Country: Madagascar

This project supported the development of a Global Environment Facility (GEF) CEO Endorsement Document for the Sustainable Cities Initiative in Madagascar, aimed at transforming urban systems towards low-carbon, climate-resilient, and resource-efficient development. The project focused on advancing integrated urban planning and clean energy solutions, with a particular emphasis on strengthening environmental and social safeguards and inclusive project design. The work contributed to aligning the project with GEF-8 strategic priorities and ensuring compliance with international safeguard standards, while supporting the development of a robust and implementation-ready project framework.


The scope of the project included:
i) Supporting the preparation of the GEF CEO Endorsement Document by contributing to key technical components and ensuring alignment with GEF requirements and safeguard policies.
ii) Developing the Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF), outlining procedures, roles, and responsibilities for identifying, assessing, and managing environmental and social risks across project activities.
iii) Designing screening tools, monitoring mechanisms, and capacity-building measures to support effective implementation of safeguard requirements throughout the project lifecycle.
iv) Preparing a comprehensive Gender Action Plan to identify gender-specific risks, opportunities, and entry points, and to integrate gender-responsive approaches into project design and implementation.
v) Defining stakeholder engagement strategies and capacity development measures to promote inclusive participation and strengthen local institutional capacity.
vi) Developing measurable gender indicators and integrating them into the project’s results framework to ensure accountability and tracking of gender outcomes.


Duration: 03/2025-08/2025