Because the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF) and the Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF) target adaptation outcomes for vulnerable countries rather than global environmental benefits, their monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems must adapt the standard GEF M&E Policy to this context.

This 2011 guidance applies the 2010 policy to the two funds while tailoring it to their distinct mandates.

It clarifies four key components. First, adaptation benefits replace global environmental benefits as the central objective, guided by national adaptation programs of action for the LDCF and by adaptation and technology transfer priorities for the SCCF. Second, the principle of additional cost replaces incremental cost, requiring projects to show how resources address adaptation needs beyond baseline development. Third, evaluations must establish baselines where absent and apply the LDCF/SCCF results-based management framework with dedicated indicators. Fourth, M&E must continue to promote accountability, learning, and performance improvement in line with broader GEF standards.

Together, these provisions align the GEF M&E Policy with the specific objectives of the LDCF and SCCF while maintaining coherence across the overall evaluation system.