This pilot country evaluation examines whether GEF support translates global environmental benefits into national action.

Costa Rica was selected because of its diverse portfolio, multi-Agency engagement, and environmental leadership, making it a strong test case for country-level evaluation. Conducted in 2005–2006, the review covered 12 national projects totaling $32 million, alongside the Small Grants Programme, using document analysis, field visits, interviews, and consultation workshops.

It finds that GEF support aligned closely with Costa Rica’s environmental agenda and generated significant global benefits, particularly in biodiversity conservation, carbon mitigation, and catalytic models such as payments for environmental services.

The evaluation also notes the need for greater transparency in project approval and improved access to tracking systems, which created confusion among stakeholders. Based on these findings, the GEF Council endorsed institutionalizing country portfolio evaluations and asked the Secretariat to expand access to operational information, especially by making procedures and Council decisions more transparent through the GEF website.