Q1. Why should my country, as a recipient of GEF funding, respond to the questionnaire regarding GEF-7 funding needs assessment?
A1: In accordance with the Terms of Reference (https://www.cbd.int/financial/gef7needs.shtml), the Team of five Experts (https://www.cbd.int/financial/gef7experts.shtml) has adopted the approaches to assessing the funding necessary and available for the implementation of the Convention and its Protocols should be transparent, reliable and replicable. The questionnaire will be the main tool to assess the funding needs for GEF-7 expressed by GEF recipient countries.

The assessment will use the GEF-6 STAR Country Allocations for the Biodiversity Focal Area as the baseline, and look into the justifications for funding needs of each country during the GEF-7 period July 2018 to June 2022.

If a recipient country does not provide information regarding its funding needs, the Team of Experts will have to assume that no change of GEF funding is required from the country for the GEF-7 period.

Q2. How have other recipient countries responded to the questionnaire? Is there any early experience of responding to the questionnaire?
A2: A growing number of recipient countries have already submitted their responses to the questionnaire, and those submissions have been posted at the website: https://www.cbd.int/financial/survey2016.shtml for transparency and screening by the Expert Team. When clarification is needed, the Expert Team will contact the country Focal Point for better understanding or completion of the questionnaire.

The questionnaire was designed in the way that follows GEF project proposal ideas, with which GEF Operational Focal Points of recipient countries have been familiar. The Expert Team developed a guidance to the completion of the questionnaire which CBD Focal Points should carefully consider and follow to achieve reliability of the information provided: https://www.cbd.int/financial/gef/cbd-gef-7-funds-needs-questionnaire-guide-en.pdf.

There are, however, a few lessons that can be learned so far:

(1) There should be consistency between estimated total project costs, co-financing options from national and other sources, and expected funding from GEF-7. Please note that the expected funding from the GEF should be based on INCREMENTAL COST REASONING (please note the information in the guidance document).

(2) All columns should be completed in full, and there should be no empty cells.

(3) When compiling project ideas for GEF-7 period 2018-2022, one should take into account the absorption capacity of the country and the delivery capacity of the GEF agencies that operate in the country. The tables about GEF 6 planned and approved projects should give an indication in that regard.

Q3. I found it very difficult to indicate domestic funding as the Ministry of Finance does not have concrete figures yet. In this case, how does my country complete the column regarding domestic funding?

A3: The information requested for the questionnaire is INDICATIVE in nature and will be used for the purpose of providing information to assist a decision of CBD COP 13. The indication of domestic funding does not imply firm commitments from your Ministry of Finance. GEF as the financial mechanism of the Convention was designed to meet the agreed full incremental costs in accordance with Article 21 of the Convention, and as the practice, the final commitments of all involved parties have been a result of iterative negotiations between the GEF and recipient countries.

Q4. Will my country's response to the questionnaire affect my country’s GEF-7 allocation?

A4: There is no causal link between responses to the questionnaire and GEF-7 allocations for individual countries. Your response to the questionnaire will support COP-13 in Mexico better understand the funding needs of your country, and communicate an appropriately informed assessment report to the Council of the GEF for consideration in the replenishment process for GEF-7.

Q5. My country has not made use of GEF-6 country allocations. Should my country respond to the questionnaire regarding GEF 7 funding needs?

A5: Yes, please respond, because the assessment of GEF-7 funding needs provides an opportunity for your country to express the expected funding needs in the GEF-7 period 2018-2022.

Q6. My country has not finalized the revision, or updated, national biodiversity strategy and action plan (NBSAP). Can my country still respond to the questionnaire?

A6: Yes, responding to the questionnaire should be considered as a financial needs assessment for the period 2018-2022, based on activities that may be included in the revision of your national biodiversity strategy and action plan (NBSAP).

Q7. The national biodiversity strategy and action plan of my country (NBSAP) only covers up to the year 2020. How can my country respond to the questionnaire for the period of time 2018-2022?

A7: National biodiversity strategies and action plans (NBSAP) basically cover the period of time up to the year 2020, coinciding with the global Strategic Plan 2011-2020. However, the time span of projects arising out of NBSAPs or other national priorities may go beyond the set 2020 planning period.

Q8. My country has been requested to make a submission under the financial reporting framework that also contains information regarding funding needs and gaps. What is the difference between the questionnaire and the financial reporting framework?

A8: The financial reporting framework requests broad information on funding needs and gaps, and the questionnaire only requires information regarding funding needs that are expected to be covered by GEF during the specific period of time 2018-2022. Responding to the questionnaire is strictly time bound, but information on funding needs for that specific period can be drawn from the financial reporting too.

Q9. How will my country's response be used in the GEF-7 funding needs assessment?
A9: All responses to the questionnaire from GEF recipient countries will be posted at: https://www.cbd.int/financial/survey2016.shtml for the purposes of transparency, easy access, broad consultation and mutual learning.

The Team of Experts will analyze and assess submissions from each country, and prepare a draft report for consideration at the first meeting of the Subsidiary Body of Implementation (SBI-1) in May 2016 and a final report for COP-13. Therefore, your responses are of utmost importance to inform an adequate decision of COP-13.

Q10. What support is there for the completion of the questionnaire?

A10: The Expert Team would like to encourage you to fill in the questionnaire in order to receive a broad information basis to assess the funding needs for the GEF-7 period. The Expert Team members will follow up to the second notification by the Executive Secretary (https://www.cbd.int/doc/notifications/2015/ntf-2015-124-gef-fund-en.pdf) and will remind you from time to time to provide your questionnaire if not done already. The Expert Team will screen the responses and communicate with you if additional information might be needed.

The Expert Team members who are providing support or answer additional questions include:

Mr. Carlos Manuel Rodriguez, nominated by the Government of Costa Rica, assisting countries from Latin America and the Caribbean, contact: cmrodriguez@conservation.org

Mr. Appukuttan Nair Damodaran, nominated by the Government of India, assisting countries from Asia and the Pacific, contact: damodaran@IIMB.ERNET.IN

Ms. Maria Schultz, nominated by the Government of Sweden, assisting countries from Africa, contact: maria.schultz@su.se

Mr. Yasushi Hibi, nominated by the Government of Japan, assisting countries from Africa, contact: cmrodriguez@conservation.org

Mr. Guenter Mitlacher, nominated by Non-Governmental Organizations’ Network of the Global Environment Facility (GEF-CSO Network), assisting countries from Eastern Europe, contact: guenter.mitlacher@wwf.de

Montreal, 18 November 2015