Overview

With increasing implementation of climate change adaptation policies and projects as well as continued integration of adaptation into planning processes, there is an increasing need to understand the results of these adaptation interventions. Are they achieving their objectives? Are they actually leading to a reduction in vulnerability to climate change?

Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) can help answer these questions. However, due to the context specific and cross-sectoral nature of adaptation there is no one-size fits all approach to M&E. 

The Adaptation M&E Navigator is a decision support tool for the selection of suitable approaches to monitor and evaluate adaptation to climate change. It helps users select a suitable M&E approach by providing a list of specific M&E purposes and matching them to relevant approaches. Key characteristics of each approach are highlighted to enable informed decision making. The Adaptation M&E Navigator also provides links to further guidance and examples from practice.

It outlines a list of specific adaptation M&E purposes (i.e., reasons for undertaking M&E) and matches them to relevant M&E approaches (i.e., relevant ways to conduct M&E). Each M&E approach is then described in a detailed table to enable a comparison among different approaches that are suitable for the same M&E purpose. The Adaptation M&E Navigator also refers to further guidance materials and provides examples from practice.

• Step 1: Determine why you want to undertake M&E
• Step 2: Identify an applicable M&E purpose
  • Monitoring implementation of adaptation
  • Assessing adaptation outcomes
• Step 3: Compare the associated M&E approaches based on the provided information
• Step 4: Select an M&E approach and explore links to further guidance
• Step 5: Seek know-how and resources for implementation

Both the related chapter with a detailed technical description and the full book related to this tool, Evaluating Climate Change Action for Sustainable Development, are attached below.