The GEF IEO’s validation of terminal evaluations (TEs) is the final quality check on how Agencies report project results.
This review finds that while the process is a critical safeguard for accountability and learning, uneven practices limit its efficiency and influence. It fills a key gap by examining whether validations consistently ensure credible ratings of outcomes, sustainability, and monitoring and evaluation quality.
The review confirms that the TE validation process provides an essential check on the reliability of terminal evaluations, but also highlights areas where procedures can be streamlined and strengthened.
Evaluation overview
- Key barriers include variation in TE quality across Agencies, incomplete supporting documentation, and resource constraints that slow validation.
- Stronger results emerge when validation reports triangulate multiple evidence sources, apply guidelines rigorously, and highlight discrepancies transparently; yet these practices are applied inconsistently.
- Recommendations call for strengthening consistency in criteria, improving timeliness through clearer procedures, and embedding validation findings more systematically in portfolio-level analysis.
Methodology
The review covers TE validations conducted from July to September 2020 across nine GEF Agencies and samples from the World Bank, UNDP, and UNEP, drawing on desk reviews of project documents and Agency validation reports.
