IEU publications
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.

LORTA Portfolio Update
September 2023
The multi-year Learning-Oriented Real-Time Impact Assessment (LORTA) programme keeps track of the impact of GCF investments. Its goal is to assist GCF projects measure their impact in lowering greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing resilience to climate change, and if so, by how much. LORTA’s assistance includes, among other things, building and clarifying theories of change, co-building real-time and longer term measurement systems and helping projects use quantitative and qualitative...
IEU Brief No. 4 - 2023
July 2023
Mitigation and adaptation interventions are striving to have transformational effects. This evidence review operationalizes transformational change using three measurable criteria: A large depth of change A large scale of change Sustained change We applied these criteria to two sectors. We approached this exercise directly by focusing on the energy sector in developing countries. We also approached this learning exercise indirectly by reviewing evidence from the public health sector on...

[Approach paper] Independent Evaluation of the Green Climate Fund's Investment Framework
July 2023
During the thirty-fourth meeting of the GCF Board, the 2023 IEU workplan was approved, which includes an Independent Evaluation of the GCF’s Investment Framework. The evaluation broadly assesses the relevance and effectiveness of the GCF’s investment framework in fulfilling the GCF’s mandate and strategic goals. It considers all relevant policies, tools, frameworks, and processes that come into play to enable the GCF to identify high-quality climate change projects and make investment decisions...

[Approach paper] Independent Evaluation of Green Climate Fund's Approach to the Energy Sector
July 2023
An independent evaluation of the GCF's approach to the energy sector is undertaken following an approval by the GCF Board in the decision B.34/06 in October 2022. The evaluation will assess the relevance and effectiveness of GCF’s approach to the energy sector to inform future strategy, policy or guidance and will be used to update the GCF sectoral guidance. It will also provide an extensive analysis of the results achieved as well as scenarios for future strategies of the GCF. Finally, it will...

IEU deliverable at B.36 under the RPSP evaluation
July 2023
The Board-approved workplan of the IEU (document GCF/B.34/28) commissioned the independent evaluation of the GCF’s Readiness and Preparatory Support Programme (RPSP) to assess the progress, results and outcomes, effectiveness, and efficiency of its operational processes. This additional deliverable of the evaluation was submitted at B.36 originally as an annex to IEU’s Activity Report (GCF/B.36/Inf.09), and this standalone version was created to enable stakeholders’ direct and easy access to...

Considerations for integrating behavioural science in Green Climate Fund projects
June 2023
To encourage GCF staff and project developers to identify potential behavioural opportunities, the IEU presents a short list of considerations to highlight which elements of GCF projects may benefit from the application of behavioural science. These are all elements where groups of people must adopt a new behaviour, make a complex decision or execute a complex task. The list of considerations can be utilized during the review and appraisal of project proposals. If deemed relevant, project...

[Approach paper] Independent evaluation of the Readiness and Preparatory Support Programme
June 2023
As part of its Board-approved 2023 workplan, the Independent Evaluation Unit (IEU) is undertaking the Independent Evaluation of GCF’s Readiness and Preparatory Support Programme. The aim of the evaluation is to assess the Readiness programme against key evaluation criteria such as effectiveness and efficiency, relevance, impact, sustainability, complementarity and coherence and other criteria. The evaluation addresses key questions as follows: Assess progress and gains made in the...

Impact evaluation baseline report for FP069: Enhancing adaptive capacities of coastal communities, especially women, to cope with climate change induced salinity
March 2023
This report presents the baseline data for “Enhancing adaptive capacities of coastal communities, especially women, to cope with climate change induced salinity”, a project funded by the Green Climate Fund and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme in Bangladesh. This baseline report provides insights and summary statistics about the socioeconomic situation of project households before project implementation.

Synthesis Note: An IEU deliverable for the Independent Evaluation of the Green Climate Fund's Readiness and Preparatory Support Program
March 2023
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. It will provide preliminary lessons that can feed into the ongoing drafting of a new RPSP Strategy. It will also serve as a basis for the 2023 IEU’s evaluation of the RPSP, which aims to update the GCF Secretariat and the Board on the effectiveness and...

Final Report of the Independent Evaluation of the Relevance and Effectiveness of the Green Climate Fund's Investments in the African States
February 2023
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. It examines how the GCF’s approach and investments in the African states are relevant to meet the continent’s needs, whether they have been effective in reducing the vulnerability of local communities and their livelihoods and whether these impacts are likely to be sustained.

Final report of the Independent Synthesis of Direct Access in the Green Climate Fund
February 2023
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 modality as a way of accessing financing from the Fund. This independent synthesis used a utilization-focused framework, with the objective of being beneficial to its intended users in terms of providing learning, informing decision-making, and assessing...