The Small Grants Programme (SGP) channels GEF resources to community organizations, linking local priorities with global environmental goals.

Implemented by UNDP, it aims to foster innovation, ownership, and sustainability at the grassroots level, and has supported thousands of projects since 1992. This evaluation reviews progress since the 2015 joint review and assesses SGP performance under GEF-6 and GEF-7, focusing on relevance, governance, and long-term direction.

The innovativeness of the SGP lies in the way it works with local partners, more than in the technologies or approaches it promotes.

Evaluation overview

• The SGP remains highly relevant and coherent with GEF and UNDP priorities but faces shrinking resources, unclear governance, and risks tied to the upgrading process.
• Community-led projects generate environmental, social, and economic benefits, with effectiveness rooted in local ownership and inclusiveness, though sustaining outcomes often requires added investment.
• The report recommends clarifying the long-term vision, reviewing governance, simplifying design, improving measurement of intangible results, and strengthening innovation and sustainability approaches.

Methodology

Evidence comes from portfolio and meta-analyses, a global survey, interviews, and case studies in Argentina, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Samoa, Afghanistan, Brazil, Egypt, and Mexico.