Mid-Term Review – Belarus Green Cities Official Project Title: Belarus: Supporting Green Urban Development in Small and Medium-Sized Cities in Belarus Country: Belarus UNDP PIMS# 5372 GEF Project ID# 4981 GEF Operational Focal Area: CCM (Climate Change Mitigation) GEF Strategic Programs: CCM-4 (Promote energy efficient, low carbon transport and urban systems) and CCM-2 (Promote market transformation for energy efficiency in industry and the building sector) Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection United Nations Development Programme Global Environment Facility April 26, 2019 Mid-Term Review Timeline Mission: February 11 – 23, 2019: Minsk, Novopolotsk, Polotsk, Novogrudok, Brest, and Baranovichy, Belarus Main Work: January 6 – March 17, 2019 (from start of document review to draft report) Report Reviews and Finalization: March 18, 2019 – April 26, 2019 Prepared by: Eugenia Katsigris, Managing Director, Parnon Group Victoryia Kalosha, Partner, Imacon Belarus Green Cities Mid-Term Review Contents Project Information Table ii Acronyms, Abbreviations, and Definitions iii Acknowledgements vi Executive Summary vii 1. Project Background 1 2. Midterm Review Approach 3 3. Project Overall 5 4. Outcome 1. Green Urban Development Plans 11 5. Outcome 2. SUT Pilots and ISUMP 16 6. Outcome 3. Municipal Energy Efficiency Pilots 22 7. Outcome 4. Replication of Green urban Development 25 8. Implementation 27 9. Design and Indicators 31 10. Expenditures 31 11. Sustainability 34 12. Recommendations 34 Annex 1. Mid-Term Review Mission and Other Consultations – Realized Schedule 43 Annex 2. Documents Reviewed 46 Annex 3. Preliminary Suggestions for Output and Activity Revisions 49 Annex 4. Proposed Indicator Revisions 55 Annex 5. Progress towards Indicator Targets 59 Annex 6. Explanation of Project Ratings Given and Rating Scales 64 Annex 7. Recommendations Table 68 Annex 8. Master Interview Topic and Question List 71 Annex 9. UNEG Code of Conduct for Evaluators/ Reviewers 77 Annex 10. TOR for MTR Consultants 78 Annex 11. Reviewer Comments and MTR Team Responses (provided as separate file per UNDP guidelines) Annex 12. Action Plan for Key Recommendations 89 Annex 13. Expenditure Analysis Tables 102 Annex 14. GEF Climate Change Mitigation Tracking Tool at Mid-Term of Project (provided as separate Excel file) i Belarus Green Cities Mid-Term Review Project Information Table Project Title Belarus: Supporting Green Urban Development in Small and Medium-Sized Cities in Belarus (Belarus Green Cities) UNDP Project ID (PIMS#) 5372 PIF Approval Date: June 20, 2013 GEF Project ID (PMIS#) 4981 CEO Endorsement June 18, 2015 Date: Atlas Business Unit Award #: 00081828 ProDoc Signature October 30, 2015 Project ID: 00090983 Date (date project began): Country: Belarus Date project manager late 2016 (1st PM) hired: May 2017 (2nd PM) Region: Europe & CIS Inception Workshop July 6, 2017 date: Focal Area: CCM (climate Midterm Review March 17, 2019 (draft report) change mitigation) completion date: April 26, 2019 (response to UNDP CO and PMU comments and final report) GEF Focal Area Strategic CCM-4: Promote Planned project March 1, 2021 Objectives: energy efficient, low closing date: carbon transport and urban systems; CCM- 2: Promote market transformation for energy efficiency in industry and the building sector Trust Fund: GEF TF If revised, proposed NA (leaving option open for op. closing date: extension to Sept. 1, 2022) Executing Agency/ Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection (MNREP) Implementing Partner: Other Execution Partners: Municipalities of Polotsk, Novopolotsk and Novogrudok Project Financing (USD) at CEO Endorsement (USD) - expected at Midterm Review (USD) – realized as of 12/31/2018 [1] GEF Financing: 3,091,000 907,398 [2] UNDP Contribution: 3,000,000 NA [3] Government: 8,945,000 6,312,318 + NA portion [4] Other Partners: 490,420 55,519 + NA portions [5] Total Co-financing 12,435,420 6,367,837 + NA portions [2+3+4]: TOTAL PROJECT COSTS 15,526,420 7,275,235 [1+5] ii Belarus Green Cities Mid-Term Review Acronyms, Abbreviations, and Other Definitions adaptive traffic lights: Smart traffic lights that can adjust based on changing traffic patterns. Baranovichy: City in Brest Oblast of Southwest Belarus with population of 170,000. Baranovichy is one of five “replication cities” selected by the project for preparation of a SECAP. BDB – Belarus Development Bank BelNIIP: State institution under MoAC responsible for preparing master plans for all 311-312 small and medium cities in Belarus, which include all Belarusian cities except for Minsk. Bike lane: In this report, refers to a lane for bikes that is part of a larger street accommodating motorized transport. In Belarusian cities, the lane may also be protected by bumps placed on the road. Bike trail: in this report, refers to a specially made path, which may be paved and which only accommodates bikes and, possibly, pedestrians. BNTU – Belarusian National Technical University. Experts from BNTU in both urban planning and transport have provided services to the project. Brest: City in Brest Oblast of Southwest Belarus, neighboring Poland. Brest’s population is 320,000. The city has prepared a symbio city plan with support of the project. BTU – Belarus Transport Union. One of the first NGOs in Belarus. Cooperates with many former government experts. BTU is preparing the ISUMP for the project. Bus lane: A special lane painted typically on the far right lane of the road that only allows buses and prohibits cars, except for right turns. Bus lanes are a key component of bus rapid transit (BRT), in which conditions are optimized to speed up public transit and make it more attractive. CDR – combined delivery report: UNDP document that shows realized and committed project expenditures. CO2 – carbon dioxide. Co-financing: For a GEF project, co-financing is the funding provided by other sources to support the same outcomes and, often, the same outputs and activities as the GEF funds. CER – GEF CEO Endorsement Request. A project design document submitted, along with the project document (“ProDoc”), to the GEF once full project design has been completed. circular intersection: An intersection at which traffic flows around a circular center island instead of stopping at traffic lights. This kind of intersection used under appropriate conditions can reduce vehicle idling times and thus reduce emissions. Also known as “roundabout.” Covenant of Mayors: A European-based movement for local energy and climate actions. Within two years of joining, signatories are required to prepare a SECAP (previously, a SEAP). Department of Energy Efficiency: In Belarus, under State Committee for Standardization, the government department responsible for energy efficiency. EBRD – European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Ecopartnership – NGO registered in Belarus that has an EU-funded project supporting cities that are signatories of the Covenant of Mayors. The project is helping 13 cities prepare SECAPs and has a related small grants program for civil society organizations and cities. EE – energy efficiency. Informal acronym used in this document. Executive Committee: At the city-level in Belarus, the government organ responsible for most decision- making. It is led by a chair and deputy chairs. GEF – Global Environment Facility. Core funding source of this project. GHG – greenhouse gas GHG DER – direct greenhouse gas emission reduction. In this report, “direct” means directly due to project activities. GHG ER – greenhouse gas emission reduction GPSC – Global Platform for Sustainable Cities. A program funded by the GEF and implemented by the World Bank. The platform partners with 28 cities in 11 countries and works to find solutions for iii Belarus Green Cities Mid-Term Review sustainable urban growth. It has USD 150 million in funding. Though Belarus is not included in its scope of funding, Green Cities has attended a GPSC conference. GorSvet: Smart LED street lighting project in Polotsk, funded by EU. Project has similar timeline to Novogrudok smart LED street lighting project, with installation expected soon, but takes a more comprehensive and costly approach, replacing cables, etc. GUD – green urban development. An approach to municipal development that emphasizes environmental sustainability and integrates sectoral aspects (energy, waste, and transport) with spatial planning. GUDP – green urban development plan. Municipal plan taking a GUD approach and involving cities closely in development of the plan. GU Planning – municipal planning that incorporates GUD/ GUDP approaches. Interaction: NGO with activity in Belarus. Interaction, with EU funding, supported Polotsk in preparing its SUMP and developing its earliest bicycle lanes. Interaction now has an EU-funded project in which it is helping about ten Belarusian cities prepare SECAPs. INV – funds designated for investment in equipment and infrastructure, in contrast with TA funds, which are to be used for services. The distinction between TA and INV is used in budget allocations for GEF projects. IP – Implementing Partner. In a nationally implemented UNDP-supported GEF-financed project, the government agency responsible for implementation. MNREP is the IP of Green Cities. ISUMP – Integrated SUMP. Used in this report to refer to a plan that integrates sustainable urban mobility planning for two cities, in the case of Green Cities, Polotsk and Novopolotsk. SUMPs (for one city each) are much more common than ISUMPs, but because these cities