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Project managers present at the Annual Review and Planning Workshop for the Small Grants Programme that is implemented by the United Nations Development Programme and funded by the Global Environment Facility. (Photo: UNDP)
Gelephu, Sarbang - Sixty project managers are meeting this week to review progress, challenges and plans for the Small Grants Programme that is implemented by the United Nations Development Programme and funded by the Global Environment Facility.
The GEF-UNDP Small Grants Programme’s Annual Review and Planning Workshop is underway at Gelephu, Sarbang for the next four days and concludes on the 29th of December. The attendees are mostly chairpersons of community-based organizations, Renewable Natural Resources extension officers and civil society organizations officials and educational institutions.
The workshop is a platform to review the progress of projects, discuss challenges and plan for rest of the project period. The workshop provides a platform for project implementers to strengthen collaboration and build network for effective implementation of the programme's micro-grants. The workshop primarily promotes peer-to-peer knowledge sharing, exchange of best practices and lessons and problem solving though reflective learning. New project grantees will be oriented on the programme's processes, financial and technical progress reporting, soft skills and knowledge management.
Representatives from 27 projects spread across 14 Dzongkhags are present at the workshop. Currently there are 22 micro-projects projects under implementation in 12 Dzongkhags mostly led by community based organisations. Ten projects are from Zhemgang Dzongkhag, mostly from lower Zhemgang (Lower Manas River Basin), which is the identified landscape for the programme's Operational Phase 6 (2015-2019). The projects are mainly in the areas of biodiversity conservation, sustainable land management, sustainable forest management, climate change and water.
About USD 1.05 million is already committed, which is 80% of total resource of USD 1.26 million for this operational phase including government co-financing of USD 0.5 million.
The workshop was opened by Dzongda, Zhemgang Dzongkhag as the chief guest and attended by representatives from Gross National Happiness Commission, UNDP, civil society organisations, community based organisations and others.
A guide book on agro-biodiversity “Dru Na Gu (nine cereals)” and “Status of Field Crops Diversity in Dewathang and Orong Gewogs”, produced by Samdrup Jongkhar Initiative and UNDP-SGP’s bi-lingual brochure was also launched at the workshop. The brochure can be downloaded from the following links.
For more information or media inquiries, please contact:
Dechen Wangmo, Communications Analyst, UNDP Bhutan, tel: +975 322424 ext: 135, email: dechen.wangmo@undp.org;