Evaluation of the Project

PROJECT OVERVIEW

The goal of the project is to empower the local population in Racha (Ambrolauri and Oni) and Erusheti (Akhaltsikhe and Aspindza) regions, to sustainably protect and manage natural resources, to implement measures to adapt to climate change and to generate additional income from the investments in rural development. To achieve this goal the project sets following objectives: (a) to establish new protected areas for conserving unique forest ecosystems and develop connectivity at the landscapes’ level (b) to implement climate adaptation measures to enhance the resilience of vulnerable forests in the parks’ buffer zones, and (c) to promote sustainable livelihoods in local communities to reduce the demand on forest products.

The primary target group of the project is the local population in the four municipalities of Racha and Erusheti regions (in total ca. 1.000 Persons, 50% of which are women).

The target group will be actively involved in the project through a participatory approach. Investment measures should be largely implemented by the local population, which will obtain through this an additional income. Further measures within the scope of the project are aimed at the sustainable management of natural resources. The population in the communities is on medium term benefiting from the improved ecosystem services of the forests. The Forest authorities of Racha and Erusheti regions will be closely involved as mediator in the project, as well as, in every stage of its implementation. Based on technical recommendations which will be developed in the course of the project they will be able to implement measures to adapt to climate change. The Agency of Protected Areas (APA) with the mandate for protected area management represents another important mediator for the project.

EVALUATION PURPOSE AND USE, OBJECTIVES, AND SCOPE

WWF intends to take up the lessons learnt and developed approaches by the BMZ funded project to cross-scale and up-scale them in the project region and beyond. In order to assess whether the project achieved its intended outputs, improve WWF’s implementation capacity and assess which approaches are most promising for up- and cross-scaling an evaluation shall be conducted.

Through the evaluation WWF would like to get independent recommendations for improvement and continuation of these livelihood and conservation mechanisms implemented in the project in particular in respect to sustainability and transferability. Beside the latter the evaluation should provide recommendations to improve WWF’s and project partner organizational capacity and organizational learning and to draw recommendations for the continued support through WWF.

In particular, the evaluation shall

• Asses the main components of the project in terms of effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, impact sustainability and transformability.

• Identify social and conservation outcomes qualitatively and quantitatively against the indicators set at the beginning of the project.

• Provide recommendations for cross- and upscaling of the approaches developed within the BMZ funded project (in particular in terms of applicability in a follow-up project and within other programs/projects).

• Draw key lessons learned to contribute to organizational learning and enhancing WWF’s and project partner organisation capacity.

Regarding the recommendations special focus shall lie

1. Recommendations based on lessons learnt and good practices implemented during the project, for basis of development of continuation project with extended activities, area and scope beyond the current project phase.

2. Recommendations what measure need to be taken beyond the current project to ensure further rural development and the sustainability of impacts.

3. Recommendations based on lessons learnt and good practices for marketable/competitive sustainable business models for future continuation of project activities/ extension of project area and scope which goes beyond the current project.

See full text of this announcement in the attachment.

Info: Applications are to be sent to Ms. Nana Meskhoradze, Program Administrator, at the following e-mail address: nmeskhoradze@wwfcaucasus.org

Attached File: 210508_wwf_tor_projeval_7302958.zip