The SGP offers a unique test of whether local initiatives can translate into global environmental benefits.

The Small Grants Programme (SGP), established by the GEF in 1992, was designed to enable community-based strategies and technologies that address global environmental challenges while supporting sustainable livelihoods. This joint evaluation, conducted in partnership with UNDP, combined document review, case studies in 22 countries, surveys of over 180 projects, site visits, and interviews with stakeholders to assess relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability.

The evaluation finds that SGP projects have generally delivered satisfactory results, with around 90 percent rated satisfactory across phases, and with higher sustainability ratings than medium- and full-sized GEF projects. The program has contributed to global environmental benefits in biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation, land degradation, international waters, and POPs reduction, while also influencing local and national policies and institutions. It further finds that SGP activities have often reached poor, Indigenous, and women’s groups, though constraints remain in ensuring meaningful empowerment across contexts. 

The evaluation concludes that the SGP is a cost-effective mechanism for generating global environmental benefits through civil society and recommends refining its management model, strengthening M&E, and reviewing policies on graduation and resource allocation to ensure continued effectiveness.