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GRID-Arendal is recognised internationally as a reliable
provider of high quality environmental information and
knowledge
through assessments and reports, its com-
munications tools and expertise, and an extensive pro-
gramme of outreach and capacity building that targets de-
veloping countries and economies in transition. From its
inception, GRID-Arendal has applied itself to strengthen
the capacity of national environmental agencies in fulfil-
ment of its mission to provide strategically relevant sup-
port to the United Nations system and, specifically, the
UN Environment Programme (UNEP). GRID-Arendal
facilitates intergovernmental dialogue on common chal-
lenges, supports the work of UN environmental conven-
tions, provides technical assistance to countries in envi-
ronmental information acquisition and management, and
builds regional information networks that serve a broad
range of stakeholders, from practitioners, scientists, and
public sector decision makers, to civil society and advo-
cacy groups, and the public at large.
The 2010-2011 Work Programme under the Programme
Cooperation Agreement (PCA) reinforced the overarching
role of GRID-Arendal to support UNEP
with its key
communication services in visualizing and disseminating
scientific data and environmental messages, building
capacity at the country level, and innovatively applying
communication tools and training techniques in three
focal areas: Marine environment (with emphasis on
the UNEP Shelf Programme), Polar and Cryosphere
(with increased focus on climate change interlinkages
and impacts), and Environmental assessments and
information. The work programme was delivered largely
as planned, on schedule and within budget. Appropriate
steps were taken on a case-by-case basis to manage the
small number of deviations (ref. Chapter 11).
GRID-Arendal’s long-standing and vital collaboration
with UNEP is evolving in a fundamental and strategically
important way.
This change is positive and most evident in
the type of engagement – from ad hoc, short assignments
concentrating on publication services, to long-term
and programmatic collaboration that involves inter alia
analytical contributions and active outreach beyond
launch. GRID-Arendal’s ‘traditional’ core competencies
in communications tools, methodologies and products
remains the comparative advantage at the centre of
the collaboration, but is complemented and reinforced
by a range services that add significant value to UNEP
initiatives, such as analytic content, programme design
and management, capacity building technical assistance
(in relation to both client countries and UNEP staff),
web hosting and content management, and targeted
networking skills.
2 Executive summary
There are indications that GRID-Arendal’s work is
generating positive results.
Given the long ‘gestation’
period of many projects, it is now becoming possible
to trace causal links between activities, through
outputs and services, to outcomes and impacts that are
contributing to positive changes for the environment,
countries and local communities around the world.
There is also evidence of a catalytic or ‘multiplier’ effect,
whereby issues spearheaded by GRID-Arendal, such
as, Blue Carbon, are actively adopted and promoted
by other institutions, even national governments,
ensuring that even greater attention is secured in the
relevant policy and research arenas. This testifies to
the compelling nature of the issues and to the quality
of GRID-Arendal’s work, but also creates an opportunity
for the organization to carefully evaluate its future focus
and strategic direction.
Over the biennium, GRID-Arendal has strengthened
its collaboration with traditional partners and begun to
foster new, strategic collaboration with, for example,
the International Seabed Authority, the Commonwealth
Secretariat, and The World Bank.
GRID-Arendal has
become a ‘partner of choice’ in several new environmental
initiatives and has been given lead responsibilities
in prominent global projects, in particular within the
framework of the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
GRID-Arendal has collaborated closely with all UNEP
divisions and contributed to each of the sub-programmes
in contributing to UNEP’s Programme of Work for
2010-11. A number of projects span sub-programmes,
thereby highlighting important interlinkages between
issues such as marine ecosystems, climate change, and
environmental governance. The biennium has also been
marked by a welcome trend towards greater engagement
at the regional level, reflecting UNEP’s evolving
operational priorities and momentum towards the One
UN approach.
GRID-Arendal is recognized as an effective partner in the
‘marine environment’, with a global reach and growing
portfolio of highly relevant projects managed by the
Marine Programme.
The organisation is increasingly
seen as a results-oriented partner, as evidenced by the
establishment of new collaborations with a diverse range
of institutions, such as the IOC of UNESCO, Conservation
International, IUCN, the International Seabed Authority,
the World Bank, the Commonwealth Secretariat, and
Geoscience Australia. As a result, the profile of GRID-
Arendal as a source of credible marine science information
and marine related capacity building has grown steadily,
illustrated by the fact that the marine programme attracted