83 correctness of the Bank details and ensuring that value-added tax (VAT) is not included in the Invoice — before submitting payment requests to the Bank.” It also noted that procurement plans need to be followed by Grantees. At the same time, there may be a question of rigidity to the Bank’s processes and expectations. The CDSF Annual Report from 2017 highlighted that it would be ideal if beneficiaries could also expedite their processes. Some stakeholder organizations appear unnecessarily bureaucratic. To help stakeholders prepare proposals and applications, the IDEV evaluation of PECG noted that “further consideration could be given to PECG establishing a special fund/facility that is resourced internally to support earlystage studies, technical assistance and/or business development for projects with the potential to attract external climate finance.”. Specialized procurement can complicate climate change–related projects, such as via the procurement and verification of specialized meteorological instrumentation and systems, or other scientific equipment related to climate change or the monitoring of related physical hazards. Ideally, the Bank’s project processes can be streamlined with improved communication between the Bank’s staff from different parts of the organization, including country offices. Successive evaluations highlight coordination is important within the Bank. The Africa Climate Change Fund Annual Report in 2019 noted that streamlining is complicated, especially when it comes to issues of process and accountability. However, the AWF evaluation included recommendations consisting of improving “i) the core processes and procedures on project assessment, planning, preparation, and appraisal in relation to cost and time; ii) procurement and administrative arrangements to minimize and/or avoid procedural delays; and iii) mechanisms to strengthen its capacity and that of Executing Agencies for efficient implementation.” Travel policies can have a bearing on project delivery including meetings. The CDSF Annual Report noted that “the CDSF Coordination Unit regularly experiences problems attending both scheduled and unscheduled meetings/ forums with partners, especially since all staff in the Department have to abide to the maximum of 3 missions cap per quarter. Discussions are underway with senior management in the Department to seek for a flexible mission programme for CDSF Staff.” However, times have changed with COVID-19, and it is likely that web-based meetings have become more viable both technologically and with abundant experience. However, travel is necessary to fulfil the AWF evaluation’s recommendation that “to follow water developments going on in countries with more regular monitoring and site visits to projects.” A reasonable number of project managers are needed if this is to be viable. Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting and Learning The Bank will need to work on its internal reporting systems so that it can ensure Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) standards and international reporting systems such as those that will be used for the Joint Report on Multilateral Development Banks’ Climate Finance are consistent. If the Bank does not have its own systems working, it will negotiate reporting standards from a position of weakness and will likely end up having to use systems not specifically designed for African countries or their contexts. Annual reports are an important part of learning, as is stakeholder feedback. The Bank needs to regularly report on its internal and external finance-related activities, feeding into learning and adjustments to the delivery of finance and other CCAP-related activities. Currently, annual reports are published intermittently. The IDEV evaluation of PECG noted the need to “put in place adequate mechanisms to monitor and track GGCC [green growth and climate change] results throughout the project cycle, to (i) promote continued attention for GG-CC during project implementation, (ii) enable the Bank to address potential barriers to the uptake and effectiveness of GG-CC mainstreaming, and (iii) improve reporting on the results achieved. To this end, the Bank could consider establishing and maintaining a database of Bank projects that mainstream GG-CC into their designs. Such a database, with a tracking system with measurable output, outcome, and impact indicators to track climate change and green growth activities (at both the Bank and project-level), could be used as an evidence-base for the measurement and reporting of progress throughout the project cycle. This promotes project implementation in line with their GGCC-mainstreamed designs and enables the Bank to coursecorrect to address potential challenges to GGCC mainstreaming as necessary.” Databases need classifications such as by project types. Classifications can help identify relevant projects with lessons, issues, and options that can be shared. Outcomes will be of special interest to potential and existing funders. For specific operations and individual projects, baseline appraisals are important. Other evaluations highlight the need for a field presence, helping with project supervision, monitoring, and reporting. Continuous improvement is essential, including how to improve MERL, the use of this information at all levels, and especially in decision making. Green growth in Africa — current initiatives and future developments
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NzQ1NTk=