Past Restoration Experience

The questions asked in this section of the full application allow us to understand your organization’s experience in land restoration.

In this article, we highlight each of the questions we ask in this section of the full application, why we ask them, address any common concerns around each question and (where relevant) provide you with resources/examples to help answer the question.

There are multiple questions that applicants already answered in the Expression of Interest (EOI) stage. You will not be required to answer these again but you are encouraged to update your responses based on feedback that you received on your EOI. All of the questions from the EOI will be written in green below, in case you wish to review the guidance again. 

Non-governmental organizations and enterprises answer the same questions in this section.

If you have any further questions, you add them below as a comment or submit them here, and our support team will try to address them.

• How many years of restoration experience does your organization have?
• Describe the landscape where this restoration work occurred and indicate what percentage of your work took place in our target states
• Which land use systems have you restored?
• What restoration practices have you used to restore land?
• Historically innovative models of restoration developed
• How many hectares of degraded land has your organization restored since it was founded?
• How many hectares of degraded land has your organization restored in the past 36 months?
• How many trees has your organization restored or naturally regenerated since it was founded?
• How many trees has your organization planted, naturally regenerated or otherwise restored in the past 36 months?
• Survival rate of trees grown 
• Describe tree species grown in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and/or Chhattisgarh
• Does the work of your organization include a focus on biodiversity conservation?
• Have you used any of these global standards/indices/frameworks while designing or implementing your work?
• What strategies have you used to maintain the innovative models of restoration that you have developed?
• How have you monitored and evaluated the progress of past projects?
  • Please upload a past MRV report, if available
• Upload a geospatial polygon from a past restoration project
• Upload Photos of past restoration work.
• Describe how you organization has worked with any government schemes, programs, or departments on landscape restoration

 

Q: How many years of restoration experience does your organization have?*

Why we ask this question:
Although we have already asked when your organization was founded, many organizations start restoring land years after they became a legal organization. We want to know how many years your organization has been restoring land to ensure you have the experience needed to take on a significant restoration project.

How do I determine how many years of experience my organization has restoring land? This refers to the number of years your organization has been involved in actively restoring degraded land. For example, the number of years that you have planted trees or conducted erosion control work can be counted. However, if you only dug wells during the first years of your existence, that shouldn't be counted (but can be included in other sections of the application like your organization's mission). If your organization began to restore land significantly later than it was founded, make sure to only include the years after you began to work on restoration.

Q: Describe the landscape where this restoration work occurred and indicate what percentage of your work took place in our target states?*

Why we ask this question:
In order to assess your eligibility for this opportunity, it is important for our team to understand your relevant restoration experience. Each of our target locations have unique bio-physical, social and environmental conditions so understanding your familiarity with the target states will be important. This information helps us evaluate your capacity to carry out effective and impactful restoration projects in a variety of settings within the landscapes.  

What do we expect? Please describe the socio-economic as well as bio-physical composition of the landscape where this restoration work occurred. Additional information on agro-climatic zone, terrain, vegetation type, etc. is welcome.

If you have worked in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, or Maharashtra, please specify what you have accomplished in these states. Breakdown by tree count, hectares restored, and target land use systems used if you are able.

Q: What land use systems have you restored?*

Why we ask this question:

We ask this question to gain a better understanding of the types of restoration your organization has experience with and the approaches you have taken in previous projects. We want to know how organization has been restoring land to ensure you have the experience needed to take on a significant restoration project.

How do we define the eligible land use systems?

To learn more about our definitions for land use systems, please review this article:  A Guide to Target Land Use Systems & Restoration Practices.

Detailed definitions of each land use can be found below:

• Agroforest: An agroforest is productive, managed land containing a mix of woody perennial species (trees, shrubs, bamboos) and agricultural crops in a way that improves the agricultural productivity and ecological function of a site. This category includes agroforestry for shade grown crops (cacao, coffee), as well as planting trees at a low density to allow for continued full-sun agriculture, also known as intercropping or row cropping. Please note that silvopasture is its own separate land use system.
• Open Natural Ecosystem: Open Natural Ecosystems mainly comprise naturally open and often treeless habitats, ranging from savannas and scrublands to grasslands, ravines and dunes. Grasslands are generally open and continuous, fairly flat areas of grass. They are often located between temperate forests at high latitudes and deserts at subtropical latitudes.
• Natural Forest: A natural forest ecosystem is a rural landscape where the majority of trees are native species and features biologically integrated communities of plants, animals and microbes, together with the local soils (substrates) and atmospheres (climates) with which they interact.
• Mangrove: A mangrove is a group of salt-tolerant trees and shrubs that live in a coastal intertidal zone.
• Peatland: Peatlands are terrestrial wetland ecosystems in which waterlogged conditions prevent plant material from fully decomposing.
• Riparian Area / Wetland: Wetlands are areas where the soil is covered with water or can be present near the ground throughout the year, including marshes, swamps, bogs, and fens. They support both terrestrial and aquatic species. Riparian ecosystems encompass a suite of ecosystem types, including river banks, floodplains, and wetlands, that are characterized primarily by being transitional zones between terrestrial and aquatic realms.
• Silvopasture: A silvopasture system is productive, managed land containing a mix of woody perennial species (trees, shrubs, bamboos) and animal forage or pasture land to improve the agricultural productivity and ecological function of a site for continued use as pasture.
• Urban Forest: An urban forest encompasses the trees and shrubs in an urban area, including trees in yards, along streets and utility corridors, in protected areas, and in watersheds. This includes individual trees, street trees, green spaces with trees, and even the associated vegetation and the soil beneath the trees.
• Woodlot / Plantation: A plantation is a forest predominantly composed of intensively managed trees that are established through planting and/or deliberate seeding, with the explicit goal of harvesting and processing those trees for wood once they reach maturity. A woodlot is a type of plantation, predominantly managed by a single landholder or a community, to supply wood for construction and fuel to the landholder or community.
• Other: Any land use system that is not included in the above typology.

Q: Which restoration practices have you used to restore land?*

Why we ask this question:

We ask this question to gain a better understanding of the types of restoration your organization has experience with and the approaches you have taken in previous projects. We want to know how organization has been restoring land to ensure you have the experience needed to take on a significant restoration project.

How do we define the eligible restoration practices? Landscape restoration projects use a variety of techniques to restore land. Please indicate which core technique(s) you have used. To learn more about our definitions for restoration practices, please review this article:  A Guide to Target Land Use Systems & Restoration Practices.

Detailed definitions can be found below:

• Tree Planting: Tree planting is defined as the planting of seedlings or saplings over an area to meet specific goals. This includes all planting, including areas with no forest canopy and in areas with partial canopy coverage.
• Assisted Natural Regeneration: Assisted natural regeneration is the exclusion of threats (i.e. grazing, fire, invasive plants) that prevent natural regrowth from seeds and roots already present in the soil or from natural seed dispersal from nearby trees. This does not include any tree planting.
• Direct Seeding: Direct seeding is the active dispersal of seeds (preferably ecologically diverse, native seed mixes) that accelerate natural regrowth, provided the area is protected from disturbances. It includes only active collection and dispersal of seeds and excludes any natural dispersal that would occur without human intervention. This does not include any tree planting.

Q: Historically innovative models of restoration developed?*

Why we ask this question:

Different restoration projects conceive of their work in different ways. We like to understand how you would categorize your own projects, outside of the set categories above.

How do I select the most relevant intervention types? Organizations that restore land understand their work in a variety of ways. Select all of the following categories that describe your past work. Please select the most relevant types from the list below:

• Farm Forestry
• Intercropping
• Agri-Horti-Forestry (Wadi)
• Mixed Species Plantation
• Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration
• Pastureland Development
• Grassland Restoration
• Trees on Bunds and Boundaries
• Bamboo Plantation
• Protection and Sustainable Harvesting of Forest Produce
• Value Chain Development for Non-Timber Forest Produce and Indigenous Crops
• Sustainable Agriculture/Food Forest Model
• Watershed Management
• Soil and Moisture Conservation
• Soil Carbon and Microbiome Management
• Removal/management of invasive species

Q: How many hectares of degraded land has your organization restored since it was founded?*

Why we ask this question:
We want to understand the total number of hectares your organization has been actively involved in  restoring since its founding to understand the impact and experience of your organization.

How do we define hectares restored? A hectare of land restored is defined as the total land area measured in hectares that has undergone restoration intervention. The land area under restoration includes more than active tree planting; for example, some land may not be planted while undergoing restoration. Instead, trees could be naturally regenerated on that land without active planting. Only count land that has benefitted from tree-based restoration techniques in your total.

Q: How many hectares of degraded land has your organization restored in the past 36 months?*

Why we ask this question:
We want to understand the total number of hectares your organization has been actively involved in  restoring in the past 36 months to evaluate your recent traction. We understand that the COVID-19 pandemic affected work in 2020 and 2021.

How we define hectares restored? A hectare of land restored is defined as the total land area measured in hectares that has undergone restoration intervention. The land area under restoration includes more than active tree planting. Some land may not be planted while undergoing restoration. Instead, trees could be naturally regenerated on that land without active planting. Only count land that has benefitted from tree-based restoration techniques in your total.

Q: How many trees has your organization restored or naturally regenerated since it was founded?*

Why we ask this question:
We want to understand the total number of trees that have been restored or naturally regenerated since your organization was founded to evaluate the scale and the impact of your organization's work.

How do we define a tree? A tree is defined as a woody perennial plant, typically having a single stem or trunk growing to 5 meters or higher, bearing lateral branches at some distance from the ground.

What do you mean by trees restored? We count "trees restored," not "planted." Only trees that survive to maturity after they are planted or naturally regenerated should be counted toward this total. Naturally regenerating trees must attain a verifiable age of over 1 year to be counted as "restored."

Q: How many trees has your organization planted, naturally regenerated or otherwise restored in the past 36 months?*

Why we ask this question:
We want to understand the total number of trees that have been restored or naturally regenerated in the past 36 months to evaluate your recent traction. We understand that the COVID-19 pandemic affected work in 2020 and 2021.

How do we define a tree? A tree is defined as a woody perennial plant, typically having a single stem or trunk growing to 5 meters or higher, bearing lateral branches at some distance from the ground.

What do you mean by trees restored? We count "trees restored," not "planted." Only trees that survive to maturity after they are planted or naturally regenerated should be counted toward this total. Naturally regenerating trees must attain a verifiable age of over 1 year to be counted as "restored."

Q: What was the average survival rate of the trees that your organization has grown?*

Why we ask this question:
We ask this question to understand the success rate of your organization in growing and planting trees. The average survival rate of trees is an important indicator of the effectiveness of tree-planting efforts. This information helps us to evaluate the potential success of your project and identify any areas for improvement. 

What do we expect?
The average survival rate of trees is calculated by dividing the total number of trees that your organization has grown to maturity (at least 5 years) by the total number of trees that your organization has planted or begun to naturally regenerate. Then, multiply the result by 100 to get the percentage.

Please provide accurate data, as survival rates can vary depending on the landscape and planting conditions. We understand that survival rates are naturally lower in some landscapes than in others. For example, trees planted in dry or arid climates are more likely to die than trees planted in moist climates. We take this into account when we assess each project. A low survival rate will not disqualify a project from financing.

Q: Describe which tree species your organization has grown in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and/or Chhattisgarh?*

Why we ask this question:
Knowing which tree species the organization has grown in the following states will help determine and assess whether the organization has the necessary expertise to successfully grow the proposed species in the proposed location. Different tree species are suitable for different areas, have different growth rates, suitability for specific soil types and agro-climatic zones, and abilities to resist pests.  

What do we expect? Describe the tree species that your organization has grown in the three target states, breaking each species down by the state that you planted it in. Please use the Latin names of each species when entering them. If you have not worked in these states before, put "N/A."

Q: Does the work of your organization include a focus on biodiversity conservation?*

Why we ask this question:
We ask this question to understand the broader impact of your project goals and objectives on biodiversity conservation. Since landscape restoration encompasses impacts biodiversity, this will help in determining the various ways in which your initiatives may contribute to biodiversity conservation. 

Select the statement(s) below that best align your strategy for biodiversity conservation:

• Human-wildlife coexistence - The project work will help people share the landscape with the wildlife that resides there 
• Preservation or regeneration of local flora and fauna - The project work will help increase biodiversity by supporting native species
• Interventions along wildlife corridors - The project work will focus on creating buffer zones to protect biodiversity 
• Monitoring of indicator species and/or genetic variability - The project work will track the status of important indicator species 
• Removal of alien/invasive species - The project work will support the removal of non-native, invasive species to restore local biodiversity 
• Grassland restoration - The project work will incorporate grassland restoration in order to create a healthy ecosystem 

Q: Have you used any of these global standards/indices/frameworks while designing or implementing your work? Check all that apply*

Why we ask this question:
We ask this question to understand how your organization supports or contributes to global goals based on well-defined indicators.  

What do we expect? Select the statement(s) below that best align with your experience. Links to each standard are included below. if you have not used any of them, this will not influence your eligibility for funding.

• Biodiversity Standard
• Species Threat Abatement Restoration Metric (STAR)
• Landscape Assessment Framework
• Global Ecosystem Restoration Index
• International principles and standards for the practice of ecological restoration. Second edition
• Ten people-centered rules for socially sustainable ecosystem restoration
• Other

Q: What strategies have you used to maintain the innovative models of restoration that you have developed?*

Why we ask this question:
It is important that our projects will be able to ensure the long-term success of the restoration implementation associated with their Harit Bharat Fund project. It is helpful for our team to understand the strategies you use for your specific restoration model.

What do we expect? Describe in detail the specific strategies that you have deployed to protect and nurture the saplings/seedlings and other restoration interventions that your organization has grown. Indicate how long you check on trees after planting or regeneration and how you work with communities to ensure their long-term upkeep or sustainable use.

Share as much as you can and be as detailed as possible. Note that projects that intend to harvest, coppice, or in any way cut down trees must thoroughly explain how the removal of Harit Bharat Fund-financed trees directly benefit communities and/or the ecological health of the landscape.

Q: How have you monitored and evaluated the progress of your past projects?*

Why we ask this question:
We ask this question to understand your organization's approach to monitoring and evaluating the progress of your restoration projects.

What do we expect? Indicate how you have tracked the progress of your restoration projects in the past. This includes the methods and tools you have used, the indicators you have tracked, and how you have used the data to improve your work.
Here are some specific examples of the information we are looking for:

• What methods and tools have you used to monitor the progress of your projects?
• What indicators have you tracked?
• How have you used the data to improve your work?

Please provide as much specific details on the techniques and tools used for monitoring and evaluation, as well as the indicators tracked, how they are measured, and how data-driven insights are applied to improve the organization's work. If you have examples of past reports that support your approach, please upload them in the next question as well.

Do I need to have experience with monitoring, reporting and verification? If you do not have an approach, this will not affect your ability to receive funding. Harit Bharat Fund provides technical assistance to all funded projects to create geospatial polygons of their restoration sites. 

Q: Please upload a past monitoring report from a past project, if available

Why we ask this question:
We ask for monitoring reports from past projects as it helps us to better understand your organization's approach to monitoring and evaluation. It provides insight into the level of detail, data collection methods, and analysis that your organization uses to track and measure the progress of your restoration projects. Uploading past monitoring reports also demonstrates transparency, accountability, and a willingness to share knowledge and information with potential partners or funders. It helps us to assess the effectiveness of your restoration interventions and make informed decisions about supporting your organization's future work.

What do we expect? You can upload up to 5 examples of previous monitoring reports that you have produced for past restoration projects. Reports that you submitted to funders, government agencies, or technical partners are especially welcome.

Q: Please upload a geospatial polygon that identifies the location of a past restoration project.

Why we ask this question:
We ask this question because it is important for us to understand the scale and scope of your past restoration projects. This information will also help us to assess your experience with geospatial polygons, and it will help us to understand your approach to restoration.

What do we expect? Once a project is funded by Harit Bharat Fund, our program monitoring and evaluation guidelines requires each project developer to submit precise geospatial polygons that correspond to the exact parcels of land that the project is restoring. If you have no experience working with geospatial systems, we will provide that support if you are selected.

If you do have an example of a precise polygon that you have created for a past restoration project, please upload it here in one of the following three formats: .geojson, .kml, or .zip (containing .dbf, .shp, .shx and .prj files). This polygon should only include areas where you directly led the work. N.B: Do not upload a polygon for a proposed project.

For a deeper understanding of what how to create and submit geospatial polygons that meet our criteria, please read through this article: Creating and Submitting Geographic Data for Your Project. This is optional.

Q: Photos of past restoration work*

Why we ask this question:
Photos provide proof of and context for your restoration experience. Please upload as many photos of your past restoration work as possible. Planting photos, before-and-after images, community engagement pictures, geotagged photos, and aerial images are especially valuable.

What kind of pictures can I upload to show photos of past restoration work: You are advised to upload at least high-quality pictures of your past restoration work. You can upload individual photos as large as 25 MB. The file types accepted are .png, .jpg, and .tif. You are advised to also upload geotagged photos to help the review team confirm the location of the work done.

Images may include people involved and/or the landscape being restored. Pictures that show the landscape before and after restoration are highly encouraged. Note that these photos may be featured on our webpage and in our other media, if you are selected for funding.

What types of images are recommended? Planting photos, before-and-after images, community engagement pictures, geotagged photos, and aerial images are especially valuable. 

Q: Describe how your organization has worked in convergence with any government schemes, programs, or departments on landscape restoration*

Why we ask this question:
Convergence aims to establish harmony and synergy between government, NGOs, the private sector and beneficiaries in addressing the needs of local landscapes and communities. Through this question we intend to understand the scope of project implementation and public funding leveraged through convergence between CSOs and government departments in the proposed state. 

What do we expect? Please describe how you have worked on fostering convergence with public schemes and funds in your past projects. Be specific about the schemes, programs and departments you have worked with, in what capacity, and how you met restoration needs. If possible, provide details on how much convergence with public funding you have leveraged in the past in INR.