Special Multilateral Fund of the Inter-American
Council for Integral Development (FEMCIDI)
Project Evaluation Report
Capacity Building in Youth for Sustainable Land Management (FEM003)
2007 - 2009
Evaluator: Dorbrene E. O’Marde
BARBADOS
Mangroves at Graeme Hall
Swamp
Evaluation Year
2009 - 2010
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FEM003, Youth Land Mgt., EVAL, v5 (clean)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF ACRONYMS USED........................................................................................................................................... IV
PROJECT SUMMARY TABLE..........................................................................................................................................V
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................................................................. VI
1. CONTEXT, OBJECTIVE AND METHODOLOGY OF EVALUATION ....................................................................1
1.1 CONTEXT .......................................................................................................................................................................1
1.2 OBJECTIVE OF THE EVALUATION ...................................................................................................................................1
1.3 MAIN COMPONENT OF EVALUATION METHODOLOGY .....................................................................................................2
2. OBJECT, SCOPE AND LIMITS OF THE EVALUATION ..........................................................................................2
2.1 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES ...............................................................................................................................................2
2.2 PROJECT PROPONENTS AND EXECUTING AGENCY .......................................................................................................3
2.3 SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS OF PROJECT ..........................................................................................................................3
3. EVALUATION FINDINGS ...............................................................................................................................................3
3.1 INTERNATIONAL/REGIONAL/NATIONAL CONTEXT OF THE SECTOR ................................................................................3
3.2 PROJECT DESIGN ..........................................................................................................................................................6
3.3 RELEVANCE OF THE PROJECT .......................................................................................................................................7
3.4 EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROJECT ................................................................................................................................9
3.5 EFFICIENCY OF THE PROJECT .....................................................................................................................................11
3.6 SUSTAINABILITY OF THE RESULTS ACHIEVED ..............................................................................................................13
3.7 BEST PRACTICES, LESSONS LEARNED, AND FACTORS OF SUCCESS, DIFFICULTIES ...................................................14
4. CONCLUSIONS ON THE PERFORMANCE OF THE PROJECT..........................................................................15
5. RECOMMENDATIONS..................................................................................................................................................16
ANNEX 1: LIST OF PERSONS INTERVIEWED ...........................................................................................................17
ANNEX 2: LIST OF DOCUMENTS REVIEWED............................................................................................................18
ANNEX 3: DETAILS OF TRAINING PROGRAMMES .................................................................................................19
ANNEX 4: PRESS ARTICLE OF PROJECT..................................................................................................................20
FEM003, Youth Land Mgt., EVAL, v5 (clean)
iii
List of Acronyms Used
BCC
BEYP
CARDI
CARICOM
CDERA
CEHI
CENPE
CIDI
CIDS
COHSOD
COTED
CSME
CYEN
FEMCIDI
GPS
IACD
LASS
MoEE
NCC
NPDP
OAS
ONE
PIDS
SCU
WPAYE
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FEM003, Youth Land Mgt., EVAL, v5 (clean)
Barbados Community College
Barbados Environment Youth Program
Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute
The Caribbean Community
Caribbean Disaster Emergency Response Agency
Caribbean Environmental Health Institute
Nonpermanent Specialized Executive Committee
Inter-American Council for Integral Development
Inter-American Committee on Sustainable Development
Council for Human and Social Development
Council for Trade and Economic Development
CARICOM Single Market and Economy
Caribbean Youth Environment Network
Special Multilateral Fund of CIDI
Global Positioning System
Inter-American Agency for Cooperation of and Development
Land and Sea Surveys Inc
Ministry of Environment and Energy
National Conservation Commission
National Physical Development Plan
Organization of American States
Oficinas Nacionales de Enlace/ National Liaison Office
Inter-American Program for Sustainable Development
Soil Conservation Unit
The World Programme of Action for Youth on the Environment
Project Summary Table
Project Name:
CAPACITY BUILDING IN YOUTH FOR SUSTAINABLE LAND MANAGEMENT
Project Number:
FEM003
Project Presented By:
Government of Barbados
Priority Area:
Environment
Project Coordinator/Institution:
National Conservation Commission
Project Type:
National
Participating Countries:
Barbados
Amount Proposed For FEMCIDI Financing:
US$ 199,540
Amount Approved For FEMCIDI Financing:
US$ 157,020
Counterpart Finance Amount (If Applicable):
US$ 290,093
Programmed Dates Of Execution:
April 2007 – January 2009
Actual Dates Of Execution:
April 2007 – April 2009
Project Performance Summary Table
A. Project Profile
Title: CAPACITY BUILDING IN YOUTH FOR SUSTAINABLE LAND MANAGEMENT
Budget:
US $447,113
Duration (years):
2 years (April 2007 – March 2009)
Project Type (National / Multinational):
B. Project Assessment
National
Poor
Fair
Good
1. Project Relevance
2. Project Effectiveness
x
x
3. Project Efficiency
x
4. Project Sustainability
5. Project design
FEM003, Youth Land Mgt., EVAL, v5 (clean)
Excellent
x
x
v
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This evaluation of the national project Capacity Building in Youth for Sustainable Land Management
(FEM003-06) is part of the sixth cycle of evaluations resulting from the October 2002 decision of the
Management Board of the Inter-American Agency for Cooperation of and Development (IACD) of the
Organization of American States (OAS) to set in place an Evaluation Mechanism for the projects it funds
in the Member States of the OAS, through the Special Multilateral Fund of the Inter-American Council for
Integral Development (FEMCIDI).
Background
The National Conservation Council (NCC) of Barbados has traditionally been active in national Arbour
Day activities where it contributed to the reforestation efforts of the Barbados Government. Through this
project it sought to involve youth (in schools and youth groups) in a broader reforestation effort by
equipping them with relevant technical skills in plant propagation and in the planting and care of trees
with the view to improving the sustainability of school gardens and related economically feasible
programmes. The project was planned for execution and coordination by the NCC from April 2007 –
March 2009.
International, regional and national context.
The international context within which this sustainable development project is designed is firmly
entrenched in the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CIDI) Strategic Plan for Partnership
for Integral Development (2006 2009). Sustainable development has been highlighted as a priority of
member states in the Inter-American Committee on Sustainable Development (CIDS) and the InterAmerican Program for Sustainable Development (PIDS).
The World Programme of Action for Youth on the Environment1 (WPAYE) declares that ‘the deterioration
of the natural environment is one of the principal concerns of young people worldwide as it has direct
implications for their well-being both now and in the future’. One of the priority areas of the WPAYE is
‘Strengthening participation of youth in the protection, preservation and improvement of the environment’
which recommends that ‘Governments and youth organizations should initiate programmes to promote
participation in tree planting, forestry, combating desert creep, waste reduction, recycling and other
sound environmental practices.
Project Design
The project is designed around a compound goal of sustainable land management by reforestation;
improved community and NGO involvement in sustainable land management; and building capacity of
participating youth groups in order to develop and strengthen their economic sustainability.
The project design is rated ‘fair’ only due to a number of weaknesses that have been identified, including
the failure to designate specific activities regarding ‘community involvement in project activities’ and
indications of approaches/activities ‘to strengthen the economic sustainability of youth groups’ in the
purpose and objectives of the project. The implied assumption that capacity building in youth through
training will automatically transfer into strengthened economic sustainability is invalid. There is a lack of
specificity in the design that presents challenges for evaluation of the outcomes and an over-estimation
of the possible outputs based on the number of students targeted for training and involvement in the
project.
Scheduling problems with the public awareness/public education activity and the training in GPS have
been also identified.
1
http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unyin/wpayenvironment.htm
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FEM003, Youth Land Mgt., EVAL, v5 (clean)
Relevance of the Project
The relevance of the project is evaluated by the correlation of its development objectives to donor
priorities, country needs and the requirements of its beneficiaries.
The project is relevant to at least five of the eight enunciated fields of the CIDI Strategic Plan for
Partnership Strategic Plan particularly field seven – ‘sustainable development and the environment’. It is
further legitimized by the OAS Declaration of Medellin: Youth and Democratic Values2 which asserts “the
promotion of democratic values, including freedom and social justice, as well as the development of
knowledge, capacities, and relevant abilities in the young people of the Americas, are essential for their
effective integration into the political, economic, and social spheres.”
The relevance of the project to all beneficiaries is assessed as ‘excellent’ in that its goals are congruent
with international, regional and national policies especially the Barbadian national priorities in tourism,
land management and youth development.
Effectiveness of the project
The effectiveness of the project is examined on two aspects - its outputs and the outcomes.
The project comprised essentially four main elements – planning/research and documentation;
recruitment and capacity building of youth/groups; the propagation and planting of seedlings/trees and
the monitoring of the planted trees. Its planned outcomes included:
1. Sustainable land management by reforestation, and
2. Improved community and NGO involvement in sustainable land management by building
capacity of participating youth groups in order to develop and strengthen their economic
sustainability.
It achieved output successes in:
• Producing the initial assessment of reforestation needs and the reforestation plan
• Establishing the planned five (5) school gardens
• Recruiting and training almost one hundred percent more students than planned (50) in
presentation skills, propagation skills, and sustainable land management.
• Recruiting and training almost two hundred percent more students than planned (50) in global
positioning systems and information technology and Monitoring
• Propagating3 approximately sixty-three percent (63%) of the eight thousand (8,000) plants
planned in the school gardens
• Planting approximately fifty-four percent (54%) of the fifty thousand (50,000) trees planned. It is
noted that the original planned number was eighty thousand (80,000) and this was modified
during the life of the project. (See 3.2.4.)
The project effectiveness is rated as ‘fair’ only in that:
• achievement of its stated or implied developmental goals was difficult to evaluate, and
• it showed average achievement of its expected outputs
Efficiency of the project
The efficiency of the project is a measure ‘of how economically resources are converted to results’ and
is assessed through an estimation of the involvement and use of suitable human, financial and material
resources.
The project was administratively well managed and the documentation of project activities and costs
was excellent. Counterpart funds were available on demand.
2
http://www.youthlac.org/content/view/383/99/
Plant propagation is “the process of multiplying the numbers of a species, perpetuating a species, or maintaining the youthfulness of a plant.”
Arizona Cooperative Extension, College of Agriculture, The University of Arizona (http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/garden/mg/propagation/).
3
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vii
Ninety eight percent (98%) of FEMCIDI allocations was expended (US $154,361.74 of US $157,020) on
five of the six components of the project. There was an insufficiency in the budget allocation for the
procurement of equipment and supplies (seedlings, shade houses, irrigation tanks green house rental).
The training budget was efficiently utilized.
The project efficiency is rated as ‘good’ based on the assessments and the weaknesses identified in the
project design.
Sustainability of the results achieved
The sustainability of the activities implemented during the project and the results achieved is rated as
‘excellent’ based on the commitments of the NCC to expand its tree propagation and planting
programmes, and the commitments of at least four NGOs and one corporation to intensify their
programmes in collaboration with the NCC.
Best practices, lessons learned, and factors of success, difficulties
Difficulties for project evaluation and implementation
The evaluation of the project was difficult in that its outcome objectives were not clearly defined.
There was difficulty recruiting youths from those groups which were not part of the school system
and even within the school system it was found that students and teachers had established and
competing agendas. In addition the national capacity for tree propagation was limited and could not
meet the project demands for seedlings. Unfavourable weather patterns and land slippage in
targeted areas caused delays in both the planting and transplanting activities.
Factors of success
Three factors of success are identified:
• The professional preparation of a Reforestation Management Plan provided a broad basis for
sustainable land management and for the design of training programmes.
•
Capacity building programmes in the use of global positioning systems exposed youth to
applied information technologies.
•
Collaboration with the private sector and NGOs in executing project activities and shaping
sustainability of project goals and objectives.
Lessons learned
The main lesson learned through the implementation of this project is that environmental education
and its practical applications may best be executed in the school system through existing curricula
and not as an add-on activity. The importance of targeting young persons who are members of
established youth organizations such as the 4H Foundation by offering of new creative opportunities
for them to exercise their established mandates, was also recognized.
Best practices
The inclusion of theoretical training programmes in plant propagation, sustainable land management
and information technologies ensured that youth involvement was not limited to the simple act of
‘beautification through greening’. The exposure to enhanced plant propagation techniques equipped
students with marketable skills.
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FEM003, Youth Land Mgt., EVAL, v5 (clean)
Conclusions on the performance of the project
The relevance and sustainability of the project are rated ‘excellent’; its efficiency rated ‘good’ and
effectiveness rated ‘average’.
RECOMMENDATIONS
General Recommendations
It is recommended to that:
1. The NCC should focus on the improvement of the capacity of its staff to design projects. The
‘fair’ only rating accorded to the effectiveness of this project is due to project design weaknesses
rather than implementation failures.
2. The NCC through general or project funding, should harness the skills now available among the
youth it trained, for improvement of the economic sustainability of the groups and the
development of related economically feasible projects for youth groups and school leavers.
3. OAS/FEMCIDI should support a refinement/revision of the project design based on this accepted
evaluation (and other considerations) which would be proposed to Governments of member
states in the Caribbean as a template of a proven approach to address youth development and
environmental and/or other challenges.
4. OAS/FEMCIDI should give consideration to a reassessment of its approach to the funding of
regional projects focusing on the regionalization of potentially successful applicable national
experiences across the region.
FEM003, Youth Land Mgt., EVAL, v5 (clean)
ix
1. CONTEXT, OBJECTIVE AND METHODOLOGY OF EVALUATION
1.1 Context
This evaluation of the national project Capacity Building in Youth for Sustainable Land
Management (FEM003-06) is part of the sixth cycle of evaluations resulting from the October
2002 decision of the Management Board of the Inter-American Agency for Cooperation of and
Development (IACD) of the Organization of American States (OAS) to set in place an Evaluation
Mechanism for the projects it funds in the Member States of the OAS, through the Special
Multilateral Fund of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (FEMCIDI).
This evaluation is categorized as a ‘results or ex-post
evaluation’ and focuses on ‘the extent to which the project
produced its expected outputs and therefore achieved its
purpose (effectiveness), and also on the extent to which
project inputs were supplied and managed and activities
organized in the most appropriate manner at the least cost
to produce the necessary outputs (efficiency).’
Evaluations such as this are intended to help the member
states and the IACD improve the design, execution and
administration of projects, and to enhance the prospects
for sustainability of FEMCIDI financed projects. The aim is
to achieve better performance and results in the delivery of
technical cooperation.
Forest in Turner’s Hall4
1.2 Objective of the evaluation
The evaluation of the FEMCIDI-funded projects has several benefits for all parties involved,
including5:
• General improvement of project design and execution, as well as sustainment of benefits.
• External resources of funding could be approached to obtain financing or co-financing for
successful projects that could be replicated at the national or regional level.
• Patterns can be identified as to why some projects are successful and others do not reach
the intended objectives. The countries, the executing institutions and the SEDI can then use
this knowledge to improve project design and implementation.
• There will be better reporting to the member states and possible donors of the use of the
technical cooperation resources.
The specific objective of the evaluation is the determination of the performance of the project
based on the following accepted themes
• Design: the coherence, consistency, effectiveness and clarity of the project design, including
existence of appropriate indicators, identification of risks, budget, etc.
• Relevance: the extent to which the development objectives of the project are consistent with
beneficiaries’ requirements, countries’ need, and donor priorities;
• Effectiveness: the extent to which the development objectives of the project were achieved;
• Efficiency: a measure of how economically resources/inputs (funds, expertise, time, etc.) are
converted to results;
• Results: the outputs, outcome or impact of development activities;
4
5
Photographs taken from Reforestation Plan
th
Overview of the Evaluation Process for FEMCIDI funded Projects (6 Evaluation Cycle) April 14, 2009
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FEM003, Youth Land Mgt., EVAL, v5 (clean)
•
Sustainability / impact: the probability of continued long-term effects, both positive and
negative.
1.3 Main component of evaluation methodology
The evaluation was conducted during July 2009 through a field visit to Barbados where the
consultant conducted semi-structured interviews with the staff of the OAS Office in Barbados, the
National Conservation Commission (NCC) and other representatives a number of stakeholder
groups. The list of persons consulted is shown
at Annex 1. There were four sources of information:
• The FEMCIDI Strategic Plan, the rules and guidelines for
the FEMCIDI Projects, the appropriate administrative
information and the relevant legal documents.
• The initial Project Profile, the completed Approved
Proposal with its Logical Framework the material produced
for the execution of the project (initial assessment reports,
reforestation plan, and training materials), the project
reports (follow up and final reports) and financial reports
to SEDI.
Mangroves at Graeme Hall
• A review of the Barbados Programme of Action and the
Swamp
National Physical Development Plan (NPDP) 2006.
• Observations of the NCC ‘greenhouse’ and a reforested site
2. OBJECT, SCOPE AND LIMITS OF THE EVALUATION
The project under evaluation is the Capacity Building in Youth for Sustainable Land Management
(FEM003) which was designed for implementation during the two year period (April 2007 – March
2009). The project activities essentially comprised of the development of a reforestation plan for
the physical area under consideration (the Scotland District); the training of youth in sustainable
land management and plant propagation skills; and the propagation and planting of trees by youth
groups.
2.1 Goals and objectives
The goal of the project (or integrated development general objective) as presented to the
OAS/IACD was ‘sustainable land management by reforestation and improved community and
NGO involvement in sustainable land management by building capacity of participating youth
groups in order to develop and strengthen their economic sustainability’6.
Specifically the project seeks to empower selected young Barbadians through training in land
management skills and information technology skills. Project activities were designed to achieve
two main purposes:
• Preparation of ‘clear plans and guidelines for a reforestation project implementation’, and
• Restoration of ‘degraded land areas through education and active involvement of youth in
sustainable land management’.
Six main outputs are identified as a result of the execution of the project. They are:
• Output 1: Initial Assessment report
6
Logical Framework of the Proposal
FEM003, Youth Land Mgt., EVAL, v5 (clean)
2
•
•
•
•
•
Output 2: Reforestation plan document addressing, planting regime, vegetation types and
quantities, pest and disease programs and monitoring program complete with maps and
landscape plans depicting planting regime and existing vegetation
Output 3: 50 youth group members trained in presentation skills, propagation skills, and
sustainable land management.
Output 4: 50,000 trees planted and tagged. The planting of trees by various youth groups
and the trees will be tagged with the names of the children who plant them. Trees will also
be planted for children who are not able to plant trees, and their names will be tagged to
the tree as well. Each position of the tree will be taken using GPS and the information on,
location, tree name, child name; tree height etc. will be recorded in the database.
Output 5: Capacity Building in use of global positioning systems and information
technology and Monitoring.
Output 6: Report on conditions of the trees according to the monitoring criteria7
2.2 Project proponents and executing agency
The project was proposed by the Government of Barbados to be coordinated and executed by the
National Conservation Commission (NCC) which was
established in 1982. The NCC functions under the aegis
of the Ministry of Energy and the Environment (MoEE)
which has responsibility for the management of coastal
conservation, environmental conservation and the
development and management of the Botanical
Gardens. The NCC has responsibility for controlling,
maintaining, monitoring and developing all public parks,
beaches, caves and the conservation of sites and
building of national interest. It also develops and
National Conservation Commission Headquarters
maintains public accesses to beaches.
2.3 Scope and limitations of project
The project was designed to tackle the national/Barbados challenge of land degradation in a
number of identified sites by involving and empowering youth through training in plant propagation
and reforestation skills, and information technology for sustainable land management.
The project was limited by:
• the ability of project leaders to develop and maintain the interest of schools and youth
groups
• the availability of physical resources among stakeholders and the commercial plant
services industry for the propagation of fifty thousand (50,000) plants and the logistical
difficulties of planting them in identified areas. These logistical difficulties include
transportation – for both plants and youth/planters – and the weather.
3. EVALUATION FINDINGS
3.1 International/regional/national context of the sector
3.1.1
The international context
7
The monitoring program established in component 1 will give guidance on when and how this monitoring will be conducted. This part
of the project will be carried out by the youth groups under the guidance of technical persons from the ministries involved. Reports on
the progress will be prepared and submitted to all participating government and non-government organizations
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FEM003, Youth Land Mgt., EVAL, v5 (clean)
The international context within which this sustainable development project is designed is firmly
entrenched in the governance systems of OAS Member States as articulated in the 1987 report
“Our Common Future” of the World Commission on Environment and Development, and
advanced in the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, the 1996
Summit of the Americas on Sustainable Development, and the 2002 United Nations World
Summit on Sustainable Development. The international context is codified in the Inter-American
Council for Integral Development (CIDI) Strategic Plan for Partnership for Integral Development
(2006 2009).
Sustainable development has been highlighted as a priority of member states in the InterAmerican Committee on Sustainable Development (CIDS) and the Inter-American Program for
Sustainable Development (PIDS) which have identified among its goals:
• Supporting public-private collaboration in human resource capacity-building in the sharing
of scientific information, best environmental management practices, regulatory standards
and enforcement issues, and encouraging the use of information and communication
technologies in support of sustainable development, and
• Ensuring that sustainable development policies and projects help reduce poverty,
particularly in rural areas, identify and support new competitive and investment
opportunities, and create and sustain jobs and livelihoods.
The World Programme of Action for Youth on the Environment8 (WPAYE) declares that ‘the
deterioration of the natural environment is one of the principal concerns of young people
worldwide as it has direct implications for their well-being both now and in the future’. It calls for
the maintenance and preservation of the natural environment for both present and future
generations. It recognizes that young people have a special interest in maintaining a healthy
environment because they will be the ones to inherit it. One of the priority areas of the WPAYE is
‘Strengthening participation of youth in the protection, preservation and improvement of the
environment’ which recommends that ‘Governments and youth organizations should initiate
programmes to promote participation in tree planting, forestry, combating desert creep, waste
reduction, recycling and other sound environmental practices. The participation of young people
and their organizations in such programmes can provide good training and encourage awareness
and action.’
3.1.2 The regional context
The Rio Summit in 1992 (United Nations, 1992) popularized and codified the concept of
‘sustainable development’ to include social, cultural, political, economic and environmental
development which informed the propagation of the eight United Nations Millennium Development
Goals (MDG). The Government of Barbados along with its other Caribbean Community
(CARICOM) partners have been active participants in the development and ratification of these
internationally established goals9 which include as Goal 7 – ‘ensure environmental sustainability’.
The Treaty of Chaguaramas10 which established CARICOM was revised in July 2001 to include
the establishment of a CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) had among its objectives
‘organization for increased production and productivity’ and the intensification of activities in areas
8
http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unyin/wpayenvironment.htm
9
The eight MDGs which are be achieved by 2015 are - Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; Goal 2: Achieve universal
primary education; Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women; Goal 4: Reduce child mortality; Goal 5: Improve maternal
health; Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability, and Goal 8: Develop a
Global Partnership for Development
10
Signed July 05, 2001 by Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St.
Lucía, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago
FEM003, Youth Land Mgt., EVAL, v5 (clean)
4
such as health, education, transportation and telecommunications. Although the ‘environment’
was not specifically mentioned among the objectives of the Treaty, there is full recognition of its
importance. The policies of the Community include direct reference to environmental protection
and assert that all its policies ‘shall be implemented in a manner that ensures the prudent and
rational management of the resources of the Member States…. In particular, the Community shall
promote measures to ensure the preservation, protection and improvement of the quality of the
environment.’11
The general exceptions identified in the Final provisions of the Treaty12 include the clarification
that nothing in the Treaty ‘shall be construed as preventing the adoption or enforcement by any
Member State of measures ‘to protect human, animal or plant life or health’ or those ‘relating to
the conservation of natural resources or the preservation of the environment’.
The institutional structure of CARICOM includes a number of agencies that directly address the
issue of environmental protection. The Council for Trade and Economic Development13 (COTED)
is responsible for the promotion of trade and economic development of the Community and is
charged with the promotion of a) measures for the development of energy and natural resources
on a sustainable basis and b) policies for the protection of and preservation of the environment
and for sustainable development.
The
Council
for
Human
and
Social
Development14 (COHSOD) is responsible for the
promotion of human and social development in
the Community and its mandate includes the
promotion of the development of special focus
programmes supportive of the establishment
and maintenance of a healthy human
environment in the Community.
There is full consciousness of and regional
action to promote environmental protection in
the region. The connections of environmental
protection/awareness with youth development is
spearheaded in the region by the Caribbean
Youth Environment Network (CYEN) ‘a nonprofit, civil society, charitable body that focuses
its resources on empowering young people and
their
communities
to
develop
programmes/actions to address socio-economic
and environmental issues.’15 Its action
campaigns reach people through community participation, publications, video and radio
programmes. The organisation promotes education and training, Caribbean integration and
community empowerment as tools to develop an ethic amongst young people that assists in the
conservation and protection of natural resources within the Wider Caribbean. One of the goals of
the CYEN over the next five years, ‘setting up demonstration projects focusing on youth
11
Chapter IV – Policies for Sectoral Development – Part III Common Supportive Measures - Article 65
Chapter X – General and Final Provisions - Article 226.1 (j) General Exceptions
13
Chapter II - Institutional Arrangements – Article 15.2 (h) The Council for Trade and Economic Development
14
Chapter II - Institutional Arrangements – Article 17.2 (f) The Council for Human and Social Development
15
http://www.cyen.org/documents/cyen_organisation.html. As of 31st July 2006, CYEN included 29 organisational members and 264
individual members across 16 Caribbean territories including; Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, British Virgin Islands,
Dominican Republic, Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St, Lucia, St. Vincent and the
Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago. Affiliate Diaspora members reside in Bermuda, Britain, Canada and the USA.
12
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FEM003, Youth Land Mgt., EVAL, v5 (clean)
involvement in sustainable livelihoods as a tool for managing natural resources’ parallels the
goals of this project.
3.1.3
The national context
The concept of reforestation, although not referred to as such then, was recognized in Barbados
in legislation since the early 1950s when the Government passed the still current ‘Cultivation of
Trees Act (1951)’ that makes provision for a yearly tax rebate to land owners who planted
‘approved trees’. The Act also provides for a fruit tree subsidy with respect to the planting of
approved fruit trees.
In 1958 the Government passed The Soil Conservation (Scotland District) Act16 which, inter alia,
defined the boundaries of the Scotland District17, set out the rules and regulations that govern the
Soil Conservation Unit (SCU) and made provision of the improvement and conservation of the
soils and the prevention of damage or deterioration by erosion to lands in the Scotland District.
The SCU falls under the aegis of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and is
empowered to conduct any conservation work in the Scotland District. It has been conducting tree
planting programmes in the District since 1957 as well as the installation of engineering and deep
drainage systems to combat erosion and to stabilize the land. In addition it has been conducting
maintenance and monitoring of some of the forested land on a small scale.18
The imperative of environmental sustainable development is iterated in the 2003 National
Physical Development Plan (NPDP) which is presently the main policy document for land use
planning in Barbados. Its main aims are:
• foster economic, environmental, physical and social well being
• be a guide for future development with respect to land use and environmental
management, and
• inform the public, business and government sectors about development.
The NPDP ‘recognizes that forests as one of the island’s most valuable resources by providing
wildlife habitat and contributing to ecological diversity; helping to purify the air, conserve soil and
retain groundwater; helping to stabilize steep and erosion prone soils; contributing to the visual
quality of the landscape; proving fuel, lumber, food and material for the production of
handicrafts’19.
3.2 Project Design
The project is designed around a compound goal of sustainable land management by
reforestation; improved community and NGO involvement in sustainable land management; and
building capacity of participating youth groups in order to develop and strengthen their economic
sustainability’20.
However the purpose/objectives of the project do not include specific references to
community involvement in project activities, nor are there any indications of
16
Last amended in 1998
The Scotland District is a pan shaped triangle found in the north eastern section of Barbados. It represents 14% of the island….As a
result of the geological, geo-morphological and hydro-geological factors, areas in the Scotland District are prone to erosions. [Land
and Seas Surveys Inc (LASS) - Capacity Building in Youth for Sustainable Land Management Initial Assessment Report, 2007]
18
Land and Seas Surveys Inc (LASS) - Capacity Building in Youth for Sustainable Land Management Initial Assessment Report, 2007
19
Quoted from Land and Seas Surveys Inc (LASS) - Capacity Building in Youth for Sustainable Land Management Initial Assessment
Report, 2007
20
Logical Framework of the Proposal
17
FEM003, Youth Land Mgt., EVAL, v5 (clean)
6
approaches/activities to strengthen the economic sustainability of youth groups. There is
an implied assumption in the project design that the building of capacity of youth groups
through training (plant propagation, the use of global positioning systems, information
technology and monitoring) will automatically transfer into strengthened economic
sustainability. Youth in school or in youth groups require more support to translate the
technical and practical skills they acquire from training into economic activities. There is
additional need for business plans, management and technical assistance, land, seed
funding – for equipment and supplies, transportation, tools, infrastructure, greenhouses &
shadehouses21 etc. Interestingly the project design as shown in the logical framework
highlights as one of the risk factors against goal achievement as ‘funding will be available
for land management projects recognizing that additional resources are required to
strengthen economic sustainability of the youth groups.
The project design does not delineate with specificity the areas in the Scotland District
(and/or elsewhere) to be reforested/restored nor does it describe the intensity of the
reforestation effort. The operational/technical role of the NCC is not clearly detailed although
references in the project activities indicate its involvement in the actual planting and the
monitoring and supervision of planting by students and youth groups. The lack of specificity
in the design presents challenges for evaluation of the outcomes of the project.
The training programmes in Global Positioning System (GPS) were scheduled to be
delivered during the period September 1, 2008 to November 28, 2008 whilst the initial phase
of the planting/tagging activities was scheduled for September 1, 2008 to December 31,
2008. The skills acquired from the training programmes were therefore not available for the
tagging activities and this contributed to the cancellation of this creative aspect of the project.
Training should have been scheduled earlier. Participating students/youth however did record
tree locations during the field trip and practical sessions of the training programme.
The activity ‘Project promotion and public awareness campaign22 carried out’ was
inexplicably designed as part of Output 5 – ‘Capacity building in use of global positioning
systems and information technology and monitoring’ and not executed until the end of the
project ‘September 1st 2008 to March 27, 2009. It would have been more productive had this
campaign been designed as a separate component and scheduled very early in the life of the
project not only to promote public awareness of the expected end results of the efforts of the
OAS/NCC but also to attract youth/groups to the project.
One of the main objectives of the project was the planting of fifty thousand (50,000) trees.
This appears to have been a project design over-estimation of the capacity of the fifty
students the project planned to train and an underestimation of the time needed for
propagation and the logistical complexity of transporting and planting the trees. Project
documents relating to propagation and planting do not show the possibility that the objective
could have been achieved.
These identified shortcomings in project design weakened the level of both efficiency and
effectiveness of the project, and henceproject design is only rated as fair.
3.3 Relevance of the project
21
The project did provide five schools with shadehouses and 600-gallon irrigations tanks
See Table 1 – Results from this activity are: 4 signs installed; and ,promotional attire prepared/distributed to 200 participating
students/youth)
22
7
FEM003, Youth Land Mgt., EVAL, v5 (clean)
The relevance of the project is assessed as ‘excellent’. Its goals are congruent with international,
regional and Barbadian policies on environmental protection and youth development. The
relevance of the project is evaluated by examining the correlation of its development objectives
and the requirements of its beneficiaries, country needs and donor priorities.
3.3.1 Relevance to the CIDI Strategic Plan for Partnership for Development and donor
priorities
The Inter American Council for Integral Development (CIDI) Strategic Plan for Partnership for
Development (2006 – 2009) articulates the policies, programs and measures in the area of
cooperation for development, in accordance with following objectives:
• To strengthen hemispheric dialogue for development.
• To strengthen cooperation for development among institutions operating in the
hemisphere
• To increase the exchange of knowledge, information, and experiences.
• To strengthen and diversify the financing for partnership for development.
23
• To strengthen regional and sub-regional integration.
The CIDI Strategic Plan identifies eight fields through which it would focus its partnership for
integrated and sustainable development efforts to overcome poverty. These fields are:
1. Social development and creation of productive employment
2. Education
3. Economic diversification and integration, trade liberalization and market access
4. Scientific development, and exchange and transfer of technology
5. Strengthening of democratic institutions
6. Sustainable development of tourism
7. Sustainable development and the environment
8. Culture
The Plan further iterates that the execution of programmes within the priority areas should
incorporate, to the extent possible, in their formulation, implementation, and evaluation, the
following: (a) civil society participation; (b) environmental considerations; (c) the development
of human resources; and (d) gender equality and equity. This project (FEM-003) is particularly
relevant to areas of focus 1, 2, 4, 6 and 7 (above).and priority areas (a), (b) and (c).
The project is also relevant to the OAS Declaration of Medellin: Youth and Democratic
Values24 in which the 38th OAS General Assembly underscored that “the promotion of
democratic values, including freedom and social justice, as well as the development of
knowledge, capacities, and relevant abilities in the young people of the Americas, are
essential for their effective integration into the political, economic, and social spheres.” The
activities of the project enhance youth ‘employability and increase equal opportunity,
entrepreneurship, and job creation’.
3.3.2 Relevance of project to country needs
Barbados has a total land area of forty three thousand (43,000) hectares of which it is
estimated that only seventeen hundred (1,700) is forested. Most of these forested lands are
found in the Scotland District where the majority of the forested areas has been disturbed and
degraded. Forest provide an invaluable service to the island by moderating climate, improving
23
24
CIDI Strategic Plan for Partnership for Development, 2006 - 2009
http://www.youthlac.org/content/view/383/99/
FEM003, Youth Land Mgt., EVAL, v5 (clean)
8
air quality, conserving water, harbouring wildlife and reducing the effects of erosion25. A
reforestation effort as planned in this project is of high relevance to the country’s needs.
In addition, tourism is the crucial activity in the Barbados economy and ‘natural physical
attributes’ is identified as one of the five key elements of the tourism product.26. A reforestation
programme contributes to the beautification of the physical environment and has the potential
of providing essential economical services through the non-formal forest industries and ecotourism opportunities.
3.3.3 Relevance to beneficiaries
The main beneficiaries of the project are differentiated in three (3) different categories as:
•
Organizations - Caribbean Youth Environment Network (CYEN), Barbados 4H
groups, Barbados Environment Youth Program (BEYP), Samuel Jackman Prescod
Polytechnic (SJPP) and Barbados Community College (BCC)
The above organizations will benefit through training in environmental horticultural
and information technology training. 4H clubs and Schools Garden programmes will
have an increased capacity for plant propagation because of the shade house
infrastructure and equipment provided. Each organization will have an increase in
membership generated from publicity associated with the project. The youth
members will have a greater sense of pride because of the success of the project.
•
Agricultural Sector:
The potential for food production will be increased due to increased crop coverage
and fruit availability. Farmers will benefit from having a steady source of seedlings
for planting through the 4H groups. These two factors will provide the opportunity for
economic gain for the youth and organizations involved.
•
Communities:
Scotland District Communities will benefit because the vegetation will aid in soil
stabilization which will reduce the potential for property damage due to soil erosion
and land slippage.
The project is deemed relevant to all beneficiaries although its benefits to the agricultural
sector and the communities will only be realized in the long term.
3.4 Effectiveness of the project
The effectiveness of the project is examined from two aspects:
•
•
The effectiveness of the project in reaching its established goals/development objectives the outcomes, and
The effectiveness of the implementation of the project – the outputs.
The project comprised essentially four main elements – planning/research and documentation;
recruitment and capacity building of youth/groups; the propagation and planting of seedlings/trees
25
Land and Seas Surveys Inc (LASS) - Capacity Building in Youth for Sustainable Land Management Project – Reforestation
Management Plan, March 2008
26
http://barbadostourisminvestment.com/economy.cfm. The others are - Solid historical and cultural legacy, Political stability, Friendly
people, and Varied entertainment.
9
FEM003, Youth Land Mgt., EVAL, v5 (clean)
and the monitoring of the planted trees. Details of the training programmes are shown in Annex 3.
The research and documentation aspects (development and approval of a reforestation plan)
were implemented as planned at expected costs. There were scheduling issues with the
recruitment of youth but eventually larger numbers of youth were involved in the project than
planned. The training programmes were well designed and delivered. Monitoring had not started
at the time of the evaluation.
Based on both aspects, the project effectiveness is rated as ‘fair’ only in that:
• achievement of its stated or implied developmental goals was difficult to evaluate, and
• it showed average achievement of its expected outputs
3.4.1 Project effectiveness – outcomes
The effectiveness of the project is partially evaluated on the basis of its achievement of
developmental objectives - the outcomes, which were:
i.
Sustainable land management by reforestation, andii.
Improved
community
and NGO involvement in sustainable land management by building capacity of
participating youth groups in order to develop and strengthen their economic sustainability.
The evaluation of project outcome (i)/above required the continuous monitoring of such
indicators as soil loss, biodiversity and stability of habitats, reduction of sedimentation in nearshore waters and other such environmental factors. The determination of changes in these
indicators requires the collection of pre-project baseline data and the design of appropriate
land monitoring systems – neither of which were done under the aegis of the project.
This evaluation however asserts that the planting of twelve thousand (12,000) trees of the
twenty-six thousand (26,000) seedlings27 purchased constitutes a reasonable reforestation
effort that will contribute to sustainable land management in the future.
The other goal of the project, (ii)/above, required that the project ‘develop and strengthen’ the
economic stability of youth groups and communities. The activities executed - capacity
building and the assistance offered for the establishment of school gardens (shade houses,
irrigation tanks) – are deemed insufficient to achieve this goal. Organizational development of
the youth/school groups would be required, along with sales and marketing analyses, for the
achievement of this goal.
3.4.2
Project effectiveness - outputs
The outputs identified in the original/approved project proposal are listed in 2.1. and shown in
Table 1 below – along with the results of execution.
Table 1
OUTPUTS AND RESULTS
OUTPUTS (Planned)
27
RESULTS
Year 1: 2007/2008
Completed as planned
1:
Initial Assessment report
2:
Reforestation plan document addressing,
planting regime, vegetation types and quantities,
pest and disease programs and monitoring
program complete with maps and landscape
plans depicting planting regime and existing
vegetation.
Completed as planned. Document reviewed
and accepted by the Technical Committee
The remainder are in greenhouses, hardening areas, sandpits, NCC planting areas etc.
FEM003, Youth Land Mgt., EVAL, v5 (clean)
10
Table 1
OUTPUTS AND RESULTS
OUTPUTS (Planned)
3:
3.1
:
4:
5:
5.1
6:
RESULTS
50 youth group members trained in presentation
skills, propagation skills, and sustainable land
management.
8,000 propagated plants and five school gardens
set up and running
93 students trained in five (5) schools and
the
Barbados
Environmental
Youth
Programme
• Five thousand (5,000) trees propagated
• Five (5) school gardens established – 2
Primary; 2 Secondary &1 Tertiary
Year 2: 2008/2009
50,000 trees planted and tagged. The planting of • Twenty-six thousand seven hundred and
trees by various youth groups and the trees will
eighty-nine (26,789) seedlings were
be tagged with the names of the children who
purchased.
plant them. Trees will also be planted for children
who are not able to plant trees, and their names • Twelve thousand, two hundred and eightywill be tagged to the tree as well. Each position
nine trees have been planted
of the tree will be taken using GPS and the
information on, location, tree name, child name; • Neither tagging nor GPS positioning has
tree height etc. will be recorded in the database.
taken place
Capacity Building in use of global positioning One hundred and forty three (143) students
systems and information technology and benefitted from both theoretical and
Monitoring (50 youth group members)
practical sessions
Project promotion and public awareness As planned - 4 signs installed; promotional
campaign carried out’
attire prepared/distributed to participating
students
Report on conditions of the trees according to the On-going. No reports have been completed
monitoring criteria outlined in Output 2.
The project achieved successes in:
•
Producing the initial assessment of reforestation needs and the reforestation plan
•
Establishing the planned five (5) school gardens
•
Recruiting and training almost one hundred percent more students than planned (50)
in presentation skills, propagation skills, and sustainable land management.
•
Recruiting and training almost two hundred percent more students than planned (50) in
global positioning systems and information technology and Monitoring
The project achieved only average successes in:
•
Propagating through the school gardens approximately sixty-three percent (63%) of
the eight thousand (8,000) plants planned
•
Planting approximately fifty-four percent (54%) of the fifty thousand (50,000) trees
planned. It is noted that the original planned number was eighty thousand (80,000) and
this was modified during the life of the project. (See 3.2.4.) GPS tagging of individual
trees did not happen.
The project effectiveness is rated as ‘fair’ only although what is here defined as ‘fair’ success
could be attributed to a poor project design that included unrealistic/unattainable project
objectives.
3.5 Efficiency of the project
The efficiency of the project is a measure ‘of how economically resources are converted to
results’28. The evaluator attempts to determine whether the same results could have been
28
FEMCIDI: Overview of the Evaluation Process for FEMCIDI-funded Projects April 2008
11
FEM003, Youth Land Mgt., EVAL, v5 (clean)
achieved at lower costs or vice versa - whether the same utilization of resources could have
produced ‘better’ results.
Funding for the project was approved by the Management Board of the IACD in two tranches
(See Table 2 below):
• March 2007 – approved fifty four thousand, six hundred and fifty dollars (US $54,650) to be
expended between April 1, 2007 and March 31, 2008.
• March 2008 - approved one hundred and two thousand, three hundred and seventy (US
$102,370.00) to be spent between April 1 2008 and March 31, 2009. The original request to
OAS/FEMCIDI was one hundred and forty four thousand, eight hundred and ninety dollars
(US $144,890.00).
• The period of execution was extended to April 30, 2009 to allow for completion of planting
exercises.
Table 2
Year
2007
2008
TOTAL
TOTAL PROJECT COSTS by YEAR
Requested OAS/FEMCIDI Counterpart
Total Project
Amount
Approved
Funds
Costs
$54,650.00 $ 54,650.00 $145,046.50
$199,696.50
$144,890.00
$199,540.00
$102,370.00 $145,046.50
$157,020.00 $290,093.00
$289,936.50
$489.633.00
A total of two hundred and ninety thousand dollars, ninety three dollars (US $290,093.00) was
earmarked as counterpart funds through the NCC. The main items of expenditure were
employment of a supervisor and ten field workers.
Table 3 below is referred. The following is noted for both years of the project for FEMCIDI
allocations:
•
The project was administratively well managed. The office of the OAS/Barbados was
complimentary of the efforts of the coordinator and his team and the organizational
support they received.
•
Documentation of project activities and accounting was excellent. Standard
administrative practices such as ‘making purchase decisions after obtaining three
quotations’ were observed for both local and overseas purchases.
Table 3.
Allocation & expenditure of OAS funding by Project Components
COMPONENTS
2007/8
Output 1: Initial Assessment report
Output 2: Reforestation plan document etc
Output 3: 50 youth group members trained in
presentation skills, etc & 8000 propagated plants
and five school gardens set up and running
Total (2007/8)
2008/9
CENPE
Approved
Expended
US $
$5,837.50
$5,837.50
$31,112.50
$31,105.75
17,700.00
16,588.00
%
Expende
d/
approved
%
100
99
94
Counterpart
funds
expended
133,951.12
133,951.12
$54,650.00
$53,531.25
98
Output 4: 50,000 trees planted and tagged etc
$ 64,420.00
$62,366.63
98
128,697.66
Output 5:
(i) Capacity Building in use of global positioning
systems
and
information
technology
and
Monitoring.
(ii) Project promotion and public awareness
$37,948.00
$38,463.86
101
16,348.83
FEM003, Youth Land Mgt., EVAL, v5 (clean)
12
campaign carried out’
Output 6: Report on conditions of the trees
according to the monitoring criteria outlined in
Output 2.
Total (2008/9)
GRAND TOTAL US $ (2005-2007)
•
0
0
0
0
$102,368.00
$100,830.49
99
145,046.45
$157,018.00
$154,361.74 98
$278,997.61
Counterpart funds were available and used mainly to cover organizational in-kind costs
for management and technical services, transportation, and the personnel costs of
supervision and field work. At the end of the project, approximately eleven thousand
dollars (US $11,095.39) of counterpart funds were unexpended and available for
monitoring purposes (Output 6), an activity that is continuous for the next three years.
In addition:
•
Ninety eight percent (98%) of FEMCIDI allocations was expended (US $154,361.74 of
US $157,020) on five of the six components of the project.
•
Twenty four percent (24% - $36,943) of project funds was spent on planning and thirty
six percent (36% - $55,051.86) on training.
•
The procurement of equipment and supplies (seedlings, shade houses, irrigation tanks
green house rental) – provided under Component 4 – accounted for forty percent (40% of expenditure.
It is of interest that:
•
The ‘training’ budget allocation – for one hundred students/youth29 - was proved
sufficient for the training of two hundred and thirty six (236) students30.
•
The budget for equipment and supplies, although ninety eight percent (98%) expended,
only supported the purchase, propagation and planting of fifty four percent (54%) of the
planned fifty thousand trees. In addition to FEMCIDI resources, the project utilized one
hundred percent of the counterpart resources (US $128,697.66) allocated to this
Component.
The detailed records of the utilization of donor funds were examined and it is found that
expenditures were allowable under project guidelines and essential for the strengthening
of the physical infrastructure of the school gardens, the rental of greenhouse facilities
and the purchase of seedlings. These facts suggest that there was insufficient budgetary
allocation for this Component rather than the implied lack of efficiency.
The project efficiency is rated as ‘good’ based on the above assessments and the
weaknesses identified in the project design.
3.6 Sustainability of the results achieved
The sustainability of the activities implemented during the project and the results achieved is
rated as ‘excellent’. The evaluation of the ‘sustainability’ is based on the commitments of the
NCC to expand its tree propagation and planting programmes, and the commitments of at least
four NGOs and one corporation to intensify their programmes in collaboration with the NCC.
• The 4H Foundation has already launched a major effort to help rehabilitate some of
Barbados’ popular recreational spots. On Saturday July 05th, thirty (30) 4H clubs in a
29
30
50 in land management etc and 50 in GPS
93 in land management etc and 143 in GPS
13
FEM003, Youth Land Mgt., EVAL, v5 (clean)
•
•
•
•
joint effort31 planted twelve hundred (1200) trees on the east coast of Barbados. (See
newspaper report at Annex 4).
The National Sports Council has initiated a tree planting programme with a goal of
beautifying and providing shade at playing fields in every district
The Diabetes Association of Barbados works under the theme ‘Greening School
Environments for Health and Wellness’ has received full support32 for planting flowers
and introducing composting in seventeen infant schools.
The Optimist Club now coordinates its beach clean-up programmes and Arbor Day
activities with the NCC. The Club is committed to planting picnic trees on two identified
beaches.
The multi-national corporation Cable and Wireless/LIME plans to implement tree
planting projects every quarter working with the Parish Independence Committees.
3.7 Best practices, lessons learned, and factors of success, difficulties
3.7.1
Difficulties for project implementation
Three main challenges were identified for the project implementation:
• There was difficulty recruiting youths from those groups which were not part of the
school system. The groups themselves have difficulties maintaining their membership.
• Although most schools seem eager to establish garden projects, they lacked the
necessary resources to do so. In addition, there was some initial difficulty in recruiting
the proposed number of teachers and students into the programme as both groups
had well established academic and extra-curricula agendas. There was little teacher
supervision of student groups especially on the weekends when training programmes
were scheduled. Teacher supervision would have enabled a better organization of the
programmes and furthered youth commitment to the project goals.
• The national capacity for tree propagation was limited and could not produce the
planned numbers of plants in the project period. This issue was compounded by
unfavourable weather patterns and land slippage in targeted areas which delayed both
planting and transplanting.
3.7.2
Factors of success
Three factors of success are identified:
33
• The professional preparation of a Reforestation Management Plan
for the coastal
areas and lands in the Scotland District of Barbados provided a broad basis for the
reduction of erosion and the improvement of the quality of life for persons living in those
areas. It served as a practical structured guide to project implementation for managing
the erosion prone areas especially in the rehabilitation of degraded lands and therefore,
for the design of training programmes.
•
Capacity building programmes in the use of global positioning systems exposed youth to
applied information technologies with potential for scientific monitoring of their own work
in forestry/environmental management.
•
Collaboration with the private sector (both small and large business) and NGOs in
executing project activities and shaping sustainability of project goals and objectives.
31
Support received from the Ministry of Agriculture, NCC, First Caribbean International Bank and UN/FAO
Ministries of Health and of Education, FAO, the Kiwanis and PTAs
33
Prepared by Land and Sea Surveys Inc., March 2008. The plan includes a strategy (public education, forest research, land
agreement, co-management) and a silvicultural prescription for the areas.
32
FEM003, Youth Land Mgt., EVAL, v5 (clean)
14
3.7.3
Lessons learned
The main lesson learned through the implementation of this project is that environmental
education and its practical applications may best be executed in the school system through
existing curricula and not as an add-on activity. School systems throughout the region have
been targeted as vehicle for a large number of add-on activities in recent years such as
debating/public speaking, AIDS education, tourism education, traffic education, national
cultural celebrations, civic clubs, performing arts etc. Both teachers and students have noted
the difficulties in scheduling these activities within the present ‘school’ day and have
recommended inclusion of new topics/subject areas in existing curricula instead. In this
instance, training in plant propagation perhaps may have been included in botany classes,
and training in GPS in the geography and/or environmental sciences curricula.
It is important to target young persons who are members of established youth organizations
such as the 4H Foundation by offering of new creative opportunities for them to exercise their
established mandates.
3.7.4
Best practices
The inclusion of theoretical training programmes in plant propagation, sustainable land
management and information technologies ensured that youth involvement was not limited to
the simple act of ‘beautification through greening’.
The exposure to enhanced plant propagation techniques equipped students with marketable
skills. Approximately twelve thousand (12,000) seedlings propagated under the project were
produced by the Combermere School (2,340) and the 4H Foundation nurseries (9,831) and
sold to the project under Output 4.
The five (5) school gardens assisted by this project propagated some five thousand plants to
beautify their school surroundings and for planting projects. This project provided those school
gardens with:
• Collection of planting material and the hardening of seedling stock
• Six months of technical assistance through the full time supervision of a field assistant
who also sought assistance for schools from the private sector
• Safe storage of seedlings/cuttings
• Trained staff to care for the plants
• Green house facilities (through rentals), and
• Assistance with irrigation.
A methodology/approach to plant propagation has been established but schools will require
continued assistance to reach ‘economic sustainability’ through commercial production.
4. Conclusions on the performance of the project
The NCC gave its full commitment to the implementation of this project and received full
cooperation from the OAS office of Barbados. Individuals were enthusiastic about the potential for
sustainability and the continued reforestation efforts which have been absorbed into the future
work plans of the NCC and the programming of environmental stakeholders.
The ‘project design’ and ‘effectiveness’ of the project are rated ‘‘fair’ and its efficiency ‘good’. Its
relevance and sustainability are both rated ‘excellent’.
15
FEM003, Youth Land Mgt., EVAL, v5 (clean)
5. RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 General recommendations
It is recommended to the NCC:
Recommendation 1. The National Conservation Council focuses on improvement of its
project design capacity. The ‘average’ only rating accorded to the effectiveness of this
project is due to project design weaknesses rather than implementation failures.
Recommendation 2. Through general or project funding, the NCC should harness the skills
now available among the youth it trained for improvement of the economic sustainability of
the groups and the development of economically feasible projects for youth groups and
school leavers.
This project has the potential for regional application. There is much project implementation
experience and guidance contained in projects of this nature that could be shared - preventing the
expenditure of resources by others on ‘re-inventing the wheel’. In this project a number of
important indicators have been established that may be of value in other Member States:
• The value and contents of a reforestation plan
• Training/teaching approaches and content of training programmes in:
ƒ Plant propagation techniques and the importance of vegetation
ƒ Sustainable Land Management
ƒ Presentation skills where youth are trained to teach other children about the
importance of vegetation to the environment, creation of displays, and carrying out
presentations to primary and secondary schools.
ƒ GPS technologies • Sizes, types, sources of equipment; procurement issues relating to consultancy services,
land management and plant propagation
• [Indicative] costs of equipment, signage and training programmes
Two recommendations are addressed to OAS/FEMCIDI. They explore opportunities for the
organization to become more proactive in project identification. There are no implied suggestions
that the priorities as identified by national OAS offices and project proposers should be
circumscribed.
Recommendation 3. It is recommended that the project design should be revised/fine-tuned
based on this accepted evaluation (and other considerations) and proposed to Governments
of member states in the Caribbean as a template of a proven approach to address youth
development and environmental and/or other challenges. This is a logical extension of the
annual efforts of the organization in project evaluations.
Recommendation 4. It is further recommend that FEMCIDI gives consideration to a
reassessment of its approach to the funding of regional projects focusing on the
regionalization of potentially successful applicable national experiences across the region.
For example, the organization may promote through budgetary allocations, the design of a
regional ‘youth involvement in environmental protection’ project made available to countries
that deem their involvement in such a priority.
-------
FEM003, Youth Land Mgt., EVAL, v5 (clean)
16
ANNEX 1: List of Persons Interviewed
The evaluation was conducted during the week 08-10th July 2009.
Interviews were conducted with the following:
OAS Barbados
o
Francis A. McBarnette
- Representative, OAS Barbados Office
o
Ms. Erika Watson
- Administrative Technician
o
Seibert Frederick
- National Liaison Officer (ONE), Ministry of Economic Affairs
National Conservation Commission
o
Dr. Janice Cumberbatch
- NCC Board Member (Centre for Resource Management and
Environmental Studies/University of the West Indies
o
Keith Neblett
- General Manager
o
Michael Thompson
- Deputy General Manager (Ag)
o
Ryan Braithwaite
- Technical Officer
o
Ruth Cumberbatch
- Foreman
Stakeholders
o
Sherwin D. Greenidge
o
Hartley Clement
o
Beverley Millar
o
Ms. Zonie Phillips
o
Deeanda Bannister
o
Wayne Morris
o
Dawne Pollard
17
FEM003, Youth Land Mgt., EVAL, v5 (clean)
-
Tele-Gathering – LIME/Cable & Wireless
National Sports Council – Barbados
National Sports Council – Barbados
Diabetes Association of Barbados
Diabetes Association of Barbados
4H Foundation
Sunshine Optimist
ANNEX 2: List of Documents Reviewed
1. Barbados Government:
a. Barbados Programme of Action
b. National Physical Development Plan (NPDP) 2006.
2. FEMCIDI Strategic Plan for Partnership 2006 – 2009
3. FEMCIDI Overview of the Evaluation Process for FEMCIDI-funded Projects April 2008
4. FEM003-06 Project proposals, execution plans, follow-up reports, final reports
5. Project outputs:
a. Land and Seas Surveys Inc (LASS) - Capacity Building in Youth for Sustainable
Land Management Initial Assessment Report, 2007
b. Land and Seas Surveys Inc (LASS) - Capacity Building in Youth for Sustainable
Land Management Project – Reforestation Management Plan, March 2008
FEM003, Youth Land Mgt., EVAL, v5 (clean)
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ANNEX 3: Details of Training Programmes
1. PLANT PROPAGATION
• Plant propagation
i. Sexual and asexual propagation
ii. Advantages and disadvantages of these methods
• Propagation by seeds
• Propagation by division – cuttings, bulbous plants
• Propagation by layering – air, simple, mound, serpentine/compound, trench, tip,
natural
• Propagation by cuttings – stem, herbaceous, softwood, semi-hardwood, hardwood
• Propagation by tissue culture – tissue culture process, media preparation
• Grafting
• Budding
2. SUSTAINABLE LAND MANAGEMENT
• Functions of land resources – productive, cultural, physiological, ecological
• Causes of land degradation – climate, pests and diseases, land cover, soil
erodibility vegetation removal, intensive grazing
3. GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEMS (GPS)
• Theoretical and practical sessions on the concepts of GPS
• Database development.
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FEM003, Youth Land Mgt., EVAL, v5 (clean)
ANNEX 4: Press Article of Project
FEM003, Youth Land Mgt., EVAL, v5 (clean)
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FEM003, Youth Land Mgt., EVAL, v5 (clean)