GEF evaluations follow a five-phase process that starts with initial scoping and ends with archiving.

Issued in July 2026 by the GEF Independent Evaluation Office (IEO), the guidelines apply to all IEO evaluative work intended for the GEF Council or the replenishment consultation process. They address evaluation process rather than methods, which are covered in a separate companion document, and set out responsibilities and expected outputs at each stage. Four areas run throughout: roles and responsibilities, quality assurance, stakeholder engagement, and knowledge management and communication.

A task team leader holds responsibility for each evaluation from scoping through archiving, supported by layered quality assurance, including peer review and, where warranted, external advisers. Stakeholder input is built into key milestones, with responses documented through audit trails.

The guidelines also embed institutional learning into the evaluation cycle, so that findings inform future evaluations and the comprehensive evaluation conducted at the close of each GEF replenishment. 

Read the full guidelines for details on each phase, including timelines and requirements for scoping, data collection, report preparation, dissemination, and archiving.