Transboundary Biosphere Reserve Preservation, phase II

Albania
KfW, 2018 - 2021

The Transboundary Prespa Region is a globally recognized biodiversity hotspot. In response to threats to Prespa region`s aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, the German Development Cooperation has committed to continuously support the Albanian government in the preservation of the natural and cultural values with the project Transboundary Biosphere Reserve Prespa, phase II.

The project‘s objectives reflect the insight that improvements and success in nature conservation and environmental protection can only be achieved by considering and strongly addressing the socio-economic development dimension in the Prespa region. The project targets the Prespa National Park and its adjacent communities and in a wider scope the area of the Ohrid-Prespa Transboundary Biosphere Reserve. Taking this into account, the project phase II focuses on two interrelated objectives: Conservation of biological diversity and reduction of the pressure on natural resources, and poverty reduction and improvement of the living conditions of the local population.

GFA B.I.S. Services

GFA B.I.S. was commissioned by GFA Consulting Group to provide a financial fund management system and a remote monitoring system capable of integrating multiple types of data.

For financial management, GFA B.I.S. has developed a vertical software solution for KfW-financed Fund Management projects. Based on SunSystems, the system has been customized in order to fulfil the special accounting and reporting requirements including an automated disbursement request for KfW. The system design is focused on the requirements of fund management like maximum data transparency, flexible reporting and budget monitoring.

For remote monitoring, GFA B.I.S. implemented DACOTA, an open source based modular application. DACOTA is here designed to include various analytical dashboards and a customized map which visualizes the multiple types of data (national parks, land use, plant or animal sightings and law violations) on a single map view.

With this overall concept, DACOTA enables project managers to continuously track trends and project results, without having to compromise on more detailed layers. The application makes use of Google’s Material Design framework for its user interface thus offering a familiar appearance and automatic adaptation to different screen sizes, such as of mobile phones, tablets, small and large PC screens.

The application of DACOTA is based on a distinctive sustainability approach as no license costs arise due to the use of open source components. It is possible to install DACOTA on servers worldwide and after a successful handover no running costs are charged. These characteristics allow DACOTA to be a particularly reliable and independent partner for digitalization.