Terminal Evaluation of the Project “Promoting Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) and Related Sustainable Financing Schemes in the Danube Basin” Vyara Stefanova Evaluation Office November 2014 Persina Maramures Ciocanesti Rusenski Lom Table of Content ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................................................................................... iv PROJECT IDENTIFICATION TABLE ............................................................................................. 5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................... 6 I. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................. 9 II. THE EVALUATION ..................................................................................................................... 10 III. THE PROJECT ............................................................................................................................ 11 A. Context ..................................................................................................................................... 11 B. Objectives and components .................................................................................................... 12 C. Target areas ............................................................................................................................. 13 D. Milestones/key dates in project design and implementation ............................................... 15 E. Implementation arrangements ............................................................................................... 15 F. Project financing...................................................................................................................... 16 G. Project partners ...................................................................................................................... 17 H. Changes in design during implementation ........................................................................... 18 I. Reconstructed Theory of Change of the project ................................................................... 19 IV. EVALUATION FINDINGS ......................................................................................................... 21 A. Strategic relevance .................................................................................................................. 21 B. Achievement of outputs ........................................................................................................... 22 C. Effectiveness: Attainment of project objectives and results ................................................ 27 D. Sustainability and replication ................................................................................................. 40 E. Efficiency .................................................................................................................................. 44 F. Factors affecting performance .............................................................................................. 44 G. Complementarity with UNEP strategies and programmes ............................................. 58 V. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ....................................................................... 60 A. Conclusions .............................................................................................................................. 60 B. Lessons Learned ...................................................................................................................... 64 C. Recommendations ................................................................................................................... 65 ANNEXES ............................................................................................................................................ 67 Annex 1. Terms of Reference ......................................................................................................... 67 Annex 2. Evaluation program, containing names of locations visited and names (and functions) and contacts (Email) of people met .............................................................................. 82 Annex 3. Project reallocation and disbursement budget by 30 June 2014* ............................... 85 Annex 4. Summary of co-finance to the end of June 2014 .......................................................... 86 Page | ii Annex 5. Original project logframe .............................................................................................. 88 Annex 6 . Revised Project Logical Framework (after MTR) ..................................................... 91 Annex 7. Opinion of successes and strengths, failures and weaknesses of the project recorded During TE interviews (not edited and in no particular order).................................................... 96 Annex 8: Documents reviewed by the TE expert ........................................................................ 99 Annex 9. Brief CV of the consultant ............................................................................................ 100 Page | iii ABBREVIATIONS BG Bulgaria CAP Common Agricultural Policy CRS Center for Regional Studies DBR Danube Biosphere Reserve DCP Danube Carpathian Programme DG Directorate General DRBMP Danube River Basin Management Plan EU European Union EC European Commission EIP European Innovation Partnership ES Ecosystems Service GEF Global Environment Facility HYR Half Year Report IC International Consultant ICPDR International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River IRBMP Integrated River Basin Management Plan MAES Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services M&E Monitoring and Evaluation MoU Memorandum of Understanding MTR Midterm Review MSP Medium Size Project OP Operational Programme PD Project Director PES Payments for Ecosystems Services PIR Project Implementation Report PM Project Manager PoM Programmes of Measures PSC Project Steering Committee RBMP River Basin Management Plan ROtI Review of Outcomes to Impacts RO Romania SF Sustainable financing SGP Small Grants Programme STAR project Serbia Transitional Agriculture Reform project TE Terminal Evaluation TEEB The Economic of Ecosystems and Biodiversity TOC Theory of Change TOR Terms of Reference UNEP United Nations Environment Programme WFD Water Framework Directive (EU) WWF World Wide Fund for Nature / World Wildlife Fund WWF-DCP WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme WWF-DCPO WWF Danube-Carpathian Programme Office WWF-EPO WWF-European Policy Office WWF- MPO WWF - Macroeconomics for Sustainable Development Program Office Page | iv PROJECT IDENTIFICATION TABLE Table 1. Project Summary1 Project Title: Promoting Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) and Related Sustainable Financing Schemes in the Danube Basin Executing Agency: WWF-DCPO – WWF offices in Vienna (Austria), Sofia and Russe (Bulgaria) and Bucharest (Romania) Project partners2: Bulgaria: Ruse Municipality, Tzenovo Municipality, Dolna Mitropolija Municipality, Rusenski Lom Nature Park Directorate, Persina Nature Park Directorate, Friends of Rusenski Lom Nature Park Association , Nature Tourism Association; Romania: Environmental Protection Agency, National Water Authority Baia Mare Forest Authority, Ciocanesti Fish Farm, Iezer Calarasi Fish Farm Geographical Regional Scope: Participating Bulgaria, Romania, Countries: Information spread to: Serbia and Ukraine GEF project ID: GEF 2806 IMIS number: GFL/2328-27124A87 Biodiversity, Focal Area(s): GEF OP #: 2 International waters BD2: Biodiversity: Mainstream Biodiversity in Production Landscapes/ GEF Strategic GEF approval 25 August 2009 Priority/Objective: Seascapes and Sectors date: IW2: Catalyze Transboundary Action Addressing Water Concerns UNEP approval Date of first 22 October 2009 22 October 2009 date: disbursement: Actual start date: October 2009 Planned duration: 48 months Intended Actual or Expected Project was extended till 31 December 2013 completion date: completion date: December 20143 Project Type: MSP GEF Allocation: USD 964,676 Expected MSP Co- USD 1,349,373 Total Cost: USD 2,314,049 financing: Terminal Mid-term May – July 2012 Evaluation (actual May - August, 2014 review/evaluation: date): 1 Information from the Terminal Evaluation TOR and additional information from project manager. 2 As per project implementation reports (PIRs) 3 The project amendment ends on 31 December 2014. The legal instrument remains in force, after the project technical completion date of 30 June 2014 to allow for receipt for all terminal reporting Page | 5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. The Danube PES project is classified as a Global Environment Facility (GEF) Medium-sized project (MSP) with a total GEF support of USD 964,676, and originally planned co-financing of USD 1,349,373, for a total project budget of USD 2,314,049. The United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) is the GEF Agency, and the project is executed by a regional non- governmental organization (NGO) The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Danube-Carpathian Programme Office (WWF DCPO) and its national offices in Bulgaria and Romania. 2. According to the project document, the overall project goal is “to secure global environmental benefits by mainstreaming payments for ecosystem services (PES) and sustainable financing (SF) schemes in integrated river basin management for large-scale international watersheds”.