Tracking national portfolios and assessing results

Sub-regional Workshop for GEF Focal Pointsin the CaribbeanNassau, Bahamas, 9-11 October 2007

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Presentation Outline

GEF and the Evaluation Office Monitoring & Evaluation Role of Focal Points in M&E Tracking the Portfolio: Tools & Approaches GEF National Coordination – Lessons Learned from Bolivia,

China, Colombia, Poland and Uganda Monitoring: Issues for Discussion Evaluation: Issues for Discussion

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Evaluation Office

STAP

Donor Replenishment

Group

NGOs

Assembly

CBD

UNFCC

POPs

CCD

MultilateralFund of MontrealProtocol

InternationalWaters

IAs/EAs

UNDP

UNEP

WB

ADB

AfDB

EBRD

FAO

IDB

IFAD

UNIDO

Council

CEO/Chair

GEF Secretariat

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OverallPerformance

Study

Thematic andcross-cuttingevaluations,

impact assessments,country portfolio reviews

APR

Portfolio and program reviewsFocal area indicators

Annual PIR, Proj ects-at-risk systems,Supervision

Project indicatorsMonitoring

Mid-term evaluations

STAPadvice

enabling environment

oversight

M&E policy

COUNCI L

The M & E pyramid…

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Monitoring & Evaluation Policy

Purpose of M&E in the GEF: • Promote learning, feedback and knowledge sharing

as basis for decision making on all levels• Promote accountability: results, effectiveness,

processes and performance Clarifies roles and responsibilities Includes minimum standards for project M&E Further Information: Monitoring and Evaluation

Policy (2006) - www.thegef.org, under Evaluation Office, under Policies and Procedures

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Key roles & responsibilities in M&E

Partner Key Roles and Responsibilities in M&E

GEF Council Policy-making; oversight; enabling environment for M&E

GEF Evaluation Office Independent GEF evaluationOversight of and setting minimum requirements for GEF M&E

GEF Secretariat GEF portfolio monitoring and reportingReview of GEF M&E requirements in project proposals

Agency GEF operational units Monitoring of the Agency GEF portfolio Ensure M&E at the project level

Agency evaluation units Project and/or corporate Agency evaluationsMainstreaming GEF into relevant Agency evaluation

STAP Advice on and support to scientific and technical indicators

Participating Countries Collaboration on M&E at portfolio and project levels.

GEF Focal Points Implementation of country GEF M&E activities; Participation inEvaluations; integrating lessons & recommendations in future work

Stakeholders Participation in monitoring activities and mechanisms Providing views and perceptions to evaluations

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GEF Evaluation OfficeWork Program FY07-10

FY07-08

Small Grants Programme Evaluation

Impact Evaluations leading to Annual Report on Impact

Capacity Development Evaluation 4 Country Portfolio Evaluations in

Africa + 2 new CPEs Catalytic Role of the GEF RAF mid-term review Annual Performance Report Start-up of GEF Focal Areas

evaluations Evaluation of Partnership and

umbrella projects

FY09-10

Country Portfolio Evaluations Annual Performance Report Annual Impact Report Six Focal Area evaluations Fourth Overall Performance

Study

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What is Monitoring & Evaluation? 2 (2)

Monitoring provides management with a basis for decision making on progress and GEF with information on results. This involves:• Ongoing, systematic gathering of qualitative and

quantitative information to track progress on project outcomes & outputs

• Identification of implementation issues and propose actions to solve these

Evaluation provides lessons learned and recommendations for future projects, polices and portfolios. This involves:• Periodic assessment of results (i.e. outputs, outcomes and

impact) according to the criteria of relevance, effectiveness, efficiency and sustainability

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Role of GEF Focal Point in M&E

Role depends on country specific circumstances…..

What are some of the potential roles and responsibilities in M&E? Keeping track of GEF support at the national level Promoting use of evaluation recommendations and lessons learned,

particularly in new project proposals Supporting and ensuring dissemination of GEF M&E information Keeping stakeholders informed and consulted in plans,

implementation and results of country GEF M&E activities Assisting the Evaluation Office, as the first point of entry into a

country, during evaluations: identifying major relevant stakeholders, coordinating meetings, assisting with agendas – and coordinating country responses to these evaluations

Other examples?

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Tracking the Portfolio: Tools and Approaches

M & E of the portfolio: what are some experiences? Creating a simple tracking system for GEF projects (see slide 12). Including the GEF Support in national tracking system of

international grants/loans. Reporting GEF achievements against national development goals

and objectives (MDGs? Reporting to Conventions?) Establishing a close collaboration with GEF Agencies M&E officer

and projects managers. Exchanging experiences and information in workshops – both sub-

regional and national. Supporting annual workshops to discuss project implementation,

experiences and lessons and results with key GEF players in the country.

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Available information sources:

Project Implementation Reports produced annually by the projects and GEF Agencies (self assessments)

Supervision reports from GEF Agencies Project evaluations: mid-term and final (independent) National development goals tracking systems Knowledge exchange during workshops (national coordination committees,

with other focal points, annual workshops with implementing / executing agencies, other actors in the field – NGOs, CBOs etc)

Information from established focal area task forces, networks, environmental assessments and other relevant activities.

Evaluations conducted by GEF-EO and independent evaluation offices of GEF Agencies

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Tracking the Portfolio - an example

Portfolio Tracking System – Project level data:

• Project name and GEF ID (and your own ID number)• Focal area (strategic priority)• GEF Agency• National Executing Agency• Financial information: GEF grant (including preparatory funding, allocations from RAF) and cofinancing

(including sources)• Project cycle dates (entry into pipeline, PPG, Council approval, CEO Endorsement, start up, completion:

proposed and actual)• Objective(s)• Expected Outcome(s)• Expected contribution to GEF 4 targets• Project Status description (updated at least twice a year)• Ratings: implementation progress and likelihood of achieving objectives• Once completed: actual achievements and lessons learned• Project documents• Contact person in project and with GEF Agency

This information feeds into the progress of overall environmental achievements at higher levels, namely - the national targets, the MDGs and the GEF strategic targets. Keep it simple and only collect and record information that will be used!

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Tracking the portfolio: Why is it useful? (1)

To have an overall overview of the GEF portfolio currently under implementation in the country

For national coordination of the GEF portfolio: between ministries, implementing and executing agencies, civil society etcetera

To feed into national decision making on GEF support• Resource Allocation Framework: setting of priorities• Project endorsements• Planning for future support

To keep track of environmental achievements towards national targets, the MDGs and the GEF strategic targets and mandate

For harmonization purposes: preventing overlap between donors, agencies, government policies and so on

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Tracking the portfolio: Why is it useful? (2)

To be informed of implementation progress of projects (start, end, major events, delays)

To be able to address common problems – reoccurring in the portfolio

To resolve implementation issues (related to national scope)? To integrate lessons learned, disseminate valuable experience

and give recommendations in future work/ project proposals To act as the central hub for GEF country information across all

agencies To support the GEF portfolio among stakeholders and ministries Other?

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GEF National Coordination – Lessons Learned from Bolivia, China, Colombia, Poland and Uganda ( October 2005)

Good practice:- Inviting national project executing agencies to make presentations

to coordination committee meetings (including project visits and reports from ongoing projects)

- Regular access to the GEF Agencies monitoring and post-completion projects evaluation reports enables feedback on project performance in future project proposals

Lessons learned:- National coordination mechanisms involvement in monitoring

efforts enhances national project ownership- Collaboration in monitoring efforts increase national accountability

and also helps ensure that the objectives and progress made by projects reaches a much broader audience

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Monitoring: Issues for discussion

How are the partners working together in monitoring? (Focal Point, Agency, project staff, technical ministry or department, beneficiaries…)• Who does what? How is information circulating? How can the

Focal Point support GEF portfolio in national management and decision-making?

Further development of tools for tracking portfolios. • How are available tools used?• What type of information is required? How will the information

be used? • Who should be involved in national knowledge sharing forum?

And how?

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Evaluation: Issues for discussion

What is the experience of country reviews of GEF portfolios? (Costa Rica, Philippines, Samoa)

How is planning, undertaking and sharing project evaluations working in your country? How can it be improved?

Project evaluations are conducted independently. How should Focal Points add value?

How can Focal Points support dissemination of evaluations and their use in new project design?

How can countries use lessons learned from GEF corporate evaluations?

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More information….

The GEF M&E Policy: www.thegef.org, under Evaluation Office, under Policies and Procedures

GEF corporate evaluations and lessons learned: www.thegef.org, under Evaluation Office, under Publication or Ongoing Evaluations

Project evaluations (161 terminal evaluations): www.thegef.org, under Project Database, for search click on Evaluation Documents

Email contact: gefevaluation@theGEF.org