Introduction to the Global Environment Facility

This e-course provides an overview of the GEF, a unique international organization that is dedicated to safeguarding the global environment. It is a joint production by the GEF Secretariat’s Knowledge & Learning Team and the Open Learning Campus (OLC) of the World Bank Group and is hosted by the OLC.

Target Audience

The users of this e-learning module will be varied and include: government officials in recipient countries (i.e. GEF operational or political focal point staff); implementing agency staff who are interested in or currently developing and/or implementing GEF projects; staff of like-minded institutions or donors who are interested in investing in GEF funded projects; and members of the civil society (CSOs) who benefit from or are impacted by GEF projects. There will be those who are new to the GEF, those who are familiar with the GEF but wishing to learn more; those who want to understand and apply GEF requirements in their investment design; and those who need to articulate the GEF concepts to their colleagues and clients. More specifically, it is expected that the (new) staff at the GEF Agencies, representatives from CSOs, academia and private sector as well as new GEF country focal points will benefit from the e-learning.

Learning Objectives

By completing this e-course, you will gain knowledge of the GEF’s mission, history and institutional structure. You will understand the organizing principles and areas of work in the 7th GEF replenishment period (GEF-7). You will also learn about key cross cutting issues; the basics of GEF funding and its operational policies, as well as the results framework for GEF-7.