The IEU has a mandate for both discharging an accountability function and supporting a learning function. These are central to the GCF being a learning organization as laid out in its Governing Instrument and its initial strategic plan.

The responsibilities of the IEU are as follows:

• Evaluation
• Advisory and capacity support
• Learning
• Engagement 
   

The IEU will undertake independent overall, portfolio, country, thematic, programme evaluations that inform GCF strategic result areas. In key cases, it will also support and undertake project evaluations. The IEU will use relevant and innovative methods and an independent peer-review mechanism that will provide guidance on independent evaluations. The vision, criteria and guidelines for these will be laid out in the Independent evaluation policy. The IEU is also mandated to independently peer-review and attest the quality of GCF self-evaluations.