Evaluating Sustainable Development: GEF IEO at the IDEAS Global Assembly and the Fourth International Conference on National Evaluation Capacities (NEC)

Overview

Juha I. Uitto, Director of the GEF Independent Evaluation Office, and Rob D. van den Berg, IDEAS President, jointly facilitated a pre-conference workshop ahead of IDEAS GA on “Challenges of Evaluating Sustainability in Development”. The workshop looked at how the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) necessitate a fresh look at how environmental sustainability and longer-term inclusive and equitable development are interlinked and can be assessed and evaluated. Pragmatic and concrete approaches and methods were provided through lectures and a case study, as well as inspiration and sources for further study. The workshop was well attended and appreciated by all 35 participants.

The GEF IEO also sponsored a joint IDEAS GA / NEC2015 panel session that focused on “Challenges and Innovations in Evaluating Sustainable Development in Small Island Developing States (SIDS)”. Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are facing unique and often severe challenges to sustainable development. Their small size in terms of geography, economy, population and capacities renders them vulnerable to external shocks. The old limitations pertaining to natural resources, water, energy and waste management have been exacerbated by global environmental change. Although their role in causing climate change has been minimal, they are at the frontlines of facing its impacts. The panel was

chaired by Juha I Uitto and brought together experts on evaluating sustainable development from Cook Islands (Miimetua Nimerota, Senior Strategic Policy and Planning Adviser , Office of the prime minister), Barbados (David Todd, International Development, Environment and Disasters - IDEDS), St. Lucia (Edwin St Catherine, Director of Statistics, Ministry of Economic Affairs), and Australia (Jeremy Kohlitz, University of Technology, Sydney, Australia). The joint SIDS session was well appreciated and generated a lively discussion between the panel and the audience.

The Climate-Eval, Community of Practice also hosted a panel session, chaired by Ms. Anna Viggh – GEF IEO Senior Evaluation Officer – that focused on different M&E challenges one would need to tackle when evaluating adaptation and mitigation focused interventions. Christine Woerlen presented the Climate-Eval study on evaluating climate mitigation interventions, which was followed by Taka Miyaguchi’s presentation of a practical example applying the Theory Of No Change (TONC). Dennis Bours presented the Climate-Eval study on good practice principles for the development, selection and use of adaptation-focused indicators, followed by Dickson Gumisiriza’s presentation of a study that looked at key policy issues affecting climate change adaptation in Uganda. Presentations were kept concise, providing 45 minutes of discussion between panelist/presenters and the audience, resulting in a lively discussion that also touched upon topics beyond the presentations discussed – like the use and abuse of evidence in policy making and how to develop and apply a theory of change for smaller activities in the climate change arena. Read more about [the 5th Global Assembly (GA) of the International Development Evaluation Association (IDEAS)](http://www.global-assembly.org/) and [the 4th International Conference on National Evaluation Capacities (NEC)](http://www.nec2015.net/international-conference-for-national-evaluation-capacity/2015).

Event Details