Introduction
The MAR Fund’s Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS) seeks to ensure that all grants have a substantial net benefit to the environment and communities in the MAR Region, and to avoid, minimize and mitigate their environmental and social risks and impacts.
Donors are requesting more and more that the projects they support actively minimize their risks and mitigate their potential negative impacts, as well as maximize their benefits. We are, therefore, happy to begin the rollout of the MAR Fund ESMS with our partners in the region.
On this page you will find the following elements of the ESMS:
Here, you will find the ESMS Integrated Framework document which includes the Environmental and Social Management Policy, the Exclusion List, and the ten Environmental and Social Safeguards. Each of these elements is also available as stand-alone documents as they may be required independently for specific purposes.
ESMS
Exclusion List
This section outlines the procedures of the assessment and management of the environmental and social risks and impacts in MAR Fund.
The ESMS requires that all the proposals presented to MAR Fund undergo an environmental and social screening process to determine their risks and potential impacts, their risk-based category (one of four possible categories), the required environmental and social assessment, and to consider the likely safeguard instruments that would be developed. This is a collaborative process carried out throughout the project-cycle by the organizations making project proposals (named “grantees” here) and by MAR Fund. Both have a shared responsibility to systematically assess and manage the environmental and social aspects of the projects to enhance their sustainability and avoid, reduce, and mitigate their adverse environmental and social risks and impacts.
The “ESS 1: Assessment and Management of Environmental and Social Risks and Impacts” describes the environmental and social assessment and management requirements and procedures of MAR Fund. Basically, all project proposals will follow the process illustrated in Figure 1: Assessment and Management of risks and impacts throughout the project cycle. This applies to the project proposals made through the Small Grants mechanism, the Special Grants mechanism, and the Specific Projects and includes all the windows described above. The same process will apply to all MAR Fund funding channeled through any other future mechanism or window.
Figure 1. Assesment and Management of risks and impacts through the project cycle
Screening tool
Chance Finds Procedure (CFP)
Environmental and Social Action Plan (ESAP)
Environmental and Social Code of Practice (ESCOP)
Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA)
Gender Action Plan (GAP)
Process Framework (PF)
Stakeholder Engagement and Communication Plan (SECP)
MAR Fund’s Grievance Mechanism
MAR Fund’s grievance mechanism offers anyone who feels negatively affected by a project or activity supported by the MAR Fund the opportunity to file a complaint and obtain a response. MAR Fund commits to provide you with a response within 25 working days of receipt of your complaint.
You can file a complaint or grievance using any of the following channels:
- By submitting an online form (click here).
- By sending an email to this address quejas@marfund.org
- By calling this phone number and leaving a message: (502) 3047-1169
- By sending a WhatsApp message to this number: (502) 3047-1169
- By writing to the address of the MAR Fund office: 22 avenida 0-59, zona 15 Vista Hermosa II, Guatemala 01015
You can make anonymous complaints. In that case, MAR Fund will process the complaint, and will include the results of this process in the consolidated information database of processed complaints.