Thematic Evaluations

Thematic evaluations assess topics of concern to all GEF activities and provide a basis for decision making and lesson learning on specific themes. These evaluations are organized in four levels: program, process, focal area and cross-sectoral evaluations.

Program Evaluations of a set of interventions aimed at attaining lessons learned on specific global, regional, or sector objectives. These include evaluations of specific GEF activities, strategic priorities, and funds managed by the GEF such as evaluations of the Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF), the Strategic Priority for Adaptation (SPA), and the Small Grants Programme.

Process Evaluations of the internal dynamics of participating organizations, instruments, mechanisms, and management practices. These include evaluations of institutional and procedural issues across GEF Focal Areas and assessments of experience with GEF policies, criteria, and procedures. Included in this category are evaluation of the Resource Allocation Framework (RAF), Joint Evaluation of the GEF Activity Cycle and Modalities, and Experience of Executing Agencies under Expanded Opportunities in the GEF.

Focal Areas Evaluations of the GEF Focal Areas including Climate Change Mitigation, Climate Change Adaptation, Biodiversity, International Waters, Chemicals, Land Degradation, and Sustainable Forest Management. Evaluations include the GEF Focal Area Strategies, the Climate Change Program Study, the Biodiversity Program Study, and the International Waters Program Study.

Cross Sectoral Evaluations: of issues that apply across GEF Focal Areas and activities, such as the Enabling Activities Modality, National Capacity Self-Assessments (NCSA), GEF Capacity Development Activities, the Catalytic Role of the GEF, and the Local Benefits Study.

Ongoing Thematic Evaluations

Enabling Activities: In May 2012, the GEF Evaluation Office launched an evaluation of the GEF enabling activities (EA) modality aimed at providing a comprehensive assessment of enabling activities and to generate evaluative evidence on their catalytic role for the Fifth Overall Performance Study (OPS5). The evaluation will be carried out in two phases. The first phase took place from May to December 2012 and entailed a meta-evaluation compiling evaluative evidence on EAs from previously conducted evaluations and reviews to identify gaps and issues to be further explored in the second phase. The second phase of the evaluation is ongoing and main findings and recommendations of the evaluation will be incorporated into OPS5