English - Global Environment Facility

Independent Evaluations and Reporting
8. Following each project year, an independent audit of the Project will be conducted by a national
external auditor approved by the Bank. The Audit Report will be contracted by the Executing
Agency, financed by the project, conducted in accordance with Bank requirements and submitted
directly to the Bank. The Project Coordinator and other specialists will support the auditors as
needed.
9. A mid-term and final evaluation of the Project will be carried out by (an) independent
consultant(s) hired and financed through resources from the GEF (¨agency fees¨) received for
this Project.
10. The Mid-term Evaluation, carried out when 50% of the GEF resources have been disbursed or
24 months after the project contract goes into effect, will address such matters as: (1) an
assessment of general project progress and the fulfillment of the indicators identified in the
Results Framework; (2) a critical assessment of project administration, coordination and
execution; (3) the effectiveness of project and individual component design including progress in
inter-institutional coordination, development of a coherent regulatory framework, advances
towards the long-term financial sustainability of the PAs and implementation of the Ecotourism
Impact Monitoring System (ETIMS); and (4) local perception (community, private sector and
other stakeholders) of ecotourism development and community involvement. To ensure that the
findings of the Mid-term Evaluation are incorporated into future annual operating plans, the
Project Coordinator will organize a workshop to discuss the evaluation with relevant
stakeholders and reach clear agreements on adjustments in roles and responsibilities in the event
that changes are recommended. The Final Evaluation will assess the project‟s contribution to
achieving global environmental benefits as identified in the project documentation using the
results from the ETIMS and will make recommendations to on how to further promote
mainstreaming of biodiversity conservation through ecotourism in the SINAP, based on project
results. The mid-term and final evaluations will be carried out using resources from the fee
granted to the project by GEF for supervision purposes.
11. Evaluations will assess the project‟s relevance (to international, national, and local conservation
priorities), effectiveness (achievement of outcomes), efficiency (cost-effectiveness), results (in
accord with results framework and other project documents), and sustainability (potential to
deliver environmental, social, financial, and institutional benefits over time).
12. As per the new GEF M&E policy, the IDB Team Leader will ensure that the Operational Focal
Point is fully informed and receives all project documentation including project and program
implementation reports, mid-term reviews and final evaluations.
PART II: PROJECT JUSTIFICATION:
A. STATE THE ISSUE, HOW THE PROJECT SEEKS TO ADDRESS IT, AND THE EXPECTED GLOBAL
ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS TO BE DELIVERED:
The Role of Ecotourism in Panama´s Protected Area System
1. With a territory extending 75,517 km 2 , Panama is considered one of the countries with the
highest biodiversity of the Central American region, performing an important function of natural
connectivity between North America and South America. Over 1,300 endemic species have
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