"Community-based doesn't inherently mean community-led." This insight emerged as a recurring theme during our interviews with stakeholders in the GEF Partnership while evaluating community-based approaches. During early interviews, we encountered a significant challenge: the term 'community-based approaches' was interpreted differently by various individuals. To address this issue and determine the extent to which GEF projects genuinely empowered communities, we dug deeper.

Our first step was to define 'community-based approaches.' We chose a comprehensive definition to encompass…

co-author Michael Woolcock

In the world of environmental conservation and sustainability, navigating challenges is an everyday reality. Yet the way organizations approach these hurdles can significantly impact their ability to innovate, adapt, and ultimately bring about positive change. While institutions often prioritize showcasing their successes, there are valuable lessons to be learned from understanding setbacks. In this sense, a recent evaluation conducted by the Global…

Earth Day serves all of us as an annual reminder of the critical need for action to protect and preserve our environment. And you are here because you clearly care about the future! And you are here because you clearly believe that evaluation has a role to play. Yes, as evaluators, we have the privilege and the duty to assess the effectiveness of various environmental initiatives, to review progress against the various goals that countries and organizations commit to, and to provide insights that can drive meaningful change.

Blog Authors

• Ella Stack, Research Associate, Environmental Law Institute
• Amanda Woomer, Senior Consultant on Nature & Environment, Oxford Policy Management
• Carl Bruch, Senior Attorney; Director, International Programs
• Shaadee Ahmadnia, Environmental Specialist Consultant…

co-author Katy O’Grady

The current environmental situation “requires us to apply transformational thinking to preserve the life support system of our planet,” said Rosina Bierbaum, plenary speaker and moderator of the conference’s session on how science can inform evaluation. Affiliated with of the University of Michigan and University of Maryland, she is chair of the GEF Science and Technology Advisory Panel. Joining Rosina were Gregory Nemet, professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, La Follette School of Public Affairs; Nik Sekhran, chief conservation officer…