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Evaluacion del Proyecto Paisajes de Producción Verde

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Evaluation Plan:
2020-2024, Paraguay
Evaluation Type:
Project
Planned End Date:
12/2020
Completion Date:
03/2021
Status:
Completed
Management Response:
Yes
Evaluation Budget(US $):
30,000

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Title Evaluacion del Proyecto Paisajes de Producción Verde
Atlas Project Number: 00077229
Evaluation Plan: 2020-2024, Paraguay
Evaluation Type: Project
Status: Completed
Completion Date: 03/2021
Planned End Date: 12/2020
Management Response: Yes
UNDP Signature Solution:
  • 1. Sustainable
Corporate Outcome and Output (UNDP Strategic Plan 2018-2021)
  • 1. Output 2.4.1 Gender-responsive legal and regulatory frameworks, policies and institutions strengthened, and solutions adopted, to address conservation, sustainable use and equitable benefit sharing of natural resources, in line with international conventions and national legislation
SDG Goal
  • Goal 12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
SDG Target
  • 12.2 By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources
Evaluation Budget(US $): 30,000
Source of Funding: GEF
Evaluation Expenditure(US $): 24,863
Joint Programme: No
Joint Evaluation: No
Evaluation Team members:
Name Title Email Nationality
Giacomo Morelli International Evaluator morelgiac@gmail.com
GEF Evaluation: Yes
GEF Project Title:
Evaluation Type:
Focal Area: Biodiversity
Project Type: EA
GEF Phase: GEF-1
GEF Project ID:
PIMS Number: 4836
Key Stakeholders:
Countries: PARAGUAY
Lessons
1.

Lesson learned n° 1
The novel approach envisaged in the ProDoc, that is, a mapping and stakeholder involvement plan, the effective involvement of the private sector during implementation and the creation of consensus among sometimes even divergent interests, adds to the ambition characteristic of GEF projects. It is therefore important that as soon as possible a collaboration strategy between actors is visualized to land on the ground the activities necessary to achieve the indicators.
Lesson learned n° 2
International cooperation projects can represent nuclei of agglutination of actors and catalysts of processes already existing in the countries where they are developed.
Lesson learned n° 3
The bottom-up approach that has characterized the formation of the Platforms first at the departmental level and then at the national level has allowed an effective involvement of the Project stakeholders.
Lesson learned n° 4
The Project Team is in the process of documenting five case studies:
? Platform Experience;
? Certification of Forests for Environmental Services in indigenous communities;
? Implementation of silvopastoral systems;
? Implementation of Good Agricultural Practices; and
? Process of restoration of Protective Forests of Water Channels in Naranjal
Findings
1.

3.1.1. Analysis of Results Framework
The Results Framework identifies three outcomes that refer to three areas of work; i.e. support for the development of governance frameworks for the environmental and agricultural sector that help the conservation of environmental resources; the development of a financial and market system that also supports conservation and the effective implementation of environmental conservation actions. The spirit of the Project that is extrapolated from the formulation of the outcomes, is of a conservation project that seeks solutions to environmental problems (such as the loss of biodiversity, the fragmentation of the BAAPA and the degradation of soils) allying with the primary productive sector, i.e. the actors in the soy and beef supply chains in MUL.

3.1.2. Risks and assumptions
The ProDoc and the Project Results Framework identify assumptions and risks that, almost entirely, cannot be identified as such, because they are neither assumptions nor risks

3.1.3. Lessons learned incorporated in Project design
The Project originated within the framework of and collaborates with the Green Commodities Program led by UNDP in 12 countries globally. Dialogue between supply chain actors is the focus of the Green Commodities Program, which aims at improving the national, economic, social and environmental performance of the specific commodity sectors of each country.

3.1.4. Stakeholders’ participation
In the design of the Project, a management structure has been defined that encourages the participation of the stakeholderss in all processes: Planning, Execution and Monitoring and Evaluation.

3.1.5. Replication approach
The objective of the Project has an explicit mention of the concept of replicability “… the Atlantic Forest… is a model for replication throughout the bio-regions and biomes of the country”.

3.1.6. UNDP comparative advantage
The project design has three specific elements as a comparative advantage of UNDP as an implementing agency in the country. The agency is present in the country and there is coherence between the Project and the UNDP assistance strategies for Paraguay. In addition, the agency's country office already had collaborative relationships with MADES (called SEAM in the Project design phase) and with other entities that co-finance the initiative.

3.1.7. Linkages between project and other interventions within the sector
The Project design identifies six projects that were already being implemented during the same drafting of the project and, with all of them, it envisions elements of collaboration

3.1.8. Management arrangements
The Project envisaged that it would be implemented through the Direct Implementation Modality (DIM) in accordance with the UNDP Program, Policies and Operations Procedures.

3.2 Project Implementation
3.2.1. Adaptive management
During the implementation of the Project, two substantive reviews of the ProDoc took place.

3.2.2. Effective partnerships arrangements
The Project Board has led the implementation of the project. In a first phase, the Project Board was made up of representatives of MADES and UNDP and a representative of the private sector co-financiers of the Project.ng the implementation of the Project, two substantive reviews of the ProDoc took place.

3.2.3. Monitoring and Evaluation: design at entry at execution
The Project's M&E plan has foreseen all the relevant elements for the purpose, i.e. the Results Framework as the main M&E tool, a mid-term review and this exercise as the final evaluation.

3.2.4. Project financing
Project budget expenditures have been made according to the adjustments included in the second substantive review.

3.2.5. Feedback from M&E activities used for adaptive management
The only relevant element of feedback from M&E activities for the adaptive management of the Project has been represented by the second substantive review that has been approved after the mid-term review.

3.2.6. Coordination and operational issues
The Project has had different levels of coordination with its main partner, MADES. At the macro or political level, it has been given through the Project Board, where according to the minutes, the meetings have been chaired by the Minister of the Environment or his representative: in this instance, the strategic decisions of the Project have been made, reflected in the two substantive reviews, and the POA for each year has been approved.

3.3 Project results
3.3.1. Achievements

The GEF tracking tool has been updated by the Project Team and reports progress on the impacts and results established at the portfolio level under the MSF / REDD + strategy. The tracking tool is consistent with the results of the evaluation.

3.3.2. Relevance

3.3.3. Efectiveness and efficiency
As seen in section 3.3.1. “General Results” the achievement of the results and of the Project objective has remained below the expectations displayed in the indicators of the Results Framework.

3.3.4. Country ownership
The Project has a very high national ownership.

3.3.5. Integration
The Project has constituted, through the installation of the Platforms, an exercise to support better governance of the productive sectors of soy and beef.

3.3.6. Sustainability
There is no doubt that, if the work of the Platforms were to end when the Project was closed, it would lose much of its importance and would become a work of little impact. The continuation of the work of the Platforms is essential for the sustainability of the initiative.

3.3.7. Impact
The installation of a governance and dialogue framework between the main actors of the agri-environmental sector in the pilot territories and with national effect on the adjustments of strategic regulations, referred to in Result 1, will clearly mean an important impact of the project.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Recommendations
1

Recommendation n° 1
Related to conclusions n° 2, n° 4 and n° 5
Addressed to UNDP and MADES
Have a monitoring and reporting system for the work developed by the Platforms. The system should, in principle, describe activities and indicate progress towards greater sustainability in terms of conflict resolution and consensus building. In this regard, it is possible to take advantage of some instruments created within the framework of the Global Commodities Program such as the Ladder of Change.

Such an instrument monitors the incremental change of nine success criteria on a scale of 1 to 5:
? Representation of the Actors
? Actors' Attitudes Towards Dialogue
? Actors' Understanding and Attitude Towards Root Causes and Sensitive Issues
? Alignment of Interests of the Actors
? Commitment of the Executives
? Collective Action
? Financing
? Platform / Institutionalization
? Gender
It is recalled that the instrument is not formally institutionalized in the Green Communities Program but has already been used in some context of the program.
Monitoring of this type is very important also for communication issues between the implementing agency and the donor. The approach is new, it is not known how effective it can be in the short period of time to achieve results in the field. Documenting the consensus-building process makes it easier to understand what happened during a preceding funding cycle and allows for more realistic expectations for a successive funding cycle.
2

Recommendation n° 2
Related to conclusions n° 3 and n° 5
Addressed to UNDP and MADES
Introduce the issue of sustainability of the Commodity Platforms to its members, taking advantage of the fact that the platforms will continue to be financed by the Chaco Verde Project. The Global Commodities Program in this regard has developed in 2018 a “Guidance Note on National Commodity Platforms –sustainability and exit strategies”. This guide identifies institutional capacity and long-term financing as the central themes for developing a sustainability strategy for the Platforms.
3

Recommendation n° 3
Related to conclusions n° 1, n° 2 and n° 9
Addressed to UNDP and MADES
It is suggested that the work of the platforms be used to produce scientific knowledge in the field of promoting sustainability, building consensus and practical routes towards shared objectives through the involvement of interested academic institutions. The work of the platform as a process is itself an object of study and can be assimilated to a laboratory capable of generating inputs for the work of researchers in the social, political and economic sciences. This type of work, although not important for implementation purposes, is also necessary to foster debate on the 2030 Agenda at both the national and international levels.
4

Recommendation n° 4
Related to conclusion n° 7
Addressed to UNDP, MADES and MAG
The process of operationalization of the action guidelines of the platforms is a favorable space for the strengthening of capacities. It is important to do an exercise from the very beginning to define who can finance the different actions within the actors of the platforms and to see which actions related to forest restoration and ecosystem connectivity should be implemented in cooperation with indigenous communities and small communities. In this way, it is possible, on the one hand, to advance with the negotiation work and improvements towards the sustainability of agricultural production systems, and on the other, in the typical period of time of development projects, that is, 5 years, to achieve more significant objectives in terms of environmental conservation. In addition, this type of exercise can visualize the degree of commitment of each actor to the conservation and restoration of ecosystems both in the short and medium term and therefore start a planning of interventions that take into account the real possibilities of private sector involvement.
5

Recommendation n° 5
Related to conclusion n° 11
Addressed to UNDP and MAG
Incorporate representatives of rural salaried workers in the operation of the Platforms. Although there is no reference union for the sector, it is very likely that there are formal or informal associations and groups promoting labour rights that deal with agriculture and livestock. The inclusion of these actors is very important for UNDP to fully comply with some of its principles of promoting human rights, governance for inclusive societies, gender equality and empowerment of women. The evaluation, therefore, suggests that a mapping be made of the groups and / or associations that represent the interests of workers in the agricultural sector at the national level. Then, the identified groups can be invited on specific occasions to give talks at Platform events to promote the interests of these actors.
6

Recommendation n° 6
Related to conclusion n° 11
Addressed to UNDP
Update the SESP of the Green Chaco project to include as an economic-social risk the lack of representation and participation of salaried workers in the Platforms.
7

Recommendation n° 7
Related to conclusions n° 4 and n° 7
Addressed to UNDP
When new initiatives are formulated, with characteristics similar to the evaluated Project, it is important to identify risks and valid assumptions and define indicators that are within the scope of the Project during its implementation period. If a work is proposed with the productive sector, it is therefore important to limit the indicators to the changes that can be promoted in the supply of a given commodity. Indicators that measure achievements in the demand for a commodity are very ambitious and difficult to achieve during the term of a 5-year project. In addition, when a project has both a productive and environmental objective, it is preferable to envision, already in ProDoc, a two-way strategy that allows the achievement of the objectives through the involvement of the private sector and through typical UNDP implementation mechanisms, i.e. support to environmental NGOs, small producers and indigenous communities.
View Details / Add / Update
1. Recommendation:

Recommendation n° 1
Related to conclusions n° 2, n° 4 and n° 5
Addressed to UNDP and MADES
Have a monitoring and reporting system for the work developed by the Platforms. The system should, in principle, describe activities and indicate progress towards greater sustainability in terms of conflict resolution and consensus building. In this regard, it is possible to take advantage of some instruments created within the framework of the Global Commodities Program such as the Ladder of Change.

Such an instrument monitors the incremental change of nine success criteria on a scale of 1 to 5:
? Representation of the Actors
? Actors' Attitudes Towards Dialogue
? Actors' Understanding and Attitude Towards Root Causes and Sensitive Issues
? Alignment of Interests of the Actors
? Commitment of the Executives
? Collective Action
? Financing
? Platform / Institutionalization
? Gender
It is recalled that the instrument is not formally institutionalized in the Green Communities Program but has already been used in some context of the program.
Monitoring of this type is very important also for communication issues between the implementing agency and the donor. The approach is new, it is not known how effective it can be in the short period of time to achieve results in the field. Documenting the consensus-building process makes it easier to understand what happened during a preceding funding cycle and allows for more realistic expectations for a successive funding cycle.
Management Response: [Added: 2021/03/02] [Last Updated: 2021/04/05]

Agree

Key Actions:

Key Action Responsible DueDate Status Comments Documents
The final version of the LADDER OF CHANGE tool will be awaited, which will be ready in the second semester of 2021. Once the GCP internalizes the methodology for using the tool, it will be put into practice through the team that will drive the platform, which is in the process of being formed.
[Added: 2021/04/05] 		PMU Green Chaco 2021/12 Not Initiated
2. Recommendation:

Recommendation n° 2
Related to conclusions n° 3 and n° 5
Addressed to UNDP and MADES
Introduce the issue of sustainability of the Commodity Platforms to its members, taking advantage of the fact that the platforms will continue to be financed by the Chaco Verde Project. The Global Commodities Program in this regard has developed in 2018 a “Guidance Note on National Commodity Platforms –sustainability and exit strategies”. This guide identifies institutional capacity and long-term financing as the central themes for developing a sustainability strategy for the Platforms.
Management Response: [Added: 2021/03/02] [Last Updated: 2021/04/05]

Agree

Key Actions:

Key Action Responsible DueDate Status Comments Documents
After the EF, on December 2, 2020, the proposal for institutionalization and financial sustainability of the platforms in Paraguay is presented to the members of the platform's board. Based on the review of the document, a meeting is suggested in January 2021 to retake and continue with the analysis of the document. In January 2021, unilateral meetings are held with the members of the platform board and everyone expresses their agreement on the content of the proposal, as well as with the intention of continuing with the platform process, although the Project closure. The need to designate a leading institution and a permanent secretariat is also established. On February 5, 2021, the board meeting is held, and two institutions propose to lead the platform, MAG and MADES, resulting MAG as the final candidate. The next steps would be one last meeting to formalize the designation of the lead institution and the formation of the secretariat (operative instance), as well as the elaboration of a work plan and the formation of the driving group (political instance) of the platforms.
[Added: 2021/04/05] 		Rafael Gadea, Cesar Meden 2021/06 Not Initiated Unfortunately, the document prepared by the Project for the “Proposal for the Institutionalization and Financial Sustainability of the Platforms in Paraguay” could not be delivered to the Main Evaluator, whose First Draft is under review by their Directive Board. Once they issue their opinions on it, it will be reviewed and analyzed within the departmental, regional and national platforms.
3. Recommendation:

Recommendation n° 3
Related to conclusions n° 1, n° 2 and n° 9
Addressed to UNDP and MADES
It is suggested that the work of the platforms be used to produce scientific knowledge in the field of promoting sustainability, building consensus and practical routes towards shared objectives through the involvement of interested academic institutions. The work of the platform as a process is itself an object of study and can be assimilated to a laboratory capable of generating inputs for the work of researchers in the social, political and economic sciences. This type of work, although not important for implementation purposes, is also necessary to foster debate on the 2030 Agenda at both the national and international levels.
Management Response: [Added: 2021/03/02] [Last Updated: 2021/04/05]

Agree

Key Actions:

Key Action Responsible DueDate Status Comments Documents
This will depend on achieving continuity, institutionalization and sustainability of the platforms, and having a management structure that can allow the compilation and systematization of the information obtained. From the institutionalization of the platforms, it is planned to include other key stakeholders, such as the Paraguayan Institute of Agrarian Technology (IPTA), which whom activities of research in different areas can be coordinated. Likewise, FECOPROD plans to set out, in plenary session of the national platforms, several points or needs that must be discussed and addressed, both by government agencies, as well as by the productive sector itself. For example, the unification of definitions, criteria and regulations related to sustainable production.
[Added: 2021/04/05] 		Rafael Gadea, Cesar Meden 2021/12 Not Initiated
4. Recommendation:

Recommendation n° 4
Related to conclusion n° 7
Addressed to UNDP, MADES and MAG
The process of operationalization of the action guidelines of the platforms is a favorable space for the strengthening of capacities. It is important to do an exercise from the very beginning to define who can finance the different actions within the actors of the platforms and to see which actions related to forest restoration and ecosystem connectivity should be implemented in cooperation with indigenous communities and small communities. In this way, it is possible, on the one hand, to advance with the negotiation work and improvements towards the sustainability of agricultural production systems, and on the other, in the typical period of time of development projects, that is, 5 years, to achieve more significant objectives in terms of environmental conservation. In addition, this type of exercise can visualize the degree of commitment of each actor to the conservation and restoration of ecosystems both in the short and medium term and therefore start a planning of interventions that take into account the real possibilities of private sector involvement.
Management Response: [Added: 2021/03/02] [Last Updated: 2021/04/05]

Agree

Key Actions:

Key Action Responsible DueDate Status Comments Documents
Throughout the project implementation, several of the action guidelines identified in the action plans agreed between the key actors have been operationalized. Some of the actions carried out are: Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) Implementation, conservative roads, restoration of Protective Forests of Watercourses (PFWC) and the adjustment of the legal framework for it, etc. However, this process constitutes the core of the Platform’s role as drivers of change for the achievement of sustainability in the commodities productive chains. Once MAG takes on the leadership of the platforms, it is expected to have a meeting with their representatives and discuss the strategy that the institution has to promote the permanent secretariat and its financing, as well as the implementation of the work plan, to be drawn up within the driving group and be subsequently implemented. On Friday, March 2, it is planned to hold a meeting with MAG representatives to learn about the future implementation and financing strategy of the platforms.
[Added: 2021/04/05] 		Rafael Gadea, Cesar Meden, Oscar Ferreiro y Amilcar Cazal 2021/06 Not Initiated
5. Recommendation:

Recommendation n° 5
Related to conclusion n° 11
Addressed to UNDP and MAG
Incorporate representatives of rural salaried workers in the operation of the Platforms. Although there is no reference union for the sector, it is very likely that there are formal or informal associations and groups promoting labour rights that deal with agriculture and livestock. The inclusion of these actors is very important for UNDP to fully comply with some of its principles of promoting human rights, governance for inclusive societies, gender equality and empowerment of women. The evaluation, therefore, suggests that a mapping be made of the groups and / or associations that represent the interests of workers in the agricultural sector at the national level. Then, the identified groups can be invited on specific occasions to give talks at Platform events to promote the interests of these actors.
Management Response: [Added: 2021/03/02] [Last Updated: 2021/04/05]

Conditionally Accepted

Key Actions:

Key Action Responsible DueDate Status Comments Documents
Although at the time of the project design and initiation phase, as well as during the mid-term evaluation, this point of incorporating rural salaried workers was not an identified issue, and on the other hand the FE did not identify to what specific groups of rural salaried workers they referred to or how their participation should take place. However, as a result of this recommendation and given of discussions that were already taking place in the working groups of the Chaco regional platform for sustainable meat, regarding the implementation of activities focused on improving the capacities of the staff of the ranches, as well as training in different areas to improve their professional and personal skills, it has been agreed with the Regional Consortiums of Agricultural Experimentation (CREA) the implementation of the School of Rural Equipment, which is a professional and personal training initiative for rural workers that work in ranches. This initiative consists of 8 chapters, which will be carried out in two areas of the Chaco (North and South). Likewise, it was agreed to carry out a mapping and systematization, not of associations/unions of workers (because there are none) but of the of rural employment characteristics, their organization, training representatives and obtaining their democratic representation in the Platforms. With these inputs, the incorporation of this segment to the different platforms, mainly departmental and regional, will be put under the consideration of the Board of the National Commodities Platform.
[Added: 2021/04/05] 		Rafael Gadea and the Platform Team 2021/04 Not Initiated The Schools of Rural Equipment will be launched in March 2021 and will last about 8 months. The implementation of the mapping and systematization will be able to carry out from April 2021 with the support of other projects that will have resources to strengthen the platforms.
6. Recommendation:

Recommendation n° 6
Related to conclusion n° 11
Addressed to UNDP
Update the SESP of the Green Chaco project to include as an economic-social risk the lack of representation and participation of salaried workers in the Platforms.
Management Response: [Added: 2021/03/02] [Last Updated: 2021/04/05]

Agree

Key Actions:

Key Action Responsible DueDate Status Comments Documents
The Green Chaco project SESP was updated and the lack of representation and participation of salaried workers in the Platforms will be included as a possible socio-economic risk. As mentioned in the previous point, it has been agreed with the Regional Consortiums of Agricultural Experimentation (CREA) the implementation of the School of Rural Equipment, which is a professional and personal training initiative for rural workers that work in ranches. This initiative consists of 8 chapters, which will be carried out in two areas of the Chaco (North and South). Likewise, it was agreed to carry out a mapping and systematization, not of associations/unions of workers (because there are none) but of the of rural employment characteristics, their organization, training representatives and obtaining their democratic representation in the Platforms. With these inputs, the incorporation of this segment to the different platforms, mainly departmental and regional, will be put under the consideration of the Board of the National Commodities Platform.
[Added: 2021/04/05] 		Rafael Gadea and Green Chaco team 2021/06 Not Initiated SESP update completed. The rest remains pending.
7. Recommendation:

Recommendation n° 7
Related to conclusions n° 4 and n° 7
Addressed to UNDP
When new initiatives are formulated, with characteristics similar to the evaluated Project, it is important to identify risks and valid assumptions and define indicators that are within the scope of the Project during its implementation period. If a work is proposed with the productive sector, it is therefore important to limit the indicators to the changes that can be promoted in the supply of a given commodity. Indicators that measure achievements in the demand for a commodity are very ambitious and difficult to achieve during the term of a 5-year project. In addition, when a project has both a productive and environmental objective, it is preferable to envision, already in ProDoc, a two-way strategy that allows the achievement of the objectives through the involvement of the private sector and through typical UNDP implementation mechanisms, i.e. support to environmental NGOs, small producers and indigenous communities.
Management Response: [Added: 2021/03/02] [Last Updated: 2021/04/05]

Agree

Key Actions:

Key Action Responsible DueDate Status Comments Documents
MADES has suggested that the project team should work closely with the group of consultants who are designing the new GEF project (FOLUR). Thus, the project team has been and continues to be in permanent contact with the group of consultants who are designing the referred project. Considerable emphasis has been placed on the first point, on identifying risks and valid assumptions, as well as on defining indicators that can be achieved during the project's duration. Implementing Grants with organizations that have experience and work specifically, both in environmental and productive aspects at different levels, has also been recommended.
[Added: 2021/04/05] 		Rafael Gadea/Veronique Gerard 2021/12 Initiated

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