The Integrated Approach Pilots (IAPs) were GEF’s first test of integrated programming at scale, aiming to catalyze systemic change across sectors and geographies.

Launched in GEF-6, they marked a shift from earlier programmatic approaches by moving beyond focal area–specific interventions. To examine their design and early processes, the Independent Evaluation Office conducted a formative review in 2017 using portfolio and project cycle analysis, documentation review, and interviews and surveys with country stakeholders and Agencies.

The evaluation finds that the three pilots—Sustainable Cities, Commodities, and Food Security—align with national priorities and have potential to generate global environmental benefits across biodiversity, climate change, and land degradation.

The involvement of multiple Agencies brings valuable expertise but also increases organizational complexity and coordination challenges. Country and city selection processes were not always transparent, and indicators and tracking tools vary widely, limiting the ability to aggregate data and assess results consistently.

The report recommends reviewing the value of knowledge platforms at midterm, harmonizing indicators and tracking tools across pilots, and clarifying whether global environmental benefit targets should be treated as aspirational or binding measures.