Community-based organisations (CBOs) make a significant contribution to environmental conservation and poverty reduction in Trinidad and Tobago. However, their efforts are often hampered by their limited ability to access funds needed to support their projects and their own internal development. This is caused by limited capacity to write effective project proposals that clearly express how they plan to address their real and basic needs. Most funding forms are not designed to take into account the limited capacity of CBOs in proposal writing, and are unnecessarily complex, unclear and/or confusing. Application processes are often bureaucratic and do not offer CBOs the support they need in completing the process.

This project aims to build the capacity of 12 CBOs in rural Trinidad in project development, design and proposal writing. The CBOs selected to participate in the workshop will be those working in the area of biodiversity conservation and sustainable livelihoods based on the use of natural resources.

The project will consist of a three-day participatory training workshop for the 12 targeted CBOs, with a team of two persons participating from each CBO. The workshop will focus on sharing of and building on the experiences of participants. It will walk the participants through the steps involved in designing a project with the aim of each CBO developing a project proposal using the existing UNDP GEF SGP application form and process as a model.

The project will have a number of benefits, including enhanced capacity of the participating CBOs in project design and proposal writing, and ultimately an increased ability to access funding to implement projects to resolve the needs in their communities.

Specific recommendations for effective design and possible revision of the UNDP GEF SGP application form and process to better meet the needs of CBOs will also be provided as another project outcome.

This particular project proposal is part of a wider project consisting of a two-pronged approach to CBO capacity building:
1) capacity building for CBOs in project design and proposal writing;
2) a pilot project in capacity building for CBOs in developing climate change adaptation projects (within one selected rural community).