Small
Grants Programme (SGP), funded by the United Nation
Development Program (UNDP), Global
Environment Facility (GEF), seeks to support
initiatives, which demonstrate community-based
innovative, gender sensitive, participatory
approaches and lessons learned from other development projects
that lead to reduce threats to the local and
global environment.
The
GEF SGP was launched in 1991 by United
Nations Development Program (UNDP) to
assist developing countries in fulfilling
their commitment towards the protection
of the global environment. The Programme
is sourced with a belief that global environmental
problems can only be addressed adequately
if local peoples are involved in planning,
decision making and sharing roles and
responsibilties at all levels. Even with
small amounts of funding communities can
undertake activities, which will make
"Significant Difference" in
their Livelihoods and environment. UNDP
GEF SGP is currently offered in 103 countries
worldwide. The program started in India
from the year 1996-1997. |
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The
UNDP , Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF),
Government of India(GOI) administers Small Grants
Programme (SGP). It is being implemented by
Centre for Environment Education (CEE) as the
National Host Institution (NHI) since September
2000. CEE is a national level institution supported
by Ministry of Environment and Forest, Government
of India as a centre of excellence, and affiliated
to the Nehru Foundation of Development, Ahmedabad.
CEE has its presence felt in all the states
and Union Territories of India through a local
network of 7 regional offices and 23 field offices
across the country. CEE is currrently implementing
240 different projects reaching more than 600 villages
with a total population of more than 6,00,000.
An emphasis is more on establishing low cost, low external input and easy to manage
technologies and social mechanisms to enhance livelihoods.
Program Approach
The program is working through a more decentralized system of Regional offices
in order to reach out to remote, unreached and inaccessible poor areas of
the country. It aims to provide a countrywide coverage and to also address the
local issues more appropriately. Leading to better livelihoods of the poor. While
the strategy has been very effective in drawing out the NGO's and CBO's to address the issues
in a more sustainable matter, it remains to see how we can involve the people's
initiatives through the Community Based Organizations (CBO) This demands greater
hand holding at the grass root levels and at different stages within the SGP program.
CEE has always sensitized the 'evolving processes within the SGP and reflect how it
can be continuously improvised'.
The Regional Committees are the first level review process in overseeing the
effectiveness of the project proposals under the SGP. Given the increasing success
of the SGP nation wide CEE is increasingly looking at ways and means to mainstream the
priorities of the state governmens, creating a better interface between the governments
and the responsive NGO's and CBO's. Learning from the past will give creditability
to the SGP that how responsive it is to address the issues effectively. The changing
scenarios would alose reflect in cutting the costs at various levels.
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