| Overview : Established in 1992, following the Rio Earth Summit, the Global Environmental Facility Small Grants Programme (GEF/SGP) is a corporate programme of the Global Environment Facility and implemented by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The GEF/SGP supports local communities at the grassroots level to undertake projects that are aimed at restoring and conserving the environment while at the same time enhancing people’s wellbeing and livelihoods. The projects supported are within the GEF focal areas of; biodiversity, land degradation, climate change, sustainable forest management, international waters, chemicals and Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs).
The GEF Small Grants Programme provides Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in developing and transitioning countries with grants and technical guidance to enable them to tackle global environmental challenges while addressing local sustainable development needs. In Operation Phase 6, grant-making focuses on the strategic initiatives of; community landscape conservation, climate smart innovative agro-ecology, low carbon energy access co-benefits and local to global chemical management coalitions and tap on the opportunities in line with the country environmental management and development priorities and the GEF targets. With these environment-centered “grant projects” the Programme also seeks to generate sustainable livelihoods and reduce poverty in the world’s neediest countries and regions. With the notion “community action with global impact”, the Programme recognizes that grassroots communities as custodians of their environments, they are better placed to tackle global environmental problems and come up with innovative and sustainable solutions.
Since its establishment in 1992, the Botswana Programme have supported 183 projects with varying successes. Through the technical and financial support provided by the Programme, the local communities have led initiatives that has significantly contributed to the restoration and conservation of the natural environments as well as enhancing people's well-being and livelihoods particularly at the rural areas.
In attaining the overall goal of the Programme1 and Operational Phase 6 (2015 to 2018) objective2, capacity development of the grantees is at core of SGP support. The most important objectives of SGP country programs is to help build the capacity of the civil society to engage and respond to key environmental challenges. Given that capacity is frequently limited among the target communities of SGP, support for capacity development is critical for SGP.
As enshrined in the Standard Operating Procedures and through the grant maker plus role, the Programme continues to support initiatives aimed at enhancing and strengthening capacities of CSOs in the country. It is against this background that the Programme invites legally registered Civil Society Organizations, academia and research institutions in Botswana to submit proposals that addresses the capacity building objective of the Country Programme. The Capacity Development project will be supporting grantees with on-going projects implemented in the areas within the boundaries of Makgadikgadi Framework Management Plan (in Boteti and part of Tutume (Nata, Gweta, Maposa, Zoroga, Tsokatshaa, Sepako, Manxotai, Dukwi, Mosetse, Kotamogoree, Lepashe and Matsitama villages) Sub District only). Figure 1 shows the location of the project site under this Call for Proposals.
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