Toolkit: monitoring, evaluation, and learning for National Adaptation Plan processes

Introduction

As the impacts of climate change accelerate and intensify, there is an urgent need to increase adaptation ambition and action. Countries are increasingly using National Adaptation Plan (NAP) processes to design, implement, and learn from climate change adaptation efforts to reduce risks and vulnerabilities and increase resilience—particularly for the most vulnerable communities, groups, and ecosystems.  

Monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) are critical to enabling countries to understand whether NAP processes work, how they work, and for whom, and how to improve actions based on the insights gained. Continuously learning from NAP processes’ actions and adjusting our strategies accordingly is crucial to enhancing the effectiveness of adaptation and avoiding unintended negative effects from policies and interventions. MEL systems for NAP processes are also an important source of information for processes under the Paris Agreement, including assessing collective progress on the global goal of adaptation through the UAE Framework for Global Climate Resilience and, relatedly, the adaptation section of Biennial Transparency Reports.  

The NAP Global Network and Adaptation Committee have launched a new toolkit for MEL for NAP processes. This toolkit is designed for government teams in developing countries leading their country’s NAP processes to provide flexible yet concrete guidance on the planning, implementation, and revision of MEL systems, regardless of what stage countries are at in their NAP processes or the development and implementation of their MEL system.  

What is MEL for NAP Processes?

Climate change adaptation is an iterative process that requires learning to manage climate risks and to effectively adapt to impacts that intensify more rapidly and become harder to predict. The aim of a MEL system is to provide a structured approach to monitor progress, evaluate results, and facilitate learning for NAP processes and their activities to effectively achieve their intended results (Figure 1). 

The NAP process is a strategic and ongoing process that helps countries identify, plan, and address their medium- and long-term adaptation priorities. NAP processes’ core objectives are to make countries less vulnerable to climate change and to integrate adaptation into development planning, decision making, and budgeting at all levels—national, sectoral, and local.  

This toolkit provides practical guidance for the development and continuous improvement of MEL systems for NAP processes. It is informed by lessons learned from countries around the globe that either already implemented or are developing MEL systems as part of their NAP processes. By strengthening MEL systems and supporting assessments of progress in the implementation of NAP processes at both the national and sub-national levels, the toolkit also seeks to strengthen countries’ contributions to communications and reporting under the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement.  

Getting Started 

Countries take different approaches to develop MEL systems to support their NAP processes, depending on their development and risk contexts, the availability of resources, national priorities, and governance structures. This Toolkit is designed to help easily identify which MEL activities to consider at the different phases of the NAP processes (Figure 2, figure 2 in the Toolkit). 

By systematically tracking and evaluating progress, countries can identify strategies and address any challenges in their adaptation plans. Ultimately, MEL systems serve as a foundation for achieving long term sustainability and climate change resilience.  

Key benefits of implementing MEL systems include:  

• Improving Understanding – enhance policies and practices by leveraging insights from continuous tracking, assessment and learning activities.  

• Mobilize Financing – provide evidence of robust and effective NAP processes to help with the mobilization of domestic and international finance.  

• Improve Efficiency – optimize planning and implementation, which will improve cost savings, project completion times and overall outcomes.  

• Improved Equity – better ensure that adaptation efforts benefit all stakeholders involved, including different social groups, genders and regions.  

MEL in different phases of NAP processes

Impact, Vulnerability, and Risk Assessment Phase (IVRA)

This section of the toolkit describes what countries can do in their IVRA development process to support later MEL activities, and how countries can utilize an existing IVRA to inform MEL.

Key messages:

• IVRAs play a crucial yet underutilized role in enhancing MEL systems.
• Countries with existing IVRAs can leverage these to strengthen theories of change, guide the development of indicators, and inform evaluation questions.
• Countries initiating or revising IVRAs should aim to align methodologies with MEL needs so that they may serve as a foundational tool for measuring progress on adaptation efforts.

Planning phase

This section provides information for systematically planning the development of the MEL system including a theory of change, the selection of quantitative or qualitative indicators, data collection, data management and analysis, and the facilitation of learning activities.

Key messages:

• Learning in MEL systems for NAP processes involves the intentional gathering, analysis, and sharing of knowledge to refine adaptation strategies. There needs to be a deliberate efforts throughout the NAP processes to embed a culture of learning that uses MEL insights for continuous improvement.
• Learning can be promoted through activities including capacity-building initiatives, applied research, participatory methods, and collaborative learning platforms, such as peer-to-peer exchanges and multistakeholder dialogues.

Implementation phase

The implementation phase is where monitoring begins and where feedback from the MEL system is needed to continuously inform planning and implementation and course correct if necessary. The MEL system therefore needs to be operationalized.

Key messages:

• Data collection, management, and analysis need to be carefully planned, including clear responsibilities while accounting for available resources to operate MEL over time.
• Qualitative and quantitative data require different types of analysis and different MEL capacities and resources.

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Phase

In this phase, countries focus explicitly on MEL and report on results. Countries may also undertake or commission an evaluation of NAP processes. It is important to remember that MEL activities and processes involve continuous feedback and iteration throughout NAP processes.

Key messages:

• Evaluations are periodic assessments that can be undertaken at strategic points of NAP processes, most commonly during or around the mid-term of the NAP processes, and at the end of an iterative cycle of the NAP processes to inform the following one.
• Evaluations of NAP processes distinguish themselves from sustainable development evaluations by explicitly integrating climate risks and hazards. This is necessary so they can assess the ability of NAP processes to reduce vulnerability and build resilience. They can be done primarily through defining appropriate evaluation criteria and evaluation questions.
• While the OECD DAC criteria are commonly used, these should be contextualized. Evaluations of NAP processes should also consider using additional/alternative criteria or principles to reflect what success means to them and other stakeholders.
• There are different approaches to evaluations: not all evaluations should be quantitative, nor have the purpose of assessing effectiveness. Evaluations can use qualitative, theory-based, and participatory approaches, among others, to explain how and why changes are occurring, and even to focus on capacity building.

Learn More  

Suggested Citation  

Beauchamp, E., Brooks, N., Guerdat, P., Leiter, T., Masud, S., & Pringle, P. (2024). Toolkit for Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning for National Adaptation Plan Processes. NAP Global Network & United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Adaptation Committee. International Institute for Sustainable Development.