SUB-REGIONAL WORKSHOP FOR GEF FOCAL POINTS IN WESTERN AND CENTRAL AFRICA, DAKAR, May 2007 GEF NATIONAL COORDINATION: BURKINA FASO’S EXPERIENCE

PRESENTATION OUTLINE: 1. Introduction 2. National coordination mechanism 3. Coordination issues 4. Looking ahead 5. Conclusion

1. INTRODUCTION 1994 Official membership of Burkina Faso in GEF: 1994 Creation of Coordination Mechanism: 1994 Gradual evolution of the coordination process in time, in order to align to new dynamics, possible options or requirements.

2. NATIONAL COORDINATION MECHANISM POLITICAL COORDINATION TECHNICAL COORDINATION

2. NATIONAL COORDINATION MECHANISM 2.1 POLITICAL COORDINATION: Political Focal Point (PFP): Minister in charge of Finance Actual functions carried out by the PFP include: - Overseeing the integration of Government viewpoints in GEF political and administrative matters; - Ensuring liaison between the Government and GEF Secretariat; - Co-signing project documents with GEF Implementing Agencies; - Monitoring project financial and technical implementation through audits.

2. NATIONAL COORDINATION MECHANISM 2.1 POLITICAL COORDINATION : Burkina Faso’s PFP delegates its other responsibilities to the Operational Focal Point (OFP). Those responsibilities include: - Liaison with the representative of the GEF Council constituency; - Dissemination of information on activities conducted by the GEF; - Organization of national consultations on GEF administration matters.

2. NATIONAL COORDINATION MECHANISM 2.2 TECHNICAL COORDINATION: The technical coordination of GEF activities is entrusted to the Operational Focal Point. This function comes under the purview of the Ministry in Charge of Environment. For practical purposes, the OFP is responsible for day-to-day contacts with the GEF Secretariat. It is the true engine of all GEF activities at the national level.

2. NATIONAL COORDINATION MECHANISM 2.2 TECHNICAL COORDINATION: Coordination at Ministerial Cabinet level: 1994 to 2003 When Burkina Faso became a member of GEF, the country did not have a technical body playing a cross-cutting role as regards integration of environmental and developmental matters in projects and programmes. Only the Ministerial Cabinet was empowered to do so.

2. NATIONAL COORDINATION MECHANISM Initially, the main OFP function was the production of endorsement letters certifying that the activity envisioned by the project proponent is consistent with the country’s policies and strategies pertaining to environmental protection For the monitoring of standard projects, the OFP had initiated the creation of Project Steering Committees. Some of these committees were even chaired by the OFP.

2. NATIONAL COORDINATION MECHANISM Coordination by the Permanent Secretariat of the National Council for Environment and Sustainable Development: 2004 to nowadays In 2002, Burkina Faso instituted a cross-cutting entity in charge of facilitating the effective integration of basic environmental management principles in sustainable development matters, the National Council for Environment and Sustainable Development (CONEDD - Conseil National pour l'Environnement et le Développement Durable) The CONEDD is chaired by the Prime Minister.

2. NATIONAL COORDINATION MECHANISM The Permanent Secretariat of the National Council for Environment and Sustainable Development (SP/CONEDD) is a body in charge of executing and implementing the missions of CONEDD The SP/CONEDD is housed by the Ministry in Charge of Environment The SP/CONEDD began ensuring the coordination of GEF activities in 2004

2. NATIONAL COORDINATION MECHANISM GEF coordination by the SP/CONEDD in its capacity as OFP is carried out at several levels: (a)National coordination within the framework of GEF project preparation and implementation: -Definition of concepts and preparation of projects consistent with national priorities and GEF priorities -Review of project proposals by a select committee -Submission of project proposals, after review, to Ministry authorities for processing -Project endorsement -Monitoring of project implementation

2. NATIONAL COORDINATION MECHANISM (b) National coordination with environmental Conventions (Harmonization framework for conventions pertaining to environmental matters): - Monitoring of GEF project/programme implementation -Identification of project concepts -Reinforced leveraging of opportunities offered by GEF -Dissemination of information on GEF

2. NATIONAL COORDINATION MECHANISM (c) Coordination in connection with GEF Secretariat: -Dissemination of information on GEF activities -Monitoring of GEF project implementation in the field and, as needed, reporting to GEF Secretariat -Distribution of GEF documents and information to stakeholders (d) C oordination with the international agenda : Preparation of and participation in international and regional meetings: GEF General Assemblies, GEF Council meetings, Constituency meetings, seminars and workshops

3. COORDINATION ISSUES 3.1 Coordination as carried out by the Cabinet: When technical coordination was the responsibility of the Cabinet, the GEF OFP was requested in most cases at the last minute and on an emergency basis to endorse projects of which he had no prior knowledge, as he had not been involved in the process. His role seemed to be limited strictly to issuing the letter of endorsement accompanying the proponent’s project concept. In addition, the independent character of ongoing projects made their monitoring rather difficult for the OFP. As it turned out, these situations resulted in restricting the role of the OFP who was unable to fully carry out his duties as national coordinator, as he was not fully involved in the development and effective monitoring of GEF-funded projects.

3. COORDINATION ISSUES 3.2 Coordination as carried out by the SP/CONEDD As they are provided by an entity housed by a technical department, i.e. the Ministry in Charge of Environment, the advice and guidance of the SP/CONEDD to carry out coordination activities are not always closely applied by other ministerial department services. This results in: Hesitancy on the part of potential promoters regarding the identification of project concepts; Weaknesses in the implementation of consultation activities with environmental conventions and agreements Lack of programming on the part of GEF project managers providing for project monitoring by the OFP Difficulties in real time Internet connection.

4. LOOKING AHEAD The measures and approaches adopted by Burkina Faso in order to enhance methods and procedures for GEF activity coordination, i.e. the creation of a regular consultation framework centred on environmental conventions and agreement, the development of a manual of procedures, and the institution of an advisory committee for GEF projects, will contribute to improvements in the coordination process.

5. CONCLUSION As regards the new Resource Allocation Framework limiting fund allocation to biological diversity and climate change, the Convention Consultation Framework, the Manual of Procedures and the measures taken for the management of this mechanism ensure the alignment of all national stakeholders on new GEF dynamics in Burkina Faso. These measures provide greater incentives to all stakeholders involved so as to encourage improved collaboration in the coordination of GEF activities.

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