Norway’s International Climate and Forest Initiative (NICFI) has requested the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) to provide a proposal to support the Norway’s Management of the Guyana REDD+ Investment Fund (GRIF). The five years before 2020, the Guyana REDD+ Investment Fund (GRIF) implementation has produced mixed results against its objective of speeding up the implementation of high-quality projects aligned with sustainable economic development, climate resilience, decreased deforestation, and low carbon growth.

While some projects have been implemented and others are ongoing, some of the ongoing projects have not been producing consistent results, and a large amount of resources in the GRIF have not been mobilized. Norad entered into an agreement with the GGGI to assist in moving the projects forward and increase disbursement rates through information gathering to enable better decision-making, mobilize the remaining finance in the GRIF, and increase awareness of the GRIF.

The project aims to improve the GRIF monitoring and reporting capacity and governance structure by empowering stakeholders to fulfill their responsibilities, improve communications and access to information, and support the GRIF Secretariat to effectively operate, disburse funds, and assess project implementation.

The Guyana-Norway partnership of 2009 and the establishment of the GRIF in 2010 were part of an ambitious exercise to advance Guyana’s low carbon development plan (the Low Carbon Development Strategy, which was released in 2009 and updated in 2011 and 2013) and to maintain Guyana’s extremely low rate of deforestation.

During the development of the Secretariat itself, the commitment of both the Governments of Guyana and Norway and the early development of projects and subsequent disbursements have been positive; the GRIF has also experienced several serious challenges. These challenges include delays in the preparation of projects, low levels of disbursement, risks surrounding high-value projects, and poor project implementation.

The Governments of Guyana and Norway have agreed to secure administrative support for some of these functions from GGGI, where the GGGI will report jointly to both Governments and will be engaged from Q1 2021.

Outcome 1
– Prepare a Progress Report
– Host several Steering committee meetings

Outcome 2
– Hold Project meetings
– Create a GRIF Results Framework
– Create a GRIF data room

Outcome 3
– Develop a GRIF Communication strategy
– Assist in redesigning and updating the GRIF Website
– Conduct several case studies

Outcome 4
– Develop a flexible budget to allow for the extension of the project