PROJECT INFORMATION DOCUMENT (PID) IDENTIFICATION/CONCEPT STAGE Report No.: PIDC26829 Public Disclosure Copy Project Name FCPF Capacity Building on REDD+ for Civil Society and Local Communities in LAC Project Region LATIN AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN Country Latin America Sector(s) Forestry (100%) Theme(s) Participation and civic engagement (20%), Indigenous peoples (20%), Social Inclusion (60%) Lending Instrument Lending Instrument Project ID P155978 Borrower Name ACICAFOCAsociación Coordinadora Indígena y Campesina de Agro Forestería Comunitaria de Centroamérica Implementing Agency ACICAFOC AsociaciónCoordinadora Indígena y Campesina de Agro Forestería Comunitaria de Centroamérica Environment Category C - Not Required Date PID Prepared 17-Nov-2015 Estimated Date of Approval 30-Nov-2015 Initiation Note Review The review did authorize the preparation to continue Decision Public Disclosure Copy I. Introduction and Context Country Context The Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF). The FCPF, which became operational in June 2008, is a global partnership focused on reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, promoting forest carbon stock conservation, furthering the sustainable management of forests, and enhancing forest carbon stocks (REDD+). A REDD+ Country Participant is a developing country located in a subtropical or tropical area that has signed a Participation Agreement to participate in the FCPF Readiness Fund. Forty-seven (47) developing countries that have been selected to join the FCPF (including 17 in LCR) are expected to undertake activities that lay the foundation for sustainable forest management and sustainable land use management. REDD + thus presents an opportunity to assist countries to undertake a participatory national forest and land use planning exercise to mitigate the impacts of deforestation and forest degradation, including from developments in other sectors (such as agriculture, infrastructure, and energy). By addressing the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation, the FCPF is expected to achieve benefits that go beyond climate change mitigation, including poverty reduction and biodiversity promotion, and enhancing forest communities’ resilience to climate variability. FCPF Capacity Building on REDD+ for Civil Society Organizations and Local Communities. Under the FCPF Readiness Fund, the FCPF has created a framework and processes for REDD+ readiness, which help countries prepare for future systems of positive incentives for REDD+. Page 1 of 6 Concrete activities under readiness include the development of Reference Levels, the development of a REDD+ strategy, the design of monitoring systems for reporting and verification, the establishment of REDD+ national management arrangements, and the identification of social and Public Disclosure Copy environmental impacts associated with REDD+. During the implementation of these activities, concerted efforts have been made to ensure the active engagement and participation of relevant stakeholders, including civil society organizations. Activities under the proposed project are expected to complement national processes by building the knowledge capacity of CSOs and members of local communities to engage meaningfully in REDD+. Sectoral and Institutional Context The FCPF Capacity Building Program. The objective of the FCPF Capacity Building Program is to provide forest-dependent indigenous peoples, civil society organizations, and local communities with information, knowledge, and awareness to enhance their understanding of REDD+, thus enabling them to engage more meaningfully in the implementation of REDD+ activities. Promoting the participation and meaningful engagement of forest-dependent indigenous peoples, local communities and southern civil society organization in REDD+ facilitates their active engagement in (i) informing national REDD+ strategies, (ii) engaging in consultation and participation processes in REDD+ readiness in the respective countries, (iii) contributing to the analysis of land tenure, benefit distribution, and governance that are pertinent in the region, (iv) designing and contributing to the implementation of social and environmental safeguards, and (v) monitoring and evaluating REDD+ implementation. The FCPF Capacity Building Program provides support for activities in REDD+ countries participating in the FCPF. It has funded from fiscal year (FY) 09 to FY14 a total of 20 proposals for civil society organizations (7 proposals in Africa, 3 proposals in Asia, and 10 proposals in Latin America) totaling $1.2 million dollars. Proposals for capacity building activities from FY09 to FY14 were processed through the World Bank’s corporate procurement system. Under this system, Public Disclosure Copy such organizations were selected and contracted as consultants to carry out specific capacity building activities in line with the overall objectives of the Program. In moving forward with implementation of the FCPF Capacity Building Program, the Facility Management Team (FMT) presented to the Participants Committee (PC) in June 2012 (PC12) the conclusions resulting from internal discussions held at the World Bank in relation to the Program, including (i) discontinuing use of the World Bank’s corporate procurement system for its management by June 30, 2013, and (ii) implementing new activities under the Program in accordance with the World Bank’s Procedure and Note on Small Recipient-Executed Trust Fund Grants. Note that under the vendor system, organizations were hired as consultants, implementing capacity building based on outputs and with limited oversight during implementation of the activities. After a thorough internal review of the vendor system, a transition toward recipient- executed trust fund grants was recommended, allowing the World Bank to supervise project activities. At a technical level, FMT Note 2012-5 provided the following recommendations in moving forward with the Program: (i) as countries are starting to engage relevant stakeholder groups in developing their REDD+ strategies, substantial awareness must be raised and capacity building is required for people at the grassroots to participate meaningfully in the national dialogue during which critical issues with implications for their livelihoods will be discussed, (ii) it is critical to engage civil Page 2 of 6 society organizations in all phases of REDD+ (i.e., readiness, investments, and performance-based payments), and (iii) capacity building is needed at the national, regional and global levels to build a knowledge base of civil society organizations and forest-dependent indigenous peoples on climate Public Disclosure Copy change and REDD+, thus empowering them to translate global knowledge into actionable plans at the national level. Relationship of the project to broader climate change approach in the Latin America and Caribbean region. By addressing the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation, the FCPF is expected to achieve benefits that go beyond climate change mitigation, including poverty reduction and biodiversity promotion. Climate change is expected to hit developing countries the hardest. Its effects—higher temperatures, changes in precipitation patterns, rising sea levels, and more frequent weather-related disasters—pose risks for agriculture, food, and water supplies. At stake are recent gains in the fight against poverty, hunger and disease, and the lives and livelihoods of billions of people in developing countries. Addressing climate change requires unprecedented global cooperation across borders. Note that the conservation of forest ecosystems will also enhance the ecosystems’ and the forest communities’ resilience in the face of climate variability. This project will contribute to the conservation of forest ecosystems in Latin America and the Caribbean by making information and training available to local level stakeholders to ensure that their voices are incorporated into the national strategies that contribute towards global goals. Relationship to CAS/CPS/CPF The project is an enabler and complements the efforts of FCPF participating countries in Latin America. The regional strategy of addressing climate change can be supplemented through building capacity of non-state stakeholders, to: (i) Further the region’s priority area of inclusion and empowerment of stakeholders and community participation in development processes, including REDD+; ii) Build the capacity of CSOs and local community organizations to achieve climate Public Disclosure Copy change mitigation, protect forests, and achieve vital social and environmental objectives, which will contribute to managing the effects of climate change; iii) Support both the climate change and the shared prosperity agendas by strengthening CSOs and local communities to participate in REDD+ activities, iv) Enhance regional integration and cooperation by disseminating good practices and lessons learned; and v) Strengthen the capacity of CSOs and local communities to benefit from REDD+, including the sustainable management of biodiversity, the provision of alternative livelihoods, and the equitable sharing of revenues generated from emissions reductions, thus contributing to human development and social welfare. The proposed grant will contribute to the World Bank corporate goals of ending extreme poverty and boosting shared prosperity in Latin American and Caribbean. In Latin America, there are 17 FCPF member countries. With the exception of the two original FIP countries (Peru and Mexico), the rest are eligible for support for in-country activities. These are Argentina, Belize, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Suriname, Uruguay. However, further eligibility criteria, acceptable to the World Bank, will be developed by appraisal. These will likely consider criteria such as urgency to acquire knowledge of REDD+, past comparable capacity building efforts with target populations, marginality from the REDD+ process, and possible overlap with other capacity building efforts. Page 3 of 6 II. Project Development Objective(s) Proposed Development Objective(s) The objective of the project is to build the capacity of targeted civil society and local communities Public Disclosure Copy in Latin America and the Caribbean to enhance their knowledge and understanding of REDD+, thereby allowing them to expand and enhance their participation in REDD+ processes at the national level. Specific activities: (i) Engage with rural-sector stakeholders on the state of information and issues most relevant to the construction of REDD+ strategies and relevant safeguards in the region from the perspective of a diverse set of CSOs. (ii) Implement participatory, informational workshops on REDD+ processes for/by forest- dependent local communities. The participatory process detailed in activity (i) will determine whether these activities are carried out nationally in each case or at the regional level. (iii) Generate knowledge (video documentaries, radio spots, training of trainers modules and other printed materials where appropriate), with CSOs, to facilitate dialogue and decision-making skills of small-scale farming sector and peasant community leaders of organizations implementing REDD+ Key Results - Number of representatives from civil society organizations and local communities participating in capacity building activities Target by project closing: At least 5 per participant country - % of organizations participating in capacity building activities that are led by women and/or focus on mainstreaming the concerns and interests of women Public Disclosure Copy Target by project closing: 30% of participant organizations - % of participants who reported having learned new skills based on the knowledge products developed and disseminated under the project at the national and regional level Target by project closing: 100% - % of capacity building activities at the country and regional level that successfully completed Target by project closing: 100% III. Preliminary Description Concept Description Component 1: Capacity Building Activities (Approx. US $179,766) ACICAFOC will convene regional and national CSOs and regional networks of forest-dependent local communities during project preparation and implementation to further define, through participatory methodologies, the precise capacity building activities to be supported. This will be the result of a self-assessment of the current knowledge of REDD+-related issues and training needs in different countries. However, generally the types of activities that will mostly likely be proposed are workshops through two classroom modalities, both virtually by video technology or in-person by covering travel costs amongst neighboring countries as well as training of trainers’ methodologies to Page 4 of 6 ensure further dissemination of training material. These activities will aim to (i) enhance their understanding and knowledge of REDD+, (ii) promote their participation in the preparation and implementation of REDD+ activities, (iii) enhance their participation in discussions of the role of Public Disclosure Copy REDD+ in climate change mitigation, (iv) support capacity building/enhancement of CSO platforms, local communities and networks at the national level that engages with REDD+ and climate change, and (v) enhance women’s participation in REDD+ activities. Component 2: Regional-Level Communication and Dissemination of Project Results (Approx. US $179,766) This component will finance regional-level activities and the design and implementation of a communication strategy to disseminate at the country and regional level, the results of activities carried out by the project, including the preparation of good practices and lessons learned, aimed at addressing capacity building needs of civil society and local communities at all levels so as to foster their effective engagement in REDD+. Activities under this component will finance dissemination of modules prepared in conjunction with CSOs, regional level network forums on REDD+, and the publication of materials (produced in appropriate languages, where necessary). Data on women and youth participation will be highlighted at the regional level. Regional organizations and networks participating in the FCPF will be targeted. Thus, the communication strategies to be employed will draw upon existing resources, relationships, and networks, including regional learning and exchange forum to the maximum extent possible. Component 3: Management and Administration (Approx. US $39,948) This component will support ACICAFOC’s day-to-day project implementation and management costs, including the incremental time of the project coordinator. Moreover, financial management and procurement assessments (to be completed by appraisal), will determine whether more capacity is needed and whether it will entail an increase in the time of the professionals associated to the project. This would include the preparation of annual work plans, the financing of audit reports, and any other incremental overhead costs incurred as a result of the implementation of the project. Public Disclosure Copy IV. Safeguard Policies that Might Apply Safeguard Policies Triggered by the Project Yes No TBD Environmental Assessment OP/BP 4.01 ✖ Natural Habitats OP/BP 4.04 ✖ Forests OP/BP 4.36 ✖ Pest Management OP 4.09 ✖ Physical Cultural Resources OP/BP 4.11 ✖ Indigenous Peoples OP/BP 4.10 ✖ Involuntary Resettlement OP/BP 4.12 ✖ Safety of Dams OP/BP 4.37 ✖ Projects on International Waterways OP/BP 7.50 ✖ Projects in Disputed Areas OP/BP 7.60 ✖ V. Financing (in USD Million) Total Project Cost: 0.39948 Total Bank Financing: 0 Financing Gap: 0 Page 5 of 6 Financing Source Amount Borrower 0 Public Disclosure Copy Readiness Fund of the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility 0.39948 VI. Contact point World Bank Contact: Kimberly Vilar Title: Senior Social Development Spec Tel: 473-9228 Email: kvilar@worldbank.org Borrower/Client/Recipient Name: ACICAFOCAsociación Coordinadora Indígena y Campesina de Agro Forestería Comunitaria de Centroamérica Contact: Alberto Chinchilla Title: Director Tel: 50622406274 Email: oficinaregional@acicafoc.org Implementing Agencies Name: ACICAFOC AsociaciónCoordinadora Indígena y Campesina de Agro Forestería Comunitaria de Centroamérica Contact: Alberto Chinchilla Title: Director Tel: 50622406274 Email: oficinaregional@acicafoc.org VII. For more information contact: The InfoShop Public Disclosure Copy The World Bank 1818 H Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20433 Telephone: (202) 458-4500 Fax: (202) 522-1500 Web: http://www.worldbank.org/infoshop Page 6 of 6