What role did CIDT play?
Under the DFID-funded Fund Management Team support project, CIDT provided technical assistance and capacity building for FONERWA, working towards on-going sustainability of the Fund (beyond initial capitalisation). The Fund was developed in close collaboration with Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) and the Ministry of Finance (MINECOFIN).
The Centre seconded a full-time staff member to Rwanda as programme manager, and by October 2012 a strong team of six Rwandan and international experts was recruited. CIDT’s capacity development approach was to transfer operational skills from international experts to the national Fund Management Team , through training and on-the-job coaching and mentoring. A Fund management office was established in the Rwanda Environment Management Authority, reporting quarterly to DFID.
In 2013 the Centre’s team established the Fund website and ran workshops across the Government of Rwanda to raise awareness of the Fund. An online platform was set up to support the complex fund application process. Two governance committees – the Fund technical committee and Fund management committee – were established to provide strong external scrutiny and authorise commitment of project finances. Once the Fund was operational and fully capitalised (by the UK’s International Climate Fund, ICF and Germany’s Development Bank KFW), Rwanda started to finance climate change interventions to support the country’s national development agenda. The focus of the Centre’s work shifted to operationalising the Fund through quarterly calls for project proposals from public and private sector beneficiaries.
Key to the Fund’s success has been ensuring that capacity exists to access the Fund, within both the public and private sector. Potential beneficiaries must understand how climate finance works, how to scope eligible projects and how to structure successful proposals. The first call for proposals to the Fund generated over 800 applications, indicating high national demand. The most promising project concepts were selected and applicants received technical support to develop fully costed project documents. In 2013 the first projects were approved and funds committed.
In 2014 the Centre received a one-year programme extension from DFID to support fund institutionalisation by the Government of Rwanda. During this extension year CIDT worked to develop Fund systems to monitor and evaluate implementing projects, and to build organisational capacity and systems necessary for the team of consultants to evolve into the GoR FONERWA Secretariat.