1. The Global Environment Facility (GEF) provides support to address global environmental concerns related to biodiversity, climate change mitigation and adaptation, international waters, land degradation, and chemicals and waste. Since its inception in 1991, the GEF has provided developing countries with US$26 billion in financing through a family of funds, including — but not limited to — the GEF Trust Fund, the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF), the Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF), and the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund. GEF support is implemented on the ground through a network of 18 accredited agencies (GEF Agencies).

2. GEF support for climate change adaptation and resilience is primarily financed through the LDCF and SCCF (referred to collectively hereafter as "LDCF/SCCF"), which were established in 2001 under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The LDCF is mandated to finance least developed countries' (LDCs) preparation of National Adaptation Programs of Action and the implementation of priority projects identified under these programs. The SCCF finances climate change adaptation and resilience activities, programs, and measures across a wider range of recipient countries. Since 2022, the SCCF has placed increased emphasis on the adaptation needs of small island developing states (SIDS) and on strengthening technology transfer, innovation, and private sector engagement. Unlike the GEF Trust Fund, the LDCF/SCCF are not subject to a fixed replenishment cycle; instead, they are financed through voluntary contributions from donor countries, which can be made on an ongoing basis. Cumulatively, the two funds have provided US$2.4 billion through more than 450 projects across 93 countries, of which about 200 have been completed.

3. The GEF Independent Evaluation Office (GEF IEO) has a central role in ensuring the independent evaluation function within the GEF. It is administratively housed within the World Bank but operates independently of World Bank management and GEF management. The IEO Director reports directly to the GEF and the LDCF/SCCF Council, the governing bodies. The IEO undertakes independent evaluations on issues relevant to GEF's performance. These cover issues related to GEF policies, processes, projects, and programs funded by the GEF. In addition to the evaluative work for the GEF, the IEO provides evaluation support at full cost recovery to the LDCF/SCCF.  

4. The GEF IEO recently completed the Eighth Comprehensive Evaluation of the GEF (2026), which focused on the GEF Trust Fund. The IEO is now undertaking a similar comprehensive evaluation of the LDCF/SCCF. The evaluation will be presented to the LDCF/SCCF Council in the second half of 2027. While the GEF IEO will retain full responsibility for the final evaluation report — including its findings, conclusions, and recommendations — a set of evaluation activities will be executed by an external consulting firm, whose analytical outputs will constitute a major input to the final report. Through this notice, the GEF IEO seeks expressions of interest from firms to conduct these activities.

Objectives and Evaluation Questions

5. The main purpose of this evaluation is to inform key stakeholders, especially the LDCF/SCCF Council, about what works and what does not. The evaluation will cover performance since the previous program evaluations of the LDCF (2020) and SCCF (2021), encompassing both completed and ongoing portfolio activities and new measures adopted since then. It will address relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability, and the comparative advantage of the two funds, and will examine governance arrangements, resource mobilization, and the health of the partnership involved in the preparation, appraisal, and implementation of supported activities. The scope will also address coherence in (i) Multi-Trust Fund contexts where the LDCF/SCCF blend with the GEF Trust Fund, and (ii) country portfolios where the LDCF/SCCF operate alongside other climate funds, notably the Adaptation Fund (AF), the Green Climate Fund (GCF), and the Climate Investment Funds (CIF).

6. The evaluation seeks to answer the following questions:

• To what extent is LDCF/SCCF support aligned with UNFCCC COP guidance, the GEF adaptation strategy, and national development priorities? In addition, how effectively do funded projects respond to locally identified needs and vulnerabilities within the scope of national priorities?
• To what extent do LDCF/SCCF interventions demonstrate internal coherence within the GEF framework and external coherence with other climate funds?
• How effective have the LDCF and SCCF been at delivering on expected transformational outcomes?
• How efficient has the LDCF/SCCF project cycle been as a delivery mechanism?
• To what extent are the results of LDCF/SCCF support likely to be sustainable, and what are the main factors affecting sustainability?
• What has been the additionality of the LDCF/SCCF, and what is their comparative advantage relative to other climate funds in addressing country challenges and responding to the UNFCCC?

7. The evaluation scope will include assessment of the Challenge Program for Adaptation Innovation under the LDCF/SCCF. The GEF launched the Challenge Program in 2019 to support private sector engagement. The Challenge Program uses a preselection modality for LDCF/SCCF funding, soliciting project concepts through calls for proposals. To date, it has announced three calls for proposals. The first two were each valued at US$10 million, and after a review process, 19 proposals were selected for financing as medium-size projects. The evaluation will assess the unique characteristics and performance of the Challenge Program for Adaptation Innovation, examining both its direct impacts and catalytic effects.

Methodological Expectations and Responsibilities

1. A mixed-methods approach encompassing both quantitative and qualitative methods will be used for the evaluation.

2. The firm will be responsible for the following activities.

As a foundation for its work, it will prepare a synthesis of evaluative evidence on LDCF/SCCF activities drawn from GEF IEO evaluations and the ongoing work of the GEF IEO. The Annual Evaluation Report of LDCF/SCCF will be a useful resource.

The firm will use the GEF IEO's terminal evaluation validation dataset to quantitatively assess trends in project performance, examining patterns across regions, time periods, thematic areas, financing modalities, and implementing agencies.

3. The firm will conduct a systematic analysis of the performance of LDCF/SCCF projects that have been completed or are under implementation. For a substantial subset of projects completed after 2020/21, it will conduct a desk review to assess — among other things — results, sustainability, private sector engagement, and progress toward transformational change. For a subset of projects under implementation, it will assess project start-up, implementation progress, and adaptive management, identifying challenges and patterns across different operational contexts. The firm may use AI-assisted analytics for parts of this analysis, provided that human oversight is maintained throughout, that areas where such tools are used are clearly identified, and that accountability for ensuring accuracy is explicitly addressed.

4. The firm will also conduct field verification of a sample of projects completed more than three years ago, using case studies that represent different types of approaches used under the LDCF/SCCF to assess post-completion sustainability and progress toward long-term transformative results. Field verification will draw on interviews, observations, focus groups, and project documents related to results, financing, and implementation. Where relevant, the evaluation may also employ GIS-based geospatial analysis, such as hazard overlays, exposure mapping, and proximity analysis.

Qualifications

The firm should have the following qualifications:

• A track record of conducting comprehensive evaluations of programs and/or climate funds, with demonstrated experience in at least three comparable assignments.
• Experience in evaluating activities of climate funds, including program governance, resource mobilization, private sector engagement, and development effectiveness.
• Familiarity with GEF policies, processes, and operational procedures, particularly as they relate to LDCF/SCCF projects.

Ability to conduct independent field work across multiple countries with minimal logistical support from the GEF IEO, including capacity to work in languages relevant to the sampled project countries. Likely languages of work include English, Spanish, and French, with additional language skills required depending on the sample for field validation.

Submission Requirements

Interested firms are invited to submit their Expressions of Interest (EOIs) in English through the portal, referencing "Comprehensive Evaluation of the LDCF/SCCF" in the submission. The expression of interest should not exceed six pages and should discuss how the firm is suited to undertake this task, including relevant prior experience and proposed team composition.

The application deadline is July 30, 2026. Based on the initial expressions of interest, shortlisted firms will be notified by August 29, 2026, and will subsequently be invited to prepare a more detailed technical and financial proposal.