1. EVALUATION IN THE GEF Juha Uitto Director
GEF Independent Evaluation Office
May 2015

2. Monitoring <-> Evaluation

3. GEF M&E Policy
Defines the concepts, role, and use of monitoring and evaluation within the GEF
Defines the institutional framework and responsibilities.
Indicates the GEF minimum M&E requirements covering:
project design,
application of M&E at the project level, and
project evaluation.
Current M&E Policy
Approved by GEF Council in November 2010

4. M&E in the GEF: Objectives
Promote accountability for the achievement of GEF objectives through the assessment of results, effectiveness, processes, and performance of the partners involved in GEF activities.
Promote learning, feedback, and knowledge sharing on results and lessons learned among the GEF and its partners as a basis for decision making on policies, strategies, program management, programs, and projects; and to improve knowledge and performance.

5. Separate reporting lines for Monitoring (through Secretariat) and Evaluation (through Independent Evaluation Office)
GEF Council
Annual evaluation reports
Overall Performance Study
(to Assembly)
Annual Work Program
and Budget
Annual Monitoring Report
Evaluation Management Response
Programming documents and indicators
Results Based Management
Agency evaluation units
GEF Independent Evaluation Office
GEF Secretariat
Corporate evaluations
Project and Program
Independent evaluations
Project and Program
evaluations
Project and Program Implementation Reports
Agency Portfolio Reports
Project documents with M&E plans
Agency GEF coordination units
Project and Program Implementation Reports
Project and Program monitoring documentation
Terminal evaluations
GEF projects and programs

6. M&E Key Responsibilities in GEF
Partner
Key Roles and Responsibilities in M&E
GEF Council
Policy-making
Oversight
Enabling environment for M&E
GEF Independent Evaluation Office
Independent GEF evaluation
Oversight of M&E
Setting minimum requirements for evaluation
GEF Secretariat
GEF Results Based Management (monitoring and reporting)
Review of GEF M&E requirements in project proposals
Agency GEF operational units
Monitoring of the Agency GEF portfolio
Ensure M&E at the project level
Agency evaluation units
Project and/or corporate Agency evaluations
Mainstreaming GEF into relevant Agency evaluation
STAP
Advice on scientific/technical matters in M&E
Support to scientific and technical indicators
Participating Countries
Collaboration on M&E at portfolio and project levels
Stakeholders
Participation in monitoring activities and mechanisms
Providing views and perceptions to evaluations

7. GEF Independent Evaluation Office
Mission
Enhance global environmental benefits through excellence, independence and partnership in monitoring and evaluation.
Principles
Impartiality
Professionalism
Transparency
Created by decision of the May 2003 GEF Council.
Added to the GEF Instrument in April 2014.
There are different kinds of evaluations that different parties conduct.
Types of Evaluations:
Project Evaluations
Program Evaluations
Country Level Evaluations
Impact Evaluations
Cross-cutting and thematic evaluations
Process and performance evaluations
Ad-hoc Reviews
Comprehensive Evaluations

8. GEF IEO GEF-6 Work Program
The IEO will continue to provide feedback on the performance, results, and impacts of GEF support.
The GEF-6 Work Program will be organized around key issues derived from the Sixth Replenishment of the GEF Trust Fund and relevant to the GEF 2020 Strategy, such as:
The extent, mechanisms, and conditions by which GEF support has identified and delivered integrated solutions and multiple benefits.
The extent, mechanisms, and conditions by which GEF support has addressed drivers of environmental degradation.
The performance of the GEF, including issues related to the GEF 2020 Strategy core operational principles.

9. IEO Work Program for GEF-6
Mainstreaming of KM and Gender in all evaluations
Multiple Benefits and Integrated Approaches:
Evaluation of Multiple Benefits in the GEF
Evaluation of Programmatic Approaches
Midterm Review of Integrated Programs
Addressing Drivers of Global Environmental Change:
Joint Impact Evaluation of GEF Support to Protected Areas and Protected Area Systems:
Strategic Country-Level and Cluster Evaluations
Evaluating GEF Performance:
Annual Performance Report
Evaluation of the Performance of the CSO Network
LDCF/SCCF Annual Evaluation Reports
Sixth Comprehensive Evaluation of the GEF: GEF in the Changing Environmental Finance Landscape
Focuses on GEF strategies and approaches, as well as its relevance and performance and demonstrated strengths in the changing environmental finance architecture.
Evaluative evidence will be collected from several evaluations, such as:
CSO Network
Private Sector
Non-grant Financing
STAR
Gender Equality Action Plan
Adaptation to Climate Change

10. Policy, Guidance and KM
Policy, Guidance, and Methodological Development:
GEF M&E Policy
Terminal Evaluation Guidelines
Impact Evaluation Guidelines and Handbook
Guidance on Evaluating Gender in GEF Programming
KM and Learning:
KM needs assessment.
Develop knowledge, learning, and communications strategy for GEF-6.
Review the GEF-6 KM strategy and work plan of the GEF Secretariat.
Conduct a KM needs assessment to determine:
The level of use of IEO products
Collect information on the most appropriate and preferred communication formats
Identify priorities and topics for future learning products
Engage stakeholders at key points of an evaluation by developing a KM and communication plan.

11. Office Initiatives Climate-Eval Community of Practice
Participation in Conferences:
Evaluating Sustainable Development and NRM
4th International Conference on National Evaluation Capacities
Participation in GEF Meetings and Evaluation Networks:
Continue developing instructional and learning products to facilitate lessons learned from evaluations.
Develop new training materials to be distributed during ECWs in coordination with the GEF Country Support Program.
Maintain an active role in networks.
Maintain an active role in networks such as:
UN Evaluation Group
Evaluation Cooperation Group
Results, Measurement and Evidence Stream of the World Bank Group
International Development Evaluation Association
Universities
Research institutes

13. Terminal Evaluations Guidelines
The GEF M&E Policy and
Terminal Evaluations Guidelines
Aaron Zazueta
Chief Evaluation Officer
May, 2015

14. Overview Minimum M& E requirements in the GEF M & E Policy
Terminal Evaluation Guidelines and Reviews
Management response and management action record
A dynamic process.
Full Agency M&E requirements are expected to be applied to GEF projects

15. M&E: Minimum Requirement 1
Design of M&E Plans
Concrete and fully budgeted M&E plan by CEO endorsement for FSP and CEO approval for MSP. Project logical frameworks should align with GEF focal area results frameworks. M&E Plan should include:
SMART indicators
Specific
measurable,
achievable and attributable,
relevant and realistic, (OPS 5 found this is critical)
time-bound,
trackable and targeted
Baseline data for M&E by CEO endorsement
Mid Term Reviews (where required or foreseen) and Terminal Evaluations included in plan
Organizational set up and budget for M&E

16. M&E: Minimum Requirement 2
Implementation of M&E Plans
Project/program monitoring and supervision will include execution of the M&E plan:
Use of SMART indicators for process and implementation
Use of SMART indicators for results
Baseline for the project is fully established and data are compiled to review progress
Organizational set up for M&E is operational and its budget is spent as planned

17. M&E: Minimum Requirement 3
Project/Program Evaluations:
All full sized projects and programs will be evaluated at the end of implementation
Evaluations should:
Be independent of project management or reviewed by GEF Agency evaluation unit
Apply evaluation norms and standards of the GEF Agency
Assess, as a minimum, outputs and outcomes, likelihood of sustainability, compliance with Minimum Requirements 1 & 2
Contain basic project data and lessons on the evaluation itself (including TORs)
Should be sent to GEF IEO within 12 months of completion of project/program
Guidelines for Terminal Evaluations

18. M&E: Minimum Requirement 4
Engagement of Operational Focal Points
M&E plans should include how OFPs will be engaged
OFPs to be informed on M&E activities, including Mid Term Reviews and Terminal Evaluations, receiving drafts for comments and final reports
OFPs invited to contribute to the management response (where applicable)
GEF Agencies keep track of the application of this requirement in their GEF financed projects and programs
OFPs can if they wish under take monitoring or evaluation of projects of country portfolio.

19. Terminal Evaluation Guidelines Purpose of terminal evaluations
Track performance of GEF portfolio
Provide feedback on GEF portfolio performance
Synthesize lessons that may help improve GEF functioning

20. Terminal Evaluation Guidelines Evaluation Criteria
Relevance. The extent to which the activity is suited to local and national development priorities and organizational policies, including changes over time
Effectiveness. The extent to which an objective has been achieved or how likely it is to be achieved
Efficiency. The extent to which results have been delivered with the least costly resources possible; also called cost effectiveness or efficacy
Results/Impact. The positive and negative, and foreseen and unforeseen, changes to and effects produced by a development intervention
Sustainability. The likely ability of an intervention to continue to deliver benefits for an extended period of time after completion. Projects need to be environmentally as well as financially and socially sustainable

21. Terminal Evaluation Guidelines Role of Agencies
Are carried out by Agencies at project completion
Follow GEF IEO Terminal Evaluation Guidelines
Done 6 months (±) of project completion
Reviewed by Agency evaluation office ( WB, UNDP and UNEP)
Submitted to the GEF IEO within 12 months of evaluation completion

22. Terminal Evaluation Reviews by the GEF IEO
GEF IEO reviews
Terminal evaluations not reviewed by the Agency Evaluation Offices
Random “spot checking” for the terminal evaluations reviewed by the Agency Evaluation Offices
Primary reviewers prepare draft reviews
Peer reviewers provide feedback
If required senior reviewers confirm the findings
Draft reviews shared with Agencies
Agency feedback incorporated

23. Terminal Evaluation Review
The Annual Performance Report (APR) presents aggregated ratings for the portfolio on:
Outcomes
Sustainability
Supervision
M&E
Progress to Impact
First presented in OPS 5, focus on GEF contributions to long term processes

24. Management Response and Follow up to Evaluations
A management response is required for all evaluations and performance reports presented to the GEF Council by the GEF IEO. It is coordinated by GEF CEO with inputs from other GEF stakeholders.
GEF Council takes into account both the evaluation and the management response when taken a decision.
GEF IEO reports on implementation of decisions annually trough Management Action Record (MAR).
IEO is available to provide information on management requests
Examples are: OPS 5 follow-up in RBM, Gender, KM