GEF projects maintain a strong record on outcomes, with more than 80 percent rated satisfactory. But sustaining results is more uncertain: over a third of projects in the APR 2023 cohort face risks, and many lack indicators to track behavior change, a factor central to long-term impact.

Projects with successful behavior change outcomes used a highly participatory, systems-based approach to stakeholder engagement.

Evaluation overview

• Sustainability is uneven, and weak measurement of behavior change limits evidence on long-term results.
• Adaptive management and inclusive engagement helped some projects recover and sustain outcomes, while those without enabling conditions fell short.
• The report recommends strengthening sustainability planning, improving indicator design and reporting, and embedding behavior change approaches more systematically.

Methodology

APR 2023 reviews 2,134 completed projects, including 328 in the latest cohort, and draws on portfolio analysis, terminal evaluations, the Management Action Record, and case studies of behavior change projects across multiple regions.