The USAID Agency-wide Climate Change Evaluation Agenda: Unpacking Overarching Concepts Nancy Peek, Research Associate, Development and Training Services, Inc.

Summary Climate change and development USAID Global Climate Change (GCC) Evaluation Agenda Adaptation Evaluation Agenda Adaptation activity example Evaluation agenda use 2

New field USAID Climate Change and Development Strategy – January 2012 Big, key questions Asking questions in a different way: Look beyond crop yields to crop resilience 3 Climate Change and Development

Overview Inform and guide its $400M+ annual funding Adaptation, Clean Energy, Sustainable Landscapes Other donors starting similar process 4 USAID GCC Evaluation Agenda

Purpose and audience Seek answers to overarching evaluation questions Provide a reliable evidence base for future investments Coordination, transparency, accountability 5 USAID GCC Evaluation Agenda

6 Proprietary Information USAID Global Climate Change Results Framework Overview

Overarching hypotheses Eight standard hypotheses shared across the three pillars Underlie the theories of change that form the basis of the results frameworks Core overarching evaluation questions 7 USAID GCC Evaluation Agenda

Priority evaluation question topics International coordination and cooperation Data and analytical tools Policies, laws, regulations Social and environmental protections Planning Capacity development Practices and technologies Lowering financial barriers 8 USAID GCC Evaluation Agenda

9 Proprietary Information USAID Global Climate Change Adaptation Results Framework

10 USAID Global Climate Change Adaptation Results Framework

Priority evaluation sub-questions Data and analytical tools –What is the effect of improved seasonal weather forecasts and climate information on people’s attitudes and behaviors towards climate change? Planning –What is the effect of improved planning on the climate change resilience of a specific sector (e.g., wheat)? 11 USAID GCC Evaluation Agenda: Adaptation

Evidence through individual activities Inherent tension between evaluating concepts and discrete activities Context-specific activity designs Devising appropriate evaluation questions that evaluation of activity can answer while also speaking to larger agenda 12 Adaptation Activity

13 USAID Global Climate Change Adaptation Results Framework

14 Municipal Climate Change Strategies: Activity Results Framework

Challenges Activities mostly not designed with impact evaluation in mind Varying levels of interest in facilitating evaluation Harmonization of key concepts and processes 15 Evaluation Agenda Use

Moving forward Performance and impact evaluations Systematic literature reviews Meta-evaluations “Living” document Learning from other development partners Incorporate monitoring data 16 Evaluation Agenda Use

Questions, Discussion Global Climate Change Monitoring & Evaluation Project Nancy Peek 17

18 USAID GCC Evaluation Agenda Are USAID adaptation and mitigation SOs more likely to be achieved if USAID invests in… 1. establishing appropriate mechanisms and structures for international cooperation and coordination in climate change? 2. generating and disseminating climate change data and analytical tools? 3. developing, adopting, and enforcing relevant climate change policies, laws, regulations, etc.? 4. ensuring social and environmental protections as part of climate change adaptation and mitigation actions? 5. planning for climate change mitigation and adaptation? 6. improving the capacities of individuals and institutions to implement climate change adaptation and mitigation actions more effectively? 7. developing, testing, demonstrating, and disseminating to stakeholders climate change mitigation and adaptation practices and technologies? 8. lowering financial barriers to implementing climate change mitigation and adaptation actions?