Projects and Programme

Readiness Support Project to Strengthen NDA Pakistan

It is crucial that developing countries are able to effectively access and deploy resources from the Green Climate Fund. That is why the Fund provides early support for readiness and preparatory activities to enhance country ownership and access. This "country readiness" funding is a dedicated and cross-cutting programme that maximizes the effectiveness of the Fund by empowering developing countries. This support may be delivered to countries directly through National Designated Authorities (NDAs) or Focal Points; which in Pakistan’s context is the Federal Ministry of Climate Change (MoCC).

National Rural Support Programme (NRSP) is the first ever national entity in Pakistan selected by the Green Climate Fund (GCF), after a detailed Financial Management Capacity Assessment (FMCA), to execute the readiness support fund. This readiness support aims to strengthen the institutional capacity; to manage climate finance, including the capacity to design, implement and monitor the institutional arrangements required at various levels and a clear and inclusive strategic framework as country programme and for the engagement with the Green Climate Fund. This readiness project is completed in 2018, achieving 100% of the targets. Following are the major components of this readiness support:

1. GCF COUNTRY FRAMEWORK FOR PAKISTAN

Development of Strategic Framework as Country's Programme for Pakistan on Climate Change Initiatives and Priorities for the engagement with the GCF is one of the major components of readiness support fund. Following steps were followed for the development of this country framework:

• Stock-take of the existing strategies, policies, and needs assessments including the Climate Change Policy, the vulnerability assessments and adaptation measures in place for Pakistan
• Through consultative process, identified investment priorities for engagement with the Fund and mapped them to GCF’s impact areas
• Defined and disseminated broad alignment criteria in line with the Climate Change Policy and other policy objectives and priorities of the country and the GCF focus areas for prioritizing the potential programmes for the Fund
• Through the country coordination and stakeholder engagement process, developed a Country Programme identifying roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders, No-Objection-Procedures, programming priorities and entry points, alignment with Fund’s objectives and Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) framework etc

2. STAKEHOLDERS CONSULTATION

Objective of this activity was to consult and engage all relevant stakeholders including relevant federal and provincial government departments and ministries (climate change, environment, planning and development, forest etc) and other development organizations; during development of Strategic Framework as Country's Programme for Pakistan on Climate Change Initiatives and Priorities for the engagement with the GCF. First round of consultation was done in March, 2017 through organization of a stakeholder’s consultation workshop in Muzaffarabad-AJK; in which more than 80 relevant stakeholders from all around Pakistan participated and who shared their valuable inputs. Another round of stakeholders engagement was organized in September, 2017 in Lahore, Pakistan; in which the finalized country’s framework for Pakistan was presented and approved. Private sector was also engaged during this stakeholders consultation process.

3. HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

Human Resource Development component was made part of the readiness support so that expected future resources/funds from Green Climate Fund (GCF) could be implemented more efficiently. After finalization of the Country Framework staff of National Designation Authority (Ministry of Climate Change), potential implementation entities for GCF and representatives of development organizations were trained and made aware on the following:

• Strategic Framework as Country Programme on engagement with the GCF
• GCF coordination process and procedural mechanisms (including No-Objection-Procedures)

Exchange of experience with best practice NDAs and Entities around the world was also part of Human Resource Development component.

4. ASSESSMENT OF NIES ON GCF STANDARDS

Ministry of Climate Change recommend one potential National Implementation Entities (NIEs); who was supported to prepare for accreditation to be done by Green Climate Fund. This was Environment Protection Agency (EPA), Government of Punjab; which is planning for and seeking accreditation from GCF. National Rural Support Programme hired Pwc Pakistan which carried out the detailed institutional assessment of EPA and shared a gap assessment report and plan to further seek GCF accreditation.

Concept Note on Climate Smart Agriculture

Immediately after accreditation from the Green Climate Fund, NRSP drafted a Concept Note (CN) focusing on climate smart agriculture which is officially submitted to the GCF for further review and moving towards the next steps of approval. This concept is part of GCF Country’s Framework for Pakistan and is discussed at different stages with the Ministry of Climate Change (which is the National Designated Authority-NDA in Pakistan). Currently, NRSP is in discussion with GCF and NDA Pakistan on this initiative.