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9.11 Conclusion The project’s theory of change are an important resource to track the extent that projects realized their intended results.Nevertheless there is aneed togobeyonda project’s theory of change for a fuller understanding of “why” and “how” the observed change took place.While the theory of change is useful, it by itself is not sufficientbecauseother factorsmay turnout tobemore influential in effecting theobservedchange.Under theseconditionsdependenceon theproject’s theoryof changeruns theriskof functioningasablinderhinderingassessmentofunexpected factorsandmaking itdifficult toget ahandleover theunintendedconsequenceand alternative explanations to the results realized. This risk can be mitigated going beyond amere assessment the extent to which intended results of projects were achievedand thecausal linksbetweenprojectactivitiesandresultsandcarryoutan analysis of the forms inwhich theproject intervention interactswithother compo- nents of the system. Inotherwords to fully assess thecontributionsof an interven- tionvis- a-visother interventionsandotherfactors, theevaluatormustassessproject interventions as part of the system that is targeted. This requires the evaluator to developagoodunderstandingof thesystemthat theprojecthas targeted, including the systemboundaries, components, interactions amongcomponents and theunex- pected changed resulting from these interactions. References Blamey,A.,&Mackenzie,M. (2007).Theoriesofchangeandrealisticevaluationpeas inapodor apples andoranges?Evaluation, 13, 439–455. Chen,H.T. (1990).Theory-driven evaluations.NewburyPark: Sage. Eberhard, A. A., &Tokle, S. E. (2004). GEF climate change program study.Washington, DC: GlobalEnvironment Facility. Garcia,J.R.,&Zazueta,A.(2015).Goingbeyondmixedmethodstomixedapproaches:Asystems perspective for asking the right questions. IDSBulletin, 46, 30–43. GEFIEO. (2013).OPS5 technical document #12:Progress towards impact. https://www.thegef. org/gef/sites/thegef.org/files/EO/TD12_Progress%20toward%20Impact.pdf GEFIEO.(2012,October).GEFsupport in theSouthChinaSeaandadjacentareas.https://www. thegef.org/gef/Impact%20Evaluation%3A%20South%20China%20Sea%20and%20Adjacent %20Areas GEFIEO.(2014).Fifthoverallperformancestudyof theglobalenvironment facility (Final report: At the crossroads for higher impact). https://www.thegef.org/gef/sites/thegef.org/files/docu ments/OPS5-Final-Report-EN.pdf Holling,C.S. (2001).Understanding thecomplexityofeconomic, ecological, andsocial systems. Ecosystems, 4, 390–405. ImpactEvaluation:GEFInternationalWatersSupport totheSouthChinaSeaandAdjacentAreas | Global Environment Facility [WWWDocument] (n.d.). https://www.thegef.org/gef/Impact% 20Evaluation%3A%20South%20China%20Sea%20and%20Adjacent%20Areas. Accessed 14 July, 2015. Mayne, J. (2008).Contributionanalysis:Anapproach toexploringcauseandeffect. (ILACBrief Number 16). 9 MethodologicalApproachof theGEF IEO’sClimateChangeMitigation. . . 169