Climate Change Enabling Activity (Additional Financing for Capacity Building in Priority Areas)

World Bank
Global Environment Facility
Caribbean Planning for Adaptation to Climate Change
Expedited Financing for (Interim) Measures for Capacity Building in Priority Areas Part II
Country:					 St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Project Title:	 St. Vincent: Climate Change Enabling Activity (additional financing for capacity building in priority areas)
GEF Focal Area: 	Climate Change-Eligible under a Financial Mechanism of the UNFCCC. Eligible under paragraph 9 of the GEF Instrument
GEF Financing (Phase1) 			US$ 121,000
GEF Additional Financing (Phase II): 	US$ 100,000
Total Costs: 					US$ 221,000
GEF Implementing Agency: 		World Bank
Executing Agency: 	CARICOM through Regional Project Implementation Unit
Local Counter Part: 				Ministry of Health and Environment
Initial National Communication 
Date of Submission: 				November 2000
Date of Ratification: 				September 6 1996
Estimated Start Date:  			October 2002
Project Duration:  				1 year
1	Current Project Status
St. Vincent and the Grenadines has completed the preparation of its first national communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change utilizing GEF Phase 1 financing.  The project was initiated in November 1998 with a project initiation workshop to train local consultants in data collection as well as to launch all of the activities with regards to the communication process.  Activities in the project included the development of an inventory of greenhouse gases, an initial vulnerability assessment, an examination of potential adaptation and mitigation measures and identification of future project activities.  Public awareness activities were also a key component of the phase one activities.  The national communications of St. Vincent and the Grenadines to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was submitted at the sixth conference of parties, which was held in The Hague, the Netherlands.  With the Phase one activities completed there is a clear need to continue with the identification of technological needs, improving data collection, as well as capacity building for improving systematic observation systems.
The Implementing Agency and the GEF focal point of St. Vincent and the Grenadines have satisfied themselves that the proposal for additional funding complies with the Operational Criteria for the expedited financing of climate change enabling activities.  By undertaking the Phase II enabling activity, St Vincent and the Grenadines is aware that they must await both the future decisions of the Conference of the Parties regarding the preparation of second national communications and GEF guidelines to operationalize those decisions
2. Activities to be involved in Phase II Project
While the World Bank is the Implementing Agency, the Adapting to Climate Change in the Caribbean Regional Implementation Unit established under CARICOM as executing agency will also work closely with the United Nations Development Programme National Communication Support Programme.  The National Communication Support Programme (UNDP NCSP) is currently developing regional/global proposals in several areas of work that might have implications for the national activities described in this project. Implementation of the project will be carried out in close co-ordination with the World Bank and UNDP NCSP to ensure that areas of synergy will be identified where possible, and to avoid duplication for cost effectiveness. The country will be informed of the proposed NCSP activities as soon as they are underway.
In accordance with the Operational Guidelines for Expedited Financing of Climate Change Enabling Activities, the Government of St.Vincent and the Grenadines hereby requests additional interim funds in the amount of US$100,000 to conduct new enabling activities in follow-up to those activities conducted under the World Bank Enabling Activity Project. 
These funds are requested to undertake additional activities to fulfill St.Vincent and the Grenadines obligations under the United Nations Framework Convention Climate Change (UNFCCC). These interim funds are essential to maintaining and enhancing the capacity of St. Vincent and the Grenadines to prepare future National Communications, while helping to ensure continuity with ongoing enabling activities.
The justification for Phase II is based on the following factors:
The Phase II will build upon activities completed in the context of St Vincent and the Grenadines First National Communications, and as such follow established guidelines and norms for country projects;
The overall goals of Phase II will allow St.Vincent and the Grenadines to extend current knowledge, facilitate the emergence of national networks, and promote the integration of climate change concerns into development planning dialogue.
The proposed Phase II capacity building activities is provided in the paragraphs below.
A.  Capacity Building for Participation in Climate Change Observing and monitoring stations.
Through the Caribbean Planning for Adaptation to Climate Change project St. Vincent and the Grenadines received a state of the art, sea level monitoring equipment as well as training for the use of the equipment.  However there are several improvements which can be made to that equipment and there is the need for additional training, so that these improvements can be made in the future, to increase the effectiveness of these monitoring systems. 
There is need to build capacity to downscale and interpret global and regional climate models.   There is also a need to build capacity to participate in the GCOS (Global Climate Observing System) and the GLOSS (Global Sea Level Ocean Observing System) to ensure that the data collected in St. Vincent and the Grenadines is compatible and of use for the global observing systems.  There will be participation at various training seminars and workshops, which will be held at the regional level.  This will be implemented with the Adapting to Climate Change in the Caribbean Regional Project Implementation Unit and the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology.  These organizations will be used as resources for training and capacity building.
B. Capacity building to assess technology needs, modalities to acquire and absorb them, design, evaluate and host climate change adaptation projects
The first phase of the project highlighted areas, which need further examination with respect to the specific technological needs, which St. Vincent and the Grenadines may require.  These include the need to identify appropriate energy conservation methods and the development of appropriate alternative energy options.  The needs and requirements for hosting projects will also be examined.   Technical workshops are planned for government offices, the private sector and non-governmental organizations, so that there be continued identification of technological needs and design and evaluation of possible projects.   Initial capacities will be built within non-governmental and private institutions to design and implement climate change projects.
This activity will also focus on sensitizing the private and the non-governmental sectors on issues relating to climate change, particularly in the areas of greenhouse gas inventory, possible renewable energy projects and the specific vulnerabilities of St. Vincent and the Grenadines to climate change
The planning and execution of this project will aid in maintaining capacity for future national communications.  The activity matrix for Phase II enabling activities is presented in Table C2. A breakdown in the budget for the proposed activities is summarized in Table D2.
3. Project Management/Institutional Arrangements
Phase II activities are designed to start in October 2002. Phase II project activities will be executed and implemented through the Adapting to Climate Change in the Caribbean Project Regional Implementation Unit/ Caribbean Regional Climate Change Centre, and the Ministry of Health and Environment in the St.Vincent and the Grenadines. The same management/institutional framework that was used for Phase I activities will be used for phase II activities. The committees and networks that have been established as part of the original enabling activities will function intact over the duration of Phase II activities, thereby helping to ensure continuity in the project and avoid any duplication of efforts. In brief, this framework consists of a project coordinator, with and a national coordinating committee comprised of various government officials, the private sector and non-governmental organizations.
With respect to international collaboration, links will be established with relevant international institutions such as UNDP National Communication Support Programme and IPCC, with regards to the use of methodologies so as to avoid duplication and repetition.  In addition the initiatives of UNFCCC Secretariat with regards to public awareness will be utilized when appropriate.
4. Monitoring and Evaluation
As part of the Adapting to Climate Change in the Caribbean Project, the project will undergo periodic review from the World Bank.  This is to ensure that the project is being implemented effectively and highlight areas for possible improvement.  The project will thus rely on standard monitoring and evaluation of the World Bank
At the end of the project, an external review will be undertaken by an expert with experience in these types of projects. The purpose of the review will be to evaluate the outputs achieved in each of the activity areas listed above, including the reports generated on the activities contained in this proposal.
TABLE C 2
ACTIVITY MATRIX FOR PHASE II OF CLIMATE CHANGE ENABLING ACTIVITIES IN
Priority activities for additional (interim) funding
Activity	
Planning and Execution	Capacity Maintenance/ Enhancement

Data Gathering and Research	Institutional Strengthening	Training, Education and Public Awareness
(i) Identification and submission of technology needs	X	X	X	X