The EQA assessment tool, draws on GCF evaluation requirements, Secretariat procedures, and lessons from other organizations. It was first used to assess a sample of 18 midterm and final evaluations in 2025. Since then, the tool has undergone minor adjustments to more fully assess coverage of impact. The EQA Tool 2.0 places greater emphasis on the extent to which the evaluation design and methodology enable an appropriate level of rigour in assessing impact (Question 8, 8.1, 8.2, 9), and the analysis for final evaluations fully explores impact including from a paradigm shift lens, with a lighter-touch assessment of impact being required for interim evaluations. (Question 11.iii). On the GCF Standards Form, the importance of measuring impact-level results was added to the criteria for Credibility and Rigour (5.1). Reviewer guidance was also adjusted with narrative comments on the extent to which impact was covered now being required in the overall EQA Summary box.

Other minor changes to the main part of the tool included adjusting text to better align with GCF terminology. For example, in Question 4.i when identifying stakeholder groups, “accredited entity, executing entity, national designated authority, government entities, Indigenous Peoples, civil society organizations, private sector”replaced “implementing agency, national implementing partners, local communities, social institutions” with. Similarly, the term “interim review” has been changed to “interim evaluation” (Question 14.ii).