During the period of March 1-4, 2016 the Global Environment Facility - Expanded Constituency Workshop (GEF-GCW) was conducted at the Radisson Hotel, Port-of-Spain. There were over 130 registered participants and facilitators at the Workshop. Its intention was to enrich the GEF focal points and other key stakeholders, including civil society, through information sharing and training as well as discussions that will contribute to the shaping of GEF-7 (seventh replenishment of the Global Environment Facility Trust Fund).
Day 1 (March 1st) concentrated on CSO consultations in the morning while the afternoon period focused on consultations with GEF Small Grants Programme (Trinidad and Tobago) as well as CSOs, the operational focal (Environmental Management Authority) and the Political Focal Point (Ministry of Planning and Development). Mr. Kishan Kumarsingh (Head, Multilateral Environmental Agreements Unit) and Mr. Javed Lakhan (Environmental Policy Analyst) represented the Ministry of Planning and Development at these sessions.
On March 2nd and 3rd (Day 2), GEF focal points, focal points from the main Conventions (Biodiversity, Land Degradation, Climate Change and Persistent Organic Pollutants), representatives from civil society and representatives from the GEF Secretariat and the GEF Agencies met with colleagues from other countries in the region, and other GEF partners to discuss and review policies and procedures, to share lessons and experiences from the development and implementation of GEF projects and their integration within national policy frameworks. Staff of the Environmental Policy and Planning Division who follow MEA matters represented the Ministry of Planning and Development at these sessions.
 |
| Staff of the EPPD and other delegates from Trinidad and Tobago. |
The Workshop included an insightful day of training from the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) on Project Management; as well as providing information on Knowledge Management, and how GEF projects support the Sustainable Development Goals, Monitoring and Evaluation and Results-based management.
 |
| Day 3 Team including Ms. Amoroso (EPPD) after completing their Project Management exercise from UNOPS. |
The final day of the Workshop consisted of a site visit to a past recipient of the GEF-Small Grants Programme (GEF-SGP) in Trinidad, the Asa Wright Nature Centre (AWNC). The day’s activities included welcome remarks and a presentation of the AWNC GEF-SGP’s project, along with an interactive Nature Walk with participatory activities highlighting key ideas and concepts in Knowledge Management and Project Management.
 |
| Opening remarks from GEF at the start of Day 4 at the AWNC |
 |
| Participatory activities based on the principles of Project Management as delegates tour GEF SGP grant recepient AWNC. |
