As GEF-8 negotiations proceed amid pandemic aftershocks, fragmented climate and nature finance, and tightening budgets, the Seventh Overall Performance Study (OPS7) tests whether GEF’s model is keeping pace with rising environmental risk.
Drawing on 34 evaluations completed since OPS6, supported by terminal evaluation reviews and geospatial analyses, it assesses performance across GEF-6 through mid-GEF-7 (2014–2021). Eighty percent of completed projects achieve satisfactory outcomes, 68 percent are likely to sustain results at completion, and about two-thirds of monitoring and evaluation systems are satisfactory.
Integrated and multifocal programming expands in GEF-7 and is more explicit on theories of change, but program-level additionality remains uneven and complexity can slow delivery without clear roles, timely data, and strong cross-ministry coordination.
Engagement with the private sector grows, yet pipeline development, risk appetite, and operational fit still limit scale, and uneven results across regions and focal areas indicate that further progress is needed.
The report recommends that the Council sharpen strategic positioning where GEF holds comparative advantage, strengthen integrated programs, and upgrade systems by deepening private sector engagement while reinforcing results management, gender implementation, and safeguards.
