Darwin Initiative: 5th Report
Chapter 5
Consultant's comments on the Darwin Initiative programme
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is considering the following comments and recommendations from ECTF on the Darwin Initiative Programme. Their views are particularly useful in light of the imminent launch of Phase II of the Darwin Initiative.
ECTF comments
The months leading up to the World Summit on Sustainable Development are an important time for considering the nature and effectiveness of the programme and ways in which to strengthen the Darwin Initiative to meet contemporary needs. Towards this end, the Monitoring and Evaluation Project last year presented a number of considerations and recommendations on ways in which the project selection procedure and the monitoring system could be improved within the resources available. This year we have re-iterated a number of issues that we consider need particular attention and have made further comments and recommendations based on our findings during the year.
Objectives of the Darwin Initiative
A number of key recommendations to the Darwin Initiative made by the Rio+10 Project, the 3rd Darwin Lecture by Cristian Samper, and last years Monitoring & Evaluation Annual Report to DETR, expressed the need to more strongly link priorities of the Darwin Initiative to the work programme and decisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity. The Darwin Initiative objectives are currently defined by a number of 'principles'. The first of these, apparently the main principle, relates to assisting countries to meet their CBD commitments but others include 'drawing on UK expertise' and 'quality and scientific excellence'. At present, the goal of the Darwin Initiative is ambiguous and the emphasis on other criteria can cause confusion and imply some uncertainty about the Identity of the Darwin Initiative. Draft Darwin objectives could be prepared and circulated to the DAC for comment and revision along the lines of the possible structure suggested in the 'Rio+10 Report'
"Goal: To ensure that the UK Government's commitment to developing and CEE countries under the Convention for Biological Diversity are met.
Purpose: To use UK strengths in biodiversity to work with countries rich in biological diversity but poor in resources to implement their commitment under the Convention for Biological Diversity. To liase with the DFID, GEF and other UK funded programmes to ensure that priorities recommended by CBD-SBSTTA 3 are supported.
Objectives: These would be based on a précis of the CBD Articles - perhaps structuring them in a manner similar to the EC Biodiversity Strategy - e.g. a) 'to conserve and sustain the use of biological diversity'; b) to share the benefits arising out of the utilisation of genetic resources'; c) to research, identify, monitor and exchange information on biological diversity; d) to undertake relevant education, training and awareness raising'"
Poverty alleviation
It is very likely that linkages between biodiversity conservation and poverty alleviation will be under discussion at the World Summit on Sustainable Development. Clarification of the relevance of the Darwin Initiative to poverty alleviation is necessary as, although reference to this issue is made in the main objective of the Darwin Initiative, it is given very little prominence in the programme as a whole. Furthermore, there is no direct reference to poverty alleviation in the CBD Articles although it is clear that many of the measures have the potential for addressing this issue indirectly. ECTF have recommended that Darwin Aims are more closely tied to those of the CBD. As such, poverty alleviation would not form part of the primary Aims of the Darwin Initiative although project objectives may have the potential for addressing this issue indirectly:
- over the longer-term, through assisting host countries to implement measures described under CBD articles;
- through synergy with mainstream international development programmes that would maintain the distinct nature of the Darwin Initiative by forming a component of the work to address biodiversity conservation issues. Mutual benefits would result, adding value to both the development programme (availability of high level biodiversity expertise) and the Darwin project (access to a range of other expertise e.g. social and economic).
Projects should be encouraged to explore and develop opportunities for enhancing benefits to the wider community in the host country through resource management, biodiversity use, civic empowerment, and partnerships that link research institutes to the private and public sector .
Improving impact
The Darwin Initiative has invested considerable effort in encouraging projects to foster activities that promote the long-term impact of interventions. A number of project leaders and advisers have suggested that a fund should be considered that would provided small-scale financial support to particularly successful projects in order to consolidate the earlier work. This would not be an alternative to a clearly defined and implemented exit strategy in Darwin projects but would only be considered for brief follow-up work that could demonstrate significant gains to the host country, e.g. response to tenders, follow-up training.
Darwin Initiative Image
It is apparent from project reports and respondents of the Rio+10 Project that the Darwin Initiative enjoys a high reputation for the quality and significance of its biological diversity project. Projects are considered to set high standards, be based on sound science, be creative, and produce lasting benefits for host countries. This reputation, and the lack of other UK biodiversity funding bodies, means that the Darwin Initiative remains heavily over-subscribed. However, on a less positive note, many UK biodiversity specialists are also aware that the requirement for a significant contribution from the UK institute to Darwin projects often results in an exceptional pressure on individuals and institutes and this can discourage applicants. Staff at the Darwin Secretariat are very aware of the huge amount of effort many project leaders put into Darwin projects and a number of project reports received over the last year again expressed appreciation for the flexibility shown by the Darwin Office staff and their considerable support and assistance.
Support for monitoring and evaluation of projects
The impact of a Darwin project is measured by the improved state of biodiversity conservation in the host country. This presents a problem for project leaders who are required to demonstrate that project outputs and outcomes address the purpose of their project. Real achievements often come at the end, of after project completion and it is therefore very difficult to assess project impact within the implementation phase or predict the long-term impact of this work. Many projects struggle to develop indicators of project impact (qualitative and quantitative) and it is evident from reports that some project leaders would welcome more information on developing Logframes and indicators of achievements. The website and the Discussion Board would provide a useful vehicle for this information and exchange of ideas.
Publicity
Project leaders often make a huge effort to promote the Darwin Initiative in the host country with impressive results. Publicity material produced by Defra and Darwin projects should clearly show the website address to promote a wider awareness of the Darwin Initiative and access to the website resources such as information on projects and where to access publications. More recognition of the contribution of co-funders and local partners should also be made in documents and promotional material.
ECTF Recommendations
The following recommendations should be considered alongside the more comprehensive set of recommendations made by ECTF in the 'Darwin Initiative Evaluation (1993-2000) Report:
- The priorities of the Darwin Initiative should be more closely tied to those of the Convention on Biological Diversity with a single Goal, a small number of Purposes, and Outputs that relate directly to the work programme of the CBD (Articles).
- Greater effort should be made to incorporate the Darwin Initiative into UK CBD and EU biodiversity programmes by encouraging Darwin project partnerships with mainstream international development programmes where Darwin's distinct biodiversity component would bring mutual benefits.
- The main Aims of the Initiative should not include poverty alleviation (to which there is no direct reference in the CBD Articles). However, many of the measures described under the CBD Articles have the potential for addressing this issue indirectly, such as improved livelihoods and resource management, and may be included in project objectives.
- Applicants should not be encouraged to be too ambitious or to underestimate the time required for implementing activities, developing legislation, and embedding project outcomes into local practice. It would be beneficial for guidance notes to stress the importance of realistic goals and for the application assessment process to pay particular attention to the feasibility to proposals within the project timeframe.
- The accepted practice that Darwin applicants should provide significant matching funding means that, in reality, Darwin Projects often prove a burden on the resources of institutes. As a consequence this can limit who applies for funding. In rare cases the DI provides full economic costing of projects, and it is suggested that this practice should be extended to allow the full range of UK expertise to participate.
- Darwin Initiative projects should be encouraged to explore and develop opportunities for enhancing benefits to the wider community in the host country through resource management, biodiversity use, civic empowerment, and partnerships that link research institutes to the private and public sector .
- Darwin could consider awarding, to successful Darwin projects on receipt of a joint application from the original contractor and the host country, a short-term 'extension contract, for the purposes of enhancing project impact. This would not be an alternative to a clearly defined and implemented exit strategy in Darwin projects and would only be considered for brief follow-up work that could demonstrate significant gains to the host country.
- The Annual Darwin Seminar and Training Day should be replaced by a participative workshop that focuses on strengthening Darwin project capacity to address generic biodiversity issues.
- Projects should be required and assisted (Darwin web-based information) to develop indicators of project impact, particularly those that relate outputs and outcomes to the purpose of the project.
- A greater effort could be made by the Darwin Initiative and project leaders to identify and link Darwin projects (past and present) where outputs and outcomes can be mutually beneficial, thereby giving added value to projects, e.g. projects to establish and develop Botanic Gardens (numerous training and publication outputs).
- It is surprising that despite the obvious success of the Darwin initiative that the scheme receives a small budget that has not increased over the last 10 years. We would recommend that the Darwin Initiative calls for a significant increase in this budget to demonstrate a recognition by the UK Government of the global responsibility for biodiversity loss through a clear commitment to assisting developing countries meet their CBD commitments.
3 Subsidiary bodies on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice
Page last modified 10 August, 2002