ANNUAL STAKEHOLDER WORKSHOP 2019
In December 2019, Bhutan Trust Fund for Environmental Conservation( BTFEC) conducted the Annual workshop to Narrow the Gap through collaboration and partnership in Environmental Conservation with a primary goal to strengthen collaborative approach between the project implementers and BTFEC for effective implementation of the grants, gain knowledge through experience sharing among stakeholders, and bring improvements in the (project management) progress reporting and documentation. The workshop provided a platform in disseminating information/knowledge, best practices, lesson learnt and problem solving.
The participants were also informed about numerous policies that are in place. The latest being the ESS Dashboard to ease evaluation of Environmental and Social Safeguards. The overall goal of this policy is to strengthen gender equality work in the BTFEC by establishing a clear vision around delivering its services, procedures and practices based on equality between women and men. Ultimately this policy will work towards ensuring gender equality and women’s empowerment and mainstreaming of needs and concerns of women, men, girls and boys in all sectors of development in the country so that they can participate and benefit equally from development initiatives.
Further, the workshop provided an opportunity to:
- Discuss new developments at BTFEC (Gender mainstreaming and ESS Dashboard, ESS safeguard management, Risk management, Gender mainstreaming)
- Present findings from Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) 2019 visits by BTFEC
- Sensitization of ESS Dashboard
- Table and discuss challenges and experience faced by the grantees (project formulation, implementation completion reports, engaging Media)
- Have hands on training on technical report, financial reporting and procurement processes
- Sensitization of ESS Dashboard
- Targeting setting and development of ESMP
- Discuss the need to engage media during project implementation
- Inform and familiarize on the of Project Feasibility & Preparatory Grant concept
- Share experiences, lessons learnt and identify way forward
The grantees agreed to have more collaboration among various agencies for effective implementation of project activities. In the same time, the workshop agreed that the project proponents will have a blueprint of their project outcomes. This would be helpful in guiding the focal persons to achieve quality outcomes from the project. It was also agreed that stakeholder analysis and consultative planning will be conducted as part of development of project proposal. If there is need proponents could use BTFEC’s PFPG grant to carry out such activities. The workshop agreed that the grantees would look beyond the project period for long-term sustainability and impact of the projects.
Further, the workshops provided space for BTFEC for face-to-face interaction with the grantees. Project focal persons and finance officers shared and exchanged their experiences. The workshops offered rich pool of lessons and experiences for future improvements of the projects. New ideas were suggested to improve the implementation of on-going projects. The workshop provided space to clarify issues on technical as well as administrative matters for both BTFEC and its partners.
The participants represented the government agencies, CSOs, and members of BTFEC secretariat.
