Annual Performance Report (APR) 2002 (Project Performance Report)

The Project Performance Report (PPR) has three objectives; to assist decision-making on improvements to policies, strategies , program management, procedures and projects, to promote accountability for resource use, and to document and feedback on results and lessons learned. The PPR draws on the findings of the 2002 Project Implementation Review (PIR), a monitoring process based upon reporting by the GEF Implementing Agencies (IAs) on all projects being implemented for at least one year as of June 2002. The report also compiles findings, lessons, and recommendations drawn from the Secretariat Managed Project Reviews, and Terminal Evaluation Reviews. This Review looks at 272 ongoing projects.

The report includes the following general conclusions and recommendations:

  1. Projects examined generally performing well at implementing partnership arrangements, however some focal area task forces cited projects which insufficiently assessed institutional capacity.
  2. In some cases, important comments on project design from the GEF Secretariat, Council and STAP went unheeded.
  3. Some projects exhibited poor identification and management of risks.
  4. Despite some exceptions, generally speaking GEF projects are not doing enough to ensure sustainability of project outcomes and impacts.
  5. Effective stakeholder participation varies across focal areas and regions and needs improvement.
  6. There were some extreme shortfalls in cofinancing which could be attributed to a lack of appropriate reporting.
  7. For many projects, the assessment of cost effectiveness was complicated and there is a need for clearer GEF Secretariat guidelines on this.
  8. The overall role and impact of M&E in the project portfolio needs to be strengthened.