From Ongoing Streams of Evidence to Final Synthesis

Abstract

Background: Protecting the global environment requires complex program and project designs intended to produce multiple benefits in the various environmental domains (biodiversity, land degradation, water, climate change, and pollution) while benefiting the people, especially local communities living in the areas of intervention. In this context, learning is a key requirement to which independent evaluation must contribute. This necessitates bringing together streams of evidence from multiple perspectives and sources.

Purpose: The article brings out lessons learned in designing and conducting comprehensive evaluations of large-scale programs and projects funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) using streams of evidence. It also describes the utility and utilization of such evaluations for making decisions about future funding.

Setting; GEF is the oldest public financier for the global environment and serves as a financial mechanism to five multilateral environmental agreements in the areas of biodiversity, climate change, land degradation, and pollutants.

Intervention: Comprehensive evaluations of the GEF.

Research Design: Not applicable.

Data Collection and Analysis: Not applicable.

Findings: The article draws upon the sixth and seventh comprehensive evaluations of the GEF, which were key inputs to the Fund’s replenishment negotiations. The article outlines the transition from standalone studies to continuous evaluation streams, which provided real-time insights to improve decision-making in the GEF. These evaluations assessed the GEF’s continued relevance and ability to effectively support the recipient countries in protecting the global environment. The evaluations covered project performance, governance, integration in programming, and transformational impact, as well as methodologies and addressing emerging challenges like financial constraints and the pandemic’s impact. The findings of these evaluations directly influenced GEF’s strategic direction and policy, leading to program refinements. The comprehensive evaluation experience demonstrates to the power of bringing together evidence from multiple studies into a stream that can provide both timely information on specific aspects and a comprehensive diagnostic of an organisation’s performance, strengths and weaknesses.