GEI and CLEAR-LAB Conduct Workshop for CIF Observers on Rapid Evaluation in Climate Action

In November 2023, researchers from the Center for Learning on Evaluation and Results for Lusophone Africa and Brazil (CLEAR-LAB), in collaboration with evaluation professionals from the Global Evaluation Initiative (GEI), led a workshop on rapid evaluation in climate action, as part of the Evaluation Capacity Development (ECD) program of the Climate Investment Funds (CIF).

CIF’s ECD program was launched in June 2023 and is focused on ensuring CIF Observers can assess, analyze, and evaluate climate interventions on the ground. CIF Observers constitute over 40 independent representatives from civil society organizations, private sector entities, and indigenous peoples’ organizations that serve as Official Observers in the CIF Trust Fund Committees (TFC) and contribute to decision-making on climate policies and climate finance projects.

GEI and CLEAR-LAB, a GEI Implementing Partner, are working with the CIF to co-create the ECD program for CIF Observers. The program consists of two components, GEI Network-led capacity building trainings and CIF-funded research grants that will provide funding for observers to propose and undertake evaluative studies. After taking part in the ECD program, observers will be able to understand and interpret terminology and results from evaluations, synthesize existing evaluative research, and evaluate climate interventions on their own.

The November program on rapid evaluation included both online and in-person participation, with 40 CIF Observers from countries including Argentina, Burkina Faso, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Senegal, South Africa and Uganda.

Gabriel Weber Costa and Lorena Figueiredo, researchers from CLEAR-LAB, along with André Portela, CLEAR-LAB’s Director, addressed key topics on monitoring and evaluation (M&E), emphasizing the importance of evidence-based policies for climate change. The course included case studies of climate projects and group exercises.

"Our training combined theory and practice. During the group exercises, CIF Observers conducted a critical assessment of two projects on agriculture and energy. This enabled them to put to test the theories learned,” stated André Portela.

Highlighting the importance and benefits of global cooperation, two other CLEAR centers, CLEAR-Anglophone Africa and CLEAR-South Asia, collaborated with CLEAR-LAB to produce instructional videos covering the fundamentals of monitoring and evaluation specifically for this activity.

Ketevan Nozadze and Jozef Vaessen, of the GEI Global Team, led part of the training. They discussed the need to consider issues of scope, relevance and usefulness when designing an evaluation.

Empowering decision-makers with the tools to gather, use and understand evidence is key to tackling development challenges like climate change and is an important part of GEI’s approach to strengthening national monitoring and evaluation systems around the world.