LESSONS LEARNED TO INFORM REINVESTMENT IN THE TROPICAL ANDES HOTSPOT A Commissioned Report Prepared By: Hugo Arnal, Lead Consultant With the assistance of: Sibora Dhima, Assistant Consultant Rodrigo de la Cruz, Assistant Consultant Arlington, Virginia USA January 2021 Table of Contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................................ 5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ......................................................................................................................... 6 I. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................. 8 I.1.- THE TROPICAL ANDES BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOT ...................................................................8 I.2.- CEPF ENGAGEMENT AND INVESTMENTS IN THE TROPICAL ANDES .......................................9 II. RIT HISTORY AND CURRENT CONTEXT .......................................................................................... 10 III. EVALUATION OF LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE RIT PERFORMANCE ......................................... 11 IV. METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................................................ 13 V. SPECIAL FACTORS AFFECTING RIT PERFORMANCE IN THE TROPICAL ANDES DURING PHASE II 17 VI. TROPICAL ANDES: KEY NUMBERS AND INFORMATION .............................................................. 19 VI.I. FUNDING PROPOSAL CALLS ............................................................................................. 20 VI.II. NUMBER OF GRANT CONTRACTS BY COUNTRY BY SIZE .................................................... 21 VI.III. INVESTMENT BY COUNTRY ............................................................................................ 21 VI.IV. INVESTMENT PER STRATEGIC DIRECTION (SD) ................................................................ 23 VI.V. COMMUNICATIONS ....................................................................................................... 23 VI.VI. BUILDING THE CAPACITY OF CIVIL SOCIETY ..................................................................... 25 VII. EVALUATION OF LESSONS LEARNED FROM RIT MEMBERS PERFORMANCE ............................. 27 VII.1.- BOLIVIA ...................................................................................................................... 28 VII.1.1.- RIT’S TERM OF REFERENCE ............................................................................................ 28 COORDINATE CEPF INVESTMENT IN THE HOTSPOT ................................................................ 28 SUPPORT THE MAINSTREAMING OF BIODIVERSITY INTO PUBLIC POLICIES AND PRIVATE SECTOR BUSINESS PRACTICES ................................................................................................. 29 COMMUNICATE THE CEPF INVESTMENT THROUGHOUT THE HOTSPOT ................................ 30 BUILD THE CAPACITY OF CIVIL SOCIETY .................................................................................. 32 ESTABLISH AND COORDINATE A PROCESS FOR LARGE GRANT PROPOSAL SOLICITATION AND REVIEW .................................................................................................................................... 33 MANAGE A PROGRAM OF SMALL GRANTS OF US$20,000 (US$50,000 OR LESS IN SELECT APPROVED REGIONS) .............................................................................................................. 34 MONITOR AND EVALUATE THE IMPACT OF CEPF’S LARGE AND SMALL GRANTS................... 35 LEAD THE PROCESS TO DEVELOP, OVER A THREE-MONTH PERIOD, A LONG-TERM STRATEGIC VISION FOR CEPF INVESTMENT ............................................................................................... 37 REPORTING .............................................................................................................................. 37 VII.1.2.- EVALUATION CRITERIA .................................................................................................. 37 RELEVANCE .............................................................................................................................. 37 EFFICIENCY, EFFECTIVENESS, STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES................................................ 38 VII.1.3.- EVALUATION THEMES ................................................................................................... 39 COVERAGE ............................................................................................................................... 39 IMPACT .................................................................................................................................... 40 ACCESSIBILITY .......................................................................................................................... 41 ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT ...................................................................................................... 41 Page | 2 VII.2.- COLOMBIA .................................................................................................................. 42 VII.2.1.- RIT’S TERMS OF REFERENCE .......................................................................................... 42 COORDINATE CEPF INVESTMENT IN THE HOTSPOT ................................................................ 42 SUPPORT THE MAINSTREAMING OF BIODIVERSITY INTO PUBLIC POLICIES AND PRIVATE SECTOR BUSINESS PRACTICES ................................................................................................. 43 COMMUNICATE THE CEPF INVESTMENT THROUGHOUT THE HOTSPOT ................................ 44 BUILD THE CAPACITY OF CIVIL SOCIETY .................................................................................. 45 ESTABLISH AND COORDINATE A PROCESS FOR LARGE GRANT PROPOSAL SOLICITATION AND REVIEW .................................................................................................................................... 47 MANAGE A PROGRAM OF SMALL GRANTS OF US$20,000 (US$50,000 OR LESS IN SELECT APPROVED REGIONS) .............................................................................................................. 47 IMPACT OF CEPF’S LARGE AND SMALL GRANTS ..................................................................... 48 LEAD THE PROCESS TO DEVELOP, OVER A THREE-MONTH PERIOD, A LONG-TERM STRATEGIC VISION FOR CEPF INVESTMENT ............................................................................................... 49 REPORTING .............................................................................................................................. 50 VI.2.2.- EVALUATION CRITERIA ................................................................................................... 50 RELEVANCE .............................................................................................................................. 50 EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS, STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES ........................................ 51 IV.2.3.- EVALUATION THEMES .................................................................................................... 52 COVERAGE ............................................................................................................................... 52 IMPACT .................................................................................................................................... 52 ACCESSIBILITY .......................................................................................................................... 53 ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT ...................................................................................................... 53 VII.3.- ECUADOR ................................................................................................................... 53 VII.3.1.- RIT’S TERM OF REFERENCE ............................................................................................ 54 COORDINATE CEPF INVESTMENT IN THE HOTSPOT ................................................................ 54 SUPPORT THE MAINSTREAMING OF BIODIVERSITY INTO PUBLIC POLICIES AND PRIVATE SECTOR BUSINESS PRACTICES ................................................................................................. 55 COMMUNICATE THE CEPF INVESTMENT THROUGHOUT THE HOTSPOT ................................ 56 BUILD THE CAPACITY OF CIVIL SOCIETY .................................................................................. 57 ESTABLISH AND COORDINATE A PROCESS FOR LARGE GRANT PROPOSAL SOLICITATION AND REVIEW .................................................................................................................................... 58 MANAGE A PROGRAM OF SMALL GRANTS OF US$20,000 (US$50,000 OR LESS IN SELECT APPROVED REGIONS) .............................................................................................................. 59 MONITOR AND EVALUATE THE IMPACT OF CEPF’S LARGE AND SMALL GRANTS................... 60 LEAD THE PROCESS TO DEVELOP, OVER A THREE-MONTH PERIOD, A LONG-TERM STRATEGIC VISION FOR CEPF INVESTMENT ............................................................................................... 61 REPORTING .............................................................................................................................. 62 VII.3.2.- EVALUATION CRITERIA .................................................................................................. 62 RELEVANCE .............................................................................................................................