The overall objective is to mainstream environment and climate change in the national planning processes, along the operationalization of the sectoral strategies.

Ultimately, contributing to highlight environment and climate change concerns and opportunities in the sectors’ strategies and plans, giving additional attention to those priorities. In practical terms, the expertise provided by the programme should support EQA’s efforts to improve coordination and assistance to relevant stakeholders in Palestine, contributing to a more effective and efficient mainstreaming, and emphasising the importance and urgency of protecting the environment and fighting climate change.

The designation of Palestine shall not be construed as recognition of a State of Palestine and is without prejudice to the individual positions of the Member States.

The specific objective is to develop, validate and support the utilization of new guidelines for environment and climate change mainstreaming.

The project would assess the methodology used for the preparation of the existing Cross Sectoral Environmental Strategy and recommend possible improvements, leading to the elaboration of more suitable guidelines to be used in the design of sectoral strategies, policies and investment plans, responding to Palestinian environment and climate change priorities. Indicative areas for these assessment and improvements could include:

• Timeframe for planning (in relation with the start of the planning cycle);
• Content (whether the methodology should tackle other issues or not);
• Levels of necessary detail in the templates;
• Implementation tools and commitment arrangements;
• Monitoring methods and tools;
• Analysis of relevant stakeholders;
• Arrangements for timing, frequency and content of consultations;
• Coordination and cooperation efficiency.

Based on the results of the assessment, participatory and exhaustive in the analysis of the current processes, new operational guidelines for mainstreaming would be proposed. An initial version of this guidelines should be rolled out in a few sectoral pilots, which will be reviewed for final adjustments and methodological validation, before being formally endorsed by the EQA.

In resume, the project is expected to examine the process of mainstreaming so far, and to produce and roll out new methodological guidelines to be used by the different sectors when mainstreaming environment and climate change priorities.