Monitoring and Evaluating Adaptation at Aggregated Levels: A Comparative Analysis of Ten Systems

Drawing upon information gathered through a combination of document analysis and stakeholder interviews, it compares ten aggregate M&E systems according to their context, processes and content.

The analysis provides insights into challenges and enabling factors for the design and implementation of M&E adaptation systems at higher, aggregated levels. Challenges identified include the conceptual ambiguity of what constitutes successful adaptation; coordination and harmonization across sectors, scales and partners; resource and capacity constraints; and identification and access to data and information.

Enabling factors for designing, establishing and, where relevant, implementing M&E systems for adaptation were also identified, namely: political will and leadership; multi-stakeholder participation; and alignment and/or integration of an evolving M&E system for adaptation into/with existing M&E structures, which can save resources in the long run. The report concludes by providing recommendations regarding ways in which to strength the development of aggregated level M&E adaptation systems.

Monitoring and Evaluating Adaptation at Aggregated Levels: A Comparative Analysis of Ten Systems was written by Anne Hammill and Julie Dekens of IISD for Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), acting on behalf of Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).