Page - (000115) - in Evaluating Climate Change Action for Sustainable Development

6.2 Scopeof theEvaluation InaccordancewiththeUNEPEvaluationPolicy,allSub-programmesareevaluated ona rotatingbasis every4years.3Theyarepart of a larger evaluation architecture that include project, sub-programme and UNEP-wide, Medium Term Strategy evaluations. Sub-programme evaluations are conducted by the UNEPEvaluation Office in consultation with the relevant UNEP Divisions. While the Evaluation Office reports to theUNEPExecutiveDirector, its evaluations are conducted inan independent manner and evaluation findings are reported without interference. However, the Evaluation Office does not enjoy financial independence and its limitedfinancial andhuman resources are sometimes amajor challenge.4 TheCCSPevaluationaimedat assessing the relevanceandoverall performance ofUNEP’sworkrelated toclimatechangefrom2008to2013accordingtostandard evaluation criteria (relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability and impact). The evaluation assessed whether, in the period under review, UNEPwas able to strengthen the ability of countries to integrate climate change responses into national development processes, by providing environmental leadership in the international response to climate change and complementing other processes and theworkofother institutions.Theevaluationwasanin-depth, independentexercise conducted by amultidisciplinary teamof consultants andEvaluationOffice staff, with oversight from the UNEP Evaluation Office. The author was in charge of overall design, management and quality assurance of the evaluation process and participated in interviews and country visits. The evaluation tried to answer the followingkeyquestions: • AretheSub-programmeobjectivesandstrategyrelevant to theglobalchallenges posed by climate change, global, regional and country needs, the international response andUNEP’s evolvingmandate and capacity in this area? • HasUNEPachieved its objectives in the areaof climate change?Haveprojects been efficiently implemented and produced tangible outputs as expected?Are the required external factors in place so that the CCSP outputs can lead the expected outcomes and, ultimately, to sustainable, large-scale impact? • What are the key factors affecting sub-programme performance, such as port- folio design and structure; human and financial resources administration; col- laboration andpartnerships; andmonitoring and evaluation? Theevaluationcoveredthefourcomponentsof theCCSP.However,because the ScienceandOutreachcomponentwas largely implementedwithinprojectsbelong- ing to thefirst threecomponents, theEvaluationTeamdecided to treatScienceand 3UNEP2009,EvaluationPolicy.Web link: http://www.unep.org/eou/StandardsPolicyandPractices/UNEPEvaluationPolicy/tabid/3050/ Default.aspx 4UNEG2012, Professional peer reviewof the evaluation function,UnitedNationsEnvironment Programme.Web link:www.uneval.org/document/download/1527 6 AnAnalytical Framework forEvaluating aDiverseClimateChangePortfolio 97