Session 1: Monitoring and Evaluating Ecosystem-based Adaptation Interventions: Spotlight on Indicator Development

When: Tuesday 26 April 2022

Where: Online by registering here.

Background

As the global climate is rapidly changing, people worldwide increasingly need to adapt to the negative effects of such changes. Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) has emerged as a promising approach for reducing negative climate change impacts on people through working with and enhancing nature. While on-the-ground EbA interventions have been multiplying across the globe in line with increasing political momentum for EbA, there are still many uncertainties associated with their design and implementation. In light of this, monitoring and evaluation (M&E) is vital.

M&E is the means for understanding whether or not an intervention is delivering the expected outcomes and impacts, as well as which elements are working, which aren’t, and why. A well-designed M&E system should be able to provide information on whether the objectives of the intervention are achieved, as well as which of the detected changes have occurred due to the intervention itself. M&E is therefore key to informing adaptive management, addressing uncertainties and improving the effectiveness of interventions on the ground, while at the same time building the scientific evidence base on ‘what works’ in EbA across different contexts. The latter will help improve future practice and maximise adaptation impacts. More solid evidence on EbA effectiveness will also support efforts to integrate and scale up EbA across different sectors, and allow the formulation of more robust, science-based adaptation policies and legislation.

M&E of EbA can be particularly challenging, however, largely because working with changes in ecosystems is inherently complex, long-term and influenced by multiple drivers. This can make it difficult to develop clearly defined causal pathways linking EbA interventions to intended social and ecological outcomes and impacts, especially over the long time horizons needed to observe social and 2 environmental adaptation benefits. One of the key steps in navigating these challenges is identifying indicators that can be used to analyse impacts and causal linkages within the context of social-ecological interactions, and putting in place processes that enable the long-term M&E of these indicators.

About the Seminar Series

To help practitioners involved in designing M&E systems for EbA interventions, this seminar series will explore the development of indicators for results-based M&E. The programme will include a mix of presentations and interactive elements and allow participants to feed in examples from their own work. Drawing on the Guidebook for Monitoring and Evaluating Ecosystem-based Adaptation Interventions, published in 2020 (also available in Spanish and Portuguese), as well as feedback and experiences from a first set of seminars held in 2021, this seminar series will first cover the role of a Theory of Change (ToC) in the context of developing indicators, as well as best practice for developing a ToC. It will then delve into considerations for identifying and selecting suitable indicators for EbA interventions that can provide information on the outcomes and impacts of implemented measures. Only by monitoring and evaluating the outcomes (and over longer time periods, the impacts) of EbA interventions, can their effectiveness in delivering adaptation benefits and avoiding maladaptation on the ground be determined.

The seminar series will introduce in-depth considerations and recommendations related to defining outcome-oriented indicators; but importantly, it will also provide an opportunity for participants to share their own challenges in identifying, selecting and monitoring indicators. The seminar organizers will work together with the participants to identify solutions to these challenges, as well as provide support and guidance in relation to other questions and issues raised by participants based on their past and current experience of developing indicators for EbA interventions.

In order to cover the above in sufficient depth, as well as allow for tailoring the content to the needs of participants, the seminar series will be delivered in three separate sessions:

• The first session will focus on introducing the best-practice principles for developing a Theory of Change and indicators, take stock of the challenges participants have faced – or are currently dealing with – in relation to designing outcome-oriented M&E in their own EbA interventions, as well as build a better understanding of the context of those interventions.
• The second and third session will be more ‘hands on’, with organizers and participants jointly exploring solutions to identified challenges by discussing case studies and working on developing indicators in the context of selected EbA interventions drawn from the examples contributed by the seminar participants. The last session in particular will focus on practical application, giving participants the opportunity to present materials from their own current work and explore possible adjustments or next steps in small groups together with the workshop organizers.

For the seminars to be as interactive and responsive to participants’ needs as possible, the number of participants will need to be capped. Should demand for spaces be high, participants will be selected based on their involvement in, and needs related to, designing M&E for EbA interventions on the ground.

Those wishing to register are requested to make sure that they are able to attend all three sessions of the Seminar series:

• For the English-language series: 26 April, 10 May and 24 May
• For the Spanish-language series: 27 April, 4 May and 18 May

The duration of each session will be 3 hours including a break (see the top of this document for exact timings according to different time zones).

Application form

Before completing the application form, please ensure that, to the best of your knowledge, you will be available to attend all three seminar sessions on the dates specified above. Please complete the application form in full – this will help the organizers tailor the seminars as much as possible to participants’ needs and experience. You will find the form under the following link: M&E seminars application. Please fill in the form by Wednesday 16 March 2022. Accepted participants will receive a confirmation of their slot by Monday 28 March 2022.