The Global Support Programme for the NCSA

Approved by the GEF in 2004, the Global Support Programme was established in mid-2005 as a support mechanism for the NCSA and capacity development under the GEF. The GSP is a 3-year facility of the GEF partner agencies, UNDP and UNEP, designed to provide technical assistance to countries engaged in the GEF programme; to monitor the progress of individual NCSAs and review the process followed and results produced; and to draw and disseminate lessons for both the participating countries and partner agencies.

The services the GSP provides to NCSA teams entail:

• Development and dissemination of assessment tools, guidance and resource materials for the NCSA
• Training on assessment approaches and tools through a series of NCSA workshops
• Information and knowledge management through outreach, website, database and electronic list-serves
• Review and analysis of NCSA outputs, particularly NCSA action plans and final reports

The GSP has established a learning mechanism for the NCSA and broader capacity development in the GEF programme. This entails a cyclical process of monitoring and analyzing the NCSA assessment and planning activities and results; and synthesizing these results and drawing lessons for the NCSA process in particular and capacity development in GEF operations in general.