United Nations Environment Programme Terminal Evaluation of Project “Support for Environmental Management Of the Iraqi Marshlands’’ Dr. Phillip Edwards Dr. Abbas Balasem Evaluation Office April 2011 Acknowledgements This is not really the work of the Terminal Evaluation Team but that of all the staff and people connected with the Iraqi Marshlands Project who gave freely of their time and ideas to make the evaluation process a success. There are far too many people to mention by name – and hopefully everyone who contributed is included in the lists of names annexed to this report – but special mention must be made of the Project Coordinator Manager, Chizuru Aoki, who gave her time to help PE track down answers to, or point him in the right direction for, every question asked even after she had left UNEP and moved to the GEF. Similarly, the National Coordinator, Ali Al-Lami gave freely of his time to help AB to answer questions and assist in coordinating the in-country logistics. Our sincere thanks go to them both. Furthermore, the evaluation process has not proved easy and problems in mid-2010 meant the UNEP Evaluation Office to find a new national consultant. This in turn led to yet further delays because of PE’s other commitments. However, through it all, Tiina Piiroinen has helped us both with great patience and prompt responses to our needs. Following completion of the Draft Report on 14th February 2011, review comments were received from the DTIE and the UNEP Evaluation Office on 14th March 2011. Additional information was provided by 1st April. These comments and information have largely been included into the revised text. We thank each of the reviewers sincerely for their efforts and insights which have undoubtedly improved this final report. The views expressed in this report are intended to offer an overview of, and some of the lessons learned from, the Iraqi Marshlands Project following its conclusion in 2009. We have tried to balance our thoughts and to offer fair perspectives of what we have observed and learned from people far more knowledgeable about the Project and its context than we will ever be. Our sincere apologies in advance if anyone should take anything written to be anything other than constructive criticism. Perhaps one of the overriding things we have witnessed and learnt from this evaluation is the great dedication and enthusiasm that the people involved have brought to their work in attempting to restore the Marshlands, especially those in Iraq working under such extremely challenging conditions. We would like to wish them every success in their continuing endeavours Abbas Balasem Phillip Edwards Amarah, Missan Steart, Somerset Iraq England 15th April 2011 ACRONYMS AND TERMS c. Circa (about) CRIM Centre for Restoration of the Iraqi Marshlands DTIE Division of Technology, Industry, and Economics EIA Environmental Impact Assessment ESTIS Environmentally Sound Technology Information System GEF Global Environment Facility GoI Government of Iraq ha Hectare(s) IETC International Environmental Technology Centre ITF Iraq Trust Fund M&E Monitoring and Evaluation MoMPW Ministry of Municipalities and Public Works MoPDC Ministry of Planning and Development Cooperation MOU Memorandum of Understanding MP Member of Parliament MTS Medium Term Strategy NGO Non-governmental Organization PCAU Post-Conflict Assessment Unit, PCDMB Post-Conflict and Disaster Management Branch PIU Project Implementation Unit ROtI Review of Outcomes to Impacts ROWA Regional Office of West Asia TE Terminal evaluation TET Terminal Evaluation Team ToR Terms of Reference UNAMI United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq UNDG United Nations Development Group UNEP United Nations Environment Programme UNOPS United Nations Office for Project Services US$ United States Dollar ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Iraqi Marshlands Project: Terminal Evaluation Report i TABLE OF CONTENTS Acronyms and Terms.......................................................................................................................... i Executive Summary .......................................................................................................................... iv Key Issues ............................................................................................................................................... iv Results iv Approach and Methodology .............................................................................................................. 1 Constraints ................................................................................................................................................ 4 Project Preparation ............................................................................................................................ 5 Background .............................................................................................................................................. 5 Concept and Design ................................................................................................................................. 7 Design Logic 7 Budgeting 9 Organisational Arrangements ....................................................................................................................... 9 UNEP Programming Context ..................................................................................................................... 10 Objectives and Components ....................................................................................................................... 11 Readiness ................................................................................................................................................ 12 Project Results .................................................................................................................................. 13 Attainment of Objectives ....................................................................................................................... 13 Summary of Achievements ........................................................................................................................ 13 Development Objective Indicators ............................................................................................................. 15 Immediate Objective Indicators ................................................................................................................. 15 Effectiveness 16 Achievement of Project Outputs and Activities ..................................................................................... 20 Component 1: Support for strategy development and coordination ...................................................... 21 Component 2: Data collection and baseline analysis ............................................................................. 22 Component 3: Capacity building ........................................................................................................... 23 Component 4: Pilot implementation ...................................................................................................... 23 Component 5: Awareness-raising and follow-up................................................................................... 26 Component 6: Increase the number of institutions and projects that benefit from improved data availability and analytical tools ...................................................................................... 26 Component 7: Strengthen capacity in data collection, management and analysis ................................. 27 Component 8: Increase the number of residents and community groups that benefit from improved access to safe drinking water and sound environmental management practices ......................................................................................................................... 27 Component 9: Strengthen capacity in assessing and providing drinking water and water quality management initiatives................................................................................................... 27 Component 10: Increase the number of residents and community groups that benefit from improved access to safe drinking water and sound environmental management practices ......................................................................................................................... 28 Component 11: Strengthen management and replication capacity for environmental management options ............................................................................................................................ 29 Project Implementation ................................................................................................................... 29 Participating Agencies ............................................................................................................................ 29 Stakeholder Participation ........................................................................................................................... 30 Implementation Approach ...................................................................................................................... 31 Project Oversight 31 Project Management ................................................................................................................................... 31 UNEP supervision and backstopping 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