Number of beneficiaries

Number of females: appr. 5000
Number of males: appr. 3000
Number of children: appr. 12000

Budget and finance

Total Project Cost: 53845 US Dollars
Amount received under this Agreement: 48950 US Dollars
Amount received from other sources of funding: -
Contribution of the grantee or the recipient community: 4895 US Dollars

Activities

Activities Performed under this Agreement:

The main activities of the project were arrangement of eight information days, conduction of three round tables, one workshop and two internet discussions; conduction of four focus groups and analysis of three case studies; contribution to the creation of the interagency coordination committee for implementation of four conventions (Minamata, Stockholm, Basel and Rotterdam Conventions); development of an information dissemination strategy and publication and dissemination of various information materials on the topic of waste management; and development of design and concept for a website on waste issues. The more detailed and descriptive examples of the project?s activities are below.

There were 8 information days in total during which IPO ?Ecopartnership? was informing Belarusian public about the problem of waste management, disseminating relevant information materials and promoting active public involvement into waste management policy formulation and enforcement. Those info days were:
? Bird festival in Turov (01.05.2015) ? presentation of the mobile application ?Ecokids? and dissemination of the project?s materials; approximate number of participants ? 3000;
? Awarding ceremony of the contest ?I want to live in clean world? (18.05.2015) - dissemination of the project?s materials; approximate number of participants ? 100;
? XIII Republican Environmental Forum (19-21.05.2015) - presentation of the mobile application ?Ecokids? and dissemination of the project?s materials; approximate number of participants ? 500;
? Culinary festival ?European sweetes? in Rogachev (03.07.2015) - presentation of the mobile application ?Ecokids? and dissemination of the project?s materials; approximate number of participants ? 10000;
? Forum of Belarusian ecological NGOs (24-25.07.2015) - presentation of the mobile application ?Ecokids?, dissemination of the project?s materials, organization of the round table on mercury waste; approximate number of participants ? 100;
? Small rivers festival in Scharkovscshina (15.08.2015) ? participation in workshops, presentation of the mobile application ?Ecokids? and dissemination of the project?s materials; approximate number of participants ? 5000;
? Train: UN70 Express in Belarus (23-30.10.2015) ? participation in the exhibition ?Change in behavior for more ecological future? and dissemination of the project?s materials in Vitebsk; approximate number of participants ? 1000;
? Awarding ceremony of the contest ?My native forest? (23.01.2016) - dissemination of the project?s materials; approximate number of participants ? 100.
In addition to information days, IPO ?Ecopartnership? has participated in the cleaning of lakes and nearby territories in Sergeevichy village, which was organized in the framework of the global cleaning initiative ?Let?s do it!?. Teachers and students of the local school joined IPO ?Ecopartnership? in this cleaning initiative, which means that more people got engaged into active work on raising people?s awareness regarding waste.

IPO ?Ecopartnership? has organized and held 3 round tables.
The 1st round table focused on awareness raising activities on the issues of solid municipal waste management and was held in the framework of a bigger conference ?Improving the efficiency of solid municipal waste management through strengthening the partnership among government, business and civil society? that was also organized by IPO ?Ecopartnership? and took place on March 20, 2015. Among participants of the round table were representatives of the Minprirody, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Trade, housing and communal services, public and private enterprises, international organizations and local NGOs, educational institutions, the media and other stakeholders. Participants were informed about the state?s policy and practice as well as about businesses? and NGOs? initiatives and activities in the field of waste management in Belarus. They have also agreed in the process of discussion that in order for the outreach campaigns to be successful, it is necessary to pay much attention to the key needs of the target groups as well as to the right choice of tools. The best communication channels were identified and evaluated and the list of effective information dissemination tools was produced at the end of the round table.
The 2nd round table was dedicated to ?Public participation in solving the problems of dealing with mercury and other relevant pollutants? and was organized in the framework of the Forum of Belarusian ecological NGOs on July 25, 2015. Representatives of Belarusian ecological NGOs and state institutions, teachers, and the media were present at the round table. The information presented at that meeting contributed to the increased level of awareness on the problem of mercury and other chemical pollution in Belarus and to the better understanding of how such contamination can be regulated. Participants boosted their knowledge on why mercury is dangerous and why it is crucial to adopt strict but effective policies on chemical regulation. Participants also improved their knowledge on existing international conventions in the area of dangerous pollutants (in particular Minamata Convention).
The 3rd round table was titled ?Public participation in decision-making on waste management related issues? and took place on January 28, 2016. Its participants represented state authorities (the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, the Ministry of Health - Scientific practical center of hygiene republican unitary enterprise), business, academia, NGOs, journalists. The key result of the round table was the increased awareness among the stakeholders about the problem of public participation and consultation in ecological decision-making (related to waste management in particular) in Belarus. Participants learnt what kinds of problems exist, how different types of waste can be treated and what can be done to improve waste management situation and citizens? involvement related to it. The round table contributed to the exchange of ideas on how to involve public in the process of decision-making on waste management issues and on how to minimize violations with regards to it. Additionally, during the round table several participants established useful contacts (for example, Scientific practical center of hygiene republican unitary enterprise and LED and optoelectronic technologies center of the Belarusian NSA) and agreed to cooperate in future. Participants were also encouraged to engage in public consultations as regular citizens and got new knowledge and skills on how to do it. Finally, every participant learnt about the new website wasteinfo.by (which will be explained further) and acknowledged they would like to use the platform further.

Project experts also took part in preparation and the work of the sub-regional workshop in support for the ratification and early implementation of Minamata convention on mercury (Minsk, 18-20.02.2015). During the workshop a road map for the Republic of Belarus on ratification and early implementation of Minamata Convention on mercury was developed. The road map included activities on mercury waste, mercury containing products and information dissemination.

IPO ?Ecopartnership? has also organized and conducted 2 internet discussions dedicated to the problem of used oils and mercury. Two articles were put onto different web site ? one about used oil (by project?s expert Alexander Gnedov) and another about the provisions of the road map for the ratification of the Minamata Convention by the Republic of Belarus. Each of the two articles could have been commented on, and IPO ?Ecopartnership? was gathering respondents? feedback.

Additionally, during project implementation, 4 focus groups with representatives of the main stakeholders (i.e. state authorities, ecological NGOs, business, educational institutions) were conducted in October/November 2014 and 3 problematic gaps - oil waste, hazardous (mercury) waste and information dissemination in the area of waste management - were selected for the development of action plans. Three case studies were accordingly conducted in these fields, and recommendations were developed and publicly discussed. The recommendations on oil waste were submitted to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection (Minprirody) and implemented by adoption of the Resolution of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Protection of the Republic of Belarus of July 20, 2015 N 30 ?On Amending Resolution of the Ministry of Nature and Environment of the Republic of Belarus of October 22, 2010 N 44?. The recommendations on a Road Map for annual ratification and implementation of the Minamata Convention on Mercury were partly submitted to the Minprirody, including the justification of the creation of the interagency coordination committee on the implementation of four conventions: Minamata, Stockholm, Basel and Rotterdam Conventions. The Minprirody supported the initiative of the IPO Ecopartnership and other NGOs and is currently establishing the respective committee.

Throughout project?s implementation, IPO ?Ecopartnership? was implementing its Information Dissemination campaign that the organization has developed at the initial stage of the project. As a result, many informative and interesting publications were developed, created and disseminated. The list of the publications is below:
? 4 posters ?Hit the target?, ?Carry to Container?, ?Let?s do it?; What is going on with your waste? - educational poster for schools.
? brochure for kids ?Packing Looking for Friends?;
? brochure for kids «Story about waste»
? brochure for local authorities ?How to Arrange Information Work on Waste?;
? brochure for educational institutions ?Waste Management: Guidance for Teachers?;
? pocket guide for population ?Waste: How and Where to Properly Dispose of?.
? Calendar for the year 20016 «Waste: how and where to throw?»
? Report on focus group discussions

The final and conclusive activity of the project was the presentation of the web site wasteinfo.by. It was initially planned to create PCC website, however PCC members expressed their negative opinion regarding that web site?s necessity and effectiveness, and the project team proposed to develop a website on waste issues as a platform for communication and experience sharing between the stakeholders instead of a PCC website. The concept and design for the website ?wasteinfo.by? were developed. The process of its creation and launching of its work was longer than primarily expected, however on January 28, 2016 (during the 3rd round table), the web site was presented to the public. People were acquainted with its design, structure and general working principles. The web site?s goal is to acquaint experts and a broader audience with the development of waste management sphere as well as to create a platform for interaction between various market participants. Website wasteinfo.by gives the opportunity to learn about latest news in the sphere of waste management and relevant international projects, acquaint with waste recycling technologies in Belarus and abroad, make a statement about one?s own campaign and find new partners and customers. In general, the website is created in order to attract more public attention to the issue of waste management.

Results:

Deliverable Milestones Respective Payment Tranche Baseline Targets Indicators Achievements
1. Preparation and discussion of action plans/ recommendations to overcome identified gaps and improve enforcement of waste management policies in a participatory manner. Tranche 1

Tranche 2 Adequate action plans/ recommendations needed to be developed in order to increase the level of cooperation and openness between all stakeholders. To identify administrative, procedural, organizational gaps in waste management practices. Availability of the action plans/ recommendations drafts. During project implementation, 4 focus groups with representatives of the main stakeholders (i.e. state authorities, ecological NGOs, business, educational institutions) were conducted in October/November 2014 and 3 problematic gaps - oil waste, hazardous (mercury) waste and information dissemination in the area of waste management - were selected for the development of action plans. Three case studies were accordingly conducted in these fields, and recommendations were developed and publicly discussed. Then the recommendations on oil waste were submitted to the Minprirody and implemented by adoption of the Resolution of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Protection of the Republic of Belarus of July 20, 2015 N 30 ?On Amending Resolution of the Ministry of Nature and Environment of the Republic of Belarus of October 22, 2010 N 44?. The NGO recommendations on the Road Map on annual ratification and implementation of the Minamata Convention on Mercury were partly submitted to the Minprirody; in particular, justification of the creation of the interagency coordination committee on the implementation of four conventions: Minamata, Stockholm, Basel and Rotterdam Conventions. The Minprirody supported the initiative of the ?IPO Ecopartnership? and other NGOs and now is establishing the committee.
2. Organization of Round Tables and Open Info Days on waste management policies, collection and analyses of participants; feedback. Tranche 1

Tranche 2 There is no information available on the level of awareness in the context of the action. To gather public opinions about environmental policies, problems, solutions. Info Days? visitors feedback available. ?IPO Ecopartnership? organized and held 3 Round Tables and 8 Info Days, during which participants were informed about the waste management issue, and their feedback was collected by IPO ?Ecopartnership?. That contributed to the enhancement of knowledge of the people who attended the events and allowed IPO ?Ecopartnership? to gather public opinions about environmental policies, problems and the ways to solve them.
3. Design and start of PCC web site containing public engagement instruments. Tranche 1

Tranche 2

Tranche 3 There is no existing web site or other information platforms of this kind. To create a reliable information platform in order to facilitate communication between all stakeholders. Web site concept is workable and implemented in an attractive and user-friendly manner. Based on the results of the focus discussions and questionnaire completed by the PCC members it was decided to create a website particularly focused on waste management issues, constituting a platform for communication and information sharing between different stakeholders on waste issues. The concept, the technical part and the design of the web page ?wasteinfo.by? were developed. The test version of the website was developed and tested by the end of 2015. Finally, on January 28, 2016, the website was presented to the project stakeholders at the round table ?Public participation in decision-making on waste management related issues?.



Annex 5 (continued)

Describe the immediate benefits received by the participants and/or the recipient communities:

The principal positive effect of IPO ?Ecopartnership?s? events that was immediately felt by participants/ beneficiaries was the increased level of knowledge about different types of waste, waste management and utilization. Participants boosted their knowledge on why waste issue is important and why it is crucial to adopt strict but effective policies on waste mangement. Participants also improved their knowledge on existing national regulations as well as international conventions in the area of environmental protection (in particularly about the ones related to waste management).
With regards to more concrete examples of immediate benefits, it is worth to mention the round table on the issue of mercury waste that IPO ?Ecopartnership? held on July 25, 2015, and during which participants developed the resolution on specific topics of chemical pollution in Belarus for the Forum of Belarusian ecological NGOs. Likewise, IPO ?Ecopartnership? held the round table on the issue of using polymeric package and environmental security (January 28, 2016), where it gathered the key stakeholders (representatives of ministries, producers, consumers and NGOs). During the event, the IPO ?Ecopartnership? successfully led the discussion among participants, which resulted in the creation of the list of propositions on the further steps for addressing the problem of polymeric package usage.
In addition IPO ?Ecopartnership?, developed recommendations on oil waste, which were submitted to the Minprirody and implemented by adoption of the Resolution of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Protection of the Republic of Belarus of July 20, 2015 N 30 ?On Amending Resolution of the Ministry of Nature and Environment of the Republic of Belarus of October 22, 2010 N 44?. The NGO recommendations on the Road Map on annual ratification and implementation of the Minamata Convention on Mercury were partly submitted to the Minprirody; in particular, justification of the creation of the interagency coordination committee on the implementation of four conventions: Minamata, Stockholm, Basel and Rotterdam Conventions. The Minprirody supported the initiative of the IPO ?Ecopartnership? and other NGOs and now is establishing the committee.

Describe long-term benefits:

The probability that the benefits brought by the project will be long-term is quite high. The key gain from the project is the acquired knowledge and skills, which can be readily put into practice. The target group, i.e. NGOs, are now equipped with more expertise on how to access information as well as on how to deliver and spread it. The beneficiaries learnt valuable information about how to engage in environmental decision-making and influence the policies, which state bodies plan to accept. Knowledge is something that does not require material or financial assistance, and therefore the sustainability and long-term value of the project are very high. It is also important to mention that the key beneficiaries of the project were the representatives of NGOs who work with people and inform citizens about access to information and research findings; therefore, it can be assumed that NGOs-beneficiaries have spread acquired knowledge among Belarusian society and, thereby, improved public?s awareness of environmental problems and ways to their solutions.

With regards to internal benefits for the implementing organization, the project improved the skills of the IPO ?Ecopartnership? to engage in policy dialogue and analysis processes related to environmental governance and management because the organization has actively participated in public hearings and consultations organized by the Minprirody and other state agencies. Due to the EU-NGOs? project funding, the IPO ?Ecopartnership? was able to produce and disseminate more information materials and hold more informative events, thus contributing to the enhancement of knowledge of the people who attended the events. IPO ?Ecopartnership? has enhanced its business planning capacities and knowledge of lobbying techniques, which in turn improved the organization?s capacities of effective project management.

New Developments and unexpected difficulties/problems:

The first challenge the project faced was the initial registration process. The official start of the project was delayed due to the lengthy national registration procedures. As the project is EU funded, the Department of Humanitarian Affairs considered the project as international technical assistance and advised the IPO ?Ecopartnership? to apply to the Ministry of Economy with this project (because all international technical assistance projects go through the registration process with the Ministry of Economy). In April 2014, the project documents were submitted to the Ministry of Economy, but the Ministry returned the documents with the recommendation to apply to the Department of Humanitarian Affairs because the Ministry of Economy categorized the project as the foreign gratuitous assistance. The documents for the project registration were accompanied by the appropriate letter from the Ministry of Economy, after which the project was successfully registered by the Department of Humanitarian Affairs in July, 2014.

Another challenge was the creation of the PCC?s web site, because based on the results of the focus discussions and questionnaire completed by the PCC members it was decided to create a website particularly focused on waste management issues, constituting a platform for communication and information sharing between different stakeholders on waste issues. The concept, the technical part and the design of the web page ?wasteinfo.by? were developed. The test version of the website was developed and tested by the end of 2015. Finally, on January 28, 2016, the website was presented to the project stakeholders at the round table ?Public participation in decision-making on waste management related issues?.

Due to the quick response of the IPO ?Ecopartnership? and timely submission of the registration documents, the organization has overcome the above-mentioned challenge of the lengthy project registration process. However, this resulted in the 4-month delay of the project start, which at the same time resulted in postponed work on the website development, which was hence completed later than initially planned. Nevertheless, the website has been fully operational since January 2016

These challenges appeared at the pre-implementation stage, which affected the entire project. Therefore, next time the IPO ?Ecopartnership? will request more comprehensive consultations from both the Ministry of Economy and the Department on Humanitarian Affairs before applying for registration.


Remarks/lesson learned:

Discussion of recommendations on mercury through the Ecopartnership?s website (www.ecopartnerstvo.by) and the website ecolog.by was not as active as expected, so the IPO ?Ecopartnership? organized a round table in the framework of the Forum of environmental NGOs - the event that brought together all the eco-NGOs - to increase their involvement in mercury problem solving.
The key successes of the project are the conduction of four focus groups and investigation of three case studies; the contribution to the creation of the interagency coordination committee on implementation of four conventions (Minamata, Stockholm, Basel and Rotterdam Conventions); the development of information dissemination strategy and publication and dissemination of various information materials on the topic of waste management; the conduction of three round tables, one workshop and two internet discussions, as well as the arrangement of eight info days; and the development of design and concept for a website on waste issues. The factors that supported the success of the project were the availability of human and financial resources, the willingness of target groups and the general community to participate in project activities, as well as the rather cooperative relationship of IPO ?Ecopartnership? with various state organs.
It is necessary to establish new and strengthen existing principles of decent environment governance in order to implement effective policies and promote sustainable growth. Possible recommendations to strengthen the policy framework include promoting the availability of consistent environmental information, raising stakeholder awareness and involvement, providing environmental assessments, and avoiding accidental harmful impacts in other policy sectors. It would be also helpful to improve monitoring, gathering, evaluation and reporting capacities of various stakeholders, including national organs, NGOs and civil society.