Gambia SPCR Response matrix to external reviewer s comments AGRER, 30 th August 2017. Volume/General Comment Response 1. The SPCR document has the following ownership Disclaimer has been removed from cover pages. General disclaimer: The Findings, conclusions and interpretations expressed in this document are those of the consultant(s) and should in no way be taken to reflect the policies or opinions of the MoECCNAR or the AfDB. This does not seem compatible with the need for the SPCR to be Government owned and driven. 2. The list of acronyms is not complete. Additional acronyms have been added to the list. General 3. Additional studies are required to complete the SPCR process and develop detailed planning of the SPCR Investment program. The additional analytical studies for which Terms of Reference (TOR) have been drafted (Annex 8 of SPCR), are: Development of Climate Change Scenarios for The Gambia, based on the CMIP-5 and CORDEX-Africa data sets, and further integration of projections into proposed investments. Currently, the scenarios being used are those from the Second National Communication to the UNFCCC (2012), which are based on models from 2002 or earlier. Comprehensive analytical study to understand climate change impacts on health in The Gambia. There has been little research on the change impacts on health in The Gambia, despite major concerns relate to climate-sensitive diseases, such as malaria. All three of these additional studies are to be funded from the existing budget that the MoECCNAR received from the CIF for the purposes of developing the SPCR. The exact cost of each study is to be finalised as the Ministry begins the process to recruit the service providers. A short note in this regard has been added to. The envisaged time frame was that the studies should be completed prior to the detailed planning and development of the four project proposals, arising from the four Concept Notes. As was already stated in the SPCR, MoECCNAR to commission the additional analytical studies identified in the SPCR without delay, so that these can be inputs into further SPCR planning and early implementation. 1
Feasibility study to assess best available options for managing excess runoff and preventing flooding in The Gambia. The proposed study will identify the main drainage channels in the Greater Banjul Area and further afield, and recommend measures necessary to retain some of the water lost. It will also identify runoff channels so that they can be incorporated into infrastructural projects (e.g. roads and buildings). Review of Climate Finance and Establishment of Emerging New Innovative Financing Mechanisms As stated in the SPCR Vol 1, Study 1, which will develop an updated set of climate scenarios for The Gambia, should be completed first, and without delay, as this is an essential input into Studies 2 and 3, and will provide valuable background for Study 4. 4. It is not clear how much these additional studies will cost or how they will be funded, or the timeframe for their completion (and how this fits with the proposed timeframe for the SPCR Investment Plan presented in Volume II). The SPCR proposes a number of immediate actions and quick wins including: When additional funds are available, should the extension for the SPCR development applied for by the MoECCNAR to the CIF be granted, carry out a sensitization process, with adequate resources and time, for stakeholders in all of the regions on the SPCR documents and concepts, as part of expanding the existing National Climate Change Communication Strategy and Awareness Campaign (NCCCS&AR), which is an important activity in Concept Note 1. 2
Comment: I am not sure if this refers to an extension of Phase 1 preparatory stage of the SPCR development? Formalizing the National Climate Change Policy (NCCP): (i) The MoECCNAR to develop and submit a Cabinet Paper to motivate the approval of the draft NCCP; (ii) Obtain Cabinet approval of the NCCP, ideally before June 2017, so that it can be included in discussions of budget allocations for the 2018 financial year. Comment: Consider updating dates / status of NCCP approval in SPCR. Yes, this refers to an extension of Phase 1 preparatory stage of the SPCR development. This has been clarified in the document. In the interim, while waiting for the external reviewer comments, the NCCP has been approved by Cabinet. This has been updated in the SPCR document (Volumes 1 and 2). 5. The SPCR states that the eleven policy principles set out in the National Climate Change Policy (2016), together with key requirements of the PPCR, were used to develop criteria through which the emerging investments for the SPCR were assessed and prioritized. The requirement for transformative and catalytic investments was a further overriding criterion, as was the ability to integrate the agreed crosscutting areas of gender, youth, health and tourism. However, a full list of the criteria used is not presented and it is not clear how the criteria were used to rate / prioritize the investments. 6. Capturing of lessons learned. The SPCR presents some lessons learned to steer the investment program. For The full set of criteria consists of the 11 policy principles set out in the NCCP, which are contained in Annex 4; plus the requirement for transformative and catalytic investments was a further overriding criterion, as was the ability to integrate the agreed crosscutting areas of gender, youth, health and tourism. This constitutes the full set of criteria, which were agreed, and then used in broad terms only during meetings of the Technical Team overseeing the SPCR process, as there was unanimous agreement on the investment programmes. Further prioritisation of specific elements of the investment programmes will be conducted during detailed planning, using the set of 13 criteria. Annex 4 and section 2.1 have been updated to clarify this. Capturing of lessons learned will be an important part of the SPCR, and will be an integral component of the multi- 3
example, Pillar 1 component 4 (development of climate observations database) notes that trust in climate information is a significant issue amongst local communities and that this can be enhanced by blending climate forecasts and scientific information with local and indigenous knowledge. It also includes specific learning mechanisms, e.g. the establishment of an institutionalized learning mechanism to close the feedback loop between M&E and implementation, to promote adaptive management and action learning and the statement that lessons from successfully implemented renewable energy projects, such as PV powered freezers at Tendaba, should be learned and scaled up (Pillar 3). However, the SPCR does not provide an explicit strategy on capturing lessons learned from implementation of the SPCR and this is something that could be developed. level M, E & R system for climate resilience to be developed, as set out in Component 5 of Concept Note 1. This has been clarified in the relevant places in Volumes 1 and 2. Moreover, this will be linked to the work of the National Climate Change Research Centre (Component 3 of Concept Note 1), which will develop a strategy, framework and regularly develop lessons learned reports on the implementation of the SPCR. 7. The SPCR includes a provisional results based logical framework for the four planned SPCR Investment programmes (Annex 11). The Logical Framework needs to be reviewed and developed. Many cells are incomplete and generic text is used, e.g. for Indicative targets and timeframe, which is often inappropriate. Assumptions and risks need to be developed. The Logical Framework for Pillar 3 is particularly weak. When the more detailed project proposals are developed, the results framework will need to be updated. More work is also needed to align the Results Framework with the PPCR framework and to define SMART indicators. 8. The SPCR states that steps to address the low participation of women in decision making at both Some adjustments to the Logical Frameworks for the four Concept Notes have been made, and the overall Logical Framework in has been revised so that it is consistent with the four logframes in Volume 2. However, as the comment itself recognises, and as is stated throughout the SPCR, the results frameworks will need to be updated when more detailed project proposals are developed. Agreed, and this will be a critical element of the detailed planning to be carried out in the next phase. 4
9. 10. community and national levels will be integrated across the components of all pillars. Gender is constantly mentioned and some specific actions are incorporated into the Investment pillars, however care will be needed when the investments are refined to ensure that the intention to mainstream gender issues in the the SPCR are translated into concrete actions and investments. The SPCR suggests that a wise strategy for The Gambia would be to rely more on domestic mobilization of resources and private sector instruments. It suggests that private sector capital flows be incentivized through tax relief, tax holidays, tax breaks, and tax rebates or low tariffs. However, this may not be easy in a poor country dependent on tax income. It is also suggested that private capital flows be sourced from innovative markets (polluter pays approaches, carbon tax, carbon credits, and green labels) tailored around carbon-offset initiatives. These new innovative financial mechanisms are not yet significantly developed in Africa, and are a focus of the proposed additional study on Review of Climate Finance and Establishment of Emerging New Innovative Financing Mechanism. The Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) chaired by the Governors of the regions coordinates all development issues at the regional level. The Multi-disciplinary Facilitation Teams (MDFTs), who advise 144 Ward Development Committees at the district level, are key institutions that will be involved in SPCR implementation and monitoring. The SPCR notes that ongoing, comprehensive and adequately resourced climate change capacity development for the TACs and MDFTs is a priority. However, not much detailed is provided in the Agreed, and this will be an important element to consider in the additional analytical study identified on Review of Climate Finance and Establishment of Emerging New Innovative Financing Mechanisms including: Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES), mechanisms to implement the Polluter Pays Principle, REDD+ and Carbon Finance to Attract Private Sector Participation in SPCR, which the MoECCNAR is to commission and ensure completion of during the extension of Phase 1 of the SPCR. Agreed, this is an important area to be elaborated on in the detailed project planning for the investment programmes. 5
11. Concept Notes as to how this will be supported, and this is an area that could be elaborated on in the development of the investment plans, recognizing that capacity and institutional arrangements are likely to be less developed at the sub national level and long term awareness and capacity development will be required. The cost-effectiveness of the proposed investment is not explicitly considered but is important in the context of the financial constraints and climate funding gap facing the Gambia (see Part II G). This could be considered along side the cost-benefit analysis of the proposed investments programme/components, which is also not presented as part of the SPCR due to the condensed timeframes, but is suggested for the full project proposals that will be developed by the Government of The Gambia. Cost effectiveness and cost-benefit analysis (CBA) for the SPCR Investment Plan will require input from feasibility studies to be undertaken when further developing the prepared Concept Notes into detailed project proposals. Thus CBA will need to be carried out in the subsequent detailed project planning phase of the SPCR. The following will be required to provide an adequate CBA for the SPCR: 1. Specify the set of alternative projects. 2. Decide whose benefits and costs count (standing). 3. Catalogue the impacts and select measurement indicators. 4. Predict the impacts quantitatively over the life of the project. 5. Monetize (attach dollar values to) all impacts. 6. Discount benefits and costs to obtain present values. 7. Compute the net present value of each alternative: The net present value (NPV) equals the present value of benefits minus the present value of costs: NPV = PV (B) PV(C). Choose the alternative with the largest NPV. The alternative with the largest NPV at least represents a more efficient allocation of resources, but one cannot say it is the most efficient allocation, because not all possible alternatives are necessarily analyzed in the CBA. 6
12. The SPCR recognizes that cross-sectoral coordination is needed to harmonize the policy framework to support integrated planning and development, and move away from a silo/sector based approach which does not account for synergies and tradeoffs between sectors. A summary of institutions and opportunities to co-ordinate across private sector, civil society, academia, donors drawn from the SPCR is provided below. Then role of academia is missing from the SPCR. 8. Perform sensitivity analysis. 9. Make a recommendation - normally one would recommend the alternative with the highest NPV, but should also take into account the sensitivity analysis. All the above can be accomplished over a period of time with input from each one of the project components as proposed in the Concept Notes. A note clarifying this has been added to section 2.2.3 of. Respectfully, the role of academia is not missing from the SPCR. Component 3 of Concept Note 1 on the Climate change research, capacity development and communication interventions makes this very clear. As is stated, In order to enable coherent and focused research for climate resilient policy and practice, the first step will be to establish and resource the Gambia National Research Framework on Climate Change (GNRF-CC), which is a provision in the NCCP. This will be initiated through discussions with the University of The Gambia and relevant public and private institutions, including the National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI), the Renewable Energy Association of The Gambia (REAGAM), the Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology (MoHERST), amongst others. A National Climate Change Research Centre would be established, and the National Climate Committee encouraged to include R&D in its discussions and proposals for support. The National Climate Change Research Centre would inter 7
13. 14. 15. The SPCR is clear on the need to identify additional funding sources. However, the suggestions at this stage are theoretical and need further study to identify actual / confirmed financial flows as also discussed in Part II G. The SPCR does not set out how lessons learned will be captured and disseminated. While capacity building is a core part of Pillar 1 and included in the other three Pillars, beyond this the SPCR does not specify how learning will be generated, captured, shared and incorporated into future programming. As noted above, the SPCR does not set out how it will enable learning-by-doing and sharing of lessons at country, regional and global levels. alia generate data and support policy and decision making processes on integrating and mainstreaming climate resilience into the national development agenda, including through economic analysis of adaptation, mitigation and resilience building approaches and initiatives. The National Climate Change Research Centre will develop a strategy, framework and regularly develop lessons learned reports on the implementation of the SPCR. A note clarifying this has been added to the relevant section of. Agreed, and this is the reason for the additional analytical study identified on Review of Climate Finance and Establishment of Emerging New Innovative Financing Mechanisms including: Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES), mechanisms to implement the Polluter Pays Principle, REDD+ and Carbon Finance to Attract Private Sector Participation in SPCR, which the MoECCNAR is to commission and ensure completion of during the extension of Phase 1 of the SPCR. Dealt with above see response to point 6. Dealt with above see response to point 6. 8
16. 17. 18. Overarching review comment: The Results based Logical framework presented in the SPCR is preliminary and does not provide specific and measurable indicators. This will need to be developed when the detailed project designs are agreed. It has therefore not been possible to assess the extent to which the SPCR meets the PPCR results framework, although the proposed Pillars / integrated investments for The Gambia align with the results areas presented in the table below. Specific comments on the Results Framework are provided in the the marked up version of the SPCR. Overall assessment of the SPCR The SPCR for The Gambia is on the whole well written and the Concept Notes presented in Volume II are detailed and consistent with the analytics presented in Volume I. However, no maps or visuals are provided in the SPCR and there are very few data tables, which would make the SPCR more reader friendly and perhaps more concise (there is quite a lot of repetition within and between the Volumes). The SPCR was developed rapidly over 2 months and there is ambiguity in certain places in the written document as to whether the SPCR is the final output of the preparatory Dealt with above see response to point 7. It is proposed to develop further visuals once the detailed project planning stage has been concluded, so that such visuals are based on the completed and more specific proposals, which could then be used in plain language publications that are envisaged in Component 3 of Concept Note 1, i.e. The NCCCS&AR will be developed in a systematic fashion, with a 5-year work plan, which will include a comprehensive civic education programme on climate change, including promoting individual actions and those of institutions such as NGOs, CBOs and the private sector. A series of simple pamphlets, translated into local languages, will be initiated, starting with the NCCP and the SPCR summary. Traditional communicators will be a crucial mechanism to communicate climate change effectively, as will innovative methods such as song, drama and video, including video documentaries of successful projects. The additional studies proposed are part of the preparatory phase i.e. Phase 1 of the SPCR. The MoECCNAR obtained an extension until November 2017 9
phase (Phase 1) or if the preparatory stage is on-going. For example, it is not clear if the additional studies proposed are part of the preparatory stage or will be rolled into Phase 2 Investment stage. The SPCR reviews in detail existing information, but is limited by the depth and quality of available analytical studies. Development of the SPCR is contingent on institutional factors (namely the approval of the NCCA) and specific analytical studies. of Phase 1. The intention is to complete all four additional studies before that date. As Part 4 now states: All three of these additional studies are to be funded from the existing budget that the MoECCNAR received from the CIF for the purposes of developing the SPCR. The exact cost of each study is to be finalised as the Ministry begins the process to recruit the service providers. The additional studies are to be carried out during the extension of Phase 1 of the SPCR, which has now been extended to November 2017. 10