Fund-level evaluations, conducted approximately every five years, assess the long-term outcomes and impacts of the Fund. Representatives of eligible countries, the donor community, Board members, secretariat, peer organizations, Implementing Entities (IEs) and other stakeholders are invited to provide insights during the consultative phase of such evaluations. The Board may seek to create an Advisory Group representative of experts and key stakeholders to guide the evaluation.
Below is the list of ongoing and completed fund-level evaluations.
Comprehensive Evaluation of the Fund (Implementation Period: 2024 – 2026)
Background: At its 39th meeting (October 2022), the Adaptation Fund Board decided (Decision B.39/57) “to adopt a phased approach to the second overall evaluation of the Fund.” This includes a Rapid Evaluation as a first phase and a Comprehensive Evaluation at a later stage. The comprehensive evaluation aims to contribute to the development of the Adaptation Fund’s third medium-term strategy (MTS) for 2028-2032.
Comprehensive Evaluation (Ongoing) [Phase II]
Intro: This evaluation will provide an in-depth examination of how the Fund works and whether it is doing the right things to achieve its mandate. It is the second part of a phased approach to a comprehensive evaluation of the Fund and will be implemented from January 2025 to June 2026.
Evaluation Objective: Evaluate the overall achievements of the Fund since the completion of the first Comprehensive Evaluation in 2017 to date. It will focus on what has worked and what has not, and how these achievements and lessons support the Fund in fulfilling its mandate. Such achievements and lessons will be contextualized in various operating contexts in which Fund-supported projects and programmes are implemented.
Access the ToR here.
Rapid Evaluation (October 2023) [Phase I]
Intro: This rapid evaluation is part of a phased approach to the comprehensive, overall evaluation of the Fund. The evaluation was conducted between February and August 2023 and includes evidence from all completed projects from 2014 to 2023 with available final evaluations.
Evaluation Objective: Organizing existing evidence and synthesizing lessons learned and offers insights for the forthcoming overall evaluation, including an evidence gap analysis.
Access the report here.
Access the ToR here.
First Overall Evaluation of the Fund (Implementation Period: 2015 – 2018)
Background: At the 13th Adaptation Fund Board meeting (March 2011) the evaluation framework was approved. As part of the decision, an overall evaluation for the Fund was discussed (Decision B.13/20). At its 23rd meeting (March 2014), the Adaptation Fund Board decided (Decision B.23/18) to take a two-phased approach for the first overall evaluation of the Fund. The phases are listed below.
Overall Evaluation Phase II (March 2018)
Intro: This Phase II independent evaluation builds on the Phase I independent evaluation and two reviews conducted by the Conference of the Parties Serving as the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP) in 2011-2012 and 2014. It compiles lessons learned for the future of the Adaptation Fund portfolio.
Evaluation Objective: Evaluate the long-term outcomes, impacts and sustainability of Adaptation Fund interventions, focusing on its portfolio of funded projects. It examines and assesses progress of the Adaptation Fund portfolio toward financing concrete adaptation projects and programmes in developing countries Parties to the Kyoto Protocol. It assesses the portfolio’s relevance, efficiency, effectiveness and potential impacts and the sustainability of technical, institutional and financial results.
Follow Up: The AFB Secretariat prepared this management response document to the evaluation of the Fund Phase II in October 2018. In October 2020, the AFB secretariat prepared this document on the Update on Progress towards the Implementation of the Management Response to the Overall Evaluation of the Fund (Second Phase).
Access the report here.
Overall Evaluation Phase I (September 2015)
Intro: This independent evaluation is the first of two phases in an overall evaluation of the Adaptation Fund. It presents the findings and analysis for the First Phase evaluation.
Evaluation Objective: Process evaluation, focusing on the Adaptation Fund’s operational performance from its establishment through June 2015.
Follow Up: The AFB Secretariat prepared this management response to the evaluation of the Fund Phase I.
Access the report here.