External Review (MTR) of the BABA CARAPA Community Forestry Programme, in benefit of the forest and its inhabitants
Sweden´s support to the sector for natural resources and environment in Bolivia with special emphasis on climate change was founded on the strategic goal outlined in the Country Strategy for Development cooperation with Bolivia 2009-2013. The three objectives were:
• Efficient and environmentally sustainable use of water, forestry and land resources.
• Increased access to clean water and basic sanitation.
• Reduced vulnerability, especially for people living in poverty, to natural disasters and to climate change.
Since August 2009, Sweden together with the Netherlands, supported the community forestry programme Baba Carapa coordinated through the NGO PUMA Fondo Ambiental (PUMA-FA). The total budget for 2009-2016 amounted to USD 22 million, of which USD 16 million was financed by the Netherlands and Sweden providing USD 8 million each. The overall objective of the programme was to reduce poverty in communities in the North of La Paz, Pando and Guarayos, through an innovative model of forestry management. The main instruments to achieve the established objectives were reinforcing capacities for community forestry, facilitating community-corporate alliances, the development of new financial mechanisms for productive community forestry and the establishment of Community Centres for Forest Business.
The Embassy signed the agreement with PUMA-FA who administered and managed the programme. The three parties PUMA-FA, the Netherlands and Sweden signed a memorandum of understanding (Mou) for coordination and harmonization of the procedures of the programme. Initially the agreement partner was the PUMA Foundation but when it was reorganized in 2010 the responsibility passed over to PUMA-FA.
According to the MoU between the three parties of Baba Carapa an external Mid-Term Review was carried out to assess results and the effectiveness and efficiency of the support provided. The MTR should give recommendations about possible adjustments in the programme set-up in the short-term and in the longer term. The longer term findings will form part of any future decision for policy level support to the sector of natural resources and the environment, bearing in mind lessons learned from the current support and its design.
The Swedish Embassy contracted ORGUT to provide an international forest specialist to complement the MTR team of national consultants procured by PUMA-FA. The requested support should focus on sustainable forest management, community forestry, climate change issues in relation to forestry.