Monitoring of the project actions (D1)

ACTION D.1: Monitoring of the project actions

This action is aimed at the verification of how successful is the implementation of project activities. Baseline information for projects actions monitoring will be presented regularly by the project staff, while evaluation of the project success will be performed annually by project steering group established under action E1, with participation of the representatives of official nature conservation authorities – different departments of MoE and staff members of the electricity supply operators. The representatives of MoE as well as Lesto AB (a member of the Steering Committee too) also will provide direct advice regarding the methodology of the practical conservation measures.

Indicators of the overall project monitoring will consider quantitative parameters of ex-ante and post-ante monitoring, coherence between implementation of certain conservation actions (C.1-C.4) and recommendations on the national scheme for bird protection on the overhead electricity lines and utility poles within high voltage electricity transmission grid. These factors have an indirect but long term impact on the status of the breeding White stork and falcon populations and wintering waterfowls as well as migratory geese, swans, Common Crane and other bird species. The precise indicators and their success measuring thresholds will be refined and approved in the beginning of the project by the project Steering Committee.

Action D.2 is closely linked to this action, but still have different measuring parameters (bird victims and breeding pairs numbers) comparing with percentage of the changes in this project action. Besides, D.2 action is more focused on scientific evaluation of the breeding and migratory birds populations and their mortality rate. While action D.1 is based on the results of the implementation of all project activities, including preparatory (A), dissemination (E) and overall project operational (F) actions. Nevertheless, data gathered during action D.2 will be used for the monitoring of the project success as well. Results of the project success monitoring will be published on the project website.

The project also is planning to involve local communities and schools in the monitoring of the bird mortality under the overhead electricity lines. Public is planned to be a part of such schemes with possible participation after the end of the project. Such kind of scheme can ensure collection of very detail monitoring data because the locals are able to monitor situation quite regular (this is impossible for the project fieldworkers, who can’t cover all project days every day or even twice a day). Special brochure for kids and general public on the conservation of the birds within electricity distribution lines grid inviting them to observe the situation in their living areas and inform the Lithuanian Ornithological Society the bird mortality cases under the electricity lines about as well as bird breeding cases on the overhead electricity lines pylons, i.e. to take part in the monitoring action will be published for this purpose. This brochure will be published during implementation of the Action E.6 – “Production and distribution of printed materials about the project and problem-solving”. The data collected by the help of public participation will be also analized and used for the evaluation of the effectiveness of the implemented project actions.