Evaluating ozone projects in transition economies shows the challenges of sustaining compliance and capacity, while biodiversity work in Peru highlights community-driven pathways to lasting conservation.

The third Annual Impact Report reviewed GEF activities from 2002 to 2009, drawing on an impact evaluation of GEF assistance for phasing out ozone-depleting substances (ODS) in economies in transition, a pilot study testing experimental project design, and an ongoing biodiversity impact evaluation in Peru conducted jointly with the World Bank’s Independent Evaluation Group.

The ODS evaluation showed that GEF support helped countries meet Montreal Protocol commitments, with progress in eliminating CFCs, addressing illegal trade, and engaging the private sector, while also noting gaps in capacity and destruction facilities for obsolete chemicals.

The Peru biodiversity study applied a theory-of-change and mixed-methods approach to assess how conservation projects strengthen protected area management, improve local livelihoods, and engage Indigenous and community groups—underscoring the need for long-term follow-up to maintain ecological gains. The experimental design study demonstrated the potential to test incentives while controlling for external factors, a method that could strengthen future evaluations.

The report also advanced the Review of Outcomes to Impacts (ROtI) methodology, which informed OPS4.

It recommends greater investment and capacity support for economies in transition, broader use of private-sector models, and continued emphasis on participatory, locally grounded approaches for biodiversity impact.