An important decision to be made early on is how to approach the implementation of the NAPA. The two main options are either to pursue funding through the LDCF for a single project, going through the whole sequence of steps in submitting a proposal, or to design a strategy for implementing the whole NAPA. This would be done by designing an integrated or programmatic approach that would address all of the priority needs, going through the planning and justifications for implementation, then accessing the LDCF for an initial phase of the implementation under the current ceiling of funding available to each LDC.

The single project referred to here can include multiple NAPA priority activities; however, it is packaged as one project in terms of GEF processing. A country may initially choose to pursue only one project through the LDCF in order to start the implementation process quickly, or when there are no resources to design the more integrated approach. Most LDCs have followed this route so far and have accessed the LDCF for implementing one discrete project.

More recent discussions on adaptation have explored the value of programmatic approaches to increase the effectiveness of interventions and to ensure sustainability of the activities when they are fully integrated into sectoral and other national activities and programmes. 

However, it was noted that even though a programmatic approach may make more sense for enhanced coordination and adaptation benefits, it would require significantly more funds than are currently available to each LDC under the LDCF alone and would also require more effort to develop.
There is also a recognition that since clear guidance on policy and project design was not provided at the early stages of NAPA preparation, most LDCs were not able to develop an implementation strategy during the NAPA preparation phase that matched subsequent guidance on the implementation of NAPAs under the LDCF.