IEU publications
To serve the needs of our stakeholders, the IEU issues a variety of publications related to our work, including in the context of evaluations and learning. Keep up with the IEU’s latest publications here.
Featured publications
Final report of the Second Performance Review of the Green Climate Fund
The Second Performance Review of the Green Climate Fund covers the GCF-1 period and seeks to inform, among other things, the next update to the strategic plan (USP-2), currently being discussed for the GCF-2 period (2024–2027).
Final report of the Independent Synthesis of Direct Access in the Green Climate Fund
The synthesis of Direct Access in the Green Climate Fund was conducted to assess and provide learning on the Fund’s implementation of the direct access concept and approach and to improve the relevance and performance of the GCF’s direct access mo
Synthesis Note: An IEU deliverable for the Independent Evaluation of the Green Climate Fund's Readiness and Preparatory Support Program
This synthesis document offers an overview of existing evaluative evidence on various dimensions of importance to RPSP based on the findings of previous IEU evaluations, including repeating selected findings from the first RPSP evaluation.
Final Report of the Independent Evaluation of the Relevance and Effectiveness of the Green Climate Fund's Investments in the African States
This independent evaluation assesses whether the GCF’s approach and investments in the African States have been effective in promoting a paradigm shift towards low-emission and climate-resilient development pathways.
Final report of the Second Performance Review of the Green Climate Fund
February 2023
The Second Performance Review of the Green Climate Fund covers the GCF-1 period and seeks to inform, among other things, the next update to the strategic plan (USP-2), currently being discussed for the GCF-2 period (2024–2027). The scope of the SPR includes (1) evaluating the GCF’s progress in delivering on its mandate as set out in the GI and its strategic and operational priorities and actions as outlined in the USP, and (2) the performance of the GCF in promoting a paradigm shift towards low...
Evaluability assessment of the Green Climate Fund funding proposals
December 2022
This paper continues IEU’s effort to assess the tools and frameworks within funding proposals that enable robust monitoring and measurement of results during project implementation. The series began in 2019 with “Becoming bigger, better, smarter: A summary of the evaluability of Green Climate Fund proposals”. This paper presents the progress in the ability of projects to deliver a cost-effective impact on climate adaptation and mitigation during the GCF-1 period.
Behavioural science interventions within the development and environmental fields in developing countries: An evidence gap map
December 2022
This evidence gap map (EGM) presents a landscape of studies on the effectiveness of behavioural science interventions in non-Annex I settings, a group of mainly developing countries within the context of the Kyoto Protocol of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The EGM summarizes causal evidence from development and environmental interventions. Understanding what is effective in changing behaviour in these countries is important for both adaptation and mitigation purposes...
[Systematic review] Behavioural science interventions within the development and environmental fields in developing countries
December 2022
This paper presents a systematic review on behavioural science interventions in the human development and environmental/climate fields in developing countries. The review synthesizes evidence on five specific behavioural interventions – feedback, reminders, salience (communication), salience (experience design), and goal setting – and how these influence development and environmental/climate outcomes. It aims to facilitate the use of evidence in informing policy and practice decisions within...
Interventions for women's empowerment in developing countries: An evidence gap map
December 2022
There is a broad spectrum of interventions targeted at gender equality in developing countries. However, to our knowledge, there is no evidence gap map on the effectiveness of interventions to improve women’s empowerment in developing countries. This evidence gap map (EGM) plots studies on the effectiveness of interventions for women’s empowerment in developing countries (defined here as the list of countries defined by the Kyoto Protocol as non-Annex I countries). This EGM serves as a useful...
Effectiveness of life skills training interventions for the empowerment of women in developing countries: A systematic review
December 2022
The GCF’s approach to mainstreaming gender requires a strong understanding of gender issues and gender capacity, and the Fund’s gender policy sets out a commitment to measure the outcomes and impacts of its activities on women and men’s resilience to climate change. Based on the companion evidence gap map, this systematic review evaluates the ability of life skills interventions to promote the empowerment of women of all ages.
Impact evaluation baseline report for FP072: Strengthening climate resilience of agricultural livelihoods in agro-ecological regions I and II in Zambia
November 2022
This report presents the baseline data for “Strengthening climate resilience of agricultural livelihoods in agro-ecological regions I and II in Zambia” (SCRALA), a project funded by the Green Climate Fund and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme in Zambia. The report includes descriptive statistics collected for the baseline phase of the SCRALA impact evaluation.
Introducing geospatial footprint of the GCF's portfolio: Project location geocoding methodology
October 2022
This paper summarizes how the IEU DataLab identifies the sub-national geographical location of GCF projects by reviewing their approved funding proposals. The methodology described in this paper marks the first time the GCF’s climate finance flows and distribution have been tracked at the sub-national level.
Summary report: an IEU deliverable contributing to the Second Performance Review of the Green Climate Fund
September 2022
Through decision B.BM-2021/17, the Board of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) launched the Second Performance Review of the GCF, with the final report expected in early 2023. This summary report presents the areas of emerging evidence, findings and initial recommendations deriving from the Second Performance Review of the GCF.
IEU Flyer 2022
June 2022
The IEU updated its publications flyer in May 2022 to showcase some of the IEU's most recent activities and products. The IEU delegation to the 14th Biennial Conference of the European Evaluation Society distributed this flyer to other conference participants. The IEU will continue to update this flyer and utilize it to disseminate its work.
Scale, depth and duration - Examples of transformational change in the energy and public health sectors
May 2022
The study analyses robust, causal evidence of transformational change and its drivers. We approach this topic by systematically reviewing literature that has the potential to document causal evidence for transformational change across a broad set of interventions and outcomes. Our focus is on evidence found in developing countries. We approach this learning exercise directly by looking at the energy sector and indirectly by reviewing the evidence on behavioural change in the public health...
Impact Evaluation Baseline Report for FP087: Building livelihood resilience to climate change in the upper basins of Guatemala's highlands
May 2022
This document is the baseline report for the impact evaluation of the project FP087 "Building livelihood resilience to climate change in the upper basins of Guatemala"s highlands". The report outlines the theory of change of the project intervention as well as the evaluation questions and indicators.
Impact Evaluation Report for FP002 : Scaling up the Use of Modernized Climate Information and Early Warning Systems in Malawi
May 2022
This report assesses the impact of the Green Climate Fund's FP002 "Scaling up the Use of Modernized Climate Information and Early Warning Systems in Malawi". The impact evaluation focuses on the Participatory Integrated Climate Services for Agriculture (PICSA) component of the projects and its impact on the climate resilience of farmers supported within FP002.
Approach Brief: SPR2023
May 2022
This 2022 introductory brief provides a pre-implementation summary of the IEU’s Second Performance Review of the Green Climate Fund, including progress made in delivering its mandate and in promoting a paradigm shift towards low-emission and climate-resilient development pathways.
Rapid assessment of the progress of the Green Climate Fund's Updated Strategic Plan
April 2022
The rapid assessment of the progress of the GCF's Updated Strategic Plan is an IEU deliverable contributing to the Second Performance Review (SPR) of the GCF. It independently reviews the progress to date and provides projections on the delivery of the GCF strategic vision until the end of the GCF-1 programming period. The assessment is conducted to answer the questions - How far have we come? - Where is there still more to be done? It also provides insights into the USP’s policy implications,...