the interaction with civil society through the example of small grants provided to
local communities, the introduction of new technology in collaboration with the
private sector and the gender, equity and inclusiveness dimensions.
2.6 Civil Society Action Supported Through Small Grants
While civil society is active at all levels of governance, including the global level, it
tends to be rooted in local organizations and action. Bottom-up action and representation are considered essential by many civil society organisations. Change in
behaviour initiated by and in civil society often follows its own dynamics – some of
it top-down, where governments impose rules and regulations, or behavior is
modelled on the example of popular characters or opinion leaders, but often durable
change is initiated at local levels and gradually (or quickly) spreading to the general
population. Of the organisations evaluated the Global Environment Facility has
supported local civil society initiatives through its Small Grant Programme (SGP).
We turn now to the evaluations of this programme to look at whether this provides a
promising avenue for civil society engagement in climate action.
The SGP was established in 1992 and implemented by the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) on behalf of the Global Environment Facility
(GEF). SGP provides small grants of up to US$50,000 to local communities as they
take action on sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity, climate change,
land degradation, international waters, sustainable forest- and chemical management. SGP has provided over 18,000 grants to communities in more than 125 countries. In its fifth operational phase (2011–2014), the Programme’s aim included
expanding its coverage to 136 countries. US$288.28 million was allocated to the
SGP and total co-financing mobilized from diverse sources amounts to US$345.24
million (GEF/IEO and UNDP/IEO 2015, p. 1).
From 2013 to 2015, the GEF and UNDP Independent Evaluation Offices jointly
evaluated SGP. One of the conclusions of the evaluation states that ‘SGP continues
to support communities with projects that are effective, efficient, and relevant in
achieving global environmental benefits while addressing livelihoods as well as
promoting gender equality and empowering women’ (GEF/IEO and UNDP/IEO
2015, p. xiii). The evaluation further notes that SGP’s system ensures global
policies are translated into action at the local level. The results at local level were
impressive, with high percentages of projects that contributed to livelihoods,
poverty reduction and gender.
In many countries, SGP achievements were replicated, upscaled and
mainstreamed, sometimes to the extent of policy influence, into local and sometimes national development processes. Replication often takes place on a local scale
only: other villages and communities copying what had been achieved in a specific
SGP supported activity. Thus, successful introduction of conservation of mangrove
forests in Senegal at the local community level was replicated in other villages.
Mainstreaming happened less often, but an interesting example was an SGP grant in
2 Action on Climate Change: What Does It Mean and Where Does It Lead To?
25
local communities, the introduction of new technology in collaboration with the
private sector and the gender, equity and inclusiveness dimensions.
2.6 Civil Society Action Supported Through Small Grants
While civil society is active at all levels of governance, including the global level, it
tends to be rooted in local organizations and action. Bottom-up action and representation are considered essential by many civil society organisations. Change in
behaviour initiated by and in civil society often follows its own dynamics – some of
it top-down, where governments impose rules and regulations, or behavior is
modelled on the example of popular characters or opinion leaders, but often durable
change is initiated at local levels and gradually (or quickly) spreading to the general
population. Of the organisations evaluated the Global Environment Facility has
supported local civil society initiatives through its Small Grant Programme (SGP).
We turn now to the evaluations of this programme to look at whether this provides a
promising avenue for civil society engagement in climate action.
The SGP was established in 1992 and implemented by the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) on behalf of the Global Environment Facility
(GEF). SGP provides small grants of up to US$50,000 to local communities as they
take action on sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity, climate change,
land degradation, international waters, sustainable forest- and chemical management. SGP has provided over 18,000 grants to communities in more than 125 countries. In its fifth operational phase (2011–2014), the Programme’s aim included
expanding its coverage to 136 countries. US$288.28 million was allocated to the
SGP and total co-financing mobilized from diverse sources amounts to US$345.24
million (GEF/IEO and UNDP/IEO 2015, p. 1).
From 2013 to 2015, the GEF and UNDP Independent Evaluation Offices jointly
evaluated SGP. One of the conclusions of the evaluation states that ‘SGP continues
to support communities with projects that are effective, efficient, and relevant in
achieving global environmental benefits while addressing livelihoods as well as
promoting gender equality and empowering women’ (GEF/IEO and UNDP/IEO
2015, p. xiii). The evaluation further notes that SGP’s system ensures global
policies are translated into action at the local level. The results at local level were
impressive, with high percentages of projects that contributed to livelihoods,
poverty reduction and gender.
In many countries, SGP achievements were replicated, upscaled and
mainstreamed, sometimes to the extent of policy influence, into local and sometimes national development processes. Replication often takes place on a local scale
only: other villages and communities copying what had been achieved in a specific
SGP supported activity. Thus, successful introduction of conservation of mangrove
forests in Senegal at the local community level was replicated in other villages.
Mainstreaming happened less often, but an interesting example was an SGP grant in
2 Action on Climate Change: What Does It Mean and Where Does It Lead To?
25