Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) of adaptation supports keeping track of the implementation of adaptation plans and actions and assessing their effectiveness and outcomes in alignment with the Paris Agreement.

Adaptation M&E can focus on the process of adaptation (i.e. is implementation taking place?) as well as on its outcomes (i.e. whether the objectives of adaptation actions are achieved).

M&E of climate adaptation differs from M&E of mitigation (also called MRV), because adaptation is context-specific and there is no global success indicator for adaptation similar to “reduction in GHG-emissions”. Adaptation M&E systems and indicators therefore need to fit to the respective context and purpose.

The use of adaptation indicators is common but has certain limitations that need to be considered.

• Adaptation M&E can support the ongoing management of adaptation interventions by assessing progress and pointing out needs for adjustments.
• Adaptation M&E can support learning and exchange about what works well and what does not, thereby helping to improve adaptation actions.
• Adaptation M&E can provide accountability by demonstrating and reporting on results.

The Paris Agreement calls for enhanced transparency of adaptation actions and encourages Parties to share information on adaptation progress. The Global Stocktake will assess the collective achievement towards the goals of the agreement every five years, including progress on adaptation. Country-specific adaptation M&E systems can generate information that supports planning and decision making and facilitates implementation of the Paris Agreement. 

M&E of climate adaptation can be done for a variety of purposes, for instance to monitor adaptation projects, the implementation of a national action plan, or the achievement of NDC goals.

Each of these purposes may require different methods, e.g. depending on whether the primary focus is on management, learning or accountability. M&E approaches also differ according to the level of application, e.g. whether M&E is undertaken at the project level, the national level or across levels. Therefore, there is no one-size-fits all approach for adaptation M&E.

Key considerations for designing adaptation M&E systems include the context, the M&E purpose, the target audience and the available resources.

The Adaptation M&E Navigator provides orientation and suggests relevant M&E methods.

Climate change affects people differently depending on their gender, age, race, disability, migrant status, socioeconomic status and other intersecting factors. What is more, adaptation efforts can in fact reinforce existing inequalities if differences and underlying power relations are not addressed properly. Gender-responsive monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems play an important role in defining and assessing progress whether adaptation investments reach women, men and marginalized groups equitably, whether they contribute to reducing existing inequalities as well as whether they enable meaningful and equal participation in decision-making processes. Therefore, gender considerations are relevant to M&E at all levels, from individual projects to national adaptation planning and implementation.  

Gender-responsive M&E at the project level 

Gender considerations need to be integrated throughout the entire project life cycle, from design to implementation and evaluation. During the design phase, M&E systems should be established to capture gender-differentiated results by integrating them into the theory of change, results framework and indicators. Throughout implementation, M&E should assess who participates in adaptation measures, who benefits from them, and whether implementation promotes equality and equity. Finally, project evaluations should examine the gender-differentiated impacts of adaptation measures and assess whether they have contributed to gender-responsive or -transformative outcomes.   

Gender-responsive M&E at the national level 

Many countries increasingly recognise the importance of collecting gender-disaggregated data and conducting gender analyses to better understand how climate change and adaptation measures affect different population groups. National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) provide a useful example of how gender can be integrated into adaptation M&E. The Toolkit for a Gender-Responsive Process to Formulate and Implement NAPs, developed by the NAP Global Network, includes practical guidance and gender-responsive indicators to help countries monitor whether adaptation interventions reduce inequalities and strengthen equitable resilience. This way, gender-responsive M&E also supports learning and continuous improvement of adaptation planning over time.  

Practical steps for integrating gender into M&E systems (see NAP_Gender_Toolkit) 

The following actions can help practitioners integrate gender considerations into M&E systems: 

• Involve gender experts and relevant stakeholders in the development of M&E frameworks, building on existing systems and available data 

• Establish gender-equitable and inclusive M&E teams to support robust and unbiased data collection, analysis and interpretation 

• Include both quantitative and qualitative indicators on gender equality and women’s empowerment within adaptation processes 

• Collect gender-disaggregated data and conduct gender analysis to assess participation in decision-making, access to resources and adaptation benefits, and the distribution of outcomes 

• Evaluate the gender-differentiated impacts of adaptation measures on women, men and marginalized groups to identify inequalities and inform future adaptation planning and implementation 

Countries are increasingly developing national adaptation M&E systems. A study by IISD & GIZ (2014) introduces ten such systems with detailed factsheets (factsheets updated mid-2017).

So far, there is far more emphasis on monitoring than on evaluation. Methods available for impact evaluation of adaptation projects are summarized in a guidebook.

Lessons learned from early experiences with adaptation M&E at national level are described in a comparative analysis and have informed a guidebook to develop adaptation M&E systems at national level.

GIZ’s experience in supporting partner countries in the development of adaptation M&E systems has been compiled in a submission to the Nairobi Work Programme in 2017

M&E provides a basis for learning, accountability and reporting. The GIZ has developed several tools to facilitate the application of M&E at national and subnational level.

The graphic below shows the tools available for adaptation M&E and their application level (national, project or multi-level). Please click on the graphic for further details. 

A number of guidelines and tools have been developed and are shown in the graphic above. You can also check out our webinars and trainings.