monitoring, evaluating, reflecting and learning about adaptation... ...together

Charles Ehrhart (CARE International) & Jessica Ayers (IIED)Presentation during 5th International Conference on Community-based AdaptationDhaka, Bangladesh28th March, 2011

strengthening adaptive capacity through participatory monitoring, evaluation and learning

1Tuesday, March 29, 2011Since 2008, CARE International’s Poverty, Environment and Climate Change Network (PECCN) has facilitated an informal dialogue between UN, research institutions and non-governmental organizations interested in the monitoring & evaluation (M&E) of adaptation to climate change (Annex 1). Meetings have been held at least once a year at major conferences under the UNFCCC. CARE will continue to support this process of dialogue and information sharing which has helped shape our understanding of, and response to adaptation M&E.

In 2009, the informal working group mapped the contributions that different development and environmental organizations are making to adaptation M&E. This exercise indicated an important gap – namely, the lack of a participatory, practical, replicable and relevant methodology for measuring, monitoring and evaluating the results of Community-Based Adaptation projects. CARE, in partnership with IIED, therefore aims to develop an M&E methodology that can help stakeholders continue adapting to the impacts of climate change past the lifetime of a specific intervention/CBA project. This last point is key since adaptation is a “retreating goal post” that will continue shifting past the time-frame of any project.

specific objective

provide robust, reliable information to CBA project stakeholders about:

Are we doing the right things (are we prioritizing the right activities to achieve our desired outcomes)?

Are we doing them the right way (is our approach appropriate to given socio-cultural, ecological, political contexts)?

Are we doing them at the right scale (are we achieving multiple changes at multiple levels so as to allow sustainability)?

2Tuesday, March 29, 2011

overarching goal

support the “adaptive management” of CBA interventions/projects

support the “adaptive management” of CBA plans/strategies so that local stakeholders can continue adapting to the impacts of climate change beyond the scope of a specific CBA intervention/project

support meso & macro level (e.g. LAPA/NAPA) information needs

...but not meet project activity or output monitoring and evaluation requirements

3Tuesday, March 29, 2011

scope of “how to” guidelines

participatory development of indicators

participatory monitoring

participatory reflection and

applied learning by multiple stakeholders

4Tuesday, March 29, 2011

design criteria

participatory (empowering)

practical (affordable, sustainable & can cope with limited pre-exist. data)

replicable (user-friendly in a variety of socio-ecological settings)

relevant (support learning at all levels)

5Tuesday, March 29, 2011This exercise indicated an important gap – namely, the lack of a participatory, practical, replicable and relevant methodology for measuring, monitoring and evaluating the results of Community-Based Adaptation projects.

o By “participatory,” CARE means a methodology that is designed as part of a larger strategy to empower women and other marginalized groups. Of course, these methodologies usually draw upon participatory techniques. But what makes a methodology participatory, from our point of view, is its non-extractive nature and contribution to continuous learning for action by local stakeholders (including informed engagement with policy-makers).

o By “practical,” we mean a methodology that is affordable and sustainable over time (even for community-based organizations); and can contend with limited pre-existing baseline data as well as uncertainty surrounding climate change projections.

o By “replicable,” we mean a methodology that is simple enough to be led by field-level project staff from a wide range of institutions in a variety of socio-cultural and ecological settings.

By “relevant,” we mean a methodology that meets conventional needs in the project cycle (e.g. the monitoring and evaluation of project impacts), but can also contribute to learning and adaptation planning at sub-national and even national levels.

design process

background review of opportunities & obstacles shared in Feb. 2011

Field-guide (v.1.0) produced by April 2011

Field-guide (v. 2.0): late-2012

the field-guide plugs into an on-line CBA Toolkit built to facilitate the integration of best practices into CBA projects

the field-guide will address the role of M&E at different stages in the project cycle

6Tuesday, March 29, 2011The methodology will be incorporated into CARE’s Community-based Adaptation (CBA) Toolkit and enhance its overall use-value. Version 1.0 of the CBA Toolkit offers a “how-to” guide for practitioners as they go through the project cycle. It includes step-by-step guidance and recommended tools for all stages of the project cycle, along with links to useful resources and checklists for key project documents. It also includes CBA Project Standards to help ensure high-quality analysis, design, implementation and information/knowledge management (including monitoring & evaluation).

Oxfam

Practical Action

Mercy Corps

Red Cross/Red Crescent (IFRC)

IDRC CCAA

IDS, Sussex

IISD

CARE

IIED

WRI

ACCRA

Indigo

7Tuesday, March 29, 2011A number of NGOs, research organisations, and bi-laterals are engaging in the process of developing, testing and/or revising the methodology on the basis of lessons learnt over the next few years.

More information:www.careclimatechange.org

8Tuesday, March 29, 2011