IEO conducts accountability and learning-focused evaluations that generate lessons learned for the GEF. The evaluations focus on results, impact and performance of the GEF, and address strategic issues of the partnership.
Overall Performance Studies (OPS) are performed every four years to provide solid evaluative evidence to donors. These evaluations provide an independent assessment of performance and results of the GEF over a GEF replenishment period. The comprehensive evaluations assess the extent to which the GEF is achieving its objectives and identify potential areas of improvement.
Evaluation of GEF Interventions in the Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining Sector (2020)
The Global Environment Facility (GEF) has a long history of investing in interventions to solve the environmental and health issues associated with the artisanal small-scale gold mining industry (ASGM). The signing of the Minamata Convention on Mercury in 2013 prompted an increased investment by GEF into the removal of mercury from human processes, including ASGM.

Evaluation of Knowledge Management in the GEF (2020)
Knowledge is an important resource of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) that supports its strategic objectives to address global environmental concerns. Over the years, the GEF facilitated generation and sharing of knowledge through its projects and programs, as well as through its corporate strategies and initiatives. However, sharing knowledge across the partnership has been a challenge due to differences in systems, processes, and procedures of member organizations.

Evaluation of GEF Support in Fragile and Conflict-Affected Situations (2020)
The GEF Independent Evaluation Office is collaborating with the Environmental Law Institute to assess GEF projects and programs in fragile and conflict-affected situations—in short, to determine whether and how GEF interventions are conflict-sensitive, and the implications thereof.

Evaluation of the Role of Medium Size Projects (MSP) in the GEF Partnership (2020)
The GEF medium-sized project (MSP) modality has provided an expedited mechanism for execution of smaller projects by simplifying processing steps together with review and approval procedures, thereby shortening the project cycle relative to GEF full-sized projects. MSPs were able to address the gap between the two funding mechanisms at the time—full-size projects and Small Grants Programme.

Program Evaluation of the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF) 2020
The 2020 program evaluation of the least developed countries fund (LDCF) covers performance and progress towards LDCF objectives and results in the four years since the 2016 LDCF program evaluation. The main objective of this evaluation is to assess the progress the LDCF has made since the 2016 LDCF program evaluation and the extent to which the LDCF is in the process of achieving the objectives set out in the GEF Programming Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change for LDCF/SCCF (2018–2022).

African Biomes Strategic Country Cluster Evaluation (SCCE)
The African Biomes Strategic Country Cluster Evaluation (SCCE) covers GEF activities in 23 countries situated in two Sub-Saharan African biomes: the Sahel and the Sudan-Guinea Savanna. Selection of these two biomes is based on the countries’ comparable land-based environmental challenges. These countries also face challenges related to governance, demographics, migration, conflict and fragility, working as drivers for the environmental issues at hand. Most countries situated in the two biomes are Least Developed Countries (LDCs), and half are countries in fragile situations.


Least Developed Countries (LDC) Strategic Country Cluster Evaluation (SCCE)
The strategic country cluster evaluation (SCCE) of least developed countries (LDCs) covers all 47 LDCs, located in Africa, Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean. Selection of the LDCs for an SCCE is based on the countries’ common LDC status and related economic, social and environmental challenges. LDCs are low-income countries confronting severe structural impediments to sustainable development. They are highly vulnerable to economic and environmental shocks, have low levels of human assets, and almost half of the LDCs are countries in fragile situations.

Annual Performance Report (APR) 2020
The GEF Annual Performance Report (APR) prepared by the GEF Independent Evaluation Office (GEF IEO) provides an overview of the performance of GEF activities and processes, key factors that may affect performance, and the quality of Monitoring and Evaluations systems (M&E). Along with regular reporting on performance of completed projects, an APR may cover issues affecting the GEF partnership that have been identified as being of current interest to GEF stakeholders.

An Evaluative Approach to Assessing GEF's Additionality 2018
Since its inception in 1992, the GEF has been at the forefront of leveraging local investments to achieve global impact. Yet. accounting for the GEF’s additionality – additional benefits that are attributable to the GEF – has remained a challenge.

Annual Performance Report (APR) 2019
The annual performance report (APR) provides an update on performance of the Global Environment Facility’s (GEF) portfolio of completed projects. It reports on project outcomes, the likelihood of sustainability of project outcomes, the quality of project implementation and execution, co-financing trends, the quality of project M&E systems, and the coverage of terminal evaluation reports. APR 2019 covers 1,566 completed GEF projects which account for $6.9 billion in GEF grants. Terminal evaluations for 193 projects were received and validated during 2018-2019.
