Tracking of GEF Portfolio: Monitoring and Evaluation of Results

Tracking of GEF Portfolio: Monitoring and Evaluation of Results

Sub-regional Workshop for GEF Focal Points

Aaron ZazuetaMarch 2010

Hanoi, Vietnam

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Monitoring and Evaluation

Monitoring provides management with a basis for decision making on progress and GEF with information on results. Involves:– Ongoing, systematic gathering of qualitative and quantitative

information to track progress on project outcomes & outputs– Identify implementation issues and propose solutions

Evaluation provides lessons learned and recommendations for future projects, polices and portfolios. Involves:– Periodic assessment of results according to the

criteria of relevance, effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability

Role of GEF Focal Points in M&E

Keep track of GEF support at the national level.

Keep stakeholders informed and consulted in plans, implementation and results of GEF activities.

Disseminate M&E information, promoting use of evaluation recommendations and lessons learned.

Assist the Evaluation Office, as the first point of entry into a country:

– identify major relevant stakeholders,

– coordinate meetings,

– assist with agendas,

– coordinate country responses to these evaluations.

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Main Messages

FPs participation in M&E enhances country ownership.

Role for the FPs in M&E – depends on the institutional setting, capacity and portfolio scope, size.

FP role has become more prominent during GEF-4 (implementation of the RAF). It is expected that there will be further changes for GEF-5.

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Use of tracking system

Document environmental achievements and their relationship to national goals, Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and GEF strategic targets;

Prevent duplication of efforts by other donors or government agencies;

Identify implementation problems and delays;

Support Adaptive Management of projects.

Contribute to reporting on national targets, MDGs, conventions, and GEF strategic targets.

Establishing a system for tracking Country Portfolios helps evaluations by gathering all major GEF project information in one place.

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Tracking the Portfolio: An Example

Basic Data – such as: • Project Data (name, agency, focal area etc.) • Financial information: GEF grant and cofinancing • Project cycle dates (entry into pipeline, approval, start up)• Found in the PMIS

Substantive Data – such as:• Objective(s), Expected Outcome(s), • Ratings: implementation progress and likelihood of achieving objectives, • Once completed: actual achievements and lessons learned, • Found in project documents

Keep it simple and only collect and record information that will be used!

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Good practices

GEF National Committee:

– chaired by the GEF FP

– members: FPs from Conventions, other ministries (agriculture, industry, energy, planning and finance), GEF Agencies, civil society organizations, etc.

– should be linked to an already existing inter-sectoral coordination mechanisms (to ensure its institutionalization).

Develop criteria and national protocols for the selection of GEF projects.

National Business Plan for use of GEF funds.

Active participation of the GEF FP in the project M&E: GEF Agencies should share the reports on project implementation and final evaluations with GEF FPs.

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Available Sources of Information

Project documents: supervision (PIRs) and independent evaluations (mid-term and final) from GEF Agencies.

National development goals tracking systems.

Knowledge exchange with different stakeholders (workshops, conferences, etc)

Information from established focal area task forces, networks, environmental assessments and other relevant activities.

Evaluations conducted by GEF-EO and independent evaluation offices of GEF Agencies.

GEF Project Management Information System (PMIS)

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Country Support Programme Website (www.gefcountrysupport.org)

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Tracking Country Portfolios

1. Why track the Country Portfolio? Routine tracking of major elements of each project in the Country Portfolio (progress, inputs, developments, outcomes, challenges, and lessons learned) facilitates information-sharing at and beyond the project level. When a system for regularly documenting project implementation is in place, data about projects and the overall Country Portfolio are easily available for numerous purposes — for example:

National coordination of the GEF portfolio between ministries, implementing and executing agencies (IAs and EAs), and the public;

Input into national decisionmaking on GEF support — for setting priorities, securing support for activities, and planning future activities or support;

A central hub for GEF country information that can be made available to all agencies.

A tracking system provides a standardized means for:

Documenting environmental achievements and their relationship to national goals, Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and GEF strategic targets;

Preventing duplication of efforts by other donors or government agencies; Identifying implementation problems and delays; and overall Ensuring that projected achievements, environmental benefits, and

benchmarks remain on schedule, and correcting deviations where possible.

Establishing a systematic system for tracking Country Portfolios facilitates evaluation by gathering all major GEF project information in one place. Over time, the information in such tracking systems yields valuable lessons about implementing environmental projects in a given setting and context, serves as a repository of project and institutional experience, and provides data for the planning and development of future projects.

Umbrella thorned acacia trees from the African savanna Photo: iStockphoto

RELATED TOPICS:

Monitoring and Evaluation Policy Country Portfolio Evaluations

Review of the GEF Monitoring and Evaluation

Policy

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Process

Council has asked for an update the GEF M&E policy for GEF-5– Update of “Monitoring” will be led by the GEF Secretariat– Update of “Evaluation” will be led by the GEF Evaluation

Office

Revision of the Policy to be presented to Council in November 2010

Wide consultation and interaction with stakeholders foreseen, through e-survey, interviews, and interagency meetings

Interaction with focal points: through e-survey, questionnaire and sub-regional workshops

As with OPS4, the Pacific region is the first!

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Issues for discussion that need to be further addressed in the M&E Policy

Integration of M&E and the Results- Based Management Framework

Minimum standards for M&E– Full budgeting of project M&E– Base lines by CEO endorsement– Minimum requirements for PIRs and Midterm Reviews

The role of Focal Points in M&E – Council has twice asked GEF Agencies to involve focal points in

M&E,– Need to further define role of FP in mid-term evaluations, PIRs,

portfolio monitoring, missions, oversight, and terminal evaluations Programmatic Approach is not mentioned in the current M&E

policy– As a result, several programs have only project level M&E

Support to M&E Capacity Development Role of the GEF Secretariat in monitoring Link between M&E and knowledge management

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Thank you

Aaron Zazueta

[email protected] www.gefeo.org

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