Evaluation of SGP/GEF in 1994-2007 in Southern poland was held on 8 May 2007 in the Polish Ecological Club HQ in Cracow with participation representatives of 10 NGOs/CBOs and Mr. Ivo Morawski from the Fourth Independent GEF/SGP Evaluation Team.
The core discussion was lead by Mr. Ivo Morawski and concentrated on issues raised by him:
- why 90% of GEF/SGP projects concentrated on biodiversity?
- which model/ form of support of GEF/SGP activities should be promoted?
- GEF/SGP influence on grantees activities;
- key aspects of cooperation between GEF/SGP grantees and local governments and other NGOs/CBOs;
- relations between environmental and social aspects of implemented projects;
- strong and weak aspects of GEF/SGP activities in Poland;
Conclusions and reccomendations from discussion:
- in 1990 active protection of species protection (eg. birds) was not supported from other sources;
- possible co-financing of biodiversity projects from Voivodship Funds in late 1990s was also one of reasons of concentration on biodiversity ;
- small NGOs are more interested in local interventions solving local probklems;
- GEF/SGP strenghtened some NGOs, gave strong support for initial activization;
- Friendly environment for support and of support created by GEF/SGP;
- friendly reporting and monitoring of projects, assistance and support from GEF/SGP, also in mobilizing other funds;
- possible very compl3ex projects;
- creation of good climate for social partnership for nature protection;
-involvement of local people and communities in project planning and implementation;
- very complex support (nature protection, local community involvement, income generation).