Tracking national portfolios and assessing results Sub-regional Workshop for GEF Focal Points Western and Central Africa Dakar, May 2007

Monitoring: Issues for discussion GEF monitoring takes place on three levels:  Project – implementation activities, outputs, and progress towards outcomes  Portfolio – trends in implementation; and outcomes  National level – national and global environmental impact, using national systems (MDGs, environment assessments, enabling activities…)  How is the GEF Focal Point involved now? What could the Focal Point do to add value to these levels?  How can the Focal Point support GEF portfolio in national management and decision-making?

Monitoring and Evaluation Policy (2006)  Purpose of M&E in the GEF: Promote accountability: results, effectiveness, processes and performance Promote learning, feedback and knowledge sharing as basis for decision making on all levels  Clarifies roles and responsibilities  Includes minimum standards for project M&E  Available on: under Evaluation Office, under Policies and Procedureswww.thegef.org

Role of GEF Focal Point in M&E  No prescribed role: depends on country and circumstances  Portfolio or Project Monitoring: depends on each country and project, as discussed during project M&E design  Involvement in evaluations on GEF matters; depends on country and circumstances  Assist Evaluation Office in identifying major relevant stakeholders, coordinate meetings and assist with agendas  Particular responsibility for use of evaluation recommendations and to integrate lessons into project proposals  Key role in keeping stakeholders consulted and involved about the plans, implementation and results of country GEF M&E activities  Comment on TORs of Country Reviews and coordinate country responses (for select countries only)  Other?

Monitoring: Issues for discussion  What is meant by ‘tracking the GEF portfolio”? Varying levels… Being informed of implementation progress of project (start, end, major events, delays) Keeping informed of progress in results and problems Actively keeping track of progress in results and problems by own recording system Actively participating in monitoring and verifying results  How will the Focal Points use the monitoring tracking? for internal decision-making and new GEF project endorsement? support to GEF portfolio among stakeholders and ministries? Resolving implementation issues (related to national scope)? Other?

Monitoring: Issues for discussion  How are the partners working together in monitoring? (Focal Point, Agency, project staff, technical ministry or department, beneficiaries…) Who does what? How is information circulating?  How are available tools used? Project M&E plans (in design) Baselines and indicators Annual reporting on implementation Field visits, missions, project visits Coordination meetings, workshops Mid-term reviews (when undertaken) Terminal evaluations Etc.

Evaluation: Issues for discussion  What is the experience of country reviews of GEF portfolios? (China, Vietnam, Philippines, Samoa)  How is the system for planning, undertaking and sharing project evaluations working in your country? How can it be improved?  Project evaluations are conducted independently. How should Focal Points add value?  How can Focal Points support dissemination of evaluations and their use in new project design?  How can countries use lessons learned from GEF corporate evaluations?

More information….  The GEF M&E Policy: under Evaluation Office, under Policies and Procedureswww.thegef.org  GEF corporate evaluations and lessons learned: under Evaluation Office, under Publication or Ongoing Evaluations  Project evaluations (161 terminal evaluations): under Project Database, for search click on Evaluation Documents  contact: