Reshaping Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning for Locally Led Adaptation

Tamara Coger, Sarah Corry, Robbie Gregorowski
Posted on: 1/21/2025 - Updated on: 1/21/2025

Posted by

CAKE Team

Published

Abstract

Locally led adaptation recognizes that people closest to the effects of climate change, especially those facing structural marginalization, require the financing and decision-making power to ensure that adaptation investments reflect their priorities. Supporters of locally led adaptation can leverage monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) processes to balance power, promote mutual accountability, elevate local knowledge and priorities, and create value for local actors. 

This paper recommends a systemic shift toward MEL that is locally led, context-aware, and itself adaptive. It provides steps throughout the MEL cycle and specific approaches, methods and tools that promote local agency in the interest of more effective and equitable locally led adaptation interventions. It builds on the recommendations of the Global Commission on Adaptation to increase decentralization of adaptation finance to the local level, and aims to support implementation of the eight Principles for Locally Led Adaptation that were developed for the Commission.

Highlights:

  • Locally led adaptation (LLA) is an emerging priority among international climate and development donors and community-based organizations alike. Supporters of locally led adaptation can leverage the monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) process to promote local agency and effective, equitable adaptation.
  • Monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) is an important process for managing the complexity, uncertainty, and context-specificity of any adaptation intervention, including those that are locally led.
  • Different MEL approaches and methods are required that balance power, promote mutual accountability, value local knowledge and priorities, and create value for local actors.
  • This paper recommends a systemic shift toward MEL that is locally led, context-aware, and itself adaptive. It provides operational steps throughout the MEL cycle that funders, intermediary organizations, and other institutions seeking to support locally led adaptation can take.

Citation

Coger, T., S. Corry, and R. Gregorowski. 2021. “Reshaping Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning for Locally Led Adaptation.” Working Paper. Washington, DC: World Resources Institute. Available online at https://doi.org/10.46830/wriwp.20.00060.

Affiliated Organizations

The World Resources Institute (WRI) is a global environmental think tank that goes beyond research to put ideas into action. We work with governments, companies, and civil society to build solutions to urgent environmental challenges. WRI’s transformative ideas protect the earth and promote development because sustainability is essential to meeting human needs and fulfilling human aspirations in the future.

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