when its contract with Markit on Demand expired and has since made improvements to the look, feel, and usability of the Database. In addition, the Secretariat retained Kate Hamilton (formerly of Ecosystems Marketplace) to provide strategic input on GCF operations, communications, the Support Network, and financial opportunities (including making improvements in the design and content of the Database s Financing Tab, which is still under construction, but once completed will make financing easier to track). Ms. Hamilton will continue to provide limited assistance on the Financing Tab and subnational financial opportunities, more generally, in 2014, including working toward a partnership with Forest Trends on subnational data collection through its REDDX initiative. GCF Norad Report Page 5

6 Additional improvements to the Data Panel (the online portal where changes are input, translated, and uploaded) are still underway. For example, the Brazilian members revised forest categories for their pages that will improve the relevance of data collected for Brazil. We anticipate that in 2014 member pages will be made available in both English and the member's national language, which should help expand usage of the Knowledge Database outside of the United States and other English speaking countries. Output 2.1: GCF REDD+ Support Network & Resources Map As described above, the GCF adopted a three-phase approach towards the creation of the GCF Support Network. The three phases are as follows: Phase 1 (): Development and Vetting of Prototype (completed). Phase 2 (2014): Building of Complete GCF Support Network, ver. 1) (underway). Phase 3 (2015): Enhancement of Support Network to Include Knowledge Management and Network Analysis. In, the GCF worked with members, multiple stakeholders and consultants to refine the Support Network concept. This process generated a prototype network or map, based on just one GCF jurisdiction (Amazonas, Brazil). The development and vetting phase allowed GCF members to work together to develop a concrete prototype and to put it through rigorous assessment to ensure that it will meet their needs for understanding, facilitating, communicating, and strengthening the connective tissue that supports the GCF s efforts. This prototype was launched at the GCF Annual Meeting, underwent a rigorous continuous feedback and review process through a series of webinars in early 2014, and is now being used as the basis for mapping the support networks in the other GCF jurisdictions. The Support Network project has generated a lot of excitement and interest among our stakeholders and members. Through the webinars, the GCF sought the input of potential users of the web-tool, and worked with graphics designer, social network analysts, and developers to create a design for the first iteration of the Support Network. Approximately 70 people from across the world (including Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Peru, the UK, and the US) attended the series of webinars, sharing constructive comments, feedback and asking questions specific to their area of work in the REDD+ and low-emissions development community. This feedback was used to further refine the Support Network in direct response to the wide array of targeted users, tailoring its design and functionality to fill a gap in the REDD+/Low Emissions Development space. The GCF expects to launch the first version of this interactive map of emerging actors in REDD+ and low emissions development in the GCF s 19 tropical jurisdictions in August GCF Norad Report Page 6

7 Figure 1: GCF Support Network Prototype (User Viewing Only the GCF member state of Amazonas) Output 3.1: GCF Country & Regional Coordination, Training & Communications Country Coordination. Our Country Coordinator teams remained an integral component to our efforts and were instrumental in organizing capacity-building workshops and other important activities as discussed in detail below. In Mexico, the team consists of Rosa Maria Vidal and Renata Gomez of Pronatura Sur and Angelica Padilla of Pronatura Yucatan. In Brazil, Junia Karst of the Institute for the Conservation and Sustainable Development of the Amazon (IDESAM) replaced Mariana Pavan and continued to receive input and guidance from Mariano Cenamo. In Indonesia, Avi Mahaningtyas led the Kemitraan team for part of the year, with the assistance of Poppy Beckam and llarius Wibisono (former GCF delegate for Aceh). Later in, Indonesia coordination was folded into a coordination team consisting of technical, communications and finance teams under the leadership of Sita Supomo, Program Manager for Sustainable Governance. In an effort to enhance communication and planning efforts with the Coordinators, the Secretariat held a meeting with the Coordinators on August 15-16,, in Boulder, Colorado. Final reports for Mexico, Brazil, and Indonesia outline priorities, activities and results. The second Annual Secretariat-Coordinators meeting was held in Boulder on March 10-12, 2014 and yielded a long list of follow-up items for the group. Website. The GCF Task Force website underwent an extensive overhaul in to update the look and feel to be more consistent with GCF materials and to organize information so that it is more user friendly. The website content continues to be updated and is now done so in real-time. This was made possible due to the creation of an area for blog-style articles and news stories on the homepage. This new section allows us to publish individual updates in between newsletters. Individual stories are then captured and GCF Norad Report Page 7

8 issued in the quarterly newsletter. Updates anticipated in 2014 include infrastructure changes that will allow the content to be available in all four of the GCF languages. We also intend to increase the frequency at which news stories and updates are posted on the site and give more prominence to the GCF s activities such as the GCF Training Program, GCF Knowledge Database, and GCF Fund. Newsletters, Brochures, and Other Direct Communications. Many GCF jurisdictions have created member-specific brochures (available here under Background Documents). In, both of the Mexican states, Chiapas and Campeche, and all of the Brazilian states updated their individual brochures. Kemitraan used information gathered by Content is King to create informational documents for the GCF Indonesian provinces. The GCF Secretariat also updated the GCF Task Force organizational brochure and will assist new members as they create their jurisdictional GCF materials. communications are regularly sent to members, containing updates on activities and developments. In 2014, the Secretariat is also sending monthly updates to Country Coordinators and is asking for the same from them. The GCF members and Secretariat are also interested in pursuing other outreach opportunities that can help raise awareness about the GCF and the issues we pursue. For example, in, the Amazonian members in Brazil created a series of radio spots designed to share and demystify information on climate change and REDD+ for traditional and Indigenous communities, and other actors who are directly affected by REDD+ projects and programs. The GCF also worked with Peruvian partner MINAM and Kate Hamilton to develop press materials for the GCF Annual Meeting in Madre de Dios. Output 4.1: GCF Training Program The GCF launched the Training Program for jurisdictional REDD+ and low-emissions development, the cornerstone of this project, which complements the existing GCF workshops and is directed at closing the knowledge and capacity gaps that hinder the establishment of jurisdictional programs for REDD+ and low emissions development in GCF states and provinces. In, the Training Program consisted of regional courses in three GCF hubs (Indonesia, South America, and Mexico). It reached close to 200 participants and focused on a wide range of technical, social, legal, and policy issues related to tropical deforestation and jurisdictional programs for low emissions development. The first of these regional trainings was held on August in Mato Grosso, Brazil and included participants from GCF member states in Brazil and Peru. The course introduced the key elements of REDD+ and low emissions development to a broad group of government representatives from Madre de Dios, Peru, and the six Brazilian GCF states. The training was uniquely designed to facilitate horizontal policy alignment by engaging personnel from ministries and departments not typically involved in REDD+ and low emissions development, advancing the GCF s emphasis on the need to socialize the concepts and programs broadly within GCF governments. The full agenda and presentations from the training can be accessed here. This unique gathering created a forum for deeper collaboration among government agencies and spurred the creation of a Working Group and an Executive Committee on REDD+ in Tocantins and Pará, which will both support state-level implementation. The second regional training occurred on November 19, in Bali, Indonesia, where Indonesia s six GCF provinces examined the implications of their country s recent constitutional court ruling declaring the customary rights of indigenous peoples to the forests they inhabit; opening up dialogue among provincial government, civil society groups, and communities; and establishing a roadmap for implementing this landmark ruling in the provinces. The key result of the training was the decision to identify a pilot province from among GCF members (possibly East Kalimantan) to move forward with implementation of the Constitutional Court s ruling. The training included a one-day refresher course on CLAS-Lite, training teams of three technical personnel from each province and designed to equip them to train other staff. Delegates from GCF provinces identified the need for further and deeper training both on the legal ruling, and on MRV within the provinces themselves. This request is being integrated into the GCF Norad Report Page 8

9 training curriculum for Indonesia in Additional details and materials from the Indonesia training are located here. Finally, in (and early part of 2014), the GCF member states of Chiapas and Campeche hosted the Mexico course, training over 70 state government officials, technical staff, and civil society partners on two issues of critical importance and relevance to the implementation of REDD+ in Mexico: (1) nesting of state reference levels, and (2) designing state REDD+ programs with emphasis on their relationship to the broader goal of rural sustainable development. Key results include: The program provided a timely platform for dialogue between the states and CONAFOR (Mexican Ministry of Environment), which yielded: (1) specific agreements on coordination mechanisms between CONAFOR and the states and (2) the creation of a Technical Group to assess the capacities of each state, collaboratively construct nested state reference scenarios, train states representatives, and gather feedback on the implementation of a carbon accounting model for Mexico. The program created a unified roadmap for the design of jurisdictional REDD+ programs that closely aligns with rural development by emphasizing the importance of a preliminary assessment of the full range of actors and stakeholders. The program supported a follow up workshop bringing together the states and CONAFOR to discuss statewide MRV, which resulted in key input to the GCF Fund-supported project Building a Monitoring System of Emissions Factors Adapted to Local Conditions in the States of Campeche and Chiapas, with Project partners (Ecologic, Pronatura, PPY, CONAFOR, SEMAHN and SMASS).. Further details and presentations from the Mexico training series may be found here. The GCF Training Program is developing the first curriculum of its kind, focused on the key design and implementation challenges for jurisdictional programs for REDD+ and low emissions development, including legal and institutional frameworks; monitoring, reporting, and verification of forest carbon; social and environmental safeguards; financing; registries; and performance tracking. Output 5.1 Strategic Planning In August, the GCF Secretariat prepared a draft Strategic Plan and created a member survey to define the GCF s mission, vision, goals, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats, and Fund objectives. These documents built off of the GCF Governance document, the Joint Action Plan, and priorities identified at the Santarem and Chiapas Annual Meetings. While only a handful of members completed the survey, the Strategic Plan was a focal point of at the business meeting portion of the GCF Annual Meeting in Madre de Dios, Peru. The members endorsed creating a Strategic Plan in 2014, identified important issues to cover, proposed cluster areas for focusing work and fundraising that are based on the maturity of individual member s REDD+ and low emissions development programs, and set forth a timeline for its completion by the Secretariat (with several rounds of member comment). The Plan will cover the timeframe with periodic review of progress. Output 6.1 GCF Jurisdictional Framework/Platform for REDD+ GCF members did not consider drafting the GCF Jurisdictional Framework for REDD+ an immediate priority in. However, throughout the year, the members worked on key elements of the Framework through their participation in GCF-sponsored workshops and training events that focused on building jurisdictional programs (discussed in detail below), as well as publications, including the REDD Offsets Working Group Draft and Final Recommendations to the California Air Resource Board and the REDD+: Legal study of options for the creation and implementation of subnational REDD systems developed by Ludovino Lopes Advogados and released at the GCF South American REDD+ Training Course in Cuiabá. Lessons from these efforts will feed the updated Framework, now being envisioned as GCF Norad Report Page 9

10 Jurisdictional Approaches to REDD+ and Low Emissions Development: Performance Metrics and Pathways to Pay-for-Performance Opportunities. Each of these efforts will be incorporated into the GCF Jurisdictional Framework, which the members elevated in priority at the Annual Meeting. We have begun to explore the format and content for this framework with input from the Earth Innovation Institute and will also continue to foster relationships with and input from other existing standards organizations and compliance markets where possible and relevant. The framework document will be drafted in Output 7.1 Stakeholder Engagement Stakeholder engagement was a priority consideration and topic for all of the GCF s events and activities in. For example, through the GCF Training Program, delegates and technical staff from the six Indonesian member provinces received training from indigenous rights advocacy groups focusing on the recent constitutional court ruling that awarded indigenous communities a customary right to land previously held as State Forests. Further, in the ROW process opened up to public comment and engagement, garnering broad participation from multiple stakeholders. The GCF Annual Meeting was open to the public and featured a full day for stakeholder events, and included many topical experts from around the world on discussion panels to help inform GCF stakeholders and members. Finally, the GCF Support Network project prioritized stakeholder engagement by hosting a series of webinars that fielded the Support Network prototype and the project in general to the GCF s broad world of stakeholders. The series of webinars has engaged close to 100 participants from governments, civil society, academia, private institutions and indigenous groups from across the globe. Output 8.1 GCF Fund The GCF finalized the Fund s governance documents, hired its Executive Director and Program Manager, and welcomed its Inaugural Board in. A successful first Request for Proposals in October resulted in seven projects totaling approximately $850,000 for innovative projects in Cross River State, East Kalimantan, Campeche and Chiapas, Mato Grosso and Acre, Tocantins, all four Peruvian jurisdictions, and a needs assessment covering all 19 GCF tropical jurisdictions. Details regarding funded projects may be found here. The priority of the Fund in 2014 is to secure funding to continue operations after the ember expiration of the current U.S. State Department grant. (b) Report on all outcomes from the project document where possible: 1. What changes have been achieved with reference to the baseline? The project s Outcome is noted in Section 2.4 above. This project seeks to accomplish this Outcome by providing the key jurisdictional REDD+ and low emissions development actors with four resources (Outputs): (1) a GCF REDD+ Knowledge Database, (2) a GCF REDD+ Support Network & Resource Tool, (3) GCF Country and Regional Coordination & Training, and (4) a GCF Training Program. A more informed and empowered GCF membership will be better able to build robust jurisdictional low emissions development programs that meaningfully contribute to climate protection, conservation of biodiversity, sustainable development, good governance, and improved livelihoods. The changes attributed to this project in, relative to the baseline, are: 1) A more informed, equipped, transparent, and connected GCF membership that is successfully implementing REDD+ and related low-emissions rural development activities. The GCF Training Program is closing knowledge and capacity gaps and informing GCF member states and provinces about best practices they could adapt for their own programs, regardless of where they are in the program design and development process. The Indonesia training alone provided a crucial forum for young technical staff from GCF provinces to receive training on MRV and remote sensing, with an emphasis on equipping them to further train technical teams in their own provinces. The GCF REDD+ Knowledge Database has successfully provided a unique, peer- GCF Norad Report Page 10

11 reviewed resource for public access to forests and carbon data in most GCF tropical forest member states and provinces, advancing transparency and providing a springboard for program improvement. Finally, the exercise of mapping and showing the key relationships that make jurisdictional programs work on the ground, through the Support Network, is advancing understanding and strengthening of the connective tissue central to successful jurisdictional programs for REDD+ and low emissions development. 2) Promotion of more innovation in REDD+, marked by cross-fertilization as states and provinces share and replicate state-of-the-art REDD+ program design with other states and provinces within their respective countries and globally across all GCF states and provinces. The primary vehicles for this change have been the Training Program (for example, cross-fertilization between Madre de Dios, a relatively new and single Peruvian member 1 in, and Brazilian states, which include Acre an advanced jurisdictional REDD+ program); the Annual Country Coordinators' meetings (an important forum for exchange of ideas); GCF Workshops (providing deeper opportunities for exchange among members within their regional blocks); and the GCF Annual Meeting. In 2014, the GCF will continue to capitalize on the Training Program, Workshops and Annual Meeting to showcase the core competencies of early-mover GCF member/block innovations such as Acre s legal framework for REDD+ and the process and consensus reached by Brazilian states on how to allocate emissions reductions units achieved by REDD+ activities using a stock-flow approach. See Contributions by GCF States to the National REDD+ Strategy in Brazil: Proposal for Allocation to States and the Union. 3) Proliferation and replication of proof-of-concept REDD+ programs and designs, providing invaluable, readily available input to jurisdictions in the infant stages of their own REDD+ programs. In alone, GCF jurisdictions led the way towards the establishments of REDD+ design and implementation plans, and wide adoption of these tools tailored to unique jurisdictional conditions. Mato Grosso adopted an innovative new law to promote forest protection as part of a broader model of sustainable development. Working closely with the GCF Country Coordination team in Indonesia, all six GCF provinces submitted Provincial Strategy and Action Plans (SRAPs) to the national government, a key step in the implementation of the country s REDD+ program which is focused on the jurisdictional approach model. Central Kalimantan released a roadmap for sustainable palm oil and low emissions rural development. Cross River (the GCF s only African jurisdiction) extended its two-year logging moratorium indefinitely. Chiapas announced its REDD+ Vision, a strategic framework for implementation of REDD+ in the state. 2. Report on the key indicators used to document that the desired change has occurred. Key indicators from the Project Document (section 5.1(c)) are: 1. Key civil servants and their civil society partners who receive ongoing training on key elements of jurisdictional programs for REDD+, low emissions development (including MRV, legal frameworks, safeguards, and stakeholder processes), and other cross-cutting issues are demonstrating increased knowledge of these issues and how to address them 2. State/provincial governments have increased their institutional, technical, legal, and financial capacity for REDD+ and low emissions development and commitment to build and improve their programs as a result 3. State/provincial governments have strengthened the quality and number of cross-jurisdictional partnerships, cooperative efforts and/or agreements regarding REDD+ and low emissions development 1 At the GCF Annual Meeting, three more Peruvian regions, Loreto, San Martin, and Ucayali joined the GCF. GCF Norad Report Page 11

12 4. State/provincial governments have aligned REDD+ policies and activities with national approaches 5. The GCF REDD+ Knowledge Database has improved the transparency of and access to highquality information about jurisdictional programs for REDD+ and low emissions development and increasing numbers of users of the Database are visiting the site to track and evaluate GCF member REDD+ activities (policies, programs, and projects) and capacities (legal, technical, and institutional), including GCF Fund activities 6. GCF members and others users are accessing the GCF Network and Resources Tool to get essential contacts, information, and other resources to solve REDD+ implementation problems as they arise Table 2 (See Appendix) provides detail on the eight (8) outputs the project is using to achieve the targeted outcome. It reports on the progress made in on each output, including measurements and tracking tools that have been implemented to assess progress on the key indicators listed above. Are the outcomes expected to be sustainable? As noted in the Project Document, the project outcome is sustainable to the extent that the actors and institutions that benefit from the project make gains while they are in positions of authority and, to the extent feasible, diffuse what they have learned to new administrations, staff, and partners. Each of the GCF s eight project outputs focuses on ensuring that the progress made continues well beyond the activities themselves. Specifically, the GCF Support Network (by providing a resources and knowledge management tool that visually integrates the mesh of actors working on REDD+ and low emissions development at the jurisdictional level), Country & Regional Coordination (by supporting jurisdictional programs through local Coordination teams with regional and jurisdictional expertise), and GCF Training Program (by closing critical knowledge gaps that impede the design and implementation of robust lowemissions development in the jurisdictions) are empowering civil servants and their civil society partners to build sustainable REDD+ programs. The durability of the goal to embed jurisdictional REDD+ and low emissions development efforts into larger ongoing processes of low emissions rural development and market transformation is built into the GCF Support Network (by creating a platform to visualize, integrate, and capitalize on relationships in each jurisdiction, and how these networks aggregate at the regional, national, and international scale), the GCF Training Program (by providing a forum to instill various government departments with lowemissions development knowledge, such as the South America cross-ministerial training held in Mato Grosso in, as well as building a Training Program curriculum that can be accessed by global stakeholders unable to attend the trainings), and Stakeholder Engagement (by increasing outreach to GCF stakeholder communities and building relationships between the GCF and other technical; political; and financial support opportunities, such as commodities roundtables, other emerging market-based initiatives, voluntary opportunities, and stakeholder-driven initiatives). At least two of the project outputs focus on galvanizing and providing structure and support to the broader emerging network of actors making REDD+ work on the ground. The GCF Knowledge Database and Support Network both provide structure for REDD+ actors in GCF jurisdictions by providing one-stop resources on both the technical REDD+ data and the connective tissue advancing REDD+ in each jurisdiction, respectively. Finally, both the GCF Strategic Plan (Vision 2020) and the GCF Jurisdictional Frameworks directly enhance the sustainability of the project outcome by identifying a clear vision and overall workplan for the GCF going forward. These processes provide a framework for programs in individual GCF member jurisdictions and a simplified roadmap within the reach of GCF jurisdictions for the development and implementation of programs capable of delivering quantified emissions reductions that can be integrated into carbon accounting systems (national and market-opportunities). GCF Norad Report Page 12

13 2.7. Cross cutting concerns. Report on whether the project has contributed to a) Reduced corruption Although it is difficult to provide specific evidence to confirm or measure its impact on corruption, it can be inferred that the GCF Knowledge Database (a publicly available, peer-reviewed, web-platform that tracks and evaluates GCF member activities [policies, programs, projects], and capacities [legal, technical, and institutional]) and the GCF Support Network (which will be a publicly available web-tool mapping the jurisdictional network of actors [including civil society, academic, governmental, funder, and private sector entities]) encourage GCF jurisdictions to be transparent. b) Gender equality & respect for human rights The GCF seeks to build the capacity among of its member states and provinces and partner organizations (including Coordinators) to incorporate gender equality and respect for human rights in the work that they do, specifically through the implementation of robust approaches to REDD+ safeguards that follow international best practices. In, the GCF continued to promote REDD+ social and environmental safeguards through the following approaches: 1. Continuing to track GCF member state and province safeguards implementation (social, environmental, benefit-sharing) via the GCF Database (see for example Acre s REDD+Safeguards). In, GCF members committed to updating this information, followed by a round of external review by a REDD+ expert (see Section 2.6(a) above, GCF Knowledge Database). 2. Continuing to support the involvement of local communities and indigenous peoples in GCF workshops and trainings where relevant. 3. Inviting all stakeholders to attend the GCF Annual Meeting in Madre de Dios, Peru, incorporating safeguards in the meeting agenda, and providing a forum for a full day dedicated to a stakeholder event. Past meetings have also included plenary presentations by indigenous peoples and local community groups as well as by groups focused on human rights and reducing corruption, including HuMA and Transparency International. 4. Continuing to support our members involvement in regional CCBS REDD+ Social and Environmental Standards and other safeguards initiatives Continuing (with members Acre, Chiapas, and California) to assist with the development and revision of the safeguards provisions of the REDD Offsets Working Group (ROW) Draft Recommendations to the California Air Resources Board and to provide guidance to our members on safeguards approaches. 6. Working to include safeguards and stakeholder process training for our members through the GCF workshops and GCF Training Program. The Indonesia training, for example, focused almost entirely on the country s recent constitutional court ruling declaring the customary rights of indigenous peoples to the forests they inhabit; opening up dialogue among provincial government, civil society groups and communities; and establishing a roadmap for implementing this landmark ruling in the provinces. 7. Including safeguards actors as a key category in the GCF Support Network. 8. Securing member consensus on the need to develop a Jurisdictional Framework for REDD+, including a focus on safeguards (building on the work completed in the GCF Draft Task 1 Subnational REDD+ Frameworks Report and initial discussions at the 2012 Annual Meeting). 2 GCF member jurisdictions participating in the REDD+ SES initiative: Central Kalimantan and East Kalimantan of Indoensia; Acre, Amazonas, and Mato Grosso of Brazil; San Martin and Madre de Dios of Peru; and Campeche as part of the Yucatan Peninsula states of Mexico. GCF Norad Report Page 13

14 2.9 Lessons learned. Give a short description of lessons learned during the year in question. For final report, please summarize lessons learned for the whole agreement period. Working in regional blocks is an effective way for GCF members to influence national processes for REDD+ and low emissions development. GCF jurisdictions continue to be early movers and innovators in REDD+ design and implementation. GCF workshops and Training Program are providing an important forum for the advancement of REDD+ programs at various stages of development within the GCF. GCF workshops and Training Program are providing an important forum for the statenational dialogue, cooperation and the promotion of cohesion between subnational and national programs. GCF relationships with Governors and other high-level national officials are increasingly important for fostering political will as GCF jurisdictions ramp up jurisdictional programs and efforts in an environment of election cycles and The six GCF Brazilian states worked together to develop consensus on how to allocate emissions reduction units achieved by REDD+ activities using a stock-flow approach and submitted their proposal to the national government. In Indonesia, all six GCF provinces submitted Provincial Strategy and Action Plans (SRAPs) to the national government for approval, a key step in the development of Indonesia s REDD+ programs. Continuing to advance the critical role of regional collaboration into 2014, the GCF will hold a pan-african workshop on REDD+ and low emissions development in Ethiopia in June, designed to integrate Cross River State more deeply into efforts, resources and activities on the continent. Central Kalimantan released a roadmap for sustainable palm oil and low emissions rural development. The GCF s only African jurisdiction, Cross River State, indefinitely extended its twoyear logging moratorium. Chiapas announced its REDD+ Vision, a strategic framework for implementation of REDD+ in the state. Mato Grosso adopted an innovative new law to promote forest protection as part of a broader model of sustainable development. Eight of the ten jurisdictions involved in the REDD+ SES initiative are GCF members. Finally, California continued to make headway with its offsets program, and developed a proposed revised Scoping Plan (issued in February of 2014) that highlights the important work of the ROW and the GCF and the potential role for international offsets in its cap-and-trade program. Through the Training Program, the state of Tocantins created its first cross-ministerial Working Group to propose a state-specific study on REDD+ and to facilitate public discussion, and the state of Pará capitalized on the gathering of experts by creating an executive committee to advance REDD+ policies in the state. Through the program, GCF members in Mexico adopted a roadmap for the design and implementation of REDD+ at the jurisdictional level. In Peru, each of the GCF member regions developed REDD+ roundtables within their jurisdictions and collectively developed a roadmap for the implementation of jurisdictional REDD+ that is aligned with national policy. Mexican states held a workshop with the Ministry of Environment (CONAFOR) that resulted in tangible agreements between CONAFOR and the states on statewide MRV. Governor engagement continues to be a priority of the members. In, William Boyd and the Coordinators met with Central Kalimantan Governor, Teras Narang, in Indonesia; Governor of Chiapas, Manuel Velasco Coello, attended the July GCF Workshop; Governor Imoke spoke at a GCF Workshop in Cross River State; and Regional President Aldazabal welcomed attendees to the GCF Annual Meeting in Madre de Dios. GCF Norad Report Page 14

15 changes in leadership. As in previous years, key obstacles to the GCF s success in creating alternative pathways to REDD+ and low emissions development continue to be political and financial in nature. GCF members engaged with high-level national government representatives throughout the year, including Carlos Klink (Secretary for Climate Change and Environmental Quality, Ministry of Environment, Brazil), Ana Karla Perea (Chief of International Affairs, CONAFOR, Mexico), Gustavo Suarez de Freitas (Executive Coordinator of the National Program for Forest Conservation, MINAM, Peru), and Arif Darmawan (REDD+ Special Team/Presidential Task Force, Indonesia). These relationships and dialogue need to be fostered and continued in order to maintain the momentum of GCF work in these and other countries. Among the GCF s challenges are the: the slow emergence of market opportunities and low demand-side participation; difficulty identifying how best to engage the private sector and form substantive connections to important initiatives, including sustainable supply chain efforts; a growing GCF membership with shifting and evolving priorities; a desire to grow membership and broaden the GCF agenda while remaining innovative and nimble; frequently changing administrations and staff and difficulty engaging the highest-level actors (Governors); a relatively limited, mostly part-time Secretariat and Coordinator team coupled with state and province delegates who are also stretched in terms of time and resources; developing effective internal and external communication approaches; and securing annual support and staffing for the GCF s expanding efforts. Despite the challenges, we remain convinced that the GCF engages at the critical level of governance for forests and land use with the very people (Governors, civil servants, and civil society) who are absolutely essential to the success of low emissions development and REDD+. The GCF members and Coordinators have indicated time and again that the GCF provides a key capacity-building, networking, and information exchange platform where they learn from each other s innovation and coordinate on regional and cross-jurisdictional technical and policy initiatives. In light of these strengths and the challenges noted above, the GCF believes it is important to continue its core activities while always looking for ways to more effectively direct limited resources as well as adapt and interface with an ever-changing political, social, economic and environmental landscape. 3. Case/success story: Please give a short description of a positive result (at any level of the results chain) which the project has achieved the last year. The case should include a short description of the activity, a description of what was achieved and how this relates to the planned outcomes. The case may be shown on norad.no or other public Norwegian website. Please attach a relevant picture, which can be used by Norad, including name of photographer. GCF Norad Report Page 15

16 Participants at the GCF Training Program (South America), Mato Grosso, Brazil In, the GCF Training Program (South America) brought together 46 civil servants and civil society partners from the GCF s six Brazilian states (Acre, Amazonas, Amapá, Mato Grosso, Pará, and Tocantins) and Madre de Dios, Peru. The decentralized design of the Training Program allowed the South American region to uniquely structure its program to facilitate horizontal policy alignment by engaging personnel from ministries and departments not typically involved in REDD+ and low emissions development, thereby addressing the need to socialize the concepts and programs more broadly across GCF governments. The 4-day program featured intensive training on key REDD+ topics ranging from the science of climate change all the way to issues of implementation, such as financing and legal frameworks. This innovative socialization of the principles of REDD+ and low emissions development facilitated the creation of Tocantins first cross-ministerial Working Group, whose purpose is to propose a state-specific study on REDD+ and to facilitate public discussion. The state of Pará also capitalized on the uniquely diverse gathering of experts, creating an executive committee to advance REDD+ policies in the state. 4. Project s accounts for last year: The accounts must relate to the approved budget for the year in question. All deviations (positive and/ or negative) must be clearly shown and explained. Attachment: Audited accounts and completed form from the accountant for last year s accounts. Only after a contract expires should unspent funds be returned to Norad. Date May 1, 2014 Signature Appendix: Attachments: Tables and Figures, Financial Report Audited Accounts, Completed Audit Form GCF Norad Report Page 16