Inle Lake Conservation and Rehabilitation Project – End of Project Evaluation December 2015 Prepared for: UNDP Myanmar Yangon, Myanmar #200 - 850 Harbourside Drive, North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V7P 0A3 • Tel: 1.604.926.3261 • Fax: 1.604.926.5389 • www.hatfi eldgroup.com INLE LAKE CONSERVATION AND REHABILITATION PROJECT – END OF PROJECT EVALUATION FINAL REPORT Prepared for: UNDP MYANMAR NO. 6 NATMAUK ROAD TAMWE, YANGON MYANMAR Prepared by: HATFIELD CONSULTANTS #200 - 850 HARBOURSIDE DRIVE NORTH VANCOUVER, BC CANADA V7P 0A3 DECEMBER 2015 UNDP7402NV VERSION 2 #200 - 850 Harbourside Drive, North Vancouver, BC, Canada V7P 0A3 • Tel: 1.604.926.3261 • Toll Free: 1.866.926.3261 • Fax: 1.604.926.5389 • www.hatfieldgroup.com TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................. ii LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................ ii LIST OF APPENDICES .................................................................................... ii LIST OF ACRONYMS ...................................................................................... iii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................. iv DISTRIBUTION LIST ........................................................................................ x AMENDMENT RECORD .................................................................................. x 1.0 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND ................................................. 1 2.0 EVALUATION APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY .............................. 3 2.1 DESKTOP REVIEW OF RELEVANT PROJECT DOCUMENTATION ............ 4 2.2 INTERVIEWS ................................................................................................... 4 2.3 SITE VISITS AND FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSIONS ....................................... 4 2.4 DATA ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION ...........................................................5 3.0 KEY FINDINGS ....................................................................................... 5 3.1 PROJECT RELEVANCE – ACHIEVING PROJECT PURPOSE: HIGHLY SATISFACTORY ...............................................................................6 3.2 PROJECT EFFECTIVENESS – MANAGEMENT PROCESS AND APPROPRIATENESS: SATISFACTORY ........................................................ 8 3.3 PROJECT EFFICIENCY: SATISFACTORY .................................................... 9 3.4 SUSTAINABILITY: SATISFACTORY ............................................................ 12 4.0 CONCLUSIONS, LESSONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS .................... 13 5.0 REFERENCES ...................................................................................... 17 End of Project Evaluation i Hatfield LIST OF TABLES Table 1 Original project funding requirement (UNDP Project TOR). ....................................... 12 Table 2 Project finances (UNDP 2014). ................................................................................... 12 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1 Inle Lake Watershed and administrative areas, Shan State, Myanmar. ....................... 2 LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix A1 Terms of Reference Appendix A2 End-of-Project Evaluation Work Plan Appendix A3 Evaluation Guide and Tools Appendix A4 List of Interviews Appendix A5 Focus Group Discussions – Participant Lists Appendix A6 Matrix Output Outcomes, Impacts and Lessons Learned End of Project Evaluation ii Hatfield LIST OF ACRONYMS CBO Community-Based Organization CSO Civil Society Organization EEC Environmental Education Centre (Nyaungshwe) EWG Environmental Working Group FD Forest Department (MoECAF) FFZ Fishing free zones GIS Geographic Information Systems GIZ Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit IID Institute for International Development ILBM Integrated Lake Basin Management ILCDA Intha Literature, Culture and Regional Development Organization IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature KII Key informant interviews MoECAF Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry MAB Man and Biosphere Reserve M&E Monitoring and Evaluation MTE Mid-term Evaluation NGO Non-Government Organization PM Project Manager UN United Nations UNDP United Nations Development Program UN-HABITAT United Nations Habitat Program UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization TOR Terms of Reference End of Project Evaluation iii Hatfield EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Introduction This report summarizes the results of the End of Project Evaluation for the Inle Lake Conservation and Rehabilitation Project (hereafter referred to as ‘the Project’), which was launched in 2012 by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with financial assistance from the Government of Norway. In December 2011, the Norwegian government confirmed it would fund US$2 million towards the implementation of the Project. UNDP agreed to commit US$0.58 million to support grassroots activities under the Project, which officially commenced operations on January 1st, 2012. The initial project design was for a 2-year implementation period. The overall objective of the Project is to restore the environmental stability of the Inle Lake with the improvement of the quality of life of local communities. The specific objectives (project purpose) were to: . Contribute to better planning in natural resources and manage systematically the natural resources with the sustainable manner for long run; . Identify the model villages in all different zones so as to advocate the other organizations and participate in implementing such models in other villages; and . Promote environmental governance through CBOs with the increased awareness of all stakeholders (UNDP and MOECAF 2013). The Project applied for and received two no-cost extensions to continue project activities beyond the initial 2-year timeframe, with final completion of Project activities in June 2015. Evaluation Approach and Methodology In order to evaluate the progress achieved in meeting the Project’s objectives and outcomes and to identify lessons learned, key documents were reviewed and a series of interviews, site visits and focus group discussions were conducted in Taunggyi, Nyaungshwe, Kalaw, Pindaya and Yangon from July 5 to July 15, 2015. The final evaluation was guided by: the key questions outlined in the ToR; responses to specific questions developed for key informant interview and focus group discussions; direct observation; and professional judgement. Additionally, an Evaluation Design Matrix was prepared in accordance with UNDP guidelines to review the overall relevance, effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability of the Project. For the overall assessment of the Project, a simplified rating scheme was applied, similar to that used in the Mid-term Evaluation (MTE) report (UNDP and MoECAF 2013), to screen key activities and Project achievements based on the following criteria: 1. Highly satisfactory. 2. Satisfactory. 3. Unsatisfactory. 4. Highly unsatisfactory. End of Project Evaluation iv Hatfield To the extent possible, quantitative data available in Project documents (supplemented with information obtained during interviews and focus group discussions) was used to provide evidence to support the ranking applied. In cases where supporting data were lacking, professional judgment and experience of the Project team was used to determine the ranking. Key Findings/Evaluation Results Project Relevance – Achieving Project Purpose: Highly Satisfactory The Project was successful in meeting specific objectives. The most important accomplishment was in improved environmental planning and governance with respect to Inle Lake conservation. Significant Project achievements to this end included: . Designation of Inle lake as a Biosphere Reserve under UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme in June 2015; . Approval by the Government for creation of an Inle Lake Authority; and . Supported completion of the 5-Year Inle Lake Conservation Action Plan (MoECAF 2015). Overall intended results from the project were achieved in terms of improved environmental governance for Inle Lake conservation, and significant progress was made towards this end. Much work remains to be done in the coming years to create a functioning Lake Authority which is financially sustainable, can manage conservation activities, monitor change over time, and improve overall environmental conditions in the lake. The Project was highly relevant to the identified need for improved conservation and management of Inle Lake. There are dramatic transitions taking place in Myanmar, including political and economic changes which are transforming the country. It is essential to merge conflicting interests together in something that unites the country, such as Inle Lake. There is great national pride in Inle Lake, and the Project was successful in obtaining support from the local community level, political leadership in Shan State, and the Union Government. The President has taken great interest in Inle Lake conservation and is following this Project closely. Support from the highest levels of the Union Government, especially MoECAF, is essential to make progress on this issue, and the Project was highly successful in creating linkages between environmental and socio-political issues in Myanmar. However, a common refrain from those interviewed was that the Project duration was too short (initially 2 years), which is insufficient for long-term conservation measures to be effectively