The GEF Council depends on the management action record (MAR), which compiles management responses to IEO evaluation recommendations and tracks their adoption. Despite its central role, the MAR had not been fully assessed as an accountability and learning tool. 

This review fills that gap by analyzing 16 MAR reports covering 59 evaluations and 186 recommendations from 2006–21, providing early evidence on the revised MAR process introduced in 2021 and benchmarking GEF against other institutions.

During the assessed period (2006–21), 74 percent of the recommendations were adopted with full or substantial status.

Evaluation overview

• Challenges include limited time to prepare action plans, responses without timelines, unclear agreement levels, and the absence of a platform to track progress.
• Adoption improved when management expressed full agreement, set time-bound follow-up actions, and aligned responses with corporate work plans; some recommendations advanced from partial to substantial adoption through engagement.
• Recommendations stress ensuring time-bound action plans, clarifying agreement levels, strengthening Agency participation, and creating a centralized platform to improve monitoring.

Methodology

The review draws on portfolio analysis, benchmarking, and validation of 435 self-assessments of adoption against IEO ratings.