February 2007 FINAL REPORT PROJECT OUTPUT 3.1. “SUPPORT FOR THE INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF NGOs AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: DEVELOPING THE DEF NETWORK” AUTHORS PREPARED BY: DEF – Danube Environmental Forum AUTHORS: Craska Helena Chrenkova Monika Dimitrova Milena Sramkó Gyöngyi Tamás Enikő Anna DANUBE ENVIRONMENTAL FORUM DEF Secretariat Déry Sétány 13. III/4 H-6500 Baja, Hungary Tel/Fax: +36 79 525 163 Email: [email protected]; Web: www.def.org.hu PREFACE Under the long-term development objective of the Danube Regional Project, being financed by UNDP/GEF, and to contribute to sustainable development in the Danube River Basin, the component "Support for Institutional Development of NGOs and Community Involvement: Developing the DEF Network" aimed to fully developed platform of non-governmental organizations in the Danube River Basin. The support targeted to strengthen the Danube Environmental Forum (DEF) as umbrella organization, to enhance the network and its members’ capabilities to respond to transboundary pollution issues with a focus on nutrient reduction, and to empower the network to respond to current priority issues as well as those that may arise in the future. Phase 1 of DRP focused on making the DEF network fully operational and to increase the capacities for the DEF initiatives to support nutrient reduction and ecosystem management. Phase 2 of DRP supported primarily specific activities implemented by the sustainable functioning network. Through the enhanced capacity of the member organizations and the coordinated approach by the DEF Board and Secretariat, the networks is able to involve local stakeholders, partners and other NGOs in cooperative initiatives on national and sub-basin level. Representatives of the DEF network successfully participate in the processes for implementation of the Danube Convention and the EU Water Framework Directive, interact with various governmental and intergovernmental bodies, and influence the public involvement in related environmental decision making. DEF develops and implements common initiatives and campaign for sustainable management of the wetland ecosystems in 13 countries of the Danube Basin. Developing the DEF Network page 5 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN .................................................................................. 10 1.1. Developing the DEF Network and DEF Secretariat (Activity 3.1.1)......................... 11 1.1.1. Development of DEF international and national structures................................ 11 1.1.1.1. DEF Secretariat..................................................................................11 1.1.1.2. DEF National Networks and National Focal Points ....................................12 1.1.1.3. DEF Water Policy Team .......................................................................12 1.1.2. Development and implementation of Strategic and Programme Documents of DEF14 1.1.2.1. DEF Strategy and Annual Work planes...................................................14 1.1.2.2. DEF Media and Communication Strategy ................................................15 1.1.2.3. DEF Public Participation Strategy ..........................................................15 1.1.2.4. DEF Fundraising activities and Strategy development...............................17 1.1.2.5. Promotion, branding, development new logo and publications ...................18 1.1.3. Information exchange in DEF Network .......................................................... 18 1.1.3.1. DEF email exchange network ...............................................................18 1.1.3.2. DEF leaflets and Annual Reports ...........................................................19 1.1.3.3. DEF Bulletin.......................................................................................19 1.1.3.4. DEF web-page ...................................................................................20 1.1.4. Organization issues in DEF Network.............................................................. 20 1.1.4.1. DEF Board Meetings............................................................................21 1.1.4.2. DEF General Assembly ........................................................................22 1.2. Supporting the Capacities of DEF ..................................................................... 23 1.2.1. Organizing consultation meetings and training workshops on nutrient and toxic substances issues (Activity 3.1.2) ............................................................................. 23 1.2.1.1. Training materials on Wetland Rehabilitation and Nutrient Reduction..........24 1.2.1.2. National Trainings ..............................................................................24 1.2.1.3. DEF Youth Camps...............................................................................24 1.2.2. Publish special NGO publications in national languages on nutrients and toxic substances (Activity 3.1.3.) ..................................................................................... 25 1.2.2.1. DEF Brochures ...................................................................................25 1.2.2.2. DEF Brochure “Danube and Us” ............................................................26 1.2.2.3. DEF Wetlands Poster...........................................................................26 1.2.2.4. DEF Photo Competition “Danube” publication..........................................27 1.2.2.5. DEF Brochure “Wetlands in River Basin Management” ..............................27 1.2.3. Organize training courses for the development of NGO activities and cooperation in national projects (Activity 3.1.4.).............................................................................. 27 1.2.3.1. Training materials on EU-WFD implementation and Public Participation.......27 1.2.3.2. Training of Trainers workshop ..............................................................28 1.2.3.3. DEF WPT Trainings .............................................................................29 1.2.3.4. National Workshops ............................................................................29 1.2.3.5. Contribution to REG Small Grant Programme and DRP Component 3.4 .......30 1.2.3.6. EU Enlargement Conference.................................................................30 2. LESSONS LEARNED ........................................................................................... 31 2.1. Problems and challenges encountered .............................................................. 31 2.2. The extent to which the objectives of the project were met and overview of the results 32 2.3. The appreciation of the target groups/beneficiaries. Evaluation of the activities and impact of the DEF activities ........................................................................................ 33 2.4. The sustainability of the project results............................................................. 35 UNDP/GEF DANUBE REGIONAL PROJECT page 6 3. Conclusions and recommendations ......................................................................36 3.1. Overall conclusion with regard to the project .....................................................36 3.2. The extent to which the project can be multiplied...............................................36 3.3. The potential or planned for follow-up...............................................................36 LIST OF ANNEXES ANNEX 1 DEF Inception Report - 2002 ANNEX 2 DEF Report for Phase 1 - 2003 ANNEX 3 DEF Final Report Phase 1 - 2004 ANNEX 4 DEF Report Phase 2 - 2005 ANNEX 5 DEF Report Phase 2 - 2006 ANNEX 6 DEF Report Phase 2 - 2007 ANNEX 7 DEF Publications and Documents – provided on CD DEF – DANUBE ENVIRONMENTAL FORUM Developing the DEF Network page 7 ABBREVIATIONS DEF Danube Environmental Forum DEF GA Danube Environmental Forum General Assembly DEF NFP Danube Environmental Forum National Focal Point organization DEF Sec Danube Environmental Forum Secretariat DEF WPT Danube Environmental Forum Water Policy Team DRB Danube River Basin DRP Danube Regional Project EG Expert Group EU European Union EU WFD EU Water Framework Directive GEF Global Environment Facility GWP Global Water Partnership ICPDR International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River NGO Non-governmental organization REC Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe UNDP United Nations Development Programme WB World Bank WWF World Wild Fund WWF DCP World Wild Fund – Danube Carpathian Programme UNDP/GEF DANUBE REGIONAL PROJECT page 8 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The UNDP/GEF Danube Regional Project, under the objective 3: Strengthening of public involvement in environmental decision making and reinforcement of community actions for pollution reduction and protection of the ecosystems; and relevant component 3.1: Support for institutional development of NGOs and community involvement, provided support to the Danube Environmental Forum (DEF) for 4 main activities: > Operational support for DEF, communication and information management (Project activity 3.1.-1); > Organization of consultation meetings and training workshops on nutrients and toxic substances issues (Project activity 3.1.-2); > Publishing special NGO publications in national languages on nutrient and toxic substances (Project activity 3.1.-3); > Organization of training courses for the development of NGO activities and cooperation in national projects on nutrient reduction (Project activity 3.1.-4). In the frame of the operational, communication