Trinidad and Tobago's Participation in GEF CReW+

When I began working on the GEF CReW+ in 2021, the portfolio was managed by the former Water Sector Specialist of the Ministry of Public Utilities (MPU), Ms. Sara Jade-Govia. Ms. Govia was instrumental in the project preparation, initiation and catalysing its execution.

Given the context of GEF CReW+ and its wide-reaching impact on the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago (T&T), the project is being carried out collaboratively with national stakeholders including the Ministry of Planning and Development (MPD), the Environmental Management Authority (EMA), the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA), the Trinidad and Tobago Bureau of Standards (TTBS) and other critical stakeholder groups. After Ms. Govia left the MPU, her team inclusive of myself, was tasked with the continuation of GEF CReW+ and supported across the various proposed projects identified in T&T’s national package.

GEF CReW+ is very relevant to T&T’s context since it aligns with Priority 1 and Priority 2 of our 2018 National Environment Policy. More importantly, it supports T&T’s national thrust towards managing water and wastewater in an integrated fashion while alleviating some of the sector’s short to medium term challenges.

Currently, the most successful and advanced project is the development of a voluntary standard for wastewater re-use in T&T. This project has benefitted from the excellent execution of a well-defined voluntary standards development process managed by the TTBS. Notably, the TTBS adheres to globally accepted principles for standards developments and their method is designed to solicit all the relevant stakeholder input. More information can be found at Standards Development Process | TTBS (gottbs.com).

The reality is that all the components of GEF CReW+, as outlined in T&T’s National Package, are multi-faceted and require the support of various stakeholder groups. Feedback and clear communication channels are critical. Without a clearly assigned project manager and project support officers or liaisons, who are intimately involved in all components, it is difficult to navigate some avoidable risks.

Such risks include but are not limited to project re-scoping due to unforeseen circumstances or changing national needs, and staff turnover. While these persons should bounded by a Terms of Reference (TOR), GEF CReW+’s continuity hinges on identifying the right people who will get the job done. My participation in the GEF CReW+ project has given me a greater appreciation for our project approval process.

One of the most important lessons I have learnt is that it might be useful for the GEF CReW+ team to form a Steering Committee that hosts high level stakeholder meeting/s with the heads of various focal institutions/Ministries to gain the much needed buy-in to orient the project on a successful trajectory. At this stage, a leaner approval process should be developed and agreed upon to minimize the potential obstacles that would typically develop during project execution. This blended approach means country ownership becomes a project outcome versus a project requirement.

In my view the successful “launching” and “landing” of these projects will provide significant benefits to T&T. Specifically, the Component 3 project, which is expected to improve the water and wastewater infrastructure and management in Charlotteville, Tobago since the residents of this community struggle to sustainably address their wastewater disposal needs that consequently stymies their tourism product.

Author: Renee Jackson, Economist, Ministry of Public Utilities, Trinidad and Tobago.