IEU Learning Talk: Direct Access in the GCF

Summary

On 21 February, the IEU held a learning talk on the direct access in the GCF with the Division of Country Programming and Division of Mitigation and Adaptation.

This learning talk summarised the findings from the IEU's Direct Access Synthesis, focused on the grants now available under the Readiness DAE support modality and shared updates on the DAE Action Plan.

Discussion highlights

• ‘Just because an institution is accredited doesn't mean that it has access to GCF investment financing. One of the recommendations that we make in the evaluation [of Direct Access in the GCF] is that we need to look at means other than accreditation to facilitate direct access.’ 
• ‘More than 60% of DAEs haven't had any single projects approved in our portfolio and about 30% have been accredited for more than five years.’ 

Learning outcomes

• Direct Access entities are not a uniform category and they differ in terms of their fiduciary and implementation capacities and capacity to engage with GCF.
• Accreditation does not necessarily promote more direct access to GCF resources and investments. 
• DAE are not always better suited for small scale grant based adaptation projects, just like IAEs are not necessarily better suited for only large mitigation projects.
• The important thing here is not the distinction between DAEs or IAEs, but the categorization of the institutions. Expertise and capacities different institutions bring affects the type of projects that they undertake.
• DAEs face many challenges in understanding GCF policies and reflecting the adherence of those policies in FP documents.
• Other common challenges of DAEs include (i) lack of staff and expertise, language barriers, (ii) lack of experience going through the GCF cycle and (iii) knowledge and expertise from consultants / firms not being fully transferred to DAEs.
• The IEU findings should inform the direct access strategy for GCF going forward, not just focusing on DAEs, but direct access in general.
• The DAE window is looking to cover all three readiness objectives and decrease the volume and number of applications and increase efficiency and effectiveness.
• Going forward, readiness will be supporting more intentionally country programming and country strategy as the starting point for GCF investment action.

Panelists

• Prashanth Kotturi, Evaluation Specialist, GCF- IEU
• Grace Eunhye Lee, Economic and Financial Specialist, GCF-DMA

• Eldana Djumalieva, Coordinator for Support Programmes, GCF-DCP

Moderator

• Yeonji Kim, Knowledge Management and Uptake Specialist a.i., GCF-IEU