Commissioning Unit: | Russian Federation |
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Evaluation Plan: | 2011-2017 |
Evaluation Type: | Project |
Completion Date: | 11/2013 |
Unit Responsible for providing Management Response: | Russian Federation
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Documents Related to overall Management Response: |
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Key Action Update History
The project covers a wide range of activities and geographic spread in the second half of the project activities the workplan should be consolidated a little and streamlined to focus on those activities that are critical for achieving planned outcomes and those that have shown promise, while dropping those that have lagged. In this respect, the evaluation recommends that the project formally drop the Specially Managed Steppe Areas (SMSA) activity (Output 2.5). There appear to be a number of legal and policy issues with this activity, and in one of the primary locations for developing this approach the context has changed. The project does not appear to be in a position to establish a nationally replicable private land conservation model, and individual unique instances have limited strategic value. As advocates for steppe ecosystems, project stakeholders are free to opportunistically pursue (as time and resources allow) specific opportunities for steppe protection in collaboration with private land owners, but this should be dropped as an official expected result of the project to allow the project team to focus on other key results.
Management Response: [Added: 2013/12/04] [Last Updated: 2016/10/21]
The project team supports the recommendation to drop SMSA/PA on private lands from the expected project outcomes. However, work with particular landowners aimed at introducing special management measures on farmlands covered by the steppe will continue, so as to create a precedent for the preservation of steppe sites on private lands by interested landowners.
Key Actions:
Key Action | Responsible | DueDate | Status | Comments | Documents |
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Hold meetings with landowners, examine steppe areas promising in terms of conservation, conclude agreements and possibly assist landowners with introduction of special measures (e.g. purchase seeds)
[Added: 2013/12/04] [Last Updated: 2018/11/07] |
Project team | 2014/12 | No Longer Applicable |
[Justification: The project wasn’t able to identify a sustainable mechanism and pursue economic incentives for local farmers to introduce particular management measures on farmlands aimed to preserve and sustainably use steppe ecosystems. This key action has been cancelled (as per Evaluator’s recommendation). The released funds re-allocated for capacity strengthening of the Orenburg Reserve, taking into account the expansion of its territory for additional 16.5 thousand ha in 2015. ] History |
Management Response: [Added: 2013/12/04]
The project team supports the proposed recommendations for amendments of the indicators and logframe targets. The project team is ready to add a ТRA indicator and revisit the logframe indicators and targets.
Key Actions:
Key Action | Responsible | DueDate | Status | Comments | Documents |
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Determine baseline and target values of TRA indicators for each pilot area
[Added: 2013/12/04] [Last Updated: 2018/11/07] |
Project team | 2014/07 | Completed | TRA-indicators have been included to the PIR 2014; indicators were revised in accordance with the evaluator’s recommendations. History | |
Revise and specify the logframe indicators and targets, including consultations with the UNDP-GEF regarding discarding a number of indicators in accordance with the recommendations of the mid-term assessment (such as dropping of SMSA, areas of the restored steppe lands)
[Added: 2013/12/04] [Last Updated: 2018/11/07] |
Project team | 2014/07 | Completed | The Logfrarme indicators were revised in accordance with the evaluator’s recommendations. History |
Management Response: [Added: 2013/12/04]
Activities aimed to restore meadow steppes have demonstrated their low effectiveness in terms of keeping steppe ecosystems, due to great labor and financial costs. According to the recommendations, the project will no longer finance the direct restoration costs, while monitoring of the restored vegetation on the existing sites in Kursk will go on. According to the recommendations, the remaining funds under Output 2.2. will be used to establish new protected areas in the Kursk Region. Stimulation of some landowners in the Orenburg Region by purchasing steppe plant seeds to accelerate restoration of steppe vegetation will continue on a smaller scale upon tentative assessment of financial efficiency; the reason for the continued project intervention in this case would be to prevent the ploughing up of the most valuable steppe sites in future. Development of an integrated fire management plan will be completed only in the Orenburg region, where some progress has been achieved for interaction with different sectoral stakeholders. Once the plan is approved, the experiences of the plan development and its implementation will be handed over to other pilot areas. In the pilot areas, additional fire-fighting training will be conducted for PA employees, farmers and sectoral authorities, in order to train farmers to manage fires at early stages and prevent fire propagation to the PA area.
Key Actions:
Key Action | Responsible | DueDate | Status | Comments | Documents |
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Establish four new protected area in the Kursk Region
[Added: 2013/12/04] [Last Updated: 2018/11/07] |
Kursk State University, Project team | 2017/12 | Completed | Nature monuments in Kursk Oblast gazetted History | |
Establish a biosphere polygon of the CCZ
[Added: 2013/12/04] [Last Updated: 2018/11/07] |
CCZ, Project team, selected subcontractor | 2017/12 | Completed | Documents for the establishment of biosphere testing ground at the Centralno-Chernozemny Zapovednik (CCZ) have been submitted for the state environmental expert review. With the subsequent closure of the Project and UNDP Office in Russia, further progress fully depends on the national stakeholders History | |
Train fire-fighting in pilot protected areas, farmers and sectoral authorities
[Added: 2013/12/04] [Last Updated: 2018/11/07] |
Pilot PAs, Project team | 2016/12 | Completed | Trainings on fire-fighting have been conducted in all 4 pilot reserves. History | |
Hold a workshop to assess efficiency of implementation of the Plan for Integrated Fire Management in the Orenburg Region
[Added: 2013/12/04] [Last Updated: 2018/11/07] |
Orenburg Reserve, project team | 2015/10 | Completed | An experience sharing discussion on fire-fighting and cooperation with various services of the Orenburg Region within the framework of the signed agreement was held at the CCZ in October 2015. History |
Management Response: [Added: 2013/12/04]
The project team will make every effort to speed up the yearly budget delivery. Slow delivery rate so far has been related to lack of available expertise in the regions despite the fact that research institutions are available. For instance, in the Orenburg Region almost all the project activities were performed by the Institute of Steppe Institute; in Dauria, most of the jobs are performed by the staff of the Daursky Reserve. The great amount of work to be done causes delay of execution of ongoing activities and inability to start new work. Employing of experts from outside the project area is frequently inefficient due to their poor knowledge of the local conditions, increased costs, etc. On the other hand, the evaluation report mentions that the project has savings of the management budget; hence a project extension for six months or even until the end of 2015 will not reduce its efficiency. The project team will make efforts to involve new contractors where possible and control that contractors implement planned activities on time.
Key Actions:
Key Action | Responsible | DueDate | Status | Comments | Documents |
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Constantly monitor timing for deliverables under subcontracts; make efforts to attract more outside expertise where possible
[Added: 2013/12/04] [Last Updated: 2018/11/07] |
Project team | 2017/12 | Completed | All contracts have been closely monitored to ensure timely delivery of the project outputs. The project ensured 100% delivery of its initial budget History |
Management Response: [Added: 2013/12/04]
The project accepts the recommendation and will undertake all necessary actions to share the lessons learned. Particular positive examples for replication will be identified in the first half of 2014.
Key Actions:
Key Action | Responsible | DueDate | Status | Comments | Documents |
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Include the information on lessons learned and best results replication into the agenda of SC meetings
[Added: 2013/12/04] [Last Updated: 2018/11/07] |
Project team | 2017/12 | Completed | Replication schemes for positive project experience and lessons learned were discussed at the Project Steering Committee meetings held in 2015 and 2017. The project prepared a standard Lessons Learned study towards its completion. History | |
Share lessons learned in the pilot and other regions, replicate positive experience; conduct workshops and trainings, and working meetings with regional authorities.
[Added: 2013/12/04] [Last Updated: 2018/11/07] |
Project team | 2015/12 | Completed | Project results have been showcased at various events, such as Steppe Day in the Orenburg region and Kalmykia, Tulip Holiday in Kalmykia, opening of the Centre for the Przewalsky’s Horse reintroduction in the Orenburg Reserve, Conference on integrated fire management practices in Centralno-Chernozemny Zapovednik, other scientific symposiums and conferences and working group meetings (such as, Russian-Mongolian working group on environment protection), etc. History |
Management Response: [Added: 2013/12/04]
The project will continue analyzing audit recommendations and identifying the basic needs of the reserves to improve the capacity to conserve the steppe ecosystem. Subsequently, the project will consider the possibilities of developing the required training modules. At the same time, the project work plan already envisages trainings on various aspects of activities performed by the reserves. Specifically, the fire management workshops increase the reserves? capacity to protect steppe ecosystems in case of destructive fires; a manual is being prepared on grazing in a PA area; in 2014, workshops on the specific management pattern for the steppe ecosystems will be conducted for inspectors and reserve management to improve the efficiency of PA in conservation of steppe ecosystems etc.
Key Actions:
Key Action | Responsible | DueDate | Status | Comments | Documents |
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Collect additional information on the basic needs of the reserves
[Added: 2013/12/04] [Last Updated: 2018/11/07] |
Project team, Pilot reserves, MNRE | 2016/12 | Completed | The main needs were related to the procurement of additional fire-fighting and monitoring equipment. Associated procurement requests from the pilot PAs were fulfilled in 2015-2016 History | |
Develop the plan of training workshops and manuals (if needed)
[Added: 2013/12/04] [Last Updated: 2018/11/07] |
Project team, Pilot reserves | 2014/06 | Completed | The training plan was included into the project annual workplan. History | |
Training for the inspectors of the pilot reserves
[Added: 2013/12/04] [Last Updated: 2018/11/07] |
Project team, Pilot reserves | 2014/12 | Completed | Trainings on fire-fighting and working with GIS-programme on the territory monitoring have been conducted. History |
Management Response: [Added: 2013/12/04]
The project considers activities aimed to help sustaining the saiga population as a priority. Actually, the project currently initiates/coordinates all the newly emerging moves to conserve the saiga in Kalmykia. On the project initiative, a conference was conducted in November 2011 for all the stakeholders to discuss immediate steps required for continuous saiga conservation efforts at the regional level. Another, a higher level stakeholder meeting is to be conducted in the late 2013-early 2014, presumably, in the Russian Geographical Society patronized by the President of Russia. In October 2011 and August 2013, the project conducted a saiga census. In 2012-2013, the project helped the local saiga preservation team purchase fuel, and in November 2013 a vehicle will be purchased for the same purpose. Preparation of documents on establishing a large regional sanctuary will be another step to ensure regional conservation of the species.
Key Actions:
Key Action | Responsible | DueDate | Status | Comments | Documents |
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Stakeholder meeting to discuss solutions to conserve the Kalmyk saiga population
[Added: 2013/12/04] [Last Updated: 2018/11/07] |
MNRE, project team | 2015/12 | Completed | By the decision of the Russian MNRE, the meeting was held in December 2015. History |
Management Response: [Added: 2013/12/04]
At the moment, community boards are being established as part of activities aimed to ensure community engagement. The experience of the operation of such boards in Russia is rather limited; such boards have been established and have been operating successfully in the Altai Zapovednik, and the reserve is ready to share the lessons learned with other reserves. Representatives of regional hunting societies will take part in the work of those boards. As to the programs for community-based monitoring, they are virtually non-existent in Russia, and developing such monitoring implies a number of specific tasks and activities which currently are not in the focus of the project.
Key Actions:
Key Action | Responsible | DueDate | Status | Comments | Documents |
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Organize and conduct workshops on establishing community boards affiliated with all the pilot PAs
[Added: 2013/12/04] |
Altai Zapovednik, project team | 2013/12 | Completed | ||
Establish community boards for co-management in the Orenburg Region, Kalmykia and Dauria
[Added: 2013/12/04] [Last Updated: 2018/11/07] |
Pilot PAs, project team | 2015/12 | Completed | Community advisory councils have been established in all pilot PAs where there were planned - Orenburg, Dauria and Chernye Zemli. History |
Management Response: [Added: 2013/12/04]
According to MNRE?s officials, the Ministry is well informed of the situation in the reserve and its needs, and believes that there is no need for extra funding. Following the evaluator?s recommendations, the project is ready to conduct further consultations with the MNRE.
Key Actions:
Key Action | Responsible | DueDate | Status | Comments | Documents |
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Conduct consultations with MNRE on the need to audit the CCZ
[Added: 2013/12/04] [Last Updated: 2018/11/07] |
Project team | 2014/12 | Completed | No need for extra funding for CCZ was confirmed by the MNRE (by the project National Director who's also in charge of the federal PA affairs within the MNRE) History |
Management Response: [Added: 2013/12/04]
The project will make every effort to obtain the planned co-financing and improve relevant documentation.
Key Actions:
Key Action | Responsible | DueDate | Status | Comments | Documents |
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Get response from all stakeholders which issued the letters on co-financing in 2009; in case of no provision of pledged cofinancing ? develop alternative scenarios to obtain the required level of c-financing from other sources
[Added: 2013/12/04] [Last Updated: 2018/11/07] |
Project team | 2015/12 | Completed | Co-financing amounts were corrected and re-estimated in the end of 2015 History |
Management Response: [Added: 2013/12/04]
The project is ready to support the authors that prepared articles for peer-reviewed scientific publications. The main obstacles preventing Russian authors from publishing are the necessity to translate the articles for foreign magazines into English, and a long time to publication in Russian magazines. The project can carry the financial costs of publishing such articles, if necessary.
Key Actions:
Key Action | Responsible | DueDate | Status | Comments | Documents |
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Prepare publication plan for articles on the outcomes of project work
[Added: 2013/12/04] [Last Updated: 2018/11/07] |
Project team | 2016/12 | Completed | The project has informed project stakeholders on the possibility to support the publication of their articles in peer-reviewed magazines, including foreign ones. It was not possible to develop writing / publication plan so far given the lack of proposals from the stakeholders’ side. History | |
Assist in publication of articles
[Added: 2013/12/04] [Last Updated: 2018/11/07] |
Project team | 2015/12 | Completed | The project has informed project stakeholders on the possibility to support the publication of their articles in peer-reviewed magazines, including foreign ones. It was not possible to develop writing / publication plan so far given the lack of proposals from the stakeholders’ side. History |
Management Response: [Added: 2013/12/04]
The project agrees that regulatory amendments should be adopted in order to demonstrate project success with work on policy and legislation development. Changes in the statutes and regulations depend on many subjective and objective factors, starting from the personal opinion on the amendments of the official in charge and down to the economic and political situation in the country in general. Hence, it is very difficult to guarantee that amendments will be made. Nevertheless, the project will continue its efforts to do these both at the regional and federal levels.
Key Actions:
Key Action | Responsible | DueDate | Status | Comments | Documents |
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Arrange for a working meeting in the MNRE at the National Director level and prepare a working plan to tackle this issue for 2014.
[Added: 2013/12/04] [Last Updated: 2018/11/07] |
Project team | 2014/12 | Completed | The meeting was arranged. Given the lack of special requests from the MNR, the workplan could have not been developed. History | |
Hold a working meeting in the Parliament of Kalmykia, discuss the proposed amendments and federal-level support for the initiatives
[Added: 2013/12/04] [Last Updated: 2018/11/07] |
Project team | 2016/12 | Completed | The issue was raised several times with the SC representatives from Kalmykia, as well as during the PM monitoring visits to the pilot region, howerver, there was no progress with the legislative reform due to the lack of interest from the respective regional government bodies History |
Management Response: [Added: 2013/12/04]
At the moment, website visitation gives a fairly good idea of the number of people willing to find out the condition of Russian steppes: they are few researchers, students and NGO representatives. Information about the website and some website materials are also placed on the page of a dedicated Facebook group (ca. 300 members), in the Vkontakte social network etc. Nevertheless, the project will consider and outline measures to increase website visitation.
Key Actions:
Key Action | Responsible | DueDate | Status | Comments | Documents |
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Develop action plan to increase website visitation
[Added: 2013/12/04] [Last Updated: 2018/11/07] |
Project team | 2014/01 | Completed | The project performed planned actions aimed to increase the website visitation. The website was highly praised by the project Terminal Evaluation; the website is being sustained by the local stakeholders upon project completion History |
Management Response: [Added: 2013/12/04]
The project will control placement of its logo on the products produced/purchased from the project funds. More substantial branding, such as targeted distribution of project publications at various events, appropriate outreach to media will also be considered.
Key Actions:
Key Action | Responsible | DueDate | Status | Comments | Documents |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Control logo placement (vehicles, equipment, publications). Collect best experience from other projects regarding various aspects of project branding
[Added: 2013/12/04] [Last Updated: 2018/11/07] |
Project team | 2014/06 | Completed | UNDP / GEF logos, and sometimes project logo, are always placed on all project-funded publications, as well as on all promotional materials. In accordance with the evaluator’s recommendation all protected areas’ vehicles are marked with the authorized protected areas’ logos. History |