Managing the National Communications Process UNFCCC Workshop on Exchange of Experiences and Good Practices among NAI Countries in Preparing NCs September 2007, Cairo, Egypt Yamil Bonduki UNDP

The SNC is a reporting tool at the international level & a policy tool at the national level Successful implementation of the SNC will Enhance technical and institutional capacity on climate change at the national level Facilitate integration of climate change responses into national development priorities Provide substantive inputs to policy-makers to address climate change concerns Further enhance public awareness of climate change Generate knowledge and disseminate information on climate change at different levels of the society

Management of the SNC process is an active, ongoing role 1. SNC objectives/outcomes 2. Scope of work planned 3. Stakeholder engagement 4. Technical knowledge 5. Communication of results Use project milestones to adjust SNC processes

Possible workshop objectives refine national institutional arrangements identify potential linkages to national development planning identify stakeholders to be engaged during SNC preparation outline longer-term activities (e.g. awareness raising, M&E) agree technical and policy-relevant objectives for SNC 1. SNC objectives/outcomes Use project inception workshop to plan milestones, and establish expectations and desired outcomes. The inception workshop should provide parameters for SNC

Systems serve multiple purposes: help ensure work is carried out within scope and on time define roles and responsibilities establish rules of procedure to encourage consistency and efficiency support QA/QC, documentation and archiving activities 2. Scope of work planned The SNC project co-ordinator uses the planning phase to establish systems and rules of procedure for project team. Establish systems and processes during planning phase

Expand National Climate Change Committee (e.g., NGOs, private sector, additional Government Ministries) to improve collaboration with SNC process Build on synergies and institutional linkages created during National Capacity Self Assessment (NCSA) Senior political commitment is required if climate change to be mainstreamed in governmental agenda Lessons learned Well-defined roles and responsibilities are critical

Documentation and archiving are time-consuming, but cost-effective in long-run Document calculations and structures/processes Encourage completeness, consistency, comparability, transparency and accuracy Minimum QA/QC should include internal review procedures and one external peer review Lessons learned Documentation & archiving create sustainability

Different stakeholder groups may require different messages and incentives The broader the composition of stakeholders, the more opportunities to identify new mainstreaming entry points 3. Stakeholder engagement For stakeholders to remain engaged in the process, they must understand how the SNC relates to them Identify mechanisms for maintaining stakeholder engagement throughout the SNC process and beyond

Encourage sharing of results between thematic areas SNC project co-ordinator should maintain overview of entire process & where relationships need to be developed Leverage results of mitigation and V&A studies for project formulation and implementation Create national action plans that use SNC outputs 4. Technical knowledge Technical studies should have policy relevance and focus on national priorities &/or vulnerabilities SNC technical work should build upon and refine INC outputs

Lessons learned SNC should set realistic targets and priorities to ensure quality of technical reports Select methods/tools that address research questions, data requirements, and technical expertise Design strategies to address data gaps Identify opportunities to strengthen technical and institutional capacities

Communications strategy should target government, media, key stakeholder groups and the public Focus on relevant messages for each audience, e.g. policy-relevant outcomes for government Highlight linkages between SNC outputs and national development planning 5. Communications of results Promoting the results of the SNC plays an important role in raising awareness of climate change issues Promoting the results of the SNC creates awareness