Strengthening Protected Area System of the Komi Republic to Conserve Virgin Forest Biodiversity in the Pechora Headwaters Region
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Strengthening Protected Area System of the Komi Republic to Conserve Virgin Forest Biodiversity in the Pechora Headwaters Region PIMS 2496, Atlas Award 00048772, Atlas Project No: 00059042 Terminal Evaluation, Volume I November 2014 Russian Federation GEF SO1: Catalysing the Sustainability of Protected Areas SP3: Strengthened National Terrestrial Protected Area Networks Russian Federation, Ministry of Natural Resources Komi Republic, Ministry of Natural Resources United National Development Program Stuart Williams KOMI REPUBLIC PAS PROJECT - TE Acknowledgements The mission to the Komi Republic was well organised and smoothly executed. For this, I would like to thank everyone involved starting with Irina Bredneva and Elena Bazhenova of the UNDP-CO for making all the travel arrangements so smooth and easy, and making me welcome in Moscow. In the Komi Republic, the project team ensured that I met the right stakeholders, showed me the results of the project efforts in remote and beautiful areas of the republic, and accompanying me. Special thanks are due to Alexander Popov (the National Project Director) and Vasily Ponomarev (the Project Manager) for the connections, arrangements, for accompanying me and for many fruitful discussions. Other team members who accompanied the mission included Svetlana Zagirova, Andrei Melnichuk and Anastasiya Tentyukova. I am also grateful to all the other stakeholders who gave freely of their time and answered my questions patiently (please see Annex III for a list of all the people met over the course of the mission to the Komi Republic). I am also particularly grateful for the tireless efforts of Alexander Oshis, my interpreter over the course of the mission even when he was not well, for the clear and accurate interpretation. Finally, it was a pleasure to visit Russia and the Komi Republic in particular, and to be shown around with such evident pride and to see wonderful places. I saw the results of the dedication and enthusiasm that people had put into the work of conserving important places in the world. I would like to offer them my thanks and wish them every success in their continuing endeavours. Stuart Williams Kampala, Uganda November 2014 ii KOMI REPUBLIC PAS PROJECT - TE Table of Contents Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................... ii Executive Summary ....................................................................................................... v Project Summary Table .............................................................................................. v Project Description .................................................................................................... vi Project Results ........................................................................................................ vii Review Rating Table .............................................................................................. viii Summary of conclusions, recommendations and lessons ......................................... ix Acronyms, Abbreviations and Glossary ....................................................................... xi 1 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Purpose of the review ........................................................................................ 1 1.2 Scope & Methodology ...................................................................................... 1 1.3 Structure of the review report ........................................................................... 4 2 Project description and development context .......................................................... 4 2.1 Project start and duration .................................................................................. 4 2.2 Problems that the project sought to address ...................................................... 5 2.3 Immediate and development objectives of the project ..................................... 5 2.4 Baseline Indicators established ......................................................................... 6 2.5 Main stakeholders ........................................................................................... 16 2.6 Expected Results ............................................................................................. 16 3 Findings .................................................................................................................. 17 3.1 Project Formulation ........................................................................................ 17 3.1.1 Analysis of LFA/Results Framework (Project logic /strategy; Indicators) 17 3.1.2 Assumptions and risk analysis ................................................................. 17 3.1.3 Lessons from other relevant projects ....................................................... 18 3.1.4 Planned Stakeholder Participation ........................................................... 19 3.1.5 Replication approach ............................................................................... 19 3.1.6 UNDP Competitive Advantage ................................................................ 19 3.1.7 Linkages between the project and other interventions in the sector ........ 20 3.1.8 Management arrangements ...................................................................... 20 4.1 Project Implementation ................................................................................... 22 4.1.1 Adaptive management ............................................................................. 22 4.1.2 Partnership arrangements ......................................................................... 23 4.1.3 Feedback from M&E activities used for adaptive management .............. 24 iii KOMI REPUBLIC PAS PROJECT - TE 4.1.4 Project Finance ......................................................................................... 24 4.1.5 Monitoring & Evaluation – design and implementation .......................... 30 4.1.6 UNDP & Implementing Partner implementation, coordination and operational issues ................................................................................................. 31 4.2 Project Results ................................................................................................ 31 4.2.1 Overall results and Attainment of objectives ........................................... 31 4.2.2 Relevance ................................................................................................. 49 4.2.3 Effectiveness & Efficiency ...................................................................... 50 4.2.4 Country ownership ................................................................................... 54 4.2.5 Replication, mainstreaming and catalytic role ......................................... 55 4.2.6 Sustainability ............................................................................................ 56 4.2.7 Impact ...................................................................................................... 58 5 Conclusions, Recommendations & Lessons .......................................................... 59 5.1 Conclusions ..................................................................................................... 59 5.2 Corrective actions for the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the project ............................................................................................................ 60 5.3 Actions to follow up or reinforce initial benefits from the project ................. 61 5.4 Proposals for future directions underlining main objectives .......................... 63 5.5 Best and worst practices in addressing issues relating to relevance, performance and success .......................................................................................... 65 Table of Contents (Annexes) Annex I: Terms of Reference ………………………………………….... Annex-3 Annex II: Itinerary of Mission to Russia ……………………………....... Annex-7 Annex III: List of persons interviewed …………………………………. Annex-9 Annex IV: Members of the Project Steering Committee ……………….. Annex-11 Annex V: Lists of agreements, products and outputs from the project …. Annex-13 Annex VI: Framework questions used ………………………………...... Annex-32 Annex VII: Maps ………………………………………………………... Annex-34 Annex VIII: List of project assets ………………………………………. Annex-36 Annex IX: Brief comments on the BMU/ICI project …………………… Annex-41 Annex X: Mid-Term Review of EU ClimaEast pilot project: Protection and restoration of forest and peatland permafrost carbon pools in Komi Republic and Nenetsky Autonomous Okrug ……………………………. Annex-43 Annex XI: Evaluation Consultant Agreement Form ……………………. Annex-65 Evaluation Report Reviewed and Cleared by …………………………... Annex-66 iv KOMI REPUBLIC PAS PROJECT - TE Executive Summary Project Summary Table Project “Strengthening Protected Area System of the Komi Republic to Conserve Virgin Title: Forest Biodiversity in the Pechora River Headwaters Region” GEF at endorsement at completion 2035 Project ID: (Million US$) (Million US$) UNDP 2496 GEF financing: 4,500 4,500 Project ID: Country: Russian Federation IA/EA own: 0,000 0,000 Region: ECA Government: 12,589 47,603 Netherlands – Netherlands – 0,000 1,634 Private sector – Private sector – 3,788 1,410 Academic – 1,570 Academic – 0,270 In-kind – 0,018 Focal Area: Biodiversity Other: In-kind – 0,000 Other sources –