NORMATIVE FRAMEWORK
TRUST FUND PROJECT FORMAT
"Development of Sustainable Wood Energy Systems"
(PART II: PROJECT DESIGN)
A. GENERAL BACKGROUND
(See "Guidelines for Project Formulation for Trust Fund Projects" for details on the expected contents of this section.)
Specific information should be included covering the following:
- Importance of wood energy in these particular regions and countries.
- Need for services to support wood energy systems resources vis-à-vis
growing population, economic growth, social development in relation to
overall global development.
- 1992 Earth Summit recognition that wood energy will remain until the distant future among many countries and populations.
- Main issue is how to transform this sustainable supply into a modern,
convenient and non-hazardous energy for cooking and other productive uses.
- When such premises are met, the sustainable use of wood and biofuels
by majority of world inhabitants can contribute to maintaining level of
greenhouse gases within acceptable limits.
- Closed carbon cycle benefits.
- Level of awareness with regard to wood energy benefits is not high and
may not reach top, senior government - non-government policy makers, as
well as ordinary citizens.
- Share of woodfuels (fuelwood, charcoal and black liquor) in total
wood consumption (% by sub-region and year).
- Contribution of woodfuels to total primary energy consumption (%
by sub-region and year).
- Share of woodfuels used in urban/rural areas.
- Woodfuel trade and distribution.
- Ministry of Agriculture/Forestry Department
- Asian data: WEIS (Wood Energy Information System), Regional Wood
Energy Database (RWEDP) FAO Bangkok
- African data: Wood Energy Today for Tomorrow (WETT) Database, Forestry
Department, FAO Rome
- Latin American data: Forestry Department, FAO Rome
B. PROJECT RATIONALE - JUSTIFICATION
This section should explain the reasons for undertaking the project. Provide a concise overview of wood energy use (what is known about their resources, flow and utilization systems) in the targeted project regions or countries. Descriptions should cover:
- wood energy consumption (description, figures, statistics)
- wood energy production (description, figures, statistics)
- wood energy processing, trade distribution (description, figures, statistics)
- wood energy development: needs and opportunities as enumerated:
a. widely available and more evenly distributed than fossil fuels and,
with good management practices, can be produced sustainably. Residues
left have a potential for environmentally sound fuel use;
b. prospects are improving yearly due to technological developments;
c. the growing of woodfuels for energy on deforested, degraded and marginal
lands could provide opportunities for financing the restoration and appropriate
land-use option for these lands;
d. it should be stressed that improved wood energy systems can provide
a basis for rural development, income and employment in developing countries.
Quality of life in rural areas can be improved and made more attractive
than the rapidly growing and crowded urban centers; and
e. wood energy should be promoted because its sustainable use as a fuel
will result in no net build-up of carbon dioxide to the global environment
as the CO2 released during combustion will be reabsorbed during vegetative
growth.
- linkages with Regular Programme activities of FAO:
a. strategic choices to improve efficiency in agricultural production,
processing and marketing systems;
b. adoption of appropriate technologies to sustainably intensify production
systems and ensure sufficient supplies of food and agricultural goods
and services;
c. recognition of the future private and social costs of natural resource
degradation, and of the benefits of conservation and rehabilitation; and
d. additional comprehensive, current and reliable data available for development
planning and disseminated to national and international users.
Describe situational analysis of present issues and problems to be addressed:
The sections above have highlighted certain important facts about the wood energy sector in the X country(ies). In summary, the sector is very large affecting the majority of the population. Wood energy systems are likely to remain so for years, if not decades, to come; a concerted governance approach is required among member country government agencies, which promotes and recognizes that there is ample scope for household, community and private sector participation to reach optimum efficiency in a market-oriented response to both supply and demand for these vital commodities.
The wood energy sector and its needs and opportunities are poorly understood in many countries - both quantitatively and qualitatively. For example, few people and fewer policymakers understand:
- the quantitative importance of woodfuel in meeting the energy needs
of the population;
- that wood energy, including woodfuel, is not generally leading to deforestation
and that on average 2/3 of all biomass energy comes from non-forest land;
- that energy consumption from sustainable woodfuels is essentially renewable
and can be carbon neutral, i.e. not contributing to greenhouse gases,
whereas substitution of woodfuels with fossil fuel sources would clearly
add to global warming;
- that the provision, transport and marketing of woodfuels, represent
significant income earning opportunities for many people (as well as for
disadvantaged or marginal groups within society, including women, and
up to 10 percent of the rural population are involved).
This lack of understanding often leads to ineffective and occasionally inappropriate programmatic responses at the country level, for instance:
- continuing state domination of the sector combined with "command
and control" policies aimed at containing woodfuel usage - the well
known "governance issue" - without a clear vision of the alternatives
or their feasibility, such as bans on cutting in the natural forests (which
blocks opportunities for developing sustainable woodfuel production and
management systems, since domestic energy demand does not disappear);
- application of subsidies for substitution woodfuels that are both ineffective
and occasionally counterproductive (e.g. subsidizing the cost of coal
briquettes - in effect, government covers the cost of fossil fuel use
for transport of coal briquettes to be sold to people who do not buy their
domestic energy);
- setting up incentive programmes to stimulate plantations for producing
woodfuels that in the long run will not be viable because of competition
on a market where local prices for domestic energy in the form of woodfuels
are largely determined by opportunity costs for labour and transport,
not to mention the competitive price of wood for alternative uses;
- a certain amount of fixation on the fuel efficiency dimensions of improved
cookstove programmes which fail to recognize the importance of other dimensions
of domestic stove usage: convenience, culture and health impacts; and
- overlooking the potential and options for improved wood energy conversions
and applications.
The major problems to be addressed, therefore, are the need to redirect the prevalence of State-dominated responses to the issues of the wood energy sector which, because of a limited information and understanding of the realities of the sector, result in a well-intentioned but often misguided policy and institutional framework that often constrains rather than facilitates development of the sector and hampers the introduction of viable and stimulating modern technical options. In short, the wood energy sector is to be developed to its full potential.
Data Needs- Wood and total bioenergy consumption (yearly) national data for:
wood energy (PJ); total bioenergy (PJ); total energy (PJ); share of
wood in total energy (%); share of total bioenergy in total energy (%).
- Total primary energy needs and contribution of fuel from wood and
agricultural residues from farmlands.
- Indicators on technical improvements/potential and options for improved
wood energy conversions.
- Demand and potential supply of wood and other biofuels (yearly) in
ktons giving estimated consumption and potential supply for both woodfuel
and crop residues.
- Contribution of various types of woodfuels to total national consumption
(fuelwood, charcoal and black liquor in million m3 by time period).
- Community-level data on woodfuel shortages (distance to fuelwood
supplies, cutting fruit trees for fuelwood, use of species with poor
burning characteristics, growing use of organic residues, dependence
on purchased fuels etc.).
- Costs associated with woodfuel shortage (eg. labour to gather fuelwood,
direct purchases of fuel, diversion of organic residues, environmental
impact).
- Quantitative estimates on urban/rural household demand of woodfuels
(by type and region).
- Quantitative estimates on woodfuel production and processing (by
type and region).
- Area under forest and woodland by region.
- Annual rate of deforestation by region.
- Number of people dependent on woodfuel production.
- Role of public/private sector in wood energy sector.
- Ministry of Agriculture/Forestry Department
- Asian data: WEIS (Wood Energy Information System), Regional Wood
Energy Database (RWEDP), FAO Bangkok
- African data: Wood Energy Today for Tomorrow (WETT) Database, Forestry
Department, FAO Rome
- Latin American data: Forestry Department, FAO Rome
C. DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVE
Explain the long-term development objective of the project: to contribute to a sustainable development of wood energy systems, their efficient processing and marketing, and their rational use for the benefit of households, industries and other enterprises. Wood energy systems in this sense encompass woodfuel production (i.e. tree planting, forest protection), distribution and utilization, including technologies used for different applications. Three distinct, but interrelated sets of activities within the wood energy systems are referred to: wood energy resource system; wood energy flow system and wood energy utilization system.
The development objective addresses the following major sector policies and priorities:
- Forestry: improved management of tree and forest resources
by villagers, including adding value on-site through processing and marketing
support.
- Agriculture: recognition that fuel from wood and agricultural
residues from farmlands contributes to a great extent to the cooked food
security of many people, and optimization of the same.
- Energy: development of renewable, indigenous sources of energy
to contribute to diversification of energy mix and self-sufficiency in
energy supply.
- Poverty alleviation: improvement of the livelihoods of rural
people and those working in informal sector activities, among others by
generating income and employment.
- Environment: contribution to sustainable patterns of natural
resource management and utilization, and efforts to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions.
- National economic considerations: more productive uses of
local wood energy resources and securing additional energy supply options
for economic growth and development.
- Women: enhancing opportunities for women to play important
roles in planning and implementation of wood energy programmes and strategies,
and contribute to mitigation of adverse health impacts from inappropriate
woodfuel use.
- Current state of wood energy resource system, wood energy flow system
and wood energy utilization system.
- Key issues of forest management.
- Ministry of Agriculture/Forestry Department
- Asian data: WEIS (Wood Energy Information System), Regional Wood
Energy Database (RWEDP), FAO Bangkok
- African data: Wood Energy Today for Tomorrow (WETT) Database, Forestry
Department, FAO Rome
- Latin American data: Forestry Department, FAO Rome
D. IMMEDIATE OBJECTIVE(S), OUTPUTS AND ACTIVITIES
(See TF guidelines on expected subheadings and contents of this section.)
Include the following three immediate objectives that have been identified as component parts to address and achieve the development objective within the _______ year project period:
- To contribute to the development and adoption of improved wood energy
policies, strategies and plans in the participating countries.
- To strengthen the capabilities of government, private and community-based
organizations in implementing wood energy strategies and programmes.
- To identify opportunities and projects where the lessons learned can
be implemented and/or the improved capabilities can be tested, and identify
and prepare projects that address the dissemination of improved technologies
for wood energy use.
Include the expected outputs and activities necessary for achieving the objectives are described. In general, they follow a pattern of analysis, strategy formulation, (on-the-job) training, implementation and dissemination, and monitoring and evaluation.
Data Needs- Existing wood energy policies, strategies and plans.
- Ministry of Agriculture/Forestry Department
- Asian data: WEIS (Wood Energy Information System), Regional Wood
Energy Database (RWEDP), FAO Bangkok
- African data: Wood Energy Today for Tomorrow (WETT) Database, Forestry
Department, FAO Rome
- Latin American data: Forestry Department, FAO Rome
E. INPUTS
(See TF guidelines on expected subheadings and contents of this section.)
Contribution of Recipient Governments
- Capitalize on respective government's interests for regional co-operation
- Inter-region exchanges and TCDC
- Information exchange
- Study/educational field inspections
- Training
- In-kind contributions (salaries of staff engaged in project).
Contributions of Donor Government and FAO
Donor funding will be used by FAO to provide the following inputs. Budgetary
details appear in Section ___ below and the Terms of Reference for Staff
in Annex _____, and Equipment Requirements in Annex ______.
- Project Staff
- Chief Technical Adviser/Wood Policy Specialist _____ person-months
- Wood Energy Conservation Specialist ____person-months
- Wood Energy Planning Specialist ______ person-months
- Country Project Specialists-- person-months
- Consultants-International, National, person months
- Associate Professional Officers
- Administrative Support Staff (enumeration)
- Duty Travel and Missions
- Contracts
- Operating Expenses
- Supplies
- Non-Expendable Equipment
- Training and Seminars.
- Number of people to be involved in study/educational field inspection.
- Number of people involved and type of training envisaged.
- Quantification of Government contribution.
- Quantification of FAO contribution.
- Ministry of Agriculture/Forestry Department
- FAO Forestry Department
F. RISKS
Describe the probability or likelihood that an event or factors in the project environment may cause, from the outset or during implementation. Risks are generally stated in the negative. Some mention needs to be made of the probability of the risks occurring, the effects if they do and how the project has been designed to mitigate such risks.
Data Needs- Examples of events that negatively effected projects in the past and on corrected measures taken at the time.
- Ministry of Agriculture/Forestry Department
- Ministry of Energy
G. PRIOR OBLIGATIONS AND PREREQUISITES
Describe actions to be taken by the Government to facilitate implementation, but also for starting up the project (prior obligation), and actions which do effect start up but which can cause serious disruption during implementation (pre-requisites). If these obligations cannot be reasonably met by government prior to commencement of the project, they can be folded into the outputs and inputs of the projects.
Data Needs- Qualitative information on relevant policy environment and laws concerned.
- Details on government contribution in kind.
- Ministry of Agriculture/Forestry Department/Legal Department
H. PROJECT REPORTING, REVIEWS AND EVALUATION
(See TF guidelines on expected subheadings and contents of this section.)
Reports
1.1 Six-Monthly Progress Reports
- actual implementation of activities compared to that planned in the
Work Plan,
- identification of problems and constraints (technical, human, financial,
etc.) affecting implementation;
- recommendations for corrective actions relate to the above;
- detailed Work Plan for the following reporting period;
- involvement of women and gender issues addressed;
Progress Reports will be submitted to the National Project Directors, the FAO Representatives and the Embassies of the Government according to the following schedules: xxx
1.2 Annual Reports
In addition, an annual report will be issued in February of each year
covering the previous calendar year. The annual report will give particular
attention and emphasis to the activities benefiting each participant country
and provide a synopsis of how these activities are addressing the work
plans prepared by the in-country National Steering Committees. It will
contain a narrative section on major issues addressed, activities accomplished
and outstanding issues and problems. Tables for each country will specify
each country's individual accomplishments in relation to the Project.
They will cover both the benefits derived by the country from its participation
in the Project and its contribution to the Project, such as TCDC activities.
1.3 Technical Reports
- (i) Field documents will report on new information generated by the
Project and of interest to more than one country in the Region.
- Working papers will report on specific issues with a limited geographical
or contextual scope or time frame.
- National Reports, published in the local language that address important
findings, on both statistical and/or substantive issues, related to the
development of the biomass energy sector in the member country.
1.4 Terminal Report
Not later than six months before the end of the Project, XX will prepare
and send to FAO-XX a draft Terminal Report for technical clearance, finalization
and eventual submission to both the participating countries and the donor
Government XX. The report will assess, in a concise manner, the extent
to which the Project's scheduled activities have been carried out, its
outputs produced, and progress towards achievement of the immediate objectives
and related development objective. It will also present recommendations
for any future follow-up arising out of the Project.
Reviews
Based on the annual report and other documentation prepared by the Project
staff, an annual tripartite review will be held consisting of one representative
of the participating countries (the National Project Director) and one
each of the Donor Government and FAO.
Evaluation
At the end of the second year of operations, an independent evaluation
of the Project will take place to provide an objective assessment of all
key aspects of the Project with a view to assisting and improving upon
Project design and implementation. The evaluation will be carried out
by a team of experts representing the participating countries, FAO and
the donor Government. During this evaluation, commitment to the Project
by each of the participating governments will be reviewed to ascertain
whether there is need for review of the agreement between the FAO and
the member Government, or whether there is cause to terminate Project
activities in a given country for lack of full co-operation and commitment.
A terminal evaluation will be carried out after publication of the Terminal
Report of the Project.
- Actual implementation of activities as compared to work plan.
- Identification of specific problems and constraints.
- Project expenditures.
- Recommendations for corrective measures that may be required.
- Project records, project staff
- Records from the Forestry Department
- Ministry of Energy
I. BUDGET (PLAN OF EXPENDITURE)
(See TF guidelines on expected subheadings and contents of this section.)
The total budget in support of all activities listed to achieve the objectives of the project will be U.S. $ ......................
Details of all the budget requirements and budget schedules:
Line items and formats vary with Trust Fund Donors. Typically, a distinction
is made between (i) Government Contribution in kind (Personnel, travel,
miscellaneous/general operating expenses, equipment, premises, training)
and Donor Contribution (estimated in US$ and typically including personnel,
official travel, contractual services, supplies and materials, furniture
and equipment, training, fellowships, grants and contributions).
- Personnel (number of person/months and unit costs for national professional
and support staff; for international and national consultants).
- Travel (Number, itinerary and traveler specifications, cost of domestic
and international travel, including DSA).
- Miscellaneous/General Operating Expenses (a fixed rate).
- Contractual Services (details, duration).
- Equipment (quantity and unit cost).
- Supplies and Materials (quantities and per unit cost of stationery
and supplies).
- Premises (description of location and current state).
- Training (summary of training needs by categories, numbers, levels,
discipline, location and cost permit).
- FAO support cost (fixed rate which varies by type of project).
- Team Leader and Government
- Ministry of Agriculture/Forestry Department
- FAO Representative, UNDP
- Suppliers of equipment, travel agents
J. ANNEXES
(See TF guidelines on expected subheadings and contents of this section.)
Data NeedsInclude:
J.1 Provisional Work Plan J.2 In-Country Cost Estimates J.3 Equipment Requirements J.4 Job Descriptions and Terms of Reference for Project Groups J.5 Country-Specific Actions J.6 Map of Region/Country Boundaries.
- Detailed listings of activities, training needs, project personnel
(indicating expertise required, location and duration of assignment).
- Nature and specifications, quantity and unit costs of individual
equipment items.
- Phasing/time frame of project activities.
- Main body of project document
- Team leader, Ministry of Agriculture/Forestry Department
- FAO technical division concerned
- Ongoing development projects
- Local suppliers