Request for CEO endorsement/Approval

Project Type: Full-sized Project

the GEF Trust Fund

Submission Date: 19^th Dec. ‘07

Re-submission Date: 13^th Feb. ‘08

Expected Calendar
Milestones	Dates
Work Program (for FSP)	15 June 2007
GEF Agency Approval	June 2008
Implementation Start	Sep 2008
Mid-term Review (if planned)	Sep 2010
Implementation Completion	Aug 2013

GEFSEC Project ID:      

gef agency Project ID:      

Country(ies): Regional Mediterranean (12 countries): Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Egypt, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Montenegro, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey. The Palestinian Authority also participates in the project

Project Title: Strategic Partnership for the Mediterranean Sea Large Marine Ecosystem – Regional Component: Implementation of agreed actions for the protection of the environmental resources of the Mediterranean Sea and its coastal areas

GEF Agency(ies): UNEP, UNIDO

Other Executing partner(s): UNEP/MAP-MEDU, MEDPOL and its associated RACs (CP/RAC, SPA/RAC, PAP/RAC and INFO/RAC); UNESCO/HP; WWF; GWP-Med; MIO-ECSDE; FAO, GFCM, WB, METAP

GEF Focal Area(s): Full-sized ProjectInternational Waters, Full-sized ProjectPersistent Organic Pollutants

GEF-4 Strategic program(S): IW SP-1; IW SP-2; IW SP-3; POPs SP-2

Name of parent program/umbrella project: Strategic Partnership for the Mediterranean Large Marine Ecosystem

1. Project framework

B. Financing Plan Summary For The Project ($)

	Project Preparation*	Project	Agency Fee	Total at CEO Endorsement	For the record: Total at PIF
GEF	700,000	12,891,000	1,233,190	14,824,190
Co-financing	1,258,500	36,548,200		37,806,700
Total	1,958,500	49,439,200	1,233,190	52,630,890

* Please include the previously approved PDFs and PPG, if any. Indicate the amount already approved as footnote here and if the GEF
funding is from GEF-3. Provide the status of implementation and use of fund for the project preparation grant in Annex D.

C. Sources of confirmed Co-financing, including co-financing for project preparation for both the PDFs and PPG.

NB The adjustment of the total amount of co-financing depends on the USD/Euro rate because some co-financing amounts are in Euros.

D. GEF Resources Requested by Focal Area(s), Agency(ies) or Country(ies)

GEF Agency	Focal Area	Country Name/ Global	(in $)
			Project Preparation	Project	Agency Fee	Total
UNEP	IW	Regional Mediterranean	700,000	8,991,000	872,190	10,563,190
UNEP	POPs	Regional Mediterranean	0	2,900,000	261,000	3,161,000
UNIDO	IW	Regional Mediterranean	0	1,000,000	100,000	1,100,000
Total GEF Resources			700,000	12,891,000	1,233,190	14,824,190

• No need to provide information for this table if it is a single focal area, single country and single GEF Agency project.

E. Project management Budget/cost –

Cost Items	Total Estimated person weeks	GEF ($)	Other sources ($)	Project total ($)
Project Management Unit*(Project staff salaries)	720	1,281,000	276,000	1,557,000
Local consultants**	0	0	0	0
International consultants**	0	0	0	0
Office facilities, equipment, vehicles and communications10		0	250,000	250,000
Travel11		0	100,000	100,000
Total	720	1,281,000	626,000	1,907,000

**The Project Management Unit consists in: a Project Manager full time, a Mediterranean Marine and Coastal Expert supporting (80% of time) the project Manager and providing (20% of time) expertise for the Sub-Components, a coordinator for TEST activity (lead by UNIDO) and a Financial Assistant.

** Detailed information regarding the consultants in Annex C.

f. Consultants working for technical assistance components:

Component	Estimated person weeks	GEF($)	Other sources ($)	Project total ($)
Local consultants*	3,446	981,200	1,289,200	2,270,400
International consultants*	2,769	2,969,700	2,379,000	5,348,700
Total	6,215	3,950,900	3,668,200	7,619,100

* Provide detailed information regarding the consultants in Annex C.

7. describe the budgeted m&e plan:

Monitoring and Evaluation Work Plan and corresponding budget¹²

For full detailed Monitoring and Evaluation Plan see Annex E. Monitoring and Evaluation Plan

Activity/Reporting	Time/Frequency	Responsible Partner(s)	Budget USD13
			GEF	Other
Inception Workshop	Within the first two months of project start up	PMU; co-executing agencies; SP Focal Points; UNEP/MAP, UNEP, UNIDO, FAO, GEF, WB	58,000	0
Inception report	Immediately following the IW/Steering Committee	PMU and all executing/co-executing agencies14	4,000	0
Measurement of initial baseline and means of verification for project indicators	Start, middle and end of the project	PMU and all executing/co-executing agencies	30,000	0
Project Implementation Plan (PIP) review of work-plan, timetable and budget.	Project Commencement	PMU UNEP, UNIDO, FAO WB	0	15,000
Annual Project Report (APR)	Annually	PMU, executing/co-executing agencies and WB	0	0
Project Implementation Review (PIR)	Annually	UNEP, UNIDO, FAO UNEP-MAP	0	0
Half-yearly Progress Reports (HPR) including activity and demonstration reports from each partner	Half-yearly	PMU, executing/co-executing agencies and WB	0	20,000
SP Steering Committee meetings and reports	Annually	PMU, SPSC, UNEP, UNIDO, FAO and WB	213,000	35,000
SP Co-ordination Group meetings and reports	Annually	PMU, SPCG and WB	0	160,000
Inter-agency (IA) meetings and reports	Annually	PMU; executing/co-executing agencies;	0	35,000
Periodic Thematic Reports, Technical Reports and Project publications	To be determined by the PMU, SPPSP, UNEP and co-executing agencies	Executing/co-executing agencies	0	38,000
SP Focal Point reports on country activities including minutes of inter-ministry committee meetings.	Annually	SP National Focal Points	0	0
Independent Mid-term Project Evaluation	Mid-point of project implementation phase	UNEP, UNIDO, FAO	45,000	0
Mid-Term Stocktaking meeting	Mid-point of project implementation phase	PMU, SPSC, UNEP, UNIDO, FAO and WB	0	71,000
Final Independent Project Evaluation	End of project implementation	UNEP, UNIDO, FAO	45,000	0
Terminal Report	At least one month prior to project termination	PMU, Executing/co-executing agencies, WB	20,000	0
Lessons learned and demonstration reports	Annually	PMU Executing/co-executing agencies, WB	55,000	0
Quarterly financial reports	Quarterly	UNEP-MAP	40,000	0
Audit	Annually	UNEP-MAP	40,000	0
TOTAL INDICATIVE COST Excluding project team staff time and UNEP staff and travel expenses			550,000	374,000

part ii: project justification

1. describe the project rationale and the expected measurable global environmental benefits:

The Mediterranean Sea Large Marine Ecosystem and its biodiversity are under increasing threat due to pollution from land based sources - particularly nutrients, uncontrolled coastal development, over-extraction of freshwater along coastal areas (including aquifers and groundwater) and unregulated and unsustainable fishing. These threats are transboundary in nature, and need to be addressed through concerted actions of the littoral countries. Population pressure is at the origin of most of these threats. The population of the Mediterranean region has almost doubled since 1970, with greatest densities in the coastal zone, compounded by growing tourism, which represents an additional stress on coastal resources. Urban growth rates are high with predictions that for southern and eastern Mediterranean countries population will shift from predominantly rural to urban. Currently, 42 percent of the coastal zone is under artificial land cover and it is projected that half the coastal zone will be covered by roads, ports, airports and industrial and power facilities by 2025.

Recognizing the need to protect the Mediterranean Sea and preserve its immense value in terms of livelihoods and economic growth, all the riparian States and the EU launched in 1975 an Action Plan for the Protection and Development of the Mediterranean Basin (MAP) - the first Regional Seas Programme of UNEP, and signed the Barcelona Convention for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea against Pollution. As a result of the work carried out by MAP and its Regional Activity Centers (RACs) over the years, knowledge of the environmental status of the Mediterranean Sea among member states of the Contracting Parties, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations has been greatly improved and a large number of activities for the protection of the marine environment have been implemented. As a result of the pressures described in the previous paragraph, the state of the environment in the Mediterranean has, unfortunately, not improved substantially and in some cases it has even deteriorated. In response, MAP with the financial support of GEF, in 1997, initiated a comprehensive regional effort aimed at identifying and accelerating the key reforms and investments necessary to reverse negative trends, and move towards sustainability. In little over 6 years, a full Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis for the Mediterranean Sea (TDA-MED) was prepared and agreed upon by the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention, followed by the adoption of two Strategic Action Programs (SAPs) to address main transboundary concerns: land based pollution (SAP MED), and loss of biodiversity (SAP BIO)¹⁵.

The Mediterranean countries, recognized that there is a need for a coordinated and innovative approach for the implementation of policy reforms, priority interventions and investments that address transboundary pollution and biodiversity conservation priorities identified in the two SAPs and the NAPs. Accordingly, they have agreed on a collective effort for the protection of the environmental resources of the Mediterranean, the Strategic Partnership for the Mediterranean Sea Large Marine Ecosystem, led by UNEP and the World Bank, co-funded by the GEF and involving other relevant agencies, IFIs and bilateral and multilateral donors. The Partnership will serve as a catalyst in leveraging policy/legal/institutional reforms as well as additional investments for reversing degradation of the Mediterranean Sea Basin, with its coastal habitats and marine living resources. The Strategic Partnership, following the model of the GEF Black Sea Basin Strategic Partnership for Nutrient Reduction, consists of two complementary components (see Figure 1):

• a Regional Component: “Implementation of agreed actions for the protection of the environmental resources of the Mediterranean Sea and its coastal areas” led by UNEP, and the object of the present proposal, and

• the “Investment Fund for the Mediterranean Sea Large Marine Ecosystem Partnership” led by the World Bank and already approved by the GEF Council in August 2006.

The Partnership will stimulate and further enhance the implementation at the Mediterranean level of Global Conventions and initiatives such as the CBD and GPA, Regional Conventions and instruments such as the Barcelona Convention and the Mediterranean Action Plan as well as the SAPs and NAPs in individual countries.

Figure 1: Presentation of GEF Action in the Mediterranean Sea Large Marine Ecosystem

Advantages of a regional approach

This regional approach to the implementation of the SAPs and NAPs has a number of important advantages, which include: the implementation of regional plans of action to protect the coastal zone from pollution and biodiversity loss; the transfer of knowledge and skills between countries, the application of best practices; the adoption of policy reforms throughout the region; and the replication of successful pilot demonstrations implemented under the Investment Fund and/or the regional project to achieve regional objectives. Full stakeholder ownership and participation will strengthen as a consequence of the recognition that each is doing its part to contribute to a wider regional cause. A regional framework also provides a better mechanism for cooperation with diverse partners, for example the EU that has a significant role to play as a political driver for action and co-financier for investments. An overall strategic approach incorporating a comprehensive suite of actions and investments is a more cost-effective vehicle to demonstrate benefits than a series of individual projects. Such a strategic approach will also help to promote action over a specified and shorter period so that more tangible results can be achieved in a shorter timeframe.

In the absence of this proposed GEF intervention, the implementation of priority actions identified in the NAPs will most likely be delayed in the majority of participating countries due to deficiencies in funding. Governments would be likely to pay only marginal attention to the implementation of the SAPs within their financially constrained development programs. Such delays have been noted among the lessons learned in previous international waters projects. Without a coordinated regional approach to the implementation of NAPs, there will be limited exchange of information, sharing of resources, technical and financial knowledge and reduced potential for the beneficial replication of demonstration activities. In addition, the integration of NAPs in the national development plans and the availability of fund from the project would support the national environmental authority efforts to keep the environmental project in front of the list of national development priorities.

Objectives

The long-term goal of the Strategic Partnership (SP), with its two components the Investment Fund and Regional Component is a) to facilitate countries for the full implementation of the SAPs and NAPs thus reducing pollution from land-based sources and preserving the biodiversity and ecosystems of the Mediterranean from degradation, in line with MDG/WSSD Environmental targets, b) the leveraging of long-term financing, and c) to ensure through the Barcelona Convention and MAP systems the sustainability of activities initiated within the project beyond its specific lifetime.

The objective of the Mediterranean Sea LME Strategic Partnership is to leverage reforms and catalyze investments that address transboundary pollution reduction and marine and coastal biodiversity conservation priorities identified in the SAPs for the Mediterranean basin.

The objective of the Investment Fund is to accelerate the implementation of transboundary pollution reduction and biodiversity conservation measures in priority hotspots and sensitive areas of selected countries of the Mediterranean basin that would help achieve the SAP MED and SAP BIO targets, and is further detailed in the Investment Fund project documentation.¹⁶

The objective of the proposed Regional Component is to promote and induce harmonized policy, legal and institutional reforms and fill the knowledge gap aimed at reversing marine and coastal degradation trends and living resources depletion, in accordance with priorities agreed by the countries in the SAP MED and SAP BIO and to prepare the ground for the future implementation of the ICZM Protocol. Accordingly, the Regional Component focuses on: i) the facilitation of policy, institutional and legal reforms for the protection of biodiversity and reducing pollution from land based sources consistent with the provisions of the two SAPs; ii) providing assistance to countries in advancing their ICZM and IWRM plans (including the management of aquifers) with emphasis on the protection of biodiversity and the prevention of pollution from land based sources, iii) ensuring the effective involvement of all stakeholders in the Regional Component and NAP implementation; iv) executing a number of demonstration projects that address biodiversity protection, pollution from land-based sources and enhanced application of ICZM, IWRM and management of aquifers;

It should be noted that the Regional Component is also responsible for the overall Co-ordination, Communication and Replication of the Strategic Partnership (both IF and RC components) with the following objectives: i) the design and application of a replication and a communication strategy resulting in concrete replicable projects both identified and financed; ii) providing a mechanism for the long-term sustainable financing of the SAPs and NAPs; iii) ensuring systematic linkages between both components, and overall monitoring and evaluation of the SP; and iv) ensure ownership at the level of the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention and MAP and ensuring the sustainability of the SP beyond the life-span of the project.

The logical frameworks for the Strategic Partnership Regional Component are detailed in Annexes B-1 and B-2 respectively. Full details of project objectives and activities are presented in Annex F and Annex G presents details the participating countries in project activities and demonstrations locations.

Summary of Project Impacts at a Regional/Global Level

In order to ensure a coordinated approach to the implementation of SAP-MED, SAP-BIO and the NAPs, numerous actions are required in terms of appropriate legal, policy and institutional reforms, on a national and regional level. These reforms will address the reduction of pollution from land-based sources (SAP-MED), the conservation of biological diversity (SAP-BIO) and the integrated coastal zone management of the Mediterranean (ICM, IWRM and the management of coastal aquifers and groundwater), and provide support to the countries for the adoption and ratification of the ICM Protocol to the Barcelona Convention. These reforms provide the foundation for successful implementation and long-term sustainability of the activities and demonstration projects to be undertaken through the Partnership by both the Regional project, and the Investment Fund. Inter-ministerial committees will be established in all countries and will monitor and support all activities within the project. A minimum of 20 national/sub-regional policy documents will be drafted in total (for pollution reduction, MPA management and creation, EAF, ICM, IWRM and management of aquifers and groundwater) based on identified policy gaps. Regional legislation will be drafted and presented for adoption to the CoP, to include: a Regional Action Plan on Coastal Aquifers; Regional plan for eco-hydrogeological management, land degradation mitigation and protection of priority coastal wetlands; Regional Action Plan for IWRM. National institutions in particular will be strengthened in all countries, and will apply numerous new tools, techniques and guidelines that will assist in the implementation of project activities and future NAP implementation. Related to integrated management of the coastal zone these will include COED, SEA, the ICARM approach and eco-hydrogeology applications for management and protection of coastal wetlands. Regarding pollution from land-based sources tools and guidelines will include ELV (and EQS), application of EST, guidelines for pollution reduction (PCBs, phosphogypsum wastes, tannery effluents, the recycling of lubricating oil and lead batteries) guidelines for marine litter management and plans of action for permitting, compliance and inspection systems. Regarding biodiversity this will include the establishment of a Regional Co-ordinating Unit for MPA management and a MPA monitoring framework, to include the implementation of tools/guidelines for the management of MPA’s, fisheries plans will be developed and implemented to integrate EAF and biodiversity conservation in the Fisheries Research Institutes and management organizations and implementation of a methodology for by-catch reduction.

In addition to the projects activities, 33 demonstration/pilot projects, plus about 20 NGO Small Grant projects will be implemented during the projects life-span, resulting in overall decrease in stress reduction to the Mediterranean LME. It must be noted that the aim of the present project is not to implement all the actions that would be necessary to reduce the stress to the Mediterranean environment, whose costs have been estimated in many hundreds of millions, but to act as a catalyst, by demonstrating new replicable approaches to address identified priority transboundary concerns. SAP-MED identifies 101 hotspots of which 75 are located in the participating countries. A minimum of 25% of these hotspots will be directly improved as a result of the demonstration projects, with indirect benefits (replication of demonstrations, policy/institutional/legal reforms and improved integrated management) to over 50% of all hotspots. In terms of pollution reduction (Cd, Hg, Pb, Cr, BOD, total nitrogen and PCBs) overall stress reduction achieved is small compared to the total from the Mediterranean (about 1% or less), due to the small number of demonstrations. However it should be noted that the major sources of these elements will be reduced by 50-100% at the demonstration sites, and using Lebanon as an example this will result in a 50% reduction in the total source of Cd for the country (2.06 tons/yr)¹⁷. Regarding MPAs in the Mediterranean the aim of project activities is to increase the total surface area of MPAs by 17% (from 9,732,600 to 11,412,600 hectares) which will include habitats of species of global significance. In addition demonstrations for the reduction of by catch of iconic and vulnerable species will be reduced by 75% in the two demonstration areas (covering an area of 2,000 ha), which is recorded to be as high as 50% for trawlers. Unsustainable fishing practices (i.e. dynamite and poison fishing, Saint Andrew Cross), which have been identified in many national reports as the most important threat to biodiversity in their national waters, will be reduced by 90% at priority sites in 7 countries (covering an area of 30,000 ha). Demonstrations related to land degradation, the management of aquifers and groundwater will result in 20,000 hectares of land (0.4% of the total area of coastal aquifers) directly impacted by intervention for 6 countries (coastal urban, coastal plains/agriculture, and upper watersheds) addressing LBS, coastal salinization, through coastal sedimentation and siltation, flooding, wetland sedimentation. This will result in 10,000,000 m3 of water saved through wastewater treatment and re-use, and 100,000 direct beneficiaries (land users) and 20,000 of indirect beneficiaries (administration, marine resources, tourism). Also demonstrations related to ICM and IWRM will result in 45,000 ha coastal zone managed through application of ICM and IWRM.

It should be stressed that one component of the project addresses stakeholder participation. In addition to the involvement of countries (through the CoP, Steering Committee and inter-ministerial Committees) a NGO Involvement Plan will ensure that all NGO’s and CBO’s participate effectively in all project activities. This, in partnership with the activities related to the Information and Communication Strategy is expected to be a key element in achieving greater awareness of the processes and results of the project; greater acceptance and ownership of the processes and their products; increased quality of the outputs (policy documents, project results, products and outcomes); strengthened stakeholder participation and partnership building in the implementation of the project; and increased potential for the replication of the partnership and targeted activities. The GEF Small Grant Program modality (SGPMED) in particular, will promote grassroots action to address the environmental concerns reflected in the SAP-BIO and SAP-MED and coordinated action among NGOs and community-based organizations (CBOs) in the countries bordering the Mediterranean.

The project proposes an innovative and co-ordinated approach to replication, through the development of a tailored replication strategy, which will ensure wide replication of project demonstrations within the Strategic Partnership (both the Regional Component the Investment Fund components). It is estimated that 20% of the 53 demonstration/pilot projects will be replicated during the life-span of the project, with resulting further stress reduction in the Mediterranean LME.

2. Describe the consistency of the project with national priorities/plans:

The countries of the Mediterranean participated and agreed upon a Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis, and based on this agreed upon two Strategic Actions Plans for Pollution (SAP MED) and Biodiversity (SAP BIO). The aim of the Regional Component and the Investment Fund of the SP for the Mediterranean LME is to implement some of the priority actions identified in the two SAPs and their related NAPs. The participating countries through the Contracting Parties of the Barcelona Convention have formally endorsed and approved both SAPs and based on them they have developed their own NAPs which are now ready for implementation. These NAPs were developed in close consideration to each countries national plans and are therefore complementary. Regarding the activities to address Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) the project activities address NIP priorities regarding POPs disposal.

3. Describe the consistency of the project with gef strategies and strategic programs:

The Regional Component (RC) of the Strategic Partnership “Implementation of agreed actions for the protection of environmental resources of the Mediterranean Sea and its coastal areas” was prepared to conform to the specifications of GEF International Waters Focal Area strategy. Sub-Component 2.3 of the proposed project is also designed for consistency with GEF Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) Focal Area strategy.

The project is in line with the GEF 4 IW Strategic Objective (SOs) 2: “To catalyze transboundary action addressing water concerns”. The project results will include the adoption of regional and national reforms in all participating countries, and the implementation of approximately 31 innovative pilot demonstration approaches on stress reduction of transboundary waters identified as priorities in the TDA-MED, SAPs and NAPs. The project will also complement the Investment Fund (IF) component of the Strategic Partnership (implemented by the World Bank), by ensuring overall coordination and, regional replication of the innovative approaches demonstrated by the IF sub-projects.

The project is specifically in line with three Strategic Programmes, 1, 2 and 3. Component 1. Integrated approaches for the implementation of the SAPs and NAPs: ICZM, IWRM and management of coastal aquifer; is particularly in line with the Strategic Programme 3: Balancing overuse and conflicting uses of water resources in surface and groundwater basins that are transboundary in nature. Three sub-components will address IWRM, ICZM and the management of coastal aquifers, with several common demonstrations to establish the important link for overall intergration on water resource management.

Activities within Component 2 of the project that aim to reduce land-based pollution through the implementation of national policy, legal, institutional reforms consistent with agreed transboundary action programs (SAP-MED and the NAPs) and the implementation of innovative demonstration projects, through the RC and IF components of the SP, are in line with Strategic Program 2: Reducing Nutrient Over-Enrichment and Oxygen Depletion from Land-Based Pollution of Coastal Waters in LMEs Consistent With the GPA.

Strategic Program 1: Restoring and Sustaining Coastal and Marine Fish Stocks and Associated Biological Diversity, is addressed within Sub-Component 3.2: Promote the sustainable use of fisheries resources through the application of ecosystem-based management approaches. This sub-component focuses on policy, legal, and institutional reforms for meeting WSSD targets for sustainable fisheries, ecosystem approaches to habitat restoration and conservation (including marine protected areas) and also includes a number of demonstration projects.

Component 2. Pollution from land-based activities, including persistent organic pollutants: implementation of SAP-MED and related NAPS, includes the sub-component 2.3 Environmentally Sound Management of equipment, stocks and wastes containing or contaminated by PCBs in national electricity companies of Mediterranean countries, which falls under the Persistent Organic Pollutant (POPs) focal area, the main Strategic Objective: “to reduce and eliminate production, use and releases of POPs”, Strategic Programme 2: “Partnering in investments needed for NIP implementation to achieve impacts in POPs reduction and elimination”. In the NIPs, national electric companies are identified as the principal holders of this equipment, stocks and waste and so represent the initial focus for work to eliminate PCBs. Activities aim to provide strengthened institutional and legal frameworks for implementation of ESM of PCBs, improve the management programme of PCBs and facilitate the implementation of NIPs through demonstration projects, provide technical capacity building and increase awareness for ESM of PCBs equipment and for the national PCB phase-out and disposal programs. In particular demonstrations in five countries will result in reduced POPs use and releases through phase-out and destruction in an environmentally sound manner, and the application of best available techniques/best environmental practices.

All the above mentioned GEF SOs are directly or indirectly related to a number of Global Conventions, namely the Basel Convention on the control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade and the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants.

3. Outline the Coordination with other related initiatives:

Several activities and initiatives have been undertaken in the Mediterranean by governments, intergovernmental, non-governmental and scientific organizations. The most relevant and important ones are described in the following paragraphs:

In November 2005, at the summit to celebrate the 10^th Anniversary of the Euro-Mediterranean process, the partners committed to “endorse a feasible timetable to de-pollute the Mediterranean Sea by 2020, while providing appropriate financial resources and technical support to implement it, using the Mediterranean Strategy for Sustainable Development and exploring possible areas for co-operation in this regard with UNEP”. This initiative has been given the name Horizon 2020 (see Box 1).

BOX 1. The Horizon 2020 initiative

(launched in the framework of the Euro-Mediterranean process of the European Commission)

The aim of the initiative is to reduce the level of pollution of the Mediterranean region by identifying and tackling the most significant pollution sources by the year 2020. The de-pollution initiative will operate within existing processes and institutions. It will support and enhance previously agreed actions and give new impetus to efforts to reduce pollution of the Mediterranean region.

In addition there are a number of secondary aims that will contribute to the achievement of the overall goal such as increase co-operation between the various parties involved in protecting the Mediterranean and keep political attention focused on the environmental objective of reducing pollution of the Mediterranean.

The Horizon 2020 will be based on existing and developing policy instruments, the most significant being a) the EU environmental policies and measures, namely in the field of water quality and management, b) the Barcelona Convention and MAP, c) the Mediterranean Strategy for Sustainable Development (MSSD) which has been developed and adopted by the contracting parties to the Barcelona Convention and d) the Mediterranean Component of the EU Water Initiative which is the EU contribution to the achievements of the water-related Millenium Development Goals.

In the first five year work programme the initiative will concentrate on a limited number of sectors, namely industrial emissions, municipal waste, particularly urban waste water. It will develop a pipeline of projects in conjunction with the World Bank and the EIB that will address significant pollution threats to the region

Reference should also be made to the Mediterranean Component of the EU Water Initiative as well as to efforts to improve the management of the many transboundary basins and aquifers of SE Europe by introducing IWRM practices (the Athens Declaration Process). A number of these waters flow into the Mediterranean and have a significant impact on coastal ecosystems and water quality. Boxes 2 and 3 below summarize these processes.

BOX 2. The Athens Declaration Process

(Jointly coordinated by the Government of Greece and the World Bank)

The Athens Declaration Process was launched during the major International Conference on Sustainable Development for Lasting Peace: Share Waters, Shared Future, Shared Knowledge, 6-7 May 2003, Athens, Greece. The process aims to assist countries of the region, in cooperation with relevant stakeholders, to draft IWRM and water use efficiency plans for major river basins, including a range of complementary interventions in individual river and lake basins, with a coordination mechanism to allow for the exchange of information and experience among activities. The entire program is a building block of the Mediterranean Component of the European Union Water Initiative.

The Athens Declaration of May 2003 has four Recommendations for Action: (1) Diplomacy for Environment and Sustainable Development; (2) Southeastern Europe Transboundary River Basin and Lake Basin Management Programme; (3) Mediterranean Shared Aquifers Management Programme; and (4) Assessment of Regional and National Frameworks to Implement Integrated Water Resources Management.

Recommendations 2, 3 and 4 build on the implementation process of the European Union Water Framework Directive and complement, and draw lessons from, the ongoing GEF Danube River Basin Programme and the Lake Ohrid Conservation Project, among others.

BOX 3. The Mediterranean Component of the EU Water Initiative (MED EUWI)

(led by the Government of Greece)

MED EUWI is an integral part of the overall EU Water Initiative coordinated by the European Commission. It aims to:

- assist in the design of better, demand driven and output oriented water related programmes;

- facilitate improved coordination of water programmes and projects, targeting more effective use

of existing funds and the mobilization of new financial resources; and

- enhanced cooperation for proper project implementation.

MED EUWI, announced during WSSD in Johannesburg, gives particular emphasis to Mediterranean and SE European priorities. Integrated water resources management, with an emphasis on the management of transboundary water bodies, is a defined priority theme of MED EUWI. The current project will constitute a pilot for enhancing the MED EUWI objectives in the SE European region.

Political commitment for the development of MED EUWI has been expressed in various forums, inter alia the EU Informal Council of Environment Ministers (May 2003, Athens and December 2003, Brussels), the 5th Pan-European Ministerial Conference of the “Environment for Europe” process (May 2003, Kiev); the Euro-Mediterranean Meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs (May 2003, Crete and June 2004, Dublin) and three meetings of the North African Ministers Council on Water (February and October 2003, April 2004, Cairo).

The process is facilitated by a MED EUWI Secretariat within Global Water Partnership – Mediterranean.

At their Eleventh Ordinary Meeting, the Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention and its Protocols recommended giving high priority to “promoting the management of marine protected areas” and marine sites containing sensitive, threatened or rare habitats with a view to strengthening the network of marine protected areas in the region. This Med-MPA Project (Box 4) that receives funding from the European community through the SMAP Programme and is coordinated by RAC/SPA, is aimed at assisting the Mediterranean countries to strengthen the conservation and sustainable management of coastal biological diversity. Other MPA-related initiatives include the following.

• EC Natura 2000.

• Emerald Network: a de facto extension of Natura 2000 to non-Community eastern Mediterranean counties that designates ‘areas of special conservation interest’ (ASCIs) was launched by the Council of Europe as part of its work under the Bern Convention;

• EuroParc is the umbrella organization for Europe’s protected areas. It unites national parks, regional parks, nature parks and biosphere reserves in 38 countries with the common aim of protecting Europe's unique variety of wildlife, habitats and landscapes.

• Pan-European Ecological Network (PEEN) essentially links core Natura 2000 and Emerald Network areas physically through the restoration or preservation of corridors.

• The Network of Managers of Marine Protected Areas in the Mediterranean (MEDPAN) is an EU Programme (2005–2007) coordinated by WWF-France. It brings together 23 partners from 11 countries around the shores of the Mediterranean, of which 6 are European (France, Italy, Greece, Malta, Slovenia and Spain) and 5 are from non-European countries (Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Croatia, and Turkey), to manage more than 20 marine protected areas and to work towards the creation of several new sites. The basic aim of the network is to facilitate exchanges among Mediterranean marine protected areas to improve MPA management efficiency.

BOX 4. Med-MPA Project

The Med-MPA project is being implemented in the following countries: Algeria, Cyprus, Israel, Malta, Morocco, Syria and Tunisia and has the goal of strengthening the effectiveness of MPA networks

The project aims to foster concrete action, within the context of the priorities that identified at national and regional scales and thus help countries to discharge certain of their obligations under the Barcelona Convention's Protocol on Protected Areas and the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Furthermore, the project is permitting management plans to be devised for sites chosen from among the most precious in the Mediterranean. All these chosen sites appear on the Directory of Mediterranean protected areas instituted by the SPA Protocol. Some of these sites are also listed by UNESCO within the framework of the Biosphere Programme.

Within the Mediterranean, various fisheries management projects have been implemented with FAO technical support. These include the Mediterranean Fish Cooperation: COPEMED (Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia), EastMed (Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey and Israel), AdriaMed (Albania, Bosnia, Croatia, Montenegro and Slovenia) and MedSudMed (Libyan and Tunisia). Activities being carried out through these organizations are typically aimed at improving fisheries statistics (regarding catch, effort and landings), the conduct of some biological investigations and capacity-building efforts at national and sub-regional levels.

Several international agencies are active in the Mediterranean basin, such as UNEP, UNEP-GPA, UNDP, FAO, UNESCO, WWF, UNIDO, METAP, GWP, the EC and the World Bank. However, many of these interventions are fragmented with the focus being more on diagnostic and planning activities than on physical investments. The scope of many such initiatives is limited to a sector or sub-sector and investments are constrained by the lack of adequate financing from both public and private sectors.

Science will continue to contribute throughout the project implementation, as for example in the case of coastal aquifers, where UNESCO will apply newly developed methodologies for coastal vulnerability mapping of aquifers in selected sites, and the production of GIS maps, essential to assess the current status of aquifers in terms of their exploitation and contamination. Other scientific studies will include the assessment riverine fluxes of nutrients to the Mediterranean, ecological and GIS-based maps for MPA’s and field surveys related to by-catch and unsustainable fishing practices. All of which will assist in the implementation of policy, legislation and institutional reforms and the demonstration projects. The science based RAC’s are have co-developed many of the activities, based on their history of research in the Mediterranean. Close linkages with MEDPOL’s Monitoring Programme will ensure that stress reduction to the Mediterranean will be monitored, and involves research institutes in all participating countries. National scientific institutions in each of the participating countries has already been identified and integrated into the projects activities. These include Italian universities which will develop GIS based aquifer vulnerability maps as tools to invent and monitor the sources and the risks of LBS contamination of the coastal aquifers; the Spanish Geological Survey (IGME) for the implementation of eco-hydrogeology applications for management and protection of coastal wetlands.

Additionally, two very important on-going scientific projects have been contacted and have accepted to collaborate with and provide data to the Regional Component of the SP:

• The first project is “MOON” (Mediterranean Ocean Observing Network) which covers the whole Mediterranean with 21 participating Institutes and Universities. Its main objectives are to “consolidate and expand the Mediterranean Sea concerted monitoring and forecasting systems, and ensure full integration to the overall operational oceanography global ocean European capacity”, and “increase the quality of, and harmonize user-oriented operational products, identify new customers and further develop the market for operational oceanographic products, co-operate with UNEP-MAP and other relevant bodies acting at regional level” (for more details, see www.moon-oceanforecasting.eu/)

• The second project is “Adricosm” (ADRIatic sea integrated COastal areaS and river basin Management system pilot project) launched in October 2001 in the framework of the Adriatic-Ionian Initiative. This project has similar objectives to the previous but it is basically limited to the Adriatic Sea. In its project document it is stated that “ADRICOSM has been also designed to be consistent with the international directives defined in the UNESCO-IOC Coastal Global Ocean Observing System (C-GOOS) and the UNEP-Mediterranean Action Plan Integrated Coastal Areas and River Management Program. (for more details, see www.bo.ingv.it/adricosm/)

The GEF SP for the Mediterranean LME will closely coordinate with those of the activities and programmes described above which are still going on and build on those, which have been terminated. For example an important link has already been established with the most important of those activities, namely the Horizon 2020 initiative. It has been agreed that the European Commission, which is responsible for this activity, will be part of the GEF SP Steering Committee, thus ensuring close contacts, linkages and synergies between the two. On the other hand, it has been agreed that the European Investment Bank (EIB) which has a similar role in Horizon 2020 as the one that the World Bank has (through the Investment Fund) in the GEF SP, will participate to the SP Coordination Group. The CG’s role is to examine all projects submitted to the IF, check whether they fall within SAPs and NAPs priorities and if not make suggestions for improvements before they enter the WB pipeline. The participation of the EIB to this group will ensure coordination of actions between EIB and WB on bankable projects thus avoiding duplications and enhancing economies of scale.

Finally it should be stressed that the projects activities are executed by a numbers of partners (including UN organizations and NGO’s) who are actively executing or involved in the majority of key projects and initiatives in the Mediterranean region, thus ensuring good overall coordination. These include GWP-MED, responsible for the Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) activities, UNESCO-IHP executing the coastal aquifer activities, UNIDO to apply its TEST Method (Transfer of Environmentally Sound Technology) to the Mediterranean, etc.

3. Describe the incremental reasoning of the project:

The GEF Incremental Costs analysis requires a consideration of the baseline and additional costs associated with achieving ‘domestic’ benefits (i.e., those accruing to the participating countries) and global environmental benefits (i.e., those accruing beyond the jurisdiction of the participating countries). The regional scope of this project presents methodological difficulties in assessing costs that are normally calculated in a purely national context. As with any legitimate GEF project, the benefits arising from this project will accrue at global, regional and national scales. The purpose of this analysis is to attempt to segregate the costs of project activities benefiting conditions and resources in coastal areas under national jurisdiction, on the one hand, and the costs of project activities that provide additional (incremental) benefits in the form of reduced stress and improved conditions in international waters areas beyond the individual jurisdictions of the participating countries. This analysis also provides justification for the incremental costs by assessing the incremental benefits and showing, where possible, that these outweigh the incremental costs of the project.

Global Benefits

Assessing the global benefits of a GEF project necessitates, in the first instance, a consideration of the comparative environmental importance, from a global perspective, of the region or area covered by the project, together with an understanding of the extent to which the project reduces environmental loss or degradation. This reduction in environmental degradation represents the predominant environmental benefit of the project at all scales. Partitioning the total benefit at global, regional and national scales poses problems in the context of incremental cost calculations because, in many cases, the benefits cannot be valued in purely monetary terms and, furthermore, predicting the distribution of benefits among geographical areas is profoundly difficult. In the context of international waters, however, interventions addressing transboundary environmental issues and concerns are considered to be wholly incremental.

This project comprises two major foci: first, the prevention of pollution in the Mediterranean Sea (implementation of SAP-MED); and second, measures to enhance the preservation of biodiversity in this same enclosed Sea. In addressing those two foci, the project adopts a combination of holistic and sectoral (for technical/methodological reasons) approaches. The first component comprises integrated approaches for the implementation of both SAPs and their NAPs through ICZM, IWRM and Management of Coastal Aquifers and provides mutual support to the two major foci. The second and third components address them separately with targeted activities for each of them. The fourth component addresses Project coordination, management and M&E, including replication and communication strategies and NGOs involvement plan. The Mediterranean Sea is universally recognized as the most enclosed marginal sea. Within its catchment lay the oldest cradles of modern civilization, Egypt, Greece and Rome. Today, it contains diverse social and cultural entities, including the countries of North Africa, the eastern Mediterranean, the Balkans and South-Eastern member states of the European Union. The importance of the Mediterranean Sea to the economies of these countries, whether for transportation or the recovery of resources, is indisputable. It is clear from the number and scale of GEF projects in Mediterranean countries that the social, political and environmental importance of the region is already well-recognized. The pilot project on POPs is a direct contribution of Mediterranean Countries to the global efforts to reduce the adverse impacts on health and environment of POPs.

Baseline Activities and Costs

At a national level all the countries of the region have sought, over the last decade, to strengthen their national capacity for sound and sustainable management of the marine environment. Following the past emphasis on assessment of problems, significant experience has been built up at a national level. In some instances, however, countries have been unable to devote sufficient resources internally to developing such capacity; hence the stage of development varies widely from country to country.

Strictly, baseline activities in the region are of two types. The first type comprises activities undertaken by the participating countries predominantly for national purposes to improve the social and environmental conditions that offer social and economic benefit. The second type comprises contemporary activities being undertaken by international agencies and supported by a wide variety of donor institutions, both bilateral and multilateral, in which the developing countries of the Mediterranean participate. An effort has been made in the text of the project brief and in the estimation of baseline costs to identify and segregate these two types of baseline activity. The primary reason for such segregation is to ensure that there is a specific allocation of baseline costs to issues of national action directed primarily at obtaining domestic benefits. International projects support not only the acquisition of domestic benefits to the participating countries but also a variety of regional and global benefits in engendering the introduction of uniform and effective management and surveillance mechanisms throughout the developing world.

Incremental Costs

In addition to the estimation of incremental costs, an effort is made to determine and distinguish between any additional domestic benefits provided by the project as distinct from those accruing in areas beyond individual national jurisdictions. Such projections of benefit are fraught with difficulty as noted above. Therefore, frequently it is only possible to examine the likely scale of incremental benefits accruing from project activities as a means of providing justification for the incremental costs and the investment of GEF financing.

Domestic Benefits

The domestic benefits accruing from this GEF alternative project comprise improvements in the condition of the environment under national jurisdictions and the enhancement of national capacities to manage and control the adverse environmental impacts of economic activities. Those components of the project directed towards enhanced management of land-based activities to reduce the entry of contaminants into the sea will yield major domestic benefits because the receiving coastal area is closest to the sources. The project components devoted to SAP-BIO implementation will have domestic benefits largely limited to the economic and social benefit accruing from increased biological diversity in coastal areas under national jurisdiction. Nevertheless, to the extent that such biodiversity enhancements align with international aspirations adopted from global perspectives, some of these benefits could be claimed as incremental. In large part, the capacity-building activities within the project will result primarily in domestic benefits to the participating countries. Nevertheless, to the extent that such national capacity-building enables improved coordination among national actions to protect and enhance the marine environment of the Mediterranean as a whole, there will exist incremental benefits. In relation to land-based source control, these incremental benefits will accrue at the regional level whilst greater harmonization of interventions directed towards biodiversity protection and enhancement can be argued to accrue at both regional and global levels.

Incremental Benefits

The present project adds significantly to the ‘regional baseline’ enabling the countries to accelerate the implementation of the two Strategic Action Programs, that on land-based activities and that on biodiversity. Timely implementation of these two SAPs is unlikely to occur in the absence of a GEF intervention, since the level of funding currently available for regional coordinated action is insufficient to address all aspects of these programs.

The incremental benefits of this project will accrue both to the international waters of the region and international waters beyond the Mediterranean. In the case of stress associated with contaminants derived from land-based activities, the greatest incremental benefits will be regional. Biodiversity preservation in the Mediterranean also constitutes an incremental benefit in the context of contemporary international initiatives. Incremental benefits of project interventions aimed at biodiversity enhancements fall into two categories: those relating to the mitigation of transboundary environmental impacts, such as loss of fish spawning and nursery habitats that serve as a source of propagules for fisheries elsewhere in the region or as habitat for endangered species; and those resulting from adoption of a harmonized regional approach to interventions.

All activities within the proposed project have been based on the priorities identified in the two strategic action plans for the Mediterranean engendered through the Barcelona Convention. Thus, there exists a basis of regional coordination in the selection of priorities for action included in the project. This enhances the probability that the incremental benefits of project activities are maximized and that GEF support will be devoted both to supporting the region in promulgating collective action towards regional priorities. The fact that these priority concerns fall within the two of the priorities for international action, namely land-based sources and [biodiversity], provides an automatic alignment with global priorities as represented by the international waters and biodiversity focal areas of the GEF portfolio.

The value of a regional approach to the harmonization of actions is demonstrated in part by the following example in relation to land-based sources of pollution. All countries have some form of water quality and discharge aspirations, often reflecting in part the comparative importance of pollution as a problem within a national context. In cases where a country having low importance from the perspective of the total pollutant loading of the Mediterranean imposes stricter standards than a country that is a major source of contaminants they place themselves at economic disadvantage whilst contributing little to the maintenance of the health of the Mediterranean Sea environment. Harmonization of standards within the region results in more effective interventions by riparian states, greater equity in economic costs and benefits, and will yield enhanced incremental benefits.

The activities proposed within the POPs sub-component have been based on concrete assessment of the state-of-the-art of PCBs management in the region and its impacts on health and environment, especially the marine environment. The incremental benefits are seen in the reduction of levels of PCBs in marine ecosystem e.g. food chain and sediments, the reduction of transboundary movement of PCBs at regional and global levels and building harmonized regional capacities to the environmental sound management of PCBs . Without GEF’s financial support, the region would probably maintain the current practice of long term storage of PCBs contaminated oils and equipments without any environmental protection and inappropriate disposal of contaminated metals and oils. Postponing the establishment of an harmonized management plan for the treatment of contaminated equipment increases the risks of new environmental contamination and of human exposure. PCBs still in use in electrical equipment are at risk of release through fires in electrical equipment; those off-line can release PCBs through leaks and spills. Stocks that are not well protected can be accessed by people wishing to utilize the oils; cases have been documented in various countries of PCB-contaminated oils being used as an “industrial hand cleaner” and for cooking. Repeated exposure to even small quantities of PCBs can cause damage to the liver and neurological and immune systems. Inadequate handling of PCBs can also lead to emissions of other toxic substances, including dioxins and furans, that are POPs regulated under the Stockholm Convention.

3. Indicate risks, including climate change risks, that might prevent the project objective(s) from being achieved and outline risk management measures:

The regional component of the Strategic Partnership represents an opportunity to implement a coordinated approach to the implementation of the two SAPs and country NAPs that will assist in the implementation of priority actions and remove the institutional, financial and technical barriers to investments. The major risks of the project can be summarized as the following:

Political willingness to adopt the necessary institutional, policy and legislative reforms and to sustain project programs and initiatives beyond the life of the GEF intervention.

During the life-span of the GEF project it is essential that participating countries collaborate together, with partners and commit themselves to project activities, in particular the adoption and incorporation of necessary policy and legislative reforms into their framework for the SAP and NAP implementation.. Fortunately the countries of the Mediterranean have a long history of collaboration, through the Barcelona Convention and the activities of MAP and its RACs. The TDA for the Mediterranean, SAP-MED, SAP-BIO and NAPs were all undertaken in collaboration with countries and have been officially adopted by the contracting parties to the Barcelona Convention. Endorsement letters have been received from countries for the PDF-B phase of the project and all proponent countries expressed their full support for this GEF initiative during the 2004 Stocktaking Meeting on the development of the GEF Strategic Partnership for the Mediterranean Large Marine Ecosystem. In order to ensure political willingness several measures have been undertaken. The project activities have been developed in consultation with countries, and in addition the NAP priorities are on existing national sectoral development plans, which have been agreed upon by the national authorities (including timeframes for implementation) using a participatory approach with the involvement of all stakeholders. Therefore the NAPs are part of each national authorities agreed development plan, and assuming that these are not changed the priority actions of the NAPs will be implemented beyond the life-span of the GEF project. Also active participation of countries is ensured throughout the projects implementation through the following mechanism: the Steering Committee meetings, the involvement of SP Focal Points, Interministerial Committees and their meetings, the Country Support Programme, and overall involvement through MAP Focal points and meetings. Therefore the level of risk can be regarded as low.

Effective participation and active involvement of all stakeholders in project execution.

In order to ensure effective participation of all stakeholders in project execution a number of measures have been taken during the project development. Stakeholder participation has been designed an integral part of each component, with provisional lists of stakeholders already identified, and a Stakeholder Involvement Plan drafted. In addition a separate component specifically focus’s on NGO (including CBOs) participation in the project which will contribute significantly to the overall transparency of SAP implementation and enhancing the levels of commitment by civil society and other stakeholders while promoting effective public access to environmental information and public participation in environmental decision-making in the Mediterranean region. The participation of civil society organizations (with a focus on NGO networks) is expected to be a key element in achieving greater awareness of the processes and results of the project; greater acceptance and ownership of the processes and their products; increased quality of the outputs (policy documents, project results, products and outcomes); strengthened stakeholder participation and partnership building in the implementation of the project; and increased potential for the replication of the partnership and targeted activities. The GEF Small Grant Program modality (SGPMED) in particular, will promote grassroots action to address the environmental concerns reflected in the SAP-BIO and SAP-MED and coordinated action among NGOs and community-based organizations (CBOs) in the countries bordering the Mediterranean. Therefore the level of risk can be regarded as low.

Effective Project Co-ordination

The geographic extent of the Mediterranean Sea basin (3,800 km wide and with a coastal length of 46,000 km) and the diversity of activities in this project poses risks to the effective participation and active involvement of all stakeholders in project execution. This will present a challenge to effective project coordination. Measures, however have been taken to ensure strong linkages with civil society, professional bodies, and relevant government bodies established in all project components through MAP and the Barcelona Convention will suffice to minimize this risk.

The level of risk during project implementation is therefore low with the possible exceptions of potential territorial disputes and/or economic crises. If this occurs during the project, activities and demonstrations sites in affected areas will be changed. Alternative options for sites have already been discussed for demonstrations in consultation with countries in order to minimize this risk.

3. explain how cost-effectiveness is reflected in the project design:      

The overall cost-effectiveness of the project has been designed including the following elements.

The aim of the project is to create an enabling framework for the implementation of the two Strategic Actions plans described earlier and the National Action Plans, all endorsed by the countries and included within their national plans. Therefore this project builds upon all previous agreements, has full country ownership, and is also recognized as the mechanism towards the further implementation of the Barcelona Convention. In addition to the projects activities, 32 demonstration/pilot projects, plus about 20 NGO Small Grant projects will be implemented during the projects life-span, resulting in overall decrease in stress reduction to the Mediterranean LME. It must be noted that the aim of the present project is not to implement all the actions that would be necessary to reduce the stress to the Mediterranean environment, but to act as a catalyst, by demonstrating new replicable approaches to address identified priority transboundary concerns. SAP-MED identifies 101 hotspots of which 75 are located in the participating countries. A minimum of 25% of these hotspots will be directly improved as a result of the demonstration projects, with indirect benefits (replication of demonstrations, policy/institutional/legal reforms and improved integrated management) to over 50% of all hotspots. The project proposes an innovative and co-ordinated approach to replication, through the development of a tailored replication strategy, which will ensure wide replication of project demonstrations within the Strategic Partnership (both the Regional Component the Investment Fund components). It is estimated that 20% of the 52 demonstration/pilot projects will be replicated during the life-span of the project, with resulting further stress reduction in the Mediterranean LME.

In addition a regional approach to the implementation of the SAPs and NAPs has a number of cost-effective advantages, in terms of the implementation of a number of regional plans of action to protect the coastal zone from pollution and biodiversity loss, the transfer knowledge and skills between countries, to apply best practice, to promote the adoption of policy reforms throughout the region and to enhance the replication of successful pilot projects to achieve regional objectives. This overall strategic approach incorporating a comprehensive suite of actions and investments is a more cost-effective and higher impact vehicle to demonstrate benefits than a series of individual projects. Such a strategic approach will also help to promote action over a specified and shorter period so that more tangible results can be achieved in a shorter timeframe.

The Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP) has been working in the region with countries and all stakeholders for the protection and Development of the Mediterranean Sea Basin for the last thirty years and therefore is the most important mechanism in terms of ensuring successful execution of project activities, co-ordination amongst all countries and stakeholders, and long term ownership of the projects results and further implementation of the SAPs and NAPs. Partnering with MAP are a number of co-executing agencies, including, UN and non-UN organizations and NGO’s together composing of the key organizations working in the region. Activities have thus all been designed to compliment and use as a foundation all key projects and initiatives in the region as described in the Project Document.

Finally this project falls under the Strategic Partnership for the Mediterranean LME, complemented by the World Bank Investment Fund. This is proven as the most cost effective approach to the execution of a series of actions dealing with institutional, policy and legislative reforms coupled with huge investments towards achieving stress reduction in the region.

part iii: institutional coordination and support

1. Project Implementation Arrangement:

Three basic management and coordination structures will be created for the duration of the project: a Project Management Unit (PMU), a Strategic Partnership Project Steering Committee (SPSC), and a Coordination Group (SPCG). All three structures have specific responsibilities and tasks within the project with important linkages between them.

A Program Management Unit (PMU) will be established and personnel will be recruited by UNEP/MAP as defined in the Implementation Arrangements (see below). The PMU will comprise a Project Manager full time, a Mediterranean Marine and Coastal Expert supporting (80% of time) the project Manager and providing (20% of time) expertise for the Sub-Components, and will include a Financial Assistant.

Activities of the PMU will include the following:

• to closely follow the implementation of project activities, handle day-to-day project issues and requirements, coordinate them and ensure a high degree of transnational and inter-institutional collaboration (international and regional organizations and donors).

• to organize of SPSC, SPCG and interagency meetings, and any other ad-hoc meetings that may be required,

• to finalize project and meeting reports i.e. annual project reports, half-yearly progress reports and expense reports. It will also assist the GEF Independent Office of Evaluation in preparing the mid-term and final evaluations of the project. The PMU will report to the other three management and co-ordination structures set up within the project, namely the SPSC, and the CG;

• to ensure that through the numerous M&E related activities (see Annex E for full details) an adaptive management approach is adopted to the implementation of the project;

• the development of environmental status indicators, in collaboration with all executing and co-executing agencies, reflecting SAP targets and agreements, which will be identified at the beginning of the project along with specific arrangements for their long-term monitoring during and beyond the lifespan of the project (with the support of MAP).

Strategic Partnership Project Steering Committee (SPSC)

The Strategic Partnership Project Steering Committee (SPSC) will act as the main policy body overseeing project execution and will meet annually. The SPSC will comprise SP national focal points from all GEF-eligible countries, representatives of the implementing agencies (UNEP and the WB), representatives of the executing agency (UNEP/MAP), the GEF Secretariat, FAO and UNIDO, the co-executing agencies (FAO/GFCM, UNESCO, MEDPOL, METAP, SPA/RAC, PAP/RAC, INFO/RAC, CP-RAC, WWF, MIO-ECSDE) and the EU, the Project Manager, the President of the Bureau of Contracting Parties to the Barcelona Convention, major donors (France, Italy, Spain) and one NGO representing a network of NGOs in the Mediterranean. The SPSC will be co-chaired by the President of the Bureau of the Barcelona Convention and the Coordinator of UNEP/MAP.

The presence of SP Focal Points from the participating countries will ensure continuous ownership and national level support. The SP Focal Points will be identified by the respective governments and will bring to the SPSC the perspectives of each country and views of the GEF and MAP Focal Points respectively.¹⁸

The participation of the EU in the SC is important because it will represent the non GEF-eligible Mediterranean countries while ensuring links and coordination with existing EU initiatives such as the “2020 Initiative for de-polluting the Mediterranean” adopted in the framework of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership.

The presence in the SPSC of the President of the Barcelona Convention Contracting Parties and the UNEP/MAP Coordinator will ensure that both the Barcelona Convention and MAP are at the heart of the Strategic Partnership. It will also ensure that Contracting Parties are the beneficiaries of all the activities in the same way that these Contracting Parties have benefited from previous GEF initiatives in the area.

Specific functions of the Project Steering Committee will include:

• Review of the recommendations of the Investment Fund Advancement Report, including project ideas identified by the World Bank and the Coordination Group (see below) and the review of the status of Investment Fund Demonstration Projects that will include results indicators and the status of replication activities at national level.

• Annual reviews of status reports submitted by each partner to the regional project and the summary status report of the regional project prepared by the PMU. The latter will focus specifically on progress in achieving: replication at the regional level; the use of targets and indicators; satisfactory overall coordination of activities in the Mediterranean region; and measures adopted in response to previous recommendations of the SPSC.

The SPSC will be responsible for the periodic review of the partnership project’s performance, assisted by an independent evaluator (TOR to be defined) who will carry out an annual assessment of progress in the Strategic Partnership and report to the SPSC. The SPSC is responsible for endorsing any changes to the work plan or budget that are deemed necessary and is also responsible for ensuring that the Strategic Partnership remains on target with respect to projected outputs.

While UNEP and the WB will be fully accountable to the GEF for all project activities and related matters, the Strategic Partnership will require a strong coordination mechanism. This will be engendered through the SPSC.

Strategic Partnership Coordination Group (SPCG)

The Coordination Group will be responsible for the overall coordination of the Strategic Partnership, in particular ensuring effective exchanges and synergy between the regional component and the investment fund. Its membership will comprise:

• The MAP Coordinator (chair);

• Representatives of the GEF Secretariat (IW and POPs );

• The Project Manager of the regional project of the SP;

• Representatives from the FAO and UNIDO

• A representative of INFO/RAC responsible for the Replication and Communication Strategy

• A representative of the UNEP/GEF Coordination Office;

• World Bank-GEF Regional Coordinators (ECA and MENA); and

• World Bank Task Managers.

In addition to the World Bank Task Managers responsible for Fund projects, project personnel and representatives of participating countries, external experts and co-executing agency representatives will be invited to attend meetings depending on the matters under consideration.

The Coordination Group will monitor the linkages between the two components, so that potential synergies can be exploited. It will also ensure that consistency with agreed rules, targets, and indicators is achieved. It will oversee the design and implementation of replication strategies and provide advice on the IF pipeline.

One of the main tasks of the CG will be the review of ideas and opportunities for projects under the IF. Exchanges on project ideas will occur informally among agencies, particularly the World Bank and UNEP MAP. The results of these exchanges will then be consolidated and the recommendations presented annually to the CG by the World Bank, including priorities based on replication potential and the eligibility criteria established for the IF. The CG will discuss, and make its recommendations regarding IF pre-pipeline and project concepts. Such recommendations, as well as the minutes of exchanges at partnership level, will be attached as a mandatory annex to the proposal (concept) submitted to the GEF for approval together with the WB response.

Another key role of the CG will be the review of the regional replication strategies of IF projects and the monitoring of the basin-wide replication activities. In this context, the CG will be particularly supported by INFO-RAC¹⁹, the partner responsible for the design and organization of regional replication activities. INFO-RAC will prepare, in consultation with the World Bank, reports on replication to be presented to CG meetings. The CG will be expected to provide relevant feedback and guidance.

In addition, the CG will review, and approve for submission to the SC, the following advancement reports:

• Advancement Reports of the Investment Fund and the status report of demonstration projects under implementation;

• Status reports submitted by each partner in the regional project; and

• Annual Project (APR) and Half-yearly progress reports (HPR) of the regional project.

The CG will meet at least once a year at the MAP office in Athens, preferably in conjunction with regular MAP meetings of the parties but in advance of annual SPSC meetings. The CG will maintain regular communication via teleconference, and meet on an ad-hoc basis wherever required.

Strong co-ordination between the two components of the Strategic Partnership is essential to the success of the Partnership, and has been noted to be inadequate in previous partnerships. Therefore to ensure the WB involvement in the partnership, a budget is allocated to the WB for personnel and expenses for their participation in SPSC, SPCG and M&E activities and in particular their contribution to the Replication and Communication Strategy of the SP²⁰

The role of the executing partners and how each agency and executing partners will undertake the project.

The Implementing agency of the Project is UNEP while the Executing Agency is the Coordinating Unit for the Mediterranean Action Plan (MEDU-MAP) and its associated Regional Activity Centers (RACs): Cleaner Production (CP RAC); Specially Protected Areas (SPA RAC); Priority Actions Programme (PAP RAC); and Information (INFO RAC). The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) are GEF Executive Agencies with Expanded Opportunities, and will therefore receive funding for their corresponding activities directly from GEFSEC.

The Co-executing Agencies to the Project are:

the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM);

the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization International Hydrological Programme (UNESCO/HP);

• the World Wide Fund for Nature, Mediterranean Programme Office (WWF/MedPO);

• the Global Water Partnership - Mediterranean (GWP-Med);

• the Mediterranean Information Office for Environment, Culture and Sustainable Development (MIO-ECSDE);

• the WB Mediterranean Environmental Technical Assistance Program (METAP)

Representatives of the implementing agencies, representatives of the executing agencies and co-executing agencies will participate to the Steering Committee in order to discuss the main policy of the project.

Standard Project monitoring and evaluation will be conducted in accordance with established UNEP, UNIDO, FAO and GEF procedures (see Monitoring and Evaluation Plan).

part iv: explain the alignment of project design with the original PIF:      

No PIF was submitted for the project. UNEP submitted the Project Brief and the Executive Summary for the GEF project “Strategic partnership for the Mediterranean Sea Large Marine ecosystem – Regional Component: Implementation of agreed actions for the protection of the environmental resources of the Mediterranean Sea and its coastal area”, which were approved by the GEF Council in June 2007.

The project structure, implementation and execution arrangements and activities in the current documentation for submission are all in line with the previously submitted and approved Project Brief and Executive Summary. Minor changes have been made to project activities including two additional demonstrations to Sub-Component 3.1 Conservation of Coastal and Marine Diversity through the Development of a Mediterranean MPA Network which are a Demonstration project in Morocco to develop and implement an Ecosystem Based management (EBM) Plan and a Demonstration project in Libya in making an environmental and economic case for a system of C&MPAs.

In addition the UNIDO Transfer of Environmentally Sound Technology sub-component 2.2 (see UNIDO project document) has now three participating countries (Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt) whereas previously included Lebanon, and its co-financing of activities has reduced from 1,400,000 US$ to 950,500 US$.

Changes in the current submission relate to the securing of co-financing letters for the project. The total co-financing of the project design has increased up to 37,708,500 USD (including PDF-B phase) instead of 30,865,700 USD as previously submitted. This includes participating country co-financing for 13,1 million US$. Additional co-financing has also been secured for the biodiversity component of the project, which was unable to secure GEF funding through the Resource Allocation Framework (RAF). This includes:

• Co-financing from the French Ministry of Ecology and Sustainable Development to reinforce and build up a network of the marine protected areas of the Mediterranean Sea with an amount of EUR 1.265.000.

• The European Commission proposed to support the biodiversity activities in the Mediterranean in the framework of the Thematic Programme for Environment and Sustainable Management of Natural Resources - the Action to support implementation of the Barcelona Convention’s Protocol concerning Specially Protected areas and Biological Diversity in the Mediterranean” with an amount of EUR 1.920.000.

• Co-financing from the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation for the Marine Protected areas activities in the Mediterranean Sea with an amount of EUR 1.750.000.

• MAVA Foundation expressed its interest on Marine Protected Areas activities in particular on marine and fresh conservation with a financial support of EUR 1.700.000.

part v: Agency(ies) certification

This request has been prepared in accordance with GEF policies and procedures and meets the GEF criteria for CEO Endorsement.
Maryam Niamir-Fuller Director Division of Global Environment Facility (GEF) Coordination UNEP PO Box 30552 Nairobi, Kenya Room P-205 email: maryam.niamir-fuller@unep.org tel: (254 20) 762-4166 fax: (254 20) 762-4041 Name & Signature GEF Agency Coordinator	Virginie Hart Task Manager, International Waters UNEP Division of GEF Coordination P.O. BOX 30552 00100, Nairobi, Kenya Project Contact Person
Date: February 13, 2008	Tel. and Email: Tel: +254 20 762 4527 E-mail: virginie.hart@unep.org
Mr. Dmitri Piskounov, Managing Director Programme Development and Technical Cooperation Division United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Vienna International Centre P.O. Box 300 A-1400 Vienna, Austria (for) Name & Signature GEF Agency Focal Point	Pablo Huidobro Chief, Water Management Unit United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Vienna International Centre P.O. Box 300 A-1400 Vienna, Austria Project Contact Person
Date: December 21, 2007	Tel. and Email: Tel: +431 26026 3068 P.Huidobro@unido.org

Annex A: Project Results Framework

Logframe Matrix for the Strategic Partnership

Logframe Matrix for the Regional Component of the Strategic Partnership

Annex B: Responses to Project Reviews (from GEF Secretariat and GEF Agencies, and Responses to Comments from Council at work program inclusion and the Convention Secretariat and STAP at PIF)

a) Council (July 2007)

b) GEF Secretariat (January 2008)

GEF Secretariat (April 2007)

C ) Review by expert from STAP Roster (September 2006)

Annex c: consultants to be hired for the project

Position Titles	$/ person week	Estimated person weeks	Tasks to be performed
For Technical Assistance
Local
National Groundwater consultants (12 posts, one for each country) Sub-Component 1.1	625 (GEF)	192	Provide national data information and liaison and technical guidance and support active country participation on coastal aquifer management in the country.
Regional Groundwater Consultants (3) Sub-Component 1.1	750 (GEF)	96	Provide technical guidance and secure active country participation on coastal aquifer management in the respective sub-regions
Regional experts Sub-Component 1.2	750 (GEF )	28	National Consultant to assist preparation of a National case study on implications of ratification of ICZM Protocol on relevant national legislation
Regional consultant Sub-Component 1.2	750 (GEF and Co-financing money)	136	Consultant to demonstrate use of Cost of Environmental Degradation (COED) Assessment as an ICM tool in a selected Mediterranean country
Regional experts Sub-Component 1.2	750 (GEF and Co-financing money)	35	Coordinate and harmonize the implementation of the ICM component with other components' activities in demo projects
Junior Regional expert Sub-Component 2.1	750 (GEF and Co-financing money)	53	To prepare training course for at least 30 inspectors
National Coordinators Sub-Component 2.2	500 only co-financing	470	Set-up TEST project Advisory Board Coordinate and monitor TEST project activities Provide technical inputs and guidelines to national experts Coordinate the periodic long-term assistance given by each TEST-team to their enterprises for the implementation of the designed TEST options Collaborate with TEST expert and UNIDO staff in the identification of a short list of suitable industries for project participation considering the UNIDO TEST criteria and national priorities Secure written commitments from participating industries in project activities Document relevant national and international environmental standards Identify suitable national experts in the area of market and financial viability as well as cleaner production. Identify existing national “green” financing mechanisms and criteria for enterprise application Supervise, evaluate, and coordinate national experts activities and reporting
Financial/EMA experts Sub-Component 2.2	500 GEF	36	Assess current accounting practices at the participating industries and assist them with preliminary questionnaires on EMA Prepare training materials and deliver seminars on EMA. On-site consultancy during the development and implementation of the EMA system at participating industries Assist participating industries to prepare presentations on the EMA work progress during EMA seminar Incorporate sensitivity analysis into EST feasibility study
CPA experts	500 GEF	14	Prepare ad hoc material on CP and CPA, including methodology and implementation; and sectorial case presentation for participating industries. Deliver introductory seminars to identified industries. Prepare follow-up activities for initiation of CP measures at participating industries.
National consultants to implement PCBs phase-out and disposal programmes Sub-Component 2.3	800 (GEF and Co-financing money)	88	Review and reforming institutional and legal frameworks for implementation of ESM of PCBs; Technical capacity for ESM of PCBs equipment; Awareness of importance of ESM of PCBs equipment and National capacity to implement PCBs phase-out and disposal programs.
National Technical Advisor Sub-Component 2.3	750 (GEF and Co-financing money)	20	Providing training opportunities for maintenance and servicing personnel in best-practices for environmentally sound maintenance and servicing; Providing training in risk assessment and precautionary planning for the phase-out of in-service equipment containing or contaminated with PCBs; Providing training in the management of disposal operations; Preparation of a monitoring system for the management and disposal of POPs operations in Arabic countries.
Regional experts for the financial sustainability of regional and national MPA networks Sub-Component 3.1	800 only co-financing	132	Identification of financial needs and opportunities to create a new MPA; Analyze existing financial tools to allow sustaining newly created MPAs; Planning alternative (or complementary) financial mechanisms to support new MPAs; Elaboration of a business plan to determine the capacity and amount of money needed to run MPAs and to set priorities for income and expenditure; Preparation of a study (6-12 month) to assess the financing mechanisms; Organization of one training seminar for MPAs managers; Definition of recommendations and guidance.
Regional experts for MPAs Sub-Component 3.1	800 only co-financing	125	To assist the communities of small scale fishermen; To assist the relevant authorities in making an environmental and economic case for a system of C&MPAs; Preparation of a marine and coastal biodiversity assessment; Preparation of economic costs and benefits of the identified system of MPAs; Definition of an economic value of identified low-impact sustainable tourism activities.
Expertise for improving MPA management Sub-Component 3.1	900 only co-financing	205	Organization of 2 training visits in existing MPAs; Staff exchanges; One regional training course (20 people, 2 weeks) to introduce MPA managers and practitioners from selected countries on MPA selection, creation and management issues; One regional training course (20 people, 2 weeks) to specialise managers on fisheries conservation aspects of MPAs management
Expertise for improving MPA management Sub-Component 3.1	900 only co-financing	280	Organizing local workshops on planning and zoning the MPA to reach the intended specific objectives and goals, to launch: legal establishment of boundaries; zoning; detailed site planning (by zones); regulation of activities (by sectors of activity) day-to-day management (including monitoring and sustainability economic aspects); mechanisms to review and revise management; technical assistance: starting from existing experience in well-working MPAs around the Mediterranean, giving advice to new MPA staff to define and develop objectives and goals specific to the selected area to become a MPA.
Regional expert to ensure the financial sustainability of regional and national MPA networks Sub-Component 3.1	1.000 only co-financing	52	Identify financial needs and opportunities to create a new MPA; Analyze existing financial tools to allow sustaining newly created MPAs; Planning alternative (or complementary) financial mechanisms to support new MPAs.
Fisheries Technical Advisor Sub-Component 3.2	800 (GEF)	117	Provide technical and administrative support as well as the necessary direction and technical advice for the execution of the FAO activities to achieve the objectives of the MoU.
Media Events Specialist Sub-Component 4.2	1.500 only co-financing	66	Provide advice and support for all media events activities to be developed within the two components of the INFO/RAC GEF LME Project: Information & Communications and Replication; Plans, designs and organises media events as required, ensuring participation of key stakeholders/partners; Plans, designs and organises media events training activities, as single or joint initiatives; Contributes to the identification of the best channels of production/dissemination of media events and other audiovisual packages produced; Supports the design and the organization of the Project filming and dissemination of audiovisuals as well as any related preparatory IC activity; Supports the collection/selection/preparation of media articles/documents; Supports the identification of the best channels of dissemination of the media events material produced; Supports the preparation media events project documents for external funding as needed; Maintains national and international IC contacts, compiling and updating an electronic list; Provides technical support during project audiovisual activities; Helps and provides assistance to IC Project Manager with any other IC need as required; Supports new partnerships, projects and activities as opportune; Provides support and contribute to the design, planning, development and implementation of all Project activities by actively coordinating with Project Manager and other INFO/RAC consultants; Sets up, manages, organises and updates a specific folder in the shared area of the server containing all the digital products/correspondence of his/her work; Sets up, manages, organises and updates a specific list of his/her work contacts; Attends meetings and goes on mission(s) when needed/requested and provides subsequent trip reports including recommendations for follow-up activities; Prepares and submit weekly activity memos (WAMs), six-monthly and annual Activity Reports, including materials for a press review; Ensures the above-mentioned tasks are carried out professionally using the principles of sustainable working partnership with key stakeholders maintaining a balanced view and sensitive attitude towards different countries and partners, their needs and constraints, and cultural norms across MAP.
Audiovisual Operations Assistant Sub-Component 4.2	1,500 (co-finance)	47	Provide advice and operations support for all audiovisual activities to be developed within the two components of the INFO/RAC GEF LME Project: Information & Communications and Replication; Assists with the logistics related to the organization of audiovisual production; Assists with the organization of INFO/RAC team productions - keeping records on dates, destination/duration of the productions; Supports the operational launching, follow-up and related activities of the project audiovisual productions; Maintains national and international IC operational contacts, compiling and updating an electronic list; Provides technical support during project IC activities; Helps and provides assistance to IC Project Manager with any other IC need as required; Provides support and contribute to the design, planning, development and implementation of all Project activities by actively coordinating with Project Manager and other INFO/RAC consultants; Sets up, manages, organises and updates a specific folder in the shared area of the server containing all the digital products/correspondence of his/her work; Sets up, manages, organises and updates a specific list of his/her work contacts; Attends meetings and goes on mission(s) when needed/requested and provides subsequent trip reports including recommendations for follow-up activities; Prepares and submit weekly activity memos (WAMs), six-monthly and annual Activity Reports, including materials for a press review; Ensures the above-mentioned tasks are carried out professionally using the principles of sustainable working partnership with key stakeholders maintaining a balanced view and sensitive attitude towards different countries and partners, their needs and constraints, and cultural norms across MAP.
Graphic and Web Designer Sub-Component 4.2	1,650 (GEF money)	61	Provides graphics & design for all IC and Media Project activities in support of the implementation of the two components of the GEF LME Project to be developed by INFO/RAC: Information & Communications and Replication; Prepares graphic & design of publications and information material; Prepares graphics & design of website and website(s) content; Acts as Web Master of Project website(s); Proposes the contents and the graphic design of IC material such as brochures, stand(s), poster(s) to be used by all Project Partners for official events; Proposes identification and creation of Project logo(s) and brand(s); Takes care of the setting up, graphic, logistic, as well as technical aspects related to the organisation of events, conferences, meetings, etc; Efficiently manages and keeps regularly updated the Project WebSite(s)/Intranet/CMS(s); Provides opportune insights and ideas to improve Project internal and external performance on graphic related issues; Helps and provides assistance to INFO/RAC consultants with any other graphic need as required; Provides support and contribute to the design, planning, development and implementation of all Project activities by actively coordinating with Project Manager and other INFO/RAC consultants; Plans, design and implements new partnerships, projects and activities as opportune; Identifies and explores emerging funding opportunities for the further development of the Project; Sets up, manages, organises and updates a specific folder in the shared area of the server containing all the digital products/correspondence of his/her work; Sets up, manages, organises and updates a specific list of his/her work contacts; Attends meetings and goes on mission(s) when needed/requested and provides subsequent trip reports including recommendations for follow-up activities; Prepares and submit weekly activity memos (WAMs), six-monthly and annual Activity Reports, including materials for a press review; Ensures the above-mentioned tasks are carried out professionally using the principles of sustainable working partnership with key stakeholders maintaining a balanced view and sensitive attitude towards different countries and partners, their needs and constraints, and cultural norms across MAP.
Multimedia Project Specialist Sub-Component 4.2	1,450 (GEF and co-financing)	70	Provide advice and support for all multimedia activities to be developed within the two components of the INFO/RAC GEF LME Project: Information & Communications and Replication; Manages, organises and updates the on line data-bases of the Project; Supports the design and the organization of the Project filming and dissemination of audiovisuals as well as any related preparatory IC activity; Supports the design and the organization of the production and the revision of the Project web site text and document contents; Supports the collection/selection/preparation of media articles/documents; Supports the identification of the best channels of dissemination of the multimedia material produced; Supports the preparation media project documents for external funding as needed; Monitors international IC events to analyze and evaluate environmental activities; Maintains national and international IC contacts, compiling and updating an electronic list; Provides technical support during project meeting(s); Helps and provides assistance to IC Project Manager with any other IC need as required; Supports new partnerships, projects and activities as opportune; Provides support and contribute to the design, planning, development and implementation of all Project activities by actively coordinating with Project Manager and other INFO/RAC consultants; Sets up, manages, organises and updates a specific folder in the shared area of the server containing all the digital products/correspondence of his/her work; Sets up, manages, organises and updates a specific list of his/her work contacts; Attends meetings and goes on mission(s) when needed/requested and provides subsequent trip reports including recommendations for follow-up activities; Prepares and submit weekly activity memos (WAMs), six-monthly and annual Activity Reports, including materials for a press review; Ensures the above-mentioned tasks are carried out professionally using the principles of sustainable working partnership with key stakeholders maintaining a balanced view and sensitive attitude towards different countries and partners, their needs and constraints, and cultural norms across MAP.
ICT Specialist Sub-Component 4.2	1,450 (GEF money)	70	Performs ICT activities in support of the implementation of the two components of the GEF LME Project to be developed by INFO/RAC: Information & Communications and Replication; Provides technical guidance and input to the design and implementation of the ICT Platform, data collection, database, monitoring & updating and others activities as required; Provides guidance and support to the technical activities of any staff, sub-contractors, consultants and/or partners involved in the development of ICT Project components or related activities; Supports the preparation of ICT project documents for external funding as required; Supports the preparation of the terms of reference for consultants to be involved in ICT initiatives as needed; Efficiently manages and keeps regularly updated the Project WebSite(s)/Intranet/CMS(s); Provides opportune insights and ideas to improve Project internal and external performance on ICT related issues; Helps and provides assistance to INFO/RAC consultants with any other ICT need as required; Provides technical support during meeting(s), ensures proper ICT set up and puts in place local networks through cable and Wi-Fi systems; Provides support and contribute to the design, planning, development and implementation of all Project activities by actively coordinating with Project Manager and other INFO/RAC consultants; Supports new partnerships, projects and activities as opportune; Sets up, manages, organises and updates a specific folder in the shared area of the server containing all the digital products/correspondence of his/her work; Sets up, manages, organises and updates a specific list of his/her work contacts; Attends meetings and goes on mission(s) when needed/requested and provides subsequent trip reports including recommendations for follow-up activities; Prepares and submit weekly activity memos (WAMs), six-monthly and annual Activity Reports, including materials for a press review; Ensures the above-mentioned tasks are carried out professionally using the principles of sustainable working partnership with key stakeholders maintaining a balanced view and sensitive attitude towards different countries and partners, their needs and constraints, and cultural norms across MAP.
Translation service consultant Sub-Component 4.2	1,500 (Co-financing)	40	Provides translation and document preparation support in 4 languages (ITA, EN, FR, Arab) for all Project material produced as required in support of the implementation of the two components of the GEF LME Project to be developed by INFO/RAC: Information & Communications and Replication; Provides translation support for the production of all documents, studies, report to be developed within the INFO/RAC GEF project components; Provides translation support for the organization of Project meetings, workshops, conferences, seminars and IC events; Provides translation support for the production and the revision of the web site text and document contents; Assists with the collection/selection/preparation of articles/dossiers/contributions; Provides translation support and supports the launching, follow-up and moderating activities of on-line events/activities; Provides translation support for the development and dissemination of newsletter(s); Provides translation support and assists with the preparation of documents/projects for additional external co-funding as needed; Provides support and contribute to the design, planning, development and implementation of all Project activities by actively coordinating with Project Manager and other INFO/RAC consultants; Ensures the above-mentioned tasks are carried out professionally using the principles of sustainable working partnership with key stakeholders maintaining a balanced view and sensitive attitude towards different countries and partners, their needs and constraints, and cultural norms across MAP.
Financial/Legal Assistant Consultant Sub-Component 4.2	1,500 (Co-financing	60	Provide advice and support for all financial/legal activities in support of the implementation of the two components of the GEF LME Project to be developed by INFO/RAC: Information & Communications and Replication; Ensures correctness and smoothness in INFO/RAC accounting operations on the basis of regulations and established practices; Ensures that obligating documents are prepared and payments made in line with financial/Legal regulations; Prepares any other report/documentation needed for internal/external financial/Legal reporting; Monitors and reports on the use of resources, and checks and alerts on any discrepancy; Prepares financial/legal statements or responds to queries on use of resources against specific projects; Provides responses on fund management aspects to the Director, the Project Manager and to External Auditors; Helps and provides assistance to INFO/RAC consultants with any other financial/legal need as required; Provides financial/legal technical support during meeting(s); Provides financial/legal support and contribute to the design, planning, development and implementation of all Project activities by actively coordinating with Project Manager and other INFO/RAC consultants; Supports new partnerships, projects and activities as opportune; Sets up, manages, organises and updates a specific folder in the shared area of the server containing all the digital products/correspondence of his/her work; Sets up, manages, organises and updates a specific list of his/her work contacts; Attends meetings and goes on mission(s) when needed/requested and provides subsequent trip reports including recommendations for follow-up activities; Prepares and submit weekly activity memos (WAMs), six-monthly and annual Activity Reports, including materials for a press review; Ensures the above-mentioned tasks are carried out professionally using the principles of sustainable working partnership with key stakeholders maintaining a balanced view and sensitive attitude towards different countries and partners, their needs and constraints, and cultural norms across MAP.
International
Senior Project Advisor Sub-Component 1.1	1,500 (GEF money)	103	Provide technical support for the implementation of the Sub-Component 1.1 - Aquifers
Senior Policy/Institutional Sub-Component 1.1	1,500 (GEF money)	20	Will provide guidance on policy and institutional issues at regional, domestic and project level, and provide technical support and guidance for the implementation of the Sub-Component 1.1. - Aquifers
International Legal Consultant Sub-Component 1.1	1,500 (GEF money)	13	Policy reform activity of the sub-component with relevant mechanisms, protocols and framework and regional Mediterranean centers.
Senior Advisor Sub-Component 1.2	1,500 (GEF money)	8	To prepare and present the Outline for National ICM Strategies and National Action Plans (NAPs)
International Consultant(s) to support preparation of ICM National Strategies NAP Sub-Component 1.2	1,500 (GEF and co-financing )	44	To prepare and finalize ICM Strategies and NAP in three selected countries
International Expert Sub-Component 1.2	1,500 (GEF money)	14	Preparation of a national case study on implications of ratification of ICZM Protocol on relevant National legislation, with recommendations for preparation of respective studies by other participating countries
International Consultant Sub-Component 1.2	1,500 (GEF and co-financing)	55	To assist developing/strengthening of coastal legislation in the Mediterranean (notably national Coastal Laws) with special emphasis on WRM and BD protection
International Consultants on ICAM Sub-Component 1.2	1,500 (GEF and co-financing)	77	Team Members to participate in preparation of ICM Plan for a for a transboundary demo area of high environmental sensitivity
International Consultant on ICAM Sub-Component 1.2	1,500 (GEF and co-financing)	75	To participate as Team Leader in preparation of ICM Plan for a wetland-marine demo area of high biodiversity value.
International Consultant Sub-Component 1.2	1,500 (GEF money)	4	Effective implementation and Sustainable Financing of ICM Projects; To prepare and finalize a Methodological Framework
International Consultant on Water Resource Management Sub-Component 1.3	1,500 only co-financing	6	To prepare background documents for Training course for responsible within national and local institutions dealing with biodiversity protection and water resources management
International Senior Expert Sub-Component 1.3	2,000 only co-financing	37	Country Assessments and Country Dialogues and Catalytic Actions for IWRM; Catalyzing actions and building of capacity for national IWRM planning in two (2) countries and provision of ad-hoc support to two (2) more countries.
Expert in transboundary local action Sub-Component 1.3	2,000 (GEF and co-financing)	37	Assessment and Interventions for IWRM Planning at the transboundary level; Development of Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) in globally important river basins and adjacent coastal areas; Preparation of a list of transboundary bodies and water issues suitable for the implementation of pilot projects;.
Expert in Euro-Mediterranean and South-Eastern Europe Water issues Sub-Component 1.3	1,500 (GEF money)	27	Preparation of meeting; Preparation of an action plan for integrated water resources management in the Mediterranean that embodies.
Expert in country assessments Sub-Component 1.3	2,000 (GEF and co-financing)	40	Preparation of assessments for 15 transboundary water bodies.
TEST Expert (Regional Coordinator) Sub-Component 2.2	3000 co-financing	92	Prepare detailed work plan of activities for the implementation of Stage I of the TEST MED project in Morocco, Tunisia, and Egypt Prepare terms of reference for national counterparts and job descriptions of the national project management unit (country coordinator, environmental and financial experts) Review suitable national counterparts in Morocco, Tunisia, and Egypt for the implementation of the TEST-MED project (lead institution and collaborating institution that can provide national expertise). In cooperation with UNIDO country offices and UNIDO NCPCs, several national institutions will be contacted. Assess existing national expertise in each project country to define capacity building needs for the implementation of the TEST-MED project. Final selection of national counterparts and local organizational set-up. Identification of members of national advisory boards. Preparation of guidelines and material to be provided to the national counterparts for the sound implementation of the TEST project and its integrated approach. Set-up of the management information system at the national counterparts. Long distance assistance and communication with national counterparts during implementation of Stage I. Establish cooperation arrangements with MAP Secretariat and IPTO Italia for implementation of Stage II and III of the project. Periodical reporting to donors (Italian government) and UNIDO on progress on implementation.
EMA-EMS Experts Sub-Component 2.2	3000 GEF	12	Prepare ad hoc training material for information seminars, focussed on set-up for EMA and EMA components, including PER, ISO14001 requirements, implementation modalitites and certification. EMS-CPA integration, including synergies and practical methodological approach. Deliver seminars to identified industries
EST-SES experts Sub-Component 2.2	3000 GEF	36	Prepare ad-hoc training material on EST (methodology, implementation modalities, integration with TEST approach on CPA/SES, case studies Deliver seminars at identified industries on EST-SES Design follow-up activities for initiation of TEST-SES-EST projects in the selected industries
Sectorial Experts Sub-Component 2.2	3000 GEF	12	Provide technical input for the identification of EST/BAT options for the sector represented by the participating industries Review business and marketing strategy of the enterprises and provide substantive inputs during the development of the SES strategies Assist national experts in the preparation of pre-feasibility studies for selected options, including selection and contact with potential technology providers Report on technical and economic evaluation of EST-BAT options to be implemented at participating industries. Support in selecting best financial mechanisms for the implementation of the selected EST options
Project Evaluator Sub-Component 2.2	3000 GEF	8	The evaluator will consider the effectiveness, relevance, impact, and sustainability of the project, and identify the factors that will have facilitated or impeded the achievement of the project objectives.
Sustainable Finance Expert Sub-Component 4.1	1,700 GEF Money	182	Ensure the preparation of policy briefs on current financial practices/instruments and necessary changes; Ensure the preparation of guidelines for public sector investment and private sector participation in environmental financing; Support the WB SP team in highlighting NAP priorities in ongoing WB country dialogue; Prioritize the interventions in economic terms listed in three NAPs; Organize national and regional training workshops.
Expert on assessment of the magnitude of riverine inputs of nutrients into the Mediterranean Sea Sub-Component 2.1	2,300 (GEF and co-financing)	30	Build up a data base coupled with a GIS system on rivers in the Med; Prepare a report on the magnitudes of riverines nutrients inputs into the Med; Provide assistance to national authority and MEDPOL to organize workshops and prepare reports.
Experts in policy reforms Sub-Component 2.1	2,000 GEF Money	15	Assess the state of the art of the institutional and legal of pollution control of industrial effluents; Propose a draft policy reforms to improve the status of pollution control; Provide assistance to national authority and MEDPOL to organize workshops and prepare reports.
Consultant to assess the national and regional Emission Limit Values (ELVs) Sub-Component 2.1	2,000 (GEF and co-financing)	40	Development of ELVs for major industrial sectors and pollutants in the Mediterranean region; to introduce ELV and EQS in the legislation of countries for all substances include in the SAP targets; to propose changes in the institutional framework of the GEF-eligible countries to ensure the proper use of the ELV.
Consultants for technical activities for facilitation of policy and legislation reforms for pollution control Sub-Component 2.1	2,000 GEF Money	125	Facilitate the transfer of know how; to improve the legislative and institutional framework; to prepare and to implement guidelines; to prepare and to implement Pilot Projects; Develop database.
Consultants for policy reforms for PCBs Sub-Component 2.3	2,500 (GEF and co-financing)	28	Review and improve existing legal, regulatory and administrative instruments; Agree on technical standards for reporting, analysis and labeling; Develop or upgrade reporting and registration schemes and national databases; Agree on ESM standards for PCB equipment in use and in storage awaiting disposal; Develop and agree on norms and standards for the assessment and environmentally sound remediation of sites contaminated by PCBs.
Consultants for technical issues for PCBs Sub-Component 2.3	2,200 (GEF and co-financing)	72	Select sites and establish pilot facilities; Conducting risk-based assessment of in-service equipment containing or contaminated by PCBs; Developing precautionary phase-out plans; Defining costs and incremental costs; disposal of obsolete equipments.
Junior consultant to support to Sustainable Finance, Replication and Coordination Functions of the Strategic Partnership Sub-Component 4.1	1,500 only co-financing	130	Support World Bank interface with and participation in the SP replication activities, in cooperation with MAP INFO-RAC; Review and identify RC pilot projects with potential for scaling up and/or replication via the IF or with other funding sources; Contributing to the design of IF projects with respect to replication and dissemination strategies, and stakeholder engagement; Support World Bank actions directed towards SP resource mobilization; Provide general support to the WB SP coordination; Prepare presentations on a half-yearly basis on the IF program of projects identified for funding; Support the Bank by facilitating systematic linkages with activities and programs of other donors and agencies; Represent the SP at relevant regional and global events.
Technical-Policy Training Expert Sub-Component 2.3	1,500 (GEF and co-financing)	14	Providing training opportunities for maintenance and servicing personnel in best-practices for environmentally sound maintenance and servicing; Providing training in risk assessment and precautionary planning for the phase-out of in-service equipment containing or contaminated with PCBs; Providing training in the management of disposal operations; Preparation of a monitoring system for the management and disposal of POPs operations in Arabic countries.
External expertise for training and studies for existing Med Protect Areas Sub-Component 3.1	1,200 only co-financing	166	Development of innovative training tools; Training for existing MPA managers;
Technical expertise for improving MPA management and monitoring system Sub-Component 3.1	1,250 only co-financing	200	Marine baseline biodiversity assessment of the area; Socio-economic analysis of overall tourism’s relationship with diving activities in the area; Development of protocols among the diving clubs for the creation of a “Responsible Diver” flag and logo; Development of guidelines for scuba diving activities; Development of guidelines for other recreational activities; Development of a zoning map; To identify an MPA of a EU country; To establish the contact between such a management team and the relevant authority and management team/technicians; To organize meetings between the two teams; To assist the relevant authorities/management team and technicians in developing guidelines for the management of fisheries activities in the MPA; to develop a feasibility study for a Mediterranean MPA observatory; Define and create the framework and the operational structure of the observatory; Organization of one 3 days regional seminar; Rapid assessment of the effectiveness of MPA management at sub-regional level; Elaboration of a baseline assessment of ecological and socio-economic characteristics; Definition of the objectives and the scope of a monitoring system for all Croatian MPAs; Development of a simple centralized database
International Consultants for identifying and planning of new MPAs to extend the regional network and enhance its ecological representiveness Sub-Component 3.1	1,800 only co-financing	333	Establishment of priority activities needed to create MPAs; Preparation of a rapid preliminary assessment in order to elaborate an Implementation Strategy; Visiting 8 countries to survey national demands and needs; To examine, the present national situation to create new MPAs; Identification of possible partnership at the international and national level, to provide an adequate institutional framework to the participatory mechanisms; Technical Assistance to provide criteria to selecting a marine site to become a MPA; Ecological survey for reviewing and summarizing (at national or sub-national level) the existing biophysical and ecological information in the area; Ecological study (at national or sub-national level) to fill gaps in environmental knowledge- establishing a preliminary description of marine areas; for all important aspects; Technical assistance for achieving environmental studies; Ecological study in three demonstration areas to fill gaps in environmental knowledge - establishing a quantitative description of the marine area to be protected, as well as surrounding areas, by assessing; Fishery study (in three demonstration areas) to fill gaps in fisheries knowledge- establishing a preliminary description of small-scale fishery in the area, by assessing in the field all (or part of) the following aspects; a technical expertise is to be developed in the 3 MPA-sites; Preparation of a legal framework to create SPAMIs in high seas already exists to facilitate the collaboration between experts and international and national institutions of neighboring countries to meet, discuss and eventually propose one or more among these three areas as SPAMI; Training courses and Capacity building to create new MPAs in the Mediterranean region; a bibliographic review; Publication of a methodological monographs
Consultants for legal governance Sub-Component 3.1	1,500 only co-financing	133	Analyzing existing national (or sub-national) and site-specific (local) laws and rules to protect marine habitats, species and area; identifying existing gaps in legislation and level of compliance and proposing updates of legislation to fill in identified gaps; analyzing existing national (or sub-national) conservation and/or fisheries policies in which, including MPA systems; clarifying competencies at national (and sub-national) level regarding the management of littoral areas; establishing the institutional framework for managing marine areas at the national and sub-national level, and their capabilities (in terms of budget and opportunities); proposing coordination mechanisms among sectors at the national level (within an ICZM scheme) to ensure appropriate management of ongoing MPAs; training to support governance of MPAs in the region more effective; Organization of training sessions to facilitate exchange of data and experience between the MPAs managers and national stakeholders; Preparation of two seminars; Publication in 3 languages of a user’s guide intended to the MPAs managers, on the “Legal aspects of MPAs in the Mediterranean region.
International Consultant on Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Sub-Component 3.2	1,250 (GEF)	16	Preparation of a technical document on new fisheries-based MPAs in international waters (High Seas): Enhanced collaboration of riparian countries for the creation of up to 3 SPAMIs in international waters.
International Consultant on Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Sub-Component 3.2	1,250 (GEF)	13	Preparation of a technical document on the development of legal and management reforms to ensure the long-term limitation of fishing impacts on biodiversity and marine ecosystems in four countries (Tunisia, Turkey, Croatia, Montenegro): Overall fishing impacts on biodiversity and marine ecosystems are greatly reduced over the long-term.
International Consultant on Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Sub-Component 3.2	1,250 (GEF)	16	Develop and implement demonstrable solutions to bycatch mitigation for protected / endangered species of fish and invertebrates and for iconic vertebrate species in three countries (Morocco, Algeria and Turkey): by-catch mortality on sharks, marine mammals, sea turtles and sea birds is significantly reduced.
International Consultant on Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Sub-Component 3.2	1,250 (GEF)	12	Preparation of a technical document on the implementation of a biodiversity conservation and ecosystem approach into fisheries research and management in four countries (Tunisia, Turkey, Croatia, Montenegro): integration of ecosystem and environmental considerations in effective fisheries management policy .
International Consultant on Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Sub-Component 3.2	1,250 (GEF)	19	Preparation of a technical document on risk assessment to priorities regional threats to vulnerable fish and fisheries interactions with iconic species in five countries (Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Turkey, Algeria, priority will be given to the 3 countries involved in 3.2.2.2: Turkey, Algeria and Morocco): to assess the scale and drivers for the bycatch on vulnerable species (sharks, certain invertebrates, cetaceans, monk seals, sea turtles and seabird populations). 1 or 2 fishing metiers per country to be identified and targeted.”
International Consultant on Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Sub-Component 3.2	1,250 (GEF)	22	Preparation of a technical document on the identification of significant fishing impacts in areas of particular vulnerability in five countries (Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Turkey, Algeria). The impact of towed gears on critical bottom habitats, forbidden fishing practices and protected species significant by-catch identified and mitigation approaches develolped with the support of stakeholders.
Information and Communication Project Expert Sub-Component 4.2	2,100 only co-financing	238	Information and Communication activities and Multimedia relations at regional and national level for ensuring support to the implementation of the two components of the GEF LME Project; Plans, coordinates and provides strategic inputs for the implementation of the information and communication activities of the Project; Supervises and contributes to the design, production and maintenance of the web site and document contents; Supports the collection/selection/preparation of media articles/documents; relations with Media at local and regional level; Identifies and paves the way for the use of the best channels of dissemination of the IC material produced; Provides support and contribute to the design, planning, development and implementation of all Project activities by actively coordinating with Project Manager and other INFO/RAC consultants; Plans, design and implements new partnerships, projects and activities as opportune; Identifies and explores emerging funding opportunities for the further development of the Project
Management of the Information and Replication Su-Component 4.2 and 4.3	1,900 only co-financing	258	Overall management of the two components of the GEF LME Project to be developed by INFO/RAC-MAP: Information & Communications and Replication In particular: Plans, coordinates and provides strategic inputs for the implementation of the activities of the Project
Partnerships and Institutional Relations Manager Sub-Components 4.2 and 4.3	1,063 only co-financing	104 only co-financing	Plans, coordinates and provides strategic inputs for the implementation of the institutional activities of the Project, in particular provides technical guidance Acts as focal point for INFO/RAC GEF Project components at local, national and regional level; Manage, develops and maintain institutional relations with Public Administrations in order to support the development and contribute to the success of the IC and Replication activities; Promotes new and challenging partnership/collaboration at regional/national/local level as opportune; Keeps abreast on any new funding possibilities linked to INFO/RAC GEF Project activities at local and regional level; Provides support and contribute to the design, planning, development and implementation of all Project activities by actively coordinating with Project Manager and other INFO/RAC consultants; Plans, design and implements new partnerships, projects and activities as opportune;
Information and communication project officer Sub-Component 4.2	1,063	104	Provides assistance and support to Project and System Design Manager for the implementation of the two components of the GEF LME Project to be developed by INFO/RAC: Information & Communications and Replication
Partnerships and Institutional Relations expert Sub-Component 4.2	2,000 only co-financing	245	Ensuring support to the implementation of the two components of the GEF LME Project; Plans, coordinates and provides strategic inputs for the implementation of the institutional activities of the Project; Acts as focal point for INFO/RAC GEF Project components at local, national and regional level; maintain institutional relations with Public Administrations in order to support the development and contribute to the success of the IC and Replication activities; Promotes new and challenging partnership/collaboration at regional/national/local level as opportune; Keeps abreast on any new funding possibilities linked to INFO/RAC GEF Project activities at local and regional level; Provides support and contribute to the design, planning, development and implementation of all Project activities by actively coordinating with Project Manager and other INFO/RAC consultants; Plans, design and implements new partnerships, projects and activities as opportune; Identifies and explores emerging funding opportunities for the further development of the Project; Activity Reports, including materials for a press review; Ensures the above-mentioned tasks are carried out professionally using the principles of sustainable working partnership with key stakeholders maintaining a balanced view and sensitive attitude towards different countries and partners, their needs and constraints, and cultural norms across MAP.
Information and Communication Project expert Sub-Component 4.2	2,000 only co-financing	245	Multimedia relations at regional and national level for ensuring support to the implementation of the two components of the GEF LME Project to be developed by INFO/RAC: Information & Communications and Replication; Plans, coordinates and provides strategic inputs for the implementation of the information and communication activities of the Project; Supervises and contributes to the design, production and maintenance of the web site and document contents; Supports the collection/selection/preparation of media articles/documents; Manages relations with Media at local and regional level; Identifies and paves the way for the use of the best channels of dissemination of the IC material produced; Provides support and contribute to the design, planning, development and implementation of all Project activities by actively coordinating with Project Manager and other INFO/RAC consultants; Plans, design and implements new partnerships, projects and activities as opportune; Identifies and explores emerging funding opportunities for the further development of the Project; Sets up, manages, organises and updates a specific folder in the shared area of the server containing all the digital products/correspondence of his/her work; Sets up, manages, organises and updates a specific list of his/her work contacts; Attends meetings and goes on mission(s) when needed/requested and provides subsequent trip reports including recommendations for follow-up activities; Prepares and submit weekly activity memos (WAMs), six-monthly and annual Activity Reports, including materials for a press review;
Project expert Assistant Sub-Component 4.2	1,500 only co-financing	47	Provides assistance and support to Project and System Design Manager, organizes and updates files, contacts and the on line data-bases of the Project; Supports the collection/selection/preparation of IC material; Provides support for keeping communication lines, cooperation and coordination; Assists in coordinating the work with other INFO/RAC Project consultants and Project Partners; Assists in assessing the progress of the Project and in the preparation of Documents, Progress Reports, Final Documents and others related documents as required; Assists and provide support for the promotion of the Project and for the strengthening of its IC and Replication activities; Assist in monitoring and evaluating the INFO/RAC Project activities; Assists in designing and implementing new partnerships, projects and activities as opportune; Assists in the Identification of emerging funding opportunities for the further development of the Project; Assist and contribute to the organization of the workshops, meetings and conferences included in the Project Document; Provides support and contribute to the design, planning, development and implementation of all Project activities by actively coordinating with Project Manager and other INFO/RAC consultants

Annex d: status of implementation of project preparation activities and the use of funds

1. explain if the ppg objective has been achieved through the ppg activities undertaken.

During the PDF-B phase of the project UNEP/MAP, the RACs, FAO, UNIDO and the co-executing agencies (UNESCO, MIO-ESCDE, GFCM, GWP-MED, MEDPOL and METAP) worked in collaboration to develop the current complimentary activities proposed for the Regional Component of the Strategic Partnership, that address priorities identified in the SAPs and NAPs, and to complement their own ongoing work in the Mediterranean.

The PDF-B activities had two main objectives:

(i) Allow the detailed design of this component of the full project, including relevant process – stress reduction indicators;

(ii) Assist the countries to reach consensus at the inter-ministerial level on their needs for reforms and the commitments emerging from each country’s National Action Plan and SAP BIO National Action Plans, National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans (NBSAPs) and other relevant protected areas planning documents.

In terms of the first objective, this has been fully achieved and has resulted the Project Brief and Executive Summary for the Project were finalized along with the following

• Detailed Log-frame

• Incremental Costs Analysis of the project activities

• Detailed Monitoring and Evaluation Plan (including process and stress result indicators with preliminary baseline data),

• Stakeholder involvement plan,

• NGO Involvement Plan

• Detailed activities and demonstrations and their execution arrangement,

• Work plan and timetable for project activities,

• ICZM Policy Brief and Country Reports

• Nomination of the National Strategic Partnership Focal Points

• An analysis of Mediterranean Countries' Needs For Legal, Policy And Institutional Reforms To Strengthen The Management Of Existing Marine Protected Areas

• A Review of existing financial constraints and measures and proposal for a UNEP/GEF programme on strengthening sustainable environmental financial mechanism for the implementation of the NAPS

Regarding the second objective, the project activities have been developed in line with SAP and NAP priorities and was achieved through the work of all co-executing agencies and co-ordination with all countries and stakeholders. It should be noted that a Project Steering Committee was originally planned but was not conducted.

2. describe if any findings that might affect the project design or any concerns on project implementation.

The project has been designed involving all participating countries, executing agencies and major stakeholders. The risks of the project have previously been discussed. The Strategic Partnership (that is UNEP Regional Component and WB Investment Fund) involves a large number of executing agencies. Their continued commitment to the execution of the project is therefore key to the overall success in achieving the projects objectives, along with need to ensure that all activities and executed in a complementary way and analyzed for their overall results, with continuous exchange of lessons learned throughout execution. Otherwise no major concerns have been identified.

3. provide detailed funding amount of the ppg activities and their implemtation status in the table below:

Project Preparation Activities Approved	Implement-tion Status	GEF Amount ($)				Co-financing ($)
		Amount Approved	Amount Spent To-date	Amount Committed	Uncommitted Amount*
Component I. Facilitation of policy and legislative reforms (UNEP/MAP through MED POL, CP/RAC, REMPEC and SPA/RAC).	Complete	100,000	65,035	65,035	0	203,000