Mongolia: Integrated Livelihoods Improvement and Sustainable Tourism in Khuvsgul Lake National Park Project

Transcription

1 Semi-Annual Progress Report June 2016 Mongolia: Integrated Livelihoods Improvement and Sustainable Tourism in Khuvsgul Lake National Park Project Prepared by the project management unit and project implementation unit for the Asian Development Bank.

2 MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, GREEN DEVELOPMENT AND TOURISM ADB-JAPAN FUND FOR POVERTY REDUCTION MON (9183): INTEGRATED LIVELIHOODS IMPROVEMENTS AND SUSTAINABLE TOURISM IN KHUVSGUL LAKE NATIONAL PARK PROJECT SEMI-ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT As of June 30, 2016 PROJECT MANAGEMENT UNIT PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION UNIT July 27, 2016 Ulaanbaatar

3 MON (9183): Integrated Livelihoods Improvements and Sustainable Tourism in Khuvsgul Lake National Park Project CONTENTS ABBREVIATIONS 1. INTRODUCTION AND BASIC DATA OVERALL PROJECT PROGRESS General Output 1: Community-based tourism in Khatgal and Khankh settlements promoted Output 2: Capacity for sustainable livestock and pasture management in the Khuvsgul Lake National Park and buffer zone improved Output 3: Waste management around Khuvsgul Lake strengthened Project Management FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT Replenishment Project disbursement Project account balance PROCUREMENT ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL SAFEGUARDS SOCIAL AND GENDER DIMENSIONS IMPLEMENTATION OF PPMS MAJOR PROJECT ISSUES AND PROBLEMS STAKEHOLDERS COMMUNICATION STRATEGY THE PLAN FOR NEXT PERIOD

4 MON (9183): Integrated Livelihoods Improvements and Sustainable Tourism in Khuvsgul Lake National Park Project APPENDIXES 1. Inception Workshop Report 2. Steering Committee Meeting minutes and related documents 3. Grievance Redress Mechanism 4. Procurement Plan Progress 5. Gender Action Plan 6. Project Performance Indicators 7. Project Implementation Progress 8. Annual workplan for

5 MON (9183): Integrated Livelihoods Improvements and Sustainable Tourism in Khuvsgul Lake National Park Project ABBREVIATIONS ADB Asian Development Bank MEGDT Ministry of Environment, Green Development and Tourism MOF Ministry of Finance GOJ Government of Japan GOM Government of Mongolia JFPR Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction EOJ Embassy of Japan JICA Japan International Cooperation Agency DPAM Department of Protected Areas Management EFPD Economic, Financial and Planning Division KLNP Khuvsgul Lake National Park CSO Civil society organization GRM Grievance redress mechanism PAM Project administration manual PSC Project steering committee PIU Project implementation unit PMU Project management unit PPMS Project performance monitoring system DMF Design and Monitoring Famework EARF Environmental Assessment and Review Framework GAP Gender Action Plan SOE Statement of expenditure SPS Safeguard Policy Statement CWMTs - Community Waste Management Teams aimag province soum county GLOSSARY 3

6 MON (9183): Integrated Livelihoods Improvements and Sustainable Tourism in Khuvsgul Lake National Park Project 1. INTRODUCTION AND BASIC DATA Project Number MON (9183) Project Name Integrated Livelihoods Improvement and Sustainable Tourism in Khuvsgul Lake National Park Project area Khankh, Tsagaan-Uur, Chandmani-Undur, Alag-Erdene, Renchinlkhumbe soums, Khatgal village of Khuvsgul province Executing Agency Department of Protected Areas Management (DPAM) of the Ministry of Environment, Green Development and Tourism Implementing Agency Khuvsgul Lake National Park Administration Project Management Unit Project Implementation Unit Source of Funding / Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction: US$ 3,000,000. Amount Government of Mongolia: US$ 180,000 Board Consideration and 18 November, 2012 Approval Grant Agreement Signing 26 January, 2016 Grant Effectiveness 16 March, 2016 Project Closing 31 December, 2019 First ADB Inception 8-18 May, 2016 Mission First Steering committee 14 June 2016 meeting Reporting period 16 March, June,

7 2. OVERALL PROJECT PROGRESS 2.1 General This is the first Semi-Annual Progress Report for MON (9183): Integrated Livelihoods Improvements and Sustainable Tourism in Khuvsgul Lake National Park Project. It provides a summary of the overall progress of project activities from the date of project effectiveness on March 16, 2016 up to June 30, As the executing agency of the project, the Ministry of Environment, Green Development and Tourism took the urgent action to recruit key staffs of the project management namely the Project manager and accountant from the date of March 17, The timely action was helpful to proceed the formalities with Ministry of Finance to open imprest account, establishing PMU at Ministry and PIU in Khatgal village at Administration of Khuvsgul Lake National Park and recruit and contract national consultants within 1,5 months. Following are the summary of the activities to start the project. Within the framework of inception mission, project inception workshop was successfully organized on May 11, 2016 in Khatgal village. The workshop was attended by 103 participant ensuring well representation of each stakeholders including participation of Ministry of Environment, Green Development and Tourism of Mongolia, ADB, Khuvsgul Lake National Park Administration, Khuvsgul aimag and 5 soums Government, tour operators, local community and key NGOs. The participants were well informed about the project design, objective, activities, output and outcome of the project. (For inception workshop report please see Appendix 1) Working meetings between the project team, MEGDT, and ADB to clarify procedures for administration, procurement, monitoring, reporting was held as scheduled. Joint meeting of the PMU and PIU was organized with the initiation of Project manager for the first time during the inception, and it became regular event in each mission of PMU to Khatgal. So far, 2 meetings were organized and meeting minutes were issued as follow up instruction to Project field coordinator. Wrap up meeting on inception mission was held with Mr. Ts.Tsengel, State Secretary of MEGDT and the MOU on Inception mission was signed by ADB and MEGDT. In accordance with the MOU of Grant Inception mission, grievance redress mechanism was set up. Project counterparts being assigned by Khuvsgul aimag, Project soums and KLNP. 2.2 Output 1: Community-based tourism in Khatgal and Khankh settlements promoted. The first consultation meeting on pilot Eco-tourism co-management was held in Khatgal village. It was attended by 49 participants including representatives of KLNP, Aimag and soum governor s office, tour operators from Khankh and Khatgal, tour guides, small business, household-ger operators and local communities by using a participatory approach. As a result, all the participants were agreed and supported the establishment of co-management tourism mechanism which would comprise of the KLNP Administration, communities, tour operators, and soum governments, and to develop a stakeholder vision, targets, and codes of practice for tourism. Valuable comments and recommendation were gathered during the discussion and they will be reflected in the future work plan of the project. 5

8 As part of project activities under output 1 promoting community based tourism goods and services through, vegetable growing training has been conducted on 10 June Training composed of theoretical and practical exercises and 10 residents from Khatgal village attended the training as trial for such activities. Participants gained knowledge about techniques and technological aspects of soil and compost preparation, planting and maintenance of vegetable in greenhouse and walking tunnel. The participant were given vegetable growing inputs such as plastic sheets, nurseries, simple tools and walking tunnel frames. PMU arranged 2 separate missions to UB for Eco-tourism consultant and Rural finance specialist to meet with respective organizations, project specialist and officials engaged in tourism, rural finance, revolving fund in protected areas including Mongolian and Ulaanbaatar tourism associations, Silk road project consultant, Khustai National park, Financial regulatory committee, Credit guarantee fund, IFAD project, ADB consultant UB city official on saving and credit cooperatives and former staffs of MON(9125). The meetings and learning experiences on lessons learnt by other organizations and project on eco-tourism and revolving fund as designed in PAM to produce better outcome. 2.3 Output 2: Capacity for sustainable livestock and pasture management in the Khuvsgul Lake National Park and buffer zone improved. The project is collecting numerous information and statistic data on livestock population, herding families in the KLNP and buffer zone, experiences of other donor projects for establishment of herder groups, pasture management plan and income diversification activities. Information and data on KLNP including towns, roads, rivers, cadastral map of target soums, pastureland map, vegetation, forest, location tour camps, boundaries of KLNP for data layers been required for producing map to be used for creating geographical database for the project. 2.4 Output 3: Waste management around Khuvsgul Lake strengthened. Waste management consultation meeting was conducted on June 8, 2016 in Khatgal village with the participation of 47 persons. Participants included government agencies, tour operators, and existing clean-up groups garbage local communities. All the participants were given detailed explanation on waste management related activities such as establishment of a pilot community-led waste management program, including waste management teams, the installation of low environmental impact toilet facilities and litter bins and phasing in of public camp fees to fund team salaries and facility operation and maintenance. Consultation meeting organized in participatory approach encouraged participant to freely debate and make a critical comment on the designed activities targeted to improve waste management around Khuvsgul lake, especially on the size and number of clean up groups, locations of eco-toilets, selection criteria s to be imposed to CWMTs as well as draft contract to be concluded within respected parties. Raised concerns and comments were well reflected on the revised version of Terms of references for water quality monitoring program and international waste management specialist. 6

9 2.5 Project Management The PMU and PIU comprise 17 full-time and/or part-time consultant positions. The PMU office was established at MEGDT in Ulaanbaatar. The PIU is located in an office at the KLNP headquarters in Khatgal Village. The PIU office is refurbished and includes repainting and electrical connections. As described in the PAM and in accordance with Government resolution No 176, the project steering committee was established on 10 June, 2016 by the order of the Minister of Environment, green development and tourism which is chaired by the Mr.Ts.Tsengel, State secretary of MEGDT. It comprised of 9 board members, project manager as secretary, ADB MNRM, Embassy of Japan in Mongolia and JICA-Mongolia office as observers. The First Project steering committee meeting was held at the Meeting room of the Ministry of Finance on 14 June, Overall attendance of the meeting was 66.6%. Project steering committee approved annual work plan, operational budget and procurement plan for (For related documents and minutes of the Steering Committee meeting see Appendix 2) 3. FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT 3.1 Replenishment The project imprest account and sub account was opened at the State bank on 28 April 2016 by approval of Ministry of Finance. Initial advance was replenished on 20 May The budget estimation of Government contribution to as obliged in the PAM was submitted to Ministry of Finance through Economic, financial planning division of the Ministry Environment, green development and tourism. 3.2 Project disbursement Actual disbursement by category as of June 30, 2016 Category Code Name Allocation Contracts Disbursed Amount Undisbursed Amount 3101 Consulting service 862, , , , Goods and services 502, , , Training 237, , , Project management 285, , , , , , , Total 3,000, , , ,830,

10 3.3 Project account balance Ending balance of imprest account ( ) $ 95, Ending balance of sub account ( ) $ 7, Total disbursement $ 169, Total replenishment $ 280, PROCUREMENT The project procurement procedures were carried out in accordance with ADB s Procurement Guidelines (2015, as amended from time to time) and Government of Mongolia s Procurement Laws and Guidelines on the Use of Consultants (2013, as amended from time to time), as described in the PAM. Between February and June 2016 the recruitment process was completed for 15 packages; 5 PMU specialists-project manager (C001), Implementation specialist (C005), Accountant (C006), Procurement specialist (C007), GIS specialist (C008), and 10 PIU specialists- Field coordinator (C002), Eco-tourism specialist ( C009), Waste management specialist (C010), Livestock and pasture management specialist (C012), Agricultural processing specialist (C013), Income generation specialist (C014), Protected area specialist ( C015), Rural finance specialist ( C016), Social and gender specialist (C017), Khankh officer (C018), Driver (C019). All individual consultant recruitments were followed by ADB s Guidelines on the Use of Consultants (2013, as amended from time to time), as described in the PAM. All Individual Consulting Service packages were advertised publicly on daily newspaper and some of them uploaded in CMS in Q2, Only 2 candidates were applied for the consultant for Livestock and pasture specialist. Therefore the package has been re-advertised and recruited in Q2, The package C015, the protected area specialist gave a notice that the consultant was not able to work after the evaluation. EA is planning to re-advertise the package C015 in Q3, The shopping G004-G007 were advertised and awarded the contract Q2, 2016 as per procurement plan in PAM. EA planning to procure the packages G001-G003 in Q3, The recruitment of Waste management specialist (C011) is proceeding. In consideration of emergency on waste issues in KLNP, one time purchase of biodegradable bags with the illustration of logos of Japan s aid and ADB-JFPR as an emergency action has been purchased with an approval. (For the procurement progress please see Appendix 3) 5. ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL SAFEGUARDS Output 3 includes the installation of pilot eco-toilets. During this project progress report period Eco-toilet has not been installed, so there was not any major issues regarding the environment and social safeguards. All PMU and PIU specialists are informed and aware of the environmental assessment and review framework. 8

11 The PMU established the project grievance redress mechanism (GRM) and all project staff, relevant government agencies, and related stakeholders has been informed. So far, is time, there has not been any grievance-related issues being reported. (For the GRM please see Appendix 4) 6. SOCIAL AND GENDER DIMENSIONS PMU and PIU specialists know and aware about the importance of achieving the social and gender targets in the DMF and gender action plan, therefore all the project activities will reflect the social and gender targets in the DMF and GAP. (For the Status of Gender action plan please see Appendix 5) During the reporting period 3 events have been conducted, and the events ensured meeting criteria for gender target as follows: Events Date Men Women Total % 1 Waste management 08/06/ % consultation meeting 2 Eco tourism co- 09/06/ % management consultation meeting 3 Vegetable growing 10/ % training 7. IMPLEMENTATION OF PPMS As advised during inception mission, PPMS has been established and being informed to ADB. The first semi-annual report covers 3 months of progress, so PPMS indicators has not gained much progresses besides minor one in Output C. (For the progress of Project Progress Indicators please see Appendix 6, and for the Project Implementation Progress please see Appendix 7) 8. MAJOR PROJECT ISSUES AND PROBLEMS There has not been any major issues and problems accrued during this report period. However, there is a need to organize some activities for PIU staffs in order to build better capacity to deliver consultancy through study visits to other protected areas were similarly designed projects have been implemented and conduct training on specific subject. We felt even to hire resources person in some specific fields. Participants of waste management consultation meeting, local authorities, and Steering committee members raised the issue of addressing waste management in KLNP especially during summer tourist season 2016 to provide emergency funding to existing clean-up groups that exist specially in Khatgal village. 9

12 9. STAKEHOLDERS COMMUNICATION STRATEGY The PMU and PIU fully aware of importance of implementing SCS, therefore inception workshop, first consultation meeting of co-management pilot groups on Eco-tourism and Waste management were well publicized through National and local medias of TV, newspaper and webpage of MEGDT. Participation of project stakeholders in the events and activities were ensured. Logo of Japanese aid, ADB-JFPR were used in banners both indoor and outdoor of the venue. PMU and PIU closely cooperating with KLNP on its planned activities as well as coordinating its activities with regards to Waste management with Ecoleap foundation-mongolia. The specialists held two time meeting with Mongol Ecology Center on their experience and success stories in KLNP as described in the SCS and discussion. 10. THE PLAN FOR NEXT PERIOD Work plan for the project has been developed and approved by Steering Committee. For the next project progress report period the project will follow the approved Work plan of (Appendix 8). 10

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