S ignposts GEF Country Portfolio Evaluation: January 2013 Cuba (1992–2011) The Independent Evaluation Relevance Office of the Global Environ - ●● GEF support has been relevant to the establishment of ment Facility (GEF) conducted environmental priorities and strategies, the international a country portfolio evaluation environmental conventions (the CBD, the UNFCCC, the of GEF support to Cuba for United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, the period 1992–2011. Cuba was selected based on its and the Stockholm Convention on POPs) and to the GEF large and mature portfolio including several completed mandate and strategies. projects in all GEF focal areas with an emphasis on biodi- ●● The Cuban government plays an important role in GEF- versity. Since 1992, the GEF has invested about $44 million supported projects. (with approximately $240 million in cofinancing) through 19 national projects in Cuba. Additionally, the evaluation Efficiency covered three regional (one under implementation and two ●● The approval process for medium- and full-size projects completed), and two global projects in which Cuba partici- is on average shorter in Cuba than in other Latin Ameri- pates. These were selected because they had significant can and Caribbean countries where country portfolio in-country activities/components, stakeholder input, and evaluations have been conducted. Project preparation available information. costs are lower when compared to the overall GEF port- folio. Findings ●● Overall, institutional arrangements for the design and Results implementation of GEF-supported projects in Cuba are ●● GEF support has achieved important results in the focal efficient. areas of biodiversity (including biosafety), land degrada- ●● Project-level monitoring and evaluation occurs for adap- tion, climate change, international waters, and POPs. tive management and compilation of monitoring infor- ●● Results of GEF support to Cuba built on lessons from mation. However, monitoring data access for decision- previous projects thanks to a continuity of policies, insti- making poses challenges. tutions, staff, and people involved in implementation. ●● The Cuban economic and geographic context adversely ●● GEF projects have indirectly supported South-South affects GEF-supported project implementation and out- cooperation, which has been facilitated by the high prior- comes. ity accorded the Cuban government to such cooperation. ●● The sustainability of results in Cuba is ensured through Recommendations the government’s programmatic approach to support ●● The GEF should put more effort into mainstreaming subsequent projects funded by it, the GEF, and other adaptation in project design and implementation in all donors. focal areas, and provide additional support and guid- GEF Country Portfolio Evaluation: Cuba (1992–2011) S ignposts ance to countries in the design and implementation of Follow-Up multifocal projects that include adaptation. The findings of this evaluation were presented to the GEF ●● In countries with contexts like Cuba’s, the GEF should be Council in June 2012 as an input to the GEF Annual Country more pragmatic concerning administrative procedures in Portfolio Evaluation Report 2012. The main conclusions order to obtain global environmental benefits. and recommendations of the Cuba country portfolio evalu- ation were then presented to the GEF Council in June 2013 ●● The GEF should strengthen South-South cooperation as an information document. in project and program design and implementation in all focal areas, especially through regional projects and programs. The GEF Independent Evaluation Office is an independent ●● Develop an information management strategy to entity reporting directly to the GEF Council, mandated to evalu- strengthen knowledge sharing from GEF projects and ate the focal area programs and priorities of the GEF. The full version of Evaluación de la Cartera de Proyectos del FMAM programs at the national level and better achieve global en el País: Cuba (1992–2011) (Evaluation Report No. 82; in environmental benefits. Spanish, with conclusions and lessons learned in English) is available on the GEF Independent Evaluation Office website, www.gefeo.org. For more information, please contact the Office at gefevaluation@thegef.org.