Terminal Evaluation of the UN Environment GEF Project “Micronesia Challenge: Sustainable Finance Systems for Island Protected Area Management” (GEF Project ID: 3626)
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Terminal Evaluation of the UN Environment GEF Project “Micronesia Challenge: Sustainable Finance Systems for Island Protected Area Management” (GEF project ID: 3626) FINAL REPORT Evaluation Office of UN Environment May 2017 Evaluation Office of UN Environment This report has been prepared by Dr. Nigel Varty and is a product of the Evaluation Office of UN Environment. The findings and conclusions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the views of Member States or the UN Environment Senior Management. For further information on this report, please contact: Evaluation Office of UN Environment P. O. Box 30552-00100 GPO Nairobi Kenya Tel: (254-20) 762 3389 Email: [email protected] Micronesia Challenge: Finance Systems for Island Protected Area Management GEF ID 3626 May/2017 All rights reserved. © (2017) Evaluation Office of UN Environment ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This Terminal Evaluation was prepared for the Evaluation Office of UN Environment by Dr. Nigel Varty. The report benefits from a peer review conducted within Evaluation Office of UN Environment. The author would like to thank all those who agreed to be interviewed for the evaluation (list of names annexed to this report), and Tiina Piiroinen, Mela Shah and Harriet Matsaert and Genta Konci at the UNEP Evaluation Office (EO) in Nairobi, Dr Greg Sherley formerly at the UNEP Pacific Office, in Samoa, and Dr Mohamed Sessay, Senior Programme Officer in the GEF Unit, at UNEP in Nairobi, for help with the organisation of the evaluation and reviewing drafts of the inception and final reports, and some very useful discussions. The consultant would particularly like to express his gratitude to Dr Sherley and Peter Thomas, Managing Director of TerraMar Consulting, Australia and former head of TNC for the Pacific, for their support and friendship in helping to deliver what was widely agreed as a difficult evaluation process. Evaluation team Nigel Varty – Lead Consultant or Team Lead Evaluation Office of UN Environment Tiina Piiroinen – Evaluation Manager Harriet Matsaert – Evaluation Manager Genta Konci – Evaluation Manager Mela Shah – Evaluation Programme Assistant ABOUT THE EVALUATION1 Joint Evaluation: No Report Language(s): English Evaluation Type: Terminal Project Evaluations Brief Description: This report is a terminal evaluation of a UN Environment-GEF project implemented between 2011 and 2015. The project's overall development goal was to support the Micronesia Challenge initiative to effectively conserve at least 30% of the near-shore marine and 20% of the terrestrial resources across Micronesia by 2020, in order to protect important, unique and globally important island biodiversity as well as sustaining the livelihoods and cultures of Micronesian communities. This was to be achieved through supporting the development of sustainable financing mechanisms for protected area networks in Micronesia, particularly the establishment, capitalisation and operationalisation of a long-term regional Micronesia Challenge Endowment Fund. The evaluation sought to assess project performance (in terms of relevance, effectiveness and efficiency), and determine outcomes and impacts (actual and potential) stemming from the project, including their sustainability. The evaluation has two primary purposes: (i) to provide evidence of results to meet accountability requirements, and (ii) to promote learning, feedback, and knowledge sharing through results and lessons learned among UN Environment, the GEF and their executing partner the Micronesia Conservation Trust, and the relevant agencies of the countries participating in the project. Key words: biodiversity; GEF; GEF project; ecosystem management; Micronesia; Pacific; project evaluation; protected area management; protected area funding; sustainable finance systems; trust fund 1 This data is used to aid the internet search of this report on the Evaluation Office of UN Environment Website Table of Contents 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................... 8 1.1 Subject and scope of the evaluation ......................................................................................................................... 8 1.2 Evaluation objectives ..................................................................................................................................................... 8 1.3 Evaluation approach, methodology and limitations ......................................................................................... 9 1.4 Main evaluation criteria and questions ............................................................................................................... 10 2 Project Background ........................................................................................................... 10 2.1 Context and development ......................................................................................................................................... 10 2.2 Project Objectives and Components ..................................................................................................................... 12 2.2.1 Objectives ......................................................................................................................................................................... 12 2.2.2 Components ..................................................................................................................................................................... 13 2.3 Target areas/groups .................................................................................................................................................... 15 2.4 Implementation and Execution Arrangements ................................................................................................ 15 2.5 Project Financing .......................................................................................................................................................... 17 2.6 Project partners and stakeholders ........................................................................................................................ 18 2.7 Changes in design during implementation ........................................................................................................ 18 2.8 Reconstructed Theory of Change of the Project............................................................................................... 18 2.8.1 From outcomes to impacts ....................................................................................................................................... 25 Evaluation Findings .................................................................................................................. 26 2.9 Strategic Relevance ...................................................................................................................................................... 26 2.9.1 Alignment with GEF focal areas and strategic priorities .......................................................................... 26 2.9.2 Relevance to global, regional and national environmental issues and needs .................................. 26 2.9.3 Alignment with UNEP’s strategy, policies and mandate ............................................................................ 27 2.10 Achievement of outputs ............................................................................................................................................. 28 2.10.1 Component 1 (Outcome 1): protected Areas Networks (PANs) established and effectively managed in FSM, RMI and RP, contributing towards achieving the goals of the Micronesia Challenge 28 2.10.2 Component 2 (Outcome 2): Sustainable finance systems and policies are in place to provide long-term core resources for effective and adaptive conservation strategies ..................................................... 31 2.10.3 Component 3 (Outcome 3): Regional coordination mechanisms and communication strategies in support of the Micronesia Challenge implemented ............................................................................... 33 2.11 Effectiveness: Attainment of objectives and planned results ..................................................................... 34 2.11.1 Achievement of direct outcomes as defined in the reconstructed ToC ................................................ 34 2.11.2 Likelihood of impact using the Review of Outcomes to Impact (ROtI) approach .......................... 43 2.11.3 Achievement of the formal project objectives as presented in the Project Document ................. 50 2.12 Sustainability .................................................................................................................................................................. 52 2.12.1 Socio-political sustainability ................................................................................................................................... 52 2.12.2 Sustainability of Financial Resources ................................................................................................................. 54 2.12.3 Sustainability of Institutional Frameworks ..................................................................................................... 55 2.12.4 Environmental sustainability ................................................................................................................................. 56 2.12.5 Catalytic Role and