In May 1999, the GEF Council approved the Capacity Development Initiative (CDI), a partnership between the GEF Secretariat and UNDP. This project sought to assess capacity building needs in developing countries and countries with economies in transition, with a special focus on the three Rio Conventions (UNFCCC, CBD, and UNCCD). In 2001, the GEF Council decided that this assessment should be further undertaken by the countries, reflecting GEF’s rule that projects should be country-driven. Countries were therefore encouraged to prepare National Capacity Self-Assessments for Global Environmental Management (or NCSAs for short). NCSAs address three levels of capacity: systematic, individual, and institutional.
NCSAs seek to identify the national priorities and needs for capacity building to address global environmental issues in order to stimulate and focus domestic, bilateral, and international capacity building actions to meet the articulated needs. As such, there is an emphasis on linking global environmental obligations (particularly relating to climate change, biodiversity, and desertification and land degradation) to national goals for sustainable development goals. The NCSA process highlights the mutually-reinforcing relationship between national initiatives and MEAs. It seeks to assist countries in identify ways that they can better implement, comply with, and enforce MEAs. At the same time, the NCSA process also highlights ways that MEAs can better support priorities and activities at the national level.
NCSAs focus on cross-cutting issues. They identify and explore synergies and interlinkages among the three Rio Conventions, as well as with broader issues of environmental management and sustainable development. These include cross-institutional coordination and dialogue, as well as cross-sectoral issues and synergies. Accordingly, NCSAs promote a holistic approach to national capacity building and implementation of multiple MEAs (and especially the Rio Conventions).
To assist countries in preparing NCSAs, GEF has prepared a Guide for Self-Assessment of Country Capacity Needs for Global Environment. This Guide provides suggestions for methodologies to be used in the NCSA process, and it is based on international and national experiences. The Guide is available in the six UN languages at: http://www.gefweb.org/Documents
/Enabling_Activity_Projects/CDI/cdi.html
NCSAs are country-driven, although UNEP and UNDP often provide technical assistance (and administer the GEF funds that enable countries to conduct NCSAs). This means that there is national ownership and leadership of the NCSA process: it is undertaken by national institutions and experts to the extent feasible, and it focuses on national contexts and priorities. The NCSA process should be done with multi-stakeholder consultation and participation in decisionmaking. The NCSA should also build upon relevant past and ongoing work.
The average duration of an NCSA project should be between 12 and 18 months, but each State may decide for itself depending on its institutional capabilities. GEF provides support (up to US$250,000 per country) to eligible countries (particularly developing countries and countries with economies in transition) to conduct an NCSA.
As the process for preparing a funding proposal to obtain these funds can be lengthy, eligible countries can apply for a preliminary grant of $25,000 to prepare the proposal. When applying for funds to conduct an NCSA, a State can choose any of the three GEF implementing agencies – UNEP, UNDP, and the World Bank – for assistance in preparing the proposal and subsequently to administer the funds and provide technical assistance. In addition, the GEF focal point and the national focal points of the three Rio Conventions should be involved in preparing the proposal. As of May 2004, a total of 81 NCSA projects (52 UNDP + 29 UNEP) were approved by GEF and are at various stages of implementation.
For more information on the NCSA process, contact secretariat@TheGEF.org or see http://www.gefweb.org/Documents/
Enabling_Activity_Projects/CDI/cdi.html
For more information on synergies interlinkages, see Guideline 34(h)
.