The GEF Independent Evaluation Office (IEO) is introducing new evaluation guidelines that will redefine how program and project evaluations are conducted. Effective January 1, 2024, these comprehensive guidelines encompass GEF-funded programs, full-sized projects, and enabling activities. The primary objective of these guidelines is to empower the GEF community to conduct thorough program and project evaluations, ensuring uniformity and completeness in reporting. The IEO worked closely with the GEF Secretariat and GEF Agencies to develop these guidelines, signifying a collaborative…

In the realm of environmental evaluation, 20 years is a significant milestone. It marks not just the passage of time but a journey filled with lessons, successes, and innovations. In this post, we celebrate the remarkable story of the Independent Evaluation Office (IEO), an institution that has played a pivotal role in enhancing the world's environmental accountability, learning, and…

Installing solar panels, biking to work, switching to sustainable agriculture, buying clothes second-hand instead of new -- what do all these have in common? For one, these are all measures that could help save money and mitigate climate change. These also require individuals and institutions to change their behavior.

Both the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy…

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) was established in 1992 to finance multiple international environmental conventions, with projects addressing one convention at a time. In 2014, increased awareness of the interconnectedness of today's environmental problems led the GEF to introduce an integrated approach. This major reform aimed to address the main drivers of global environmental degradation and deliver benefits across the conventions.

Since its introduction, the integrated approach has gained increasing prominence. More than $1 billion has now been allocated for integrated…

When it comes to making the private sector more environmentally sustainable, we don't usually think of the millions of small businesses—better known as micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs)— that dominate private sector activity in developing markets.

In the 2021 Evaluation of GEF Engagement with Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), we put a spotlight on how the GEF has worked with MSMEs in the last 30 years. We looked at a portfolio of 158 completed projects where MSMEs could clearly be identified as being part of project activities.…