8.1 National Selection Committees for the GEF Small Grants Programmesi) National Selection Committees for the GEF Small Grants Programmes:
These committees have been established in Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago and Suriname (October 1997) and comprise representation by donors and key national and regional organizations, including NGOs and intergovernmental bodies. These committees function very efficiently not only in guiding the work of the Programme but also serve to share information on activities already on-going, and identification of needs and gaps for development support at the NGO and grass roots levels. Duplication of activities among donors is therefore avoided through this process. Committees meet monthly and also visit project sites for monitoring and evaluation of projects supported under the programme.
8.2 The Environmental Interagency Coordinating Committee) The Environmental Interagency Coordinating Committee (EIACC)
This committee is convened by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and meets quarterly to share information on operational and planned activities for projects and programmes in the Caribbean. UNDP has been advocating a more proactive role for this committee in terms of collaboration on planning rather than merely sharing information. This approach has not yet been successful since donor agendas are largely determined by principals in far off capitals, often with pre-determined expected outputs and time phases which are not readily amenable to alteration to allow for meaningful collaboration. Meetings have not been held since early 1996.
8.3 The UN Resident Coordinator System) The UN Resident Coordinator System
This global UNDP system provides a useful strategy for collaboration on projects and programmes undertaken by UN agencies operating in the province of each Country Office. Monthly meetings among heads of UN agencies are convened by Resident Representatives and occasionally non-system agencies such as bi-lateral donors and academic institutions are invited to participate. In Barbados this forum has been used effectively to address donor collaboration in the SIDS Priority area of Disaster management. However, it appears that the potential of this mechanism for donor collaboration in support of the SIDS POA has not been explored as fully as it should.
8.4 SIDS Database on Projects and Programmes) SIDS Database on Projects and Programmes:
UNDP SU/TCDC provided financial and technical support for the development of the searchable database of SIDS Projects and Programmes co-ordinated by ECLAC. It is already being used widely as an important reference document and planning tool and is currently available on the Internet. Information in the database is searchable by country, by SIDS Priority Area, by key words and by donor agency. Expansion on work initiated by the UNDP Sustainable Development Unit on the identification of coastal zone management projects in the Caribbean provided the initial impetus for this activity.
8.5 Collaboration within the framework of CARIFORUM) Collaboration within the framework of CARIFORUM.
UNDP provided inputs and guidance to the European Union on possible activities for inclusion in its Caribbean Regional Environmental Programme (CREP) for CARIFORUM countries. Apart from proposals in support of EU collaboration on the Caribbean GEF International Waters Project on Tourism, and on expansion of the Caribbean Regional Capacity 21 Project to six additional Caribbean SIDS, UNDP recommended support for the establishment of an institutional framework to provide guidance and coordination to SIDS in the implementation of the SIDS POA.
Although regional endorsement of these recommendations was forthcoming at a meeting of CARIFORUM held in 1995 in the Dominican Republic, progress in finalizing arrangements for approval and implementation has been slow. The European Union in re-examining the CREP during 1996 /1997 has refocused its priorities and removed the proposed SIDS Joint Coordinating Mechanism to be staffed by elements drawn from the ECLAC/CDCC and CARICOM Secretariats from its portfolio of Caribbean initiatives to be funded. This mechanism although still desirable is not yet operational.
UNDP had proposed close collaboration with this institutional arrangement not by organically becoming part of the entity, since it was felt that this JCM should be intergovernmental in structure, hence its CDCC and CARICOM composition, but by agreeing to align and integrate where possible, its work programme on sustainable development to that of the JCM. Thus, relocation of its Sustainable Development Advisor to Trinidad to afford closer collaboration on sustainable development activities undertaken by both organizations has been in effect from April 1996. With this arrangement, UNDP still maintains the flexibility to undertake sustainable development activities within the framework of its mandates given at Rio and at the SIDS Conference and within its global programming focus of Sustainable Human Development.
8.6 UNDP In House Workshops for staff and selected country personnel
UNDP Caribbean and Headquarters Units utilize the important strategy of convening regular training and collaboration workshops to building it’s own capacity and that of its partner government, NGO and agency personnel. Several of these have been convened since the SIDS Conference and include the following of particular relevance to Sustainable Development.
8.61 Programme Policy and Operations Workshop convened by the Caribbean Division of RBLAC and held in Georgetown, Guyana, 24 - 28 July, 1995 Workshop aims and objectives were to;
Participation was drawn from the four UNDP Caribbean offices, other UN System staff in Guyana, Guyana Government agencies, CARICOM staff and University personnel and important opportunities for exchanging of experiences and cross fertilization of ideas were realized at that workshop. Training on environment and development components were provided by the Caribbean SDA and the Assistant Resident Representative and Environment Focal Point UNDP Guyana. The elements of this module were;
8.62 Environmental Management Guidelines EMG Training WorkshopConvened in Trinidad and Tobago, 31 May –2 - June 1995 by the Sustainable Energy and Environment Division (SEED) of UNDP New York. Workshop aims and objectives were to;
Facilitators were the UNDP Programme specialist on EMGs from SEED, a UNDP Specialist Consultant on EMGs, the Caribbean SDA and the Assistant Resident Representative and Environment Focal Point from UNDP Guyana. Participants were drawn from staff of UNDP and other UN agencies in Trinidad Government Ministries and Agencies and NGOs.
8.63 A similar workshop planned for Suriname 10 -14 July 1995 was aborted at short notice and had not been reconvened.
8.64 Sub-regional Sustainable Human Development Workshop
UNDP, Trinidad and Tobago convened this meeting in October 1996 to sensitize participants drawn from its offices in Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago, staff of UN System agencies in Trinidad, representatives of governmental institutions, and NGOs on the integrated approach to development involving the integration of human, social, environmental and economic concerns into development. This well received work-shop benefited from facilitators drawn from academic and inter-governmental institutions, from parliament, UN agencies, NGOs, CBOs, trade unions, religious and government institutions operating within Trinidad and Tobago.
Objectives and expected outputs of this workshop were;
Key issues emerging from the workshop related to the increasing mis-use of environmental assets in Caribbean SIDS, increasing poverty and the need to increase equity and build self reliance among women, NGOs and community based organizations.
The principal SIDS priority area addressed in this workshop was national institutions and administrative capacity.
8.65 Other Initiatives Various other staff development workshops, training opportunities and other fora have been utilized by UNDP to improve staff skills and enhance their ability through use of assorted professional cross fertilization strategies.Those of particular relevance to the Caribbean have been ;
Frequency of meetings vary as some are annual and others are convened when necessary.