United Nations Development Programme‐Global Environment Facility Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan Integrated Conservation of Priority Globally Significant Migratory Bird Wetland Habitat: Demonstration at Three Project Sites (“Kazakhstan Wetlands Project”) KAZ/00/G37/A/1G/99 ‐ PIMS 650 Project Final Evaluation Report August 2011 Acknowledgements We would like to thank all those project partners who have entrusted us the challenging task of conducting an independent review of this important project and provided us with all the necessary information and insights needed for completing this report. We could carry out this evaluation in a highly collegial spirit throughout and the result can largely be perceived as a joint effort of the various project partners. We would like to thank the project staff for the professional organisation of the evaluation mission. Only with the full support of all team members it was possible to conduct the tight travel schedule with a full meeting programme. Our thanks are also due to all project executing partners for fruitful discussions and for making all information needed availa‐ ble to us. Max Kasparek / Sergey Sklyarenko Project Executing Partners Government: Ministry of Economy and Budget Planning of the Republic of Kazakhstan Coordinating Agency: Ministry of Environmental Protection of the Republic of Kazakhstan Executing Agency: Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan Implementing Agency: Forestry Fishery and Hunting Department of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan GEF Implementing Agency: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Evaluation Responsibility This Final Evaluation is undertaken by the UNDP Country Office and the UNDP Bratislava Regional Centre as the GEF Implementing Agency for this project. UNDP Kazakhstan 26, Bukey Khan Street, Astana, 010000 Kazakhstan UNDP, Europe and the CIS Grosslingova 35, 81109 Bratislava Bratislava Regional Centre Slovak Republic Evaluation Team International Expert / Dr. Max Kasparek Team Leader: Mönchhofstr. 16, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany Email: Kasparek@t‐online.de National Expert: Dr. Sergey Sklyarenko c/o Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan of. 203, 40, Orbita‐1, Almaty, 050043, Kazakhstan Email: [email protected] 2 Table of Contents Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................ 5 1. Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 10 Purpose of the Evaluation ................................................................................................................. 10 Key Issues Addressed ........................................................................................................................ 11 Methodology of the Evaluation ........................................................................................................ 11 2. The Project and its Development Context ....................................................................................... 13 2.1 Problems to be Addressed by the Project .................................................................................. 13 2.2 Project Objective and Expected Outcomes ................................................................................ 13 2.3 Project Data................................................................................................................................. 14 3. Findings and Conclusions ................................................................................................................. 15 3.1 Project Formulation .................................................................................................................... 15 3.2 Project Implementation and Management ................................................................................ 17 3.3 Project Achievements (Results) .................................................................................................. 26 3.3.1 Attainment of the Project Objective ................................................................................... 26 3.3.2 Attainments of Outcome 1 (Enabling Environment) ........................................................... 28 3.3.3 Attainments of Outcome 2 (Protected Area Operations) ................................................... 29 3.3.4 Attainments of Outcome 3 (Stakeholder Awareness) ......................................................... 33 3.3.5 Attainments of Outcome 4 (Sustainable Use in the Productive Landscape) ....................... 35 3.3.6 Attainments of Outcome 5 (Sustainable Financing) ............................................................ 38 3.4 Assessment of Project Achievements according to OECD‐DAC Standards ................................. 40 3.4.1 Relevance ............................................................................................................................. 40 3.4.2 Effectiveness ........................................................................................................................ 41 3.4.3 Efficiency .............................................................................................................................. 41 3.4.4 Impact .................................................................................................................................. 41 3.4.5 Sustainability........................................................................................................................ 42 3.4.6 Coherence and Coordination ............................................................................................... 42 3.4.7 Project Management ........................................................................................................... 43 4. Conclusions, Recommendations and Lessons learned .................................................................... 43 Endnotes ............................................................................................................................................... 48 Annexes 3 List of Abbreviations APR Annual Project Review CBO Community‐based Organisation CO Country Office DAC Development Assistance Committee of OECD FHC Forest and Hunting Committee GoK Government of Kazakhstan GEF Global Environment Facility MAB Man and Biosphere Programme M&E Monitoring & Evaluation MEP Ministry of Environmental Protection METT Management Effectiveness Tracking Tool MoA Ministry of Agriculture MTE Mid‐term Evaluation NABU Naturschutzbund Deutschland [a German NGO] NGO Non‐governmental Organisation NSC National Steering Committee OECD Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development PA Protected Area PIR Project Implementation Report PIU Project Implementing Unit PSC Project Steering Committee RoK Republic of Kazakhstan SGP (GEF SGP) Small Grants Programme of GEF TOR Terms of Reference UNDP United Nations Development Programme 4 Executive Summary Description of project The goal of the Project “Integrated Conservation of Priority Globally Significant Migratory Bird Wet‐ land Habitat: Demonstration at Three Project Sites” (short title: “Wetlands Project”) has been de‐ fined as „To protect globally significant wetland biodiversity in Kazakhstan“, and the objective (“pur‐ pose”) as “Government agencies, non‐governmental entities, and local communities are maintaining and improving the integrity and viability of Kazakhstan’s priority wetland ecosystems. “ This objective was intended to be achieved through five outcomes: Outcome 1: National wetland biodiversity conservation policy, regulatory and institutional frame‐ work approved and in place (alternative formulation used in some documents: A national integrated institutional, policy and regulatory framework for wetland biodiversity conservation and manage‐ ment). Outcome 2: Well planned and effective protected area management (also used: Strengthened pro‐ tected area operations). Outcome 3: Established awareness of wetland biodiversity values among local stakeholders and pro‐ cess for generating lessons learned (also used: Increased stakeholder awareness and support). Outcome 4: Enabled Conservation and Sustainable Use of Wetland Biodiversity in the Productive Landscape (also used: Stakeholders empowered to sustainably utilise the productive landscape around priority sites). Outcome 5: Sustainable financing for wetland conservation (also used: Migratory Bird Wetland Con‐ servation Fund). The project has thus operations at two level: at the national level to improve the enabling environ‐ ment for wetland conservation and to provide a system of sustainable financing wetland operations (outcome 1 and 5), and at the local level to strengthen protected area management, enhance awareness among local stakeholders and to promote sustainable use of biodiversity in the productive landscape (outcomes 2‐4). The project is executed by the Committee for Forestry and Hunting working under the auspices of the Ministry of Agriculture. The Ministry of Environmental Protection acts as coordinating body and is member of Project Steering Committee. The Minister of Environmental Protection is a also chairper‐ son of the Trustees Council of the Kazakhstan Biodiversity Conservation Fund. After a lengthy project preparation phase, which extended over almost seven years, the project be‐ gan in July 2004 and continued over 7 years. Project closure will be in