UNDP-GEF Midterm Review
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parti Ministère de la Culture - Algérie UNDP-GEF Midterm Review Conservation of globally significant biodiversity and sustainable use of ecosystem services in Algeria’s cultural parks Final report, 8th February 2018 MTR Team: Dr Urs Bloesch (Adansonia-Consulting); Prof. Foued Chehat MTR of Algeria’s Cultural Parks i. Basic Report Information Project title : Conservation of globally significant biodiversity and sustainable use of ecosystem services in Algeria’s cultural parks Project number: 78496 Award ID: 61754 UNDP PIMS: 4153 GEF PMIS: 3952 MTR time frame (mission): 5 – 19 September 2017 Date of MTR report: 8 February 2018 Region and countries included in the project : Algeria GEF Operational Focal Area / Strategic Program : Biodiversity, land degradation Executing Agency : UNDP Implementing Partner : Ministry of Culture Agency in charge of coordination and supervision : Ministry of Foreign Affairs Equipe MTR : - Dr. BLOESCH Urs - Prof. CHEHAT Foued Acknowledgements We are deeply grateful to the Project Team (PPCA) for its generous hospitality and frank collaboration throughout the mission. We sincerely thank UNDP-GEF for entrusting to us the realisation of the Midterm Review of this Project. We also extend our warmest thanks to all other persons who have contributed by their engagement and knowledge to the success of the MTR. Finally, we warmly thank the local population for their great hospitality and their interest in the mission. 2 MTR of Algeria’s Cultural Parks ii. Table of Contents i. Basic Report Information ................................................................................................................ 2 ii. Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................ 3 iii. Acronyms and Abbreviations .............................................................................................................. 4 1. Executive Summary ......................................................................................................................... 5 2. Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 12 3. Project Description and Background Context ................................................................................... 14 4. Findings .............................................................................................................................................. 20 4.1 Project strategy ........................................................................................................................... 20 4.2 Progress towards the achievement of objective, outcomes and outputs .................................. 23 4.3 Project Implementation and Adaptive Management ................................................................. 36 4.4 Sustainability ............................................................................................................................... 40 5. Conclusions and Recommendations ................................................................................................. 41 5.1 Conclusions .................................................................................................................................. 41 5.2 Recommendations....................................................................................................................... 42 Annexe A: Terms of Reference .............................................................................................................. 44 Annexe B: Midterm Review Evaluative Matrix Template ..................................................................... 51 Annexe C: Interview Guide .................................................................................................................... 54 Annexe D: Rating Scales ........................................................................................................................ 55 Annexe E: Itinerary of the MTR Field Mission ....................................................................................... 56 Annexe F: List of Persons Interviewed .................................................................................................. 57 Annexe G: List of Documents Reviewed................................................................................................ 60 Annexe H: Co-financing Table ............................................................................................................... 66 Annexe I: Signed UNEG Code of Conduct .............................................................................................. 67 3 MTR of Algeria’s Cultural Parks iii. Acronyms and Abbreviations APC Assemblée Populaire Communale (People’s Communal Assembly) CM Collaborative Management CMU Central Management Unit CP Cultural Park DGF Directorate General of Forests GEF Global Environment Facility GIS Geographic Information System IEC Information, Education, Communication MFA Ministry of Foreign Affairs MERE Ministry of Environment and Renewable Energies METT Management Effectiveness Tracking Tool MoC Ministry of Culture MTR Midterm Review NGO Non Governmental Organisation NIM National Implementation ONPCA Office National du Parc Culturel de l’Ahaggar PA Protected Area PIF Project Identification Form PIR Project Implementation Review PMU Project Management Unit PPCA Projet Parcs Culturels Algériens RTA Regional Technical Advisor SOP Strategic Orientation Plan SPANB Stratégie et Plan d’Actions Nationaux pour la Biodiversité UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNFCCC United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change 4 MTR of Algeria’s Cultural Parks 1. Executive Summary Table 1: Project information Project Title Conservation of globally significant biodiversity and sustainable use of ecosystem services in Algeria’s cultural parks PMIS ID GEF 3952 Financing At the approval of Spent at the time Project Document of MTR UNDP PIMS ID 4153 Financing GEF US$ 5,387,142 Country Algeria US$ 3,505,717 Region Africa Financing UNDP US$ 522,858 Focal Areas Ecosystems and Financing US$ 20,803,052 US$ 8,203,444 Biodiversity Government Implementing Government Total Co-financing US$ 27,251,766 US$ 11,709,161 Agency (Ministry of Culture) GEF Approval 12 September Total Project Budget US$ 27,251,766 2011 Signing of Project 24 October 2012 Document Launching 04 October 2013 Workshop Closing date 31 October 2018 before review Closing date after 31 October 2019 review Project description The objective of this Project is to support the management of the national system of cultural parks in Algeria to secure the conservation of globally significant biodiversity and the sustainable use of ecosystem services, while at the same time, protecting the cultural heritage. The Project has been designed in line with the national priority given to the creation of a system of CPs endowed with Management Plans according to the law 98-04 and the National Master Plan for Archaeological and Historical Sites (CEO). This plan is embedded in the National Territorial Development Scheme defined by the law 10-02 from 29th June 2010 (see Annexe G). Moreover, the Project has been designed conforming with the Strategic Objective (SO1) of the GEF, and more specifically with the second sub-objective « Increasing the protect area coverage » and compatible with the framework of the third strategic Programme entitled « Enhancing the network of terrestrial protected areas ». The Project includes five CPs (Tassili N’Ajjer, Ahaggar, Touat-Gourara-Tidikelt, Tindouf and Saharan Atlas) focussing on six priority sites whereof three are in Tassili N’Ajjer (Meddak, Tihodaïne and Anhef) and three sites in Ahaggar CPs (Taessa, Tefedest and Serkout, Mouyidir). These priority sites, characterised by their particular ecosystems and high biodiversity, are destined to become reference and demonstration sites for the replication of the approach to other sites in the five CPs. In that respect, the conservation of the biodiversity and the use of ecosystems services will be considered as a model for the sustainable and efficient use of natural resources. Considering the arid to hyper-arid climate of the Project area, component 3 of the Project integrates soil conservation measures in the sustainable use of the priority sites. Moreover, the collaborative management agreements in the priority sites include investments to reduce the land degradation. 5 MTR of Algeria’s Cultural Parks The Project implementation should allow resolving partially or totally problems at ecological (climate change), institutional, organisational and at capacity level (lack of technical expertise). Table 2: Ratings & achievement summary of the Project Conservation of globally significant biodiversity and sustainable use of ecosystem services in Algeria’s cultural parks Evaluation Evaluation MTR Description of the achievement Project strategy N/A Progress towards results Objective of the Project: Achievement of the objective: i) The conservation of the bio- The national system of cultural MS (Moderately cultural heritage and a sectoral parks in Algeria is managed to Satisfactory) action plan for cultural parks, have secure the conservation of Score: 4 been mainstreamed into the latest globally significant biodiversity version of the national biodiversity and sustainable use of strategy which includes for the