Since January 2000, Thailand GEF/Small Grants Programme?s Operational Phase Year 2 has been providing grants to 46 projects throughout the country. Mostly as demonstration projects, they are of community-based, initiated, planned and managed by communities.

Apart from the monitoring by visits to projects of the National Coordinator and the National Steering Committee during mid-implementation, reports from the grantees and facilitating mechanism like mid-course evaluation workshops , the intensive monitoring ,analysis and documentation of best practices by a third party is necessary to ensure systematically gathering of information about the status and results of individual projects, the progress of country programmes, and the achievement of overall programme objectives. Moreover, the monitoring and analysis processes will furnish information and materials for documentation and subsequent dissemination of experiences and lessons learned to wider audiences and for strategic planning of GEF / SGP in the future. In the process of monitoring and analysis , the use of participatory methods is encouraged.

The Research and Development Institute, Khon Kaen University is specialized and widely recognized in rural and environment development. Its staff members consist of both academics and personnel well-recognized by NGO & CBO networks in Thailand. The institute is familiar with GEF/ SGP as it successfully organized one stakeholders workshop for GEF / SGP recently and conducted the fact-finding and project planning for proponents in this phase.

As the supported projects have similarity in term of activities, target population and geographic location, only 13 projects were selected according to GEF focal areas.

Project goals or objectives:

1. To gather data & information of GEF/SGP supported projects in the aspects of attainment, management of grant, contribution from community and other sources, conditions and other complementary activities that are critical to the success of the projects
2. To identify , assess and document groups of projects that are best practices
3. To prepare case studies from groups of projects that are best practices
4. to disseminate experiences / lessons learned from GEF/SGP project to other projects and wider circle of stakeholders

Activities to be carried out under project:

1. Convening workshop among researchers to discuss plans , monitoring & analysis mechanism
and reporting / presentation formats and modify as appropriate
2. Launching project site visits to 13 locations,interacting with stakeholders and gathering data
& information
3. Evaluating,summarising the result of findings obtained in 2 and documenting best practices
4. Producing media (video) of best practices
5. Disseminating the GEF/SGP supported- projects to wider audiences

Project participants and/or beneficiaries:

1. The target community of the 13 projects
2. The related local/national government offices
3. NGO and CBO regional networks
4. Interested UN system and other donors

Anticipated results of project:

1. Project and Programme mangers would learned about the implementation at both level
2. GEF / SGP would derived useful data & information required for future programme strategic planning
3. GEF / SGP would be more visible and better recognised by wider audiences.