83204 Strategic Partnership for a Sustainable Fisheries Investment Fund in Sub-Saharan Africa The Strategic Partnership for a Sustainable Fisheries Investment Fund in Sub-Saharan Africa is a World Bank/GEF initiative approved in November of 2005. It involves a partnership and a funding mechanism. The Partnership comprises the Sub-Saharan coastal states, led by the AU, with the support of FAO and WWF, and the inclusion of the regional fisheries management commissions and the GEF-supported Large Marine Ecosystem (LME) projects. The funding mechanism is a GEF Sustainable Fisheries Investment Fund available to provide a total of US$ 60 million in GEF Grants to co-finance country level projects for sustainable fisheries, so long as they leverage other donor funds at a ratio of 3:1 (i.e. 1 part GEF to 3 parts other funding) for the purposes of promoting sustainable fisheries. The Concept. In November 2005, the GEF Council approved a contribution of US$ 60 million over the next 10 years in three tranches, for the Sustainable Fisheries Investment Fund. Along with the World Bank and any other interested donors, this Fund will be available to co-finance country-level projects aimed at assisting Sub-Saharan African countries to meet the fisheries and poverty reduction targets set by the WSSD and achieve sustainability in their marine fisheries. The Fund will be advised by a Strategic Partnership of government representatives and stakeholders from African countries, donors, technical agencies and regional and international partner organizations. Furthermore, this Strategic Partnership could promote learning exchanges and sub-regional cooperation between various country-level projects supported by the Fund and other donor partners. The design of the Strategic Partnership The consultation process. Using a preparation grant from the GEF, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) worked together with the World Bank to organize a series of consultations with Sub-Saharan African countries and their experts to design the initiative. An expert panel was also convened in Nairobi in late 2004 to help develop draft criteria for the types of projects that could be eligible for funding under such a Strategic Partnership mechanism, and to draft monitoring and evaluation indicators for such projects based on the objectives of the Strategic Partnership and the WSSD - poverty reduction and fisheries targets. Two broad-based workshops were convened in Dakar (January 2005) and Dar-es-Salaam (June 2005). These workshops reviewed and recommended upon the project criteria and indicators and also on the governance mechanism for the Strategic Partnership. Governance recommendations. The governance of the Strategic Partnership was agreed in June 2005 in Dar-es- Salaam, following the engagement of the African Union in the Partnership and extensive technical and policy consultation among the partners including most Sub-Saharan coastal states, FAO, WWF, the World Bank and managers of the LME projects. The Partnership will be guided by a Regional Advisory Committee (RAC) which will: review project concept notes and ideas; ensure coherence and synergies between projects and activities and promote good governance; raise awareness of the importance of sustainable fisheries in national development policies and plans; and assist countries in the mobilization of co-funding. The Regional Advisory Committee will be chaired by the African Union and include representation from the Regional Fisheries Bodies, civil society, FAO and WWF. Donors (such as the World Bank and GEF) and the Large Marine Ecosystem programs in the region will also participate as observers. The Secretariat will be established in the AU, while FAO and WWF will provide support. The project cycle. Individual projects receiving GEF funding from the Partnership Investment Fund will go through the following project cycle, in compliance with the existing rules and procedures of the World Bank and GEF: 1) Preparation of the Project Concept Note: Together with the World Bank the country prepares a Project Concept Note (PCN), including the Sector Strategy and Stakeholder Participation Template. The PCN should be in line with the Operating Principles and Eligibility Criteria of the Strategic Partnership. The Country should give an indication of the likely sources of co-financing. The country submits a PCN to the World Bank and to the AU for the RAC to review. 2) Review and Approval by the RAC: RAC members make comments and approve the PCN. 3) Formal Review of the PCN by the World Bank: Giving full consideration to the comments of the RAC, the World Bank reviews the PCN submitted by the country, and notifies the country of the decision. 4) Preparation of the Pipeline Entry/PDF B proposal: The country prepares the Pipeline Entry document /PDF B proposal for a preparation grant of up to US$350,000 and submits the proposal to the World Bank, together with the endorsement letter of the GEF Country Focal Point. 5) Project Preparation Upon approval by the GEF, the Country begins using the PDF B funds for the preparation of the project. The Country works together with the World Bank team to prepare a detailed Project Brief/PAD, including firm commitments for the co-financing. 6) World Bank Appraisal mission and Negotiation of the Legal Agreement: Upon GEF approval of the Project Brief/PAD, the World Bank Team will organize a PAD Review Meeting and the Team will undertake an appraisal mission to finalize the project document with the national counterparts. Based on the Project Brief/PAD, the Government and the World Bank negotiate the Legal Agreement. 7) GEF CEO Endorsement 8) Notification to the RAC: Once approved by GEF CEO, the World Bank Team sends the approved Project Document to the RAC for information. 9) World Bank Board Approval: The Project Document (PAD format) is processed to the World Bank Board of Directors for final approval. 10) Signing and Effectiveness. A timetable will be defined for each step in the project cycle with a set time limit, in order to avoid an unduly long process and to facilitate a streamlined process. The partners also recognized that the timetable and project cycle would require alignment and harmonization with the requirements of other major fishery sector donors and funding agencies. These arrangements would be subject to an independent evaluation of the efficiency of the project cycle by the RAC. Next steps The Strategic Partnership will be officially launched at the Regional Advisory Committee (RAC) meeting in mid 2006. Contact: Francois Le Gall (Flegall1@worldbank.org) or John Virdin (jvirdin@worldbank.org) Link to GEF documents: http://www.gefonline.org/projectDetails.cfm?projID=2093 Visit World Bank fisheries at: www.worldbank.org/fish PROFISH FISHERIES FACTSHEET Number 3 September 2006