Tracking national portfolios
and assessing results
Sub-regional Workshop for GEF Focal Points in Asia
Manila, 15-16 May 2008
Presentation Outline
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Monitoring & Evaluation
Role of Focal Points in M&E
Tracking the Portfolio: Tools & Approaches
Role of M&E in implementation of the RAF
Monitoring: Issues for Discussion
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Monitoring & Evaluation
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What is Monitoring & Evaluation?
 Monitoring provides management with a basis for
decision making on progress and GEF with information
on results. This involves:
• Ongoing, systematic gathering of qualitative and
quantitative information to track progress on project
outcomes & outputs
• Identification of implementation issues and propose actions
to solve these
 Evaluation provides lessons learned and
recommendations for future projects, polices and
portfolios. This involves:
• Periodic assessment of results (i.e. outputs, outcomes and
impact) according to the criteria of relevance, effectiveness,
efficiency and sustainability
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Relevance of Monitoring & Evaluation for Focal Points:
→Monitoring:
 Project Implementation Review (for each project annually)
 Portfolio Monitoring (country specific)
→Evaluation:
 Mid-Term Evaluation of projects (in some cases)
 Terminal Evaluations – of all projects
 Portfolio Evaluations by country (e.g. Vietnam,
China)
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Role of Focal Points in M&E
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Role of GEF Focal Point in M&E…
Role depends on country specific circumstances →
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Country capacity
Institutional setting
Portfolio scope and size (number of projects)
What are some of the potential roles and responsibilities
in M&E?
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Keeping track of GEF support at the national level
Promoting use of evaluation recommendations and lessons learned,
particularly in new project proposals
Supporting and ensuring dissemination of GEF M&E information
Keeping stakeholders informed and consulted in plans, implementation and
results of country GEF M&E activities
Assisting the Evaluation Office, as the first point of entry into a country,
during evaluations: identifying major relevant stakeholders, coordinating
meetings, assisting with agendas –coordinating country responses to these
evaluations
Other examples?
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Key Message 1:
It is very important for Focal Points to
participate in and be informed of
Monitoring and Evaluation in their
countries.
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Key Message 2:
There is no prescribed role for the Focal
Points in Monitoring and Evaluation – it
depends in the institutional setting,
capacity and portfolio scope, size.
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Tracking the Portfolio: Tools &
Approaches
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Tracking the Portfolio: Tools and Approaches
M&E of the portfolio:
 Creating a simple tracking system for GEF projects (see next
slide).
 Including the GEF Support in national tracking system of
international grants/loans.
 Reporting GEF achievements against national development goals
and objectives (MDGs? Reporting to Conventions?)
 Establishing a close collaboration with GEF Agencies M&E
officer and projects managers.
 Exchanging experiences and information in workshops – both
sub-regional and national.
 Supporting annual workshops to discuss project implementation,
experiences and lessons and results with key GEF players in the
country.
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Tracking the Portfolio - an example
Portfolio Tracking System –
 Project level data:
• Basic Data – such as:
> Project Data (name, agency, focal area etc.)
> Financial information: GEF grant and cofinancing
> Project cycle dates (entry into pipeline, approval, start up)
> Basic data can be found in the PMIS)
• Substantive Data – such as:
> Objective(s), Expected Outcome(s),
> Ratings: implementation progress and likelihood of achieving
objectives,
> Once completed: actual achievements and lessons learned,
Project documents
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This information feeds into the progress of overall environmental
achievements at higher levels, namely - the national targets, the MDGs
and the GEF strategic targets. Keep it simple and only collect and
record information that will be used!
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Tracking the portfolio: Why is it useful?
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To keep track of environmental achievements towards national targets, the
MDGs and the GEF strategic targets and mandate
To improve coordination and policies / institutions:
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For national coordination of the GEF portfolio: between ministries, implementing
and executing agencies, civil society etcetera
To feed into national decision making on GEF support (strategy, priorities)
For harmonization purposes: preventing overlap between donors, agencies,
government policies and so on
To improve project implementation:
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To provide an overall overview of the GEF portfolio currently under implementation
in the country
To be informed of implementation progress and help resolve implementation issues
of projects (start, end, major events, delays)
To be able to address common problems – reoccurring in the portfolio
To integrate lessons learned, disseminate valuable experience and give
recommendations in future work/ project proposals
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Where to find information to track the portfolio?
 Project Implementation Reports produced annually by the
projects and GEF Agencies (self assessments)
 Supervision reports from GEF Agencies
 PMIS (project management information system)
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Role of M&E in implementation of the
RAF
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Role of M&E in implementation of the RAF
→ M&E is linked to improving results and performance
- which is linked to countries RAF allocations..
1. To improve Global Environmental Benefits (GEB)
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of projects
at country level → RAF GBI
2. To improve environmental policies and institutions
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through projects
at country level → RAF GPI
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Tracking the portfolio: Why is it useful? (2)
(continued)
3. To improve project results
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increase global environmental benefits
ratings of projects in terminal evaluations → RAF GPI
4. To improve project implementation
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increase likelihood of project results
Ratings in project implementation reports → RAF GPI
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Key Message 3:
Monitoring & Evaluation is linked to
improving results and performance which is linked to countries RAF
allocations…
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Monitoring: Issues for Discussion
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Monitoring: Issues for discussion
 How are the partners working together in monitoring?
(Focal Point, Agency, project staff, technical ministry or
department, beneficiaries…)
• Who does what? How is information circulating? How can the
Focal Point support the GEF portfolio in national management
and decision-making?
 Further development of tools for tracking portfolios.
• How are available tools used?
• What type of information is required? How will the information
be used?
• Who should be involved in national knowledge sharing forum?
And how?
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Available information sources:
 Project evaluations: mid-term and final
(independent) from GEF Agencies
 National development goals tracking systems
 Knowledge exchange during workshops
(national
coordination committees, with other focal points, annual workshops
with implementing / executing agencies, other actors in the field –
NGOs, CBOs etc)
 Information from established focal area task forces,
networks, environmental assessments and other
relevant activities.
 Evaluations conducted by GEF-EO and
independent evaluation offices of GEF Agencies
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More information….
 GEF corporate evaluations and lessons learned:
www.gefeo.org, under Publication or Ongoing Evaluations
 The GEF M&E Policy: www.gefeo.org, under Policies and
Procedures
 Project evaluations (161 terminal evaluations):
www.thegef.org, under Project Database, for search click
on Evaluation Documents
 Email contact: gefevaluation@theGEF.org
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