Strengthening Institutional Capacities for Coordinating Multi-sectoral Environmental Policies and Programmes in Belize - PIR Extract (2010)

This project is the first of its kind in the region, based on a new concept which was initially a difficult sell to stakeholders who saw it as a usurpation of their power. The team was able to meaningfully engage the stakeholders by designing a transparent consultative process. The NREPS process has gained much traction among the Ministries, and has sparked debates for its possible migration to the Office of the Prime Minister for a more national impact.

The PCPU was also instrumental in providing capacity building and strengthening to the MNRE to enhance the quality of service delivery, and improve the organizational effectiveness of the Ministry from a human capital development perspective, allowing the Ministry to effectively carry out its legislative mandate in the most customer friendly manner. This included training consultancies and equipment purchases for the departments in the Ministry. The NREPS consultation process has sparked the re-commissioning of the National Energy Policy which has attracted funding offers from multiple IFAs, thus reviving the awareness of the issue of energy security in the country.

This project is the lead agent being considered by the government for expanding inter-ministerial coordination to a national level, and is currently being benchmarked as the prototype for the re-structuring of policy units within other ministries.