Payments for Ecosystem Services: Getting Started. A Primer - UNEP

Payments for Ecosystem Services: Getting Started
A Primer
Step 4: Implement PES Agreements
Checklist
Finalize the PES management plan and begin activities
Verify PES delivery and benefi ts
Monitor and evaluate the deal
After an agreement has been made, it’s time to implement the PES deal. During
this stage, the project must not only be managed effectively, but also consistently
monitored and evaluated for service delivery and adequate distribution of benefi ts in
accordance with the parameters laid out in the agreement. Third-party verifi cation
(and in some cases certifi cation, depending on the buyers’ preferences) may also be
required to ensure that the project is meeting its objectives.
Attention now shifts to implementing the agreement, monitoring progress, reporting
results, and making changes if the desired results are not being realized.
Remember, ecological systems are complex, and the best-laid plans of buyers, sellers,
scientists and lawyers can go awry in the early stages. This reality is why we have
continually stressed the importance of ‘adaptive management’. By planning from the
outset to adapt to the results of monitoring and periodic verifi cation, you will help
ensure that a successful agreement can continue to be carried out over the duration
of the agreement.
What issues should be considered in finalizing the PES
management plan and prior to beginning activities?
Detailed land management plans, laid out in the agreement, should be fi nalized;
implementation of the activities described should begin. Key elements needed to
ensure on-site project management success include:
• hiring people prepared and willing to take on particular roles and responsibilities
• preparing accounting, management and tracking systems for the project
• opening accounts to manage funds
• educating community members on the opportunities and associated
management activities for implementing the agreement
• ensuring appropriate representation of community members — including women
and low-income members — in the ongoing reporting and management of
community-based PES deals, with clear roles and assurance of clarity and
transparency.
What details should be agreed upon with regard
to verification of PES delivery and benefits?
Certifi cation of ecosystem services may occur as early as the design and contracting
phases or as late as a few years into the implementation, when you verify that the
52