How can M&E contribute to MRV? Dr. Kristal Jones, JG Research and Evaluation Presentation for Climate Leadership Mentorship Program September 23, 2021 What is monitoring and evaluation (M&E)? • Monitoring: “A continuing function that uses systematic collection of data on specified indicators to provide management and the main stakeholders of an ongoing development intervention with indications of the extent of progress and achievement of objectives and progress in the use of allocated funds.” • Evaluation: “The systematic and objective assessment of an ongoing or completed project, program or policy, its design, implementation and results. The aim is to determine the relevance and fulfillment of objectives, development efficiency, effectiveness, impact and sustainability.” Definitions from Glossary of Key Terms in Evaluation and Results Based Management. Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD): https://www.oecd.org/development/peer-reviews/2754804.pdf M&E – When, who and what? • M&E is generally used at the project or program level • M&E is generally conducted or commissioned by the same organization that is implementing a project or program • Indicators reflect the goals and objectives of the project or program • M&E can be: • About process (formative) or outcome (summative) or both • Participatory – co-development of measures of process and outcomes of interest from implementers and ‘receivers’ of project What is measurement, reporting and verification (MRV)? • Measure: “Data and information on emissions, mitigation [and adaptation] actions, and support. This may entail direct physical measurement of GHG emissions…calculating changes relevant to sustainable development, and collecting information about support for climate change mitigation [and adaptation].” • Report: “Compile information in inventories and other standardized formats to make it accessible to a range of users.” • Verify: “Periodically subject the reported information to some form of review or analysis or independent assessment to establish completeness and reliability. Verification…can provide meaningful feedback for future improvement. Definitions from MRV 101: Understanding measurement, reporting, and verification of climate mitigation . World Resources Institute: https://www.wri.org/research/mrv-101-understanding-measurement-reporting-and-verification-climate-change-mitigation MRV – When, who, and what? • MRV is used to characterize climate change mitigation and adaptation actions • Central to process of implementing Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and Biennial Update Reports (BUR) • Important for nationally appropriate mitigation actions (NAMAs) • Important for accessing climate finance • Overarching focus is on climate change mitigation actions and activities • However, BURs require reporting on adaptation actions as well • Climate finance accountability requires verification of adaptation actions MRV 101 From MRV 101: Understanding measurement, reporting, and verification of climate mitigation . World Resources Institute: https://www.wri.org/research/mrv-101-understanding-measurement-reporting-and-verification-climate-change-mitigation MRV 101 Traditional M&E of projects and programs that include actions that contribute to climate change adaptation or mitigation can contribute to MRV ADAPTATION ACTIONS Sustainable Progress development made toward effects due to implementing adaptation adaptation actions actions MRV 101 M&E often measures and monitors indicators of sustainable development impacts and progress toward implementation ADAPTATION ACTIONS Sustainable Progress v development made toward effects due to implementing adaptation adaptation actions actions MRV 101 M&E could add indicators related to GHG effects for projects and programs with potential mitigation co-benefits ADAPTATION ACTIONS Sustainable Progress v development made toward effects due to implementing adaptation adaptation actions actions MRV 101 M&E data can be used to impact of donor support and to justify requests for future support ADAPTATION ACTIONS Sustainable Progress v development made toward effects due to implementing adaptation adaptation actions actions MRV 101 Traditional M&E of projects and programs are not designed to align with guidelines for credible GHG emissions accounting ADAPTATION ACTIONS v Sustainable Progress development made toward effects due to implementing adaptation adaptation actions actions Proposed M&E approach to contribute credible data for GHG impact accounting in mitigation MRV From Wilkes et al. (2018). Suitability of project M&E systems to support agricultural MRV: The case of the Kenya dairy NAMA. Working Paper 231, CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS). https://cgspace.cgiar.org/bitstream/handle/10568/93408/WP%20231%20Wilkes%20et%20al.pdf Proposed M&E approach to contribute credible data for GHG impact accounting in mitigation MRV From Wilkes et al. (2018). Suitability of project M&E systems to support agricultural MRV: The case of the Kenya dairy NAMA. Working Paper 231, CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS). https://cgspace.cgiar.org/bitstream/handle/10568/93408/WP%20231%20Wilkes%20et%20al.pdf CDKN Quick Start Guide • Provides guidance on ways to adapt and extend MRV systems to include existing M&E efforts • Governance is key to engaging external stakeholders in generating M&E data that is credible for mitigation MRV purposes Available at: https://ndc-guide.cdkn.org/ Considerations for aligning M&E data with MRV requirements 2c. Develop appropriate rules and guidance • Put in place appropriate rules on data sharing, stating which data will be shared, by whom and how often between government ministries, departments and agencies. This could be set out in legislation or as a memorandum of understanding between data-sharing parties. This should apply to all parties that hold relevant data, including non-government actors (e.g. academia). • Develop and publish MRV-related technical guidance as necessary for policy teams, within government and any other stakeholders likely to be involved in the MRV system. As a minimum, this guidance will need to follow any rules and procedures agreed at the international level. Considerations for aligning M&E data with MRV requirements 3b. Identify how existing MRV systems can be extended to address data gaps • Consider how existing data flows, responsibilities and processes might be adjusted and extended to build a system which can collect the required data for tracking NDC implementation. • This could include exploring complementary MRV systems for both NDC and SDG implementation, and considering options for integrating gender considerations into the MRV system (e.g. gender- specific benchmarks and indicators to assess the effectiveness of gender mainstreaming initiatives). Effectively integrating M&E data into MRV requires governance CDKN Reference Guide Figure 1 Example: Stakeholder engagement in The Gambia • The Gambia included external stakeholders in initial discussions about actions to include in their NDC • Workshops were held in eight regions • Included local organizations and rural communities • Stakeholders identified actions that could generate co-benefits and became invested in tracking results over time • Information from consultation was included in national-level M&E indicators Case study from CDKN Quick Start guide Example: Integrated M&E/MRV in South Africa • South Africa has created an integrated M&E/MRV system • System tracks required MRV metrics as well as M&E data that documents shift toward “climate-resilience and lower-carbon economy and society” (as required by national legislation) • Metrics include biophysical measurements of changes in emissions as well as absolute emissions for GHG inventory • Metrics include social and economic impacts relevant to SDGs • System also tracks finance and resource flows • Primary audience is still government – local, regional, national activities Low Emission Capacity Building Programme case study: https://api.knack.com/v1/applications/5b23f04fd240aa37e01fa362/download/asset/5c910c96bbd8b609b532dce3/2012ongoingmrvsouthafrica.pd f Example: MRV for livestock NAMAs in Kenya • NAMA focused on decreasing emissions from dairy sector, which required measurements of GHG effects of mitigation actions and annual emissions accounting • Development project provided advisory services to smallholder dairy farmers, with goal of decreasing emissions through improved management and animal health (and generating livelihood co- benefits) • Data collection for emissions MRV could have been prohibitive using traditional M&E approach (census approach) so used CDM-suggested standardized performance baseline (sample approach) From Wilkes et al. (2018). Suitability of project M&E systems to support agricultural MRV: The case of the Kenya dairy NAMA. Working Paper 231, CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS). https://cgspace.cgiar.org/bitstream/handle/10568/93408/WP%20231%20Wilkes%20et%20al.pdf Takeaways • Project and program M&E can contribute to MRV by measuring impacts of mitigation and adaptation actions and progress toward implementation • M&E data can also contribute to justifications for future climate funding and finance • Integrating M&E into MRV requires guidelines and governance to ensure credibility of M&E data included in MRV efforts • Data systems and guidelines that create the infrastructure to integrate M&E data into MRV efforts can be the focus of climate funding and finance (and could create co-benefits for SDG work) • M&E data present an untapped opportunity in data-scarce environments to understand what is happening on the ground! Key references: • WRI MRV 101: https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/MRV_101_0.pdf • GIZ Climate Policy Team: https://transparency- partnership.net/sites/default/files/u2618/3-timo_leiter- is_there_a_difference__between_mrv_and_me.pdf • UNFCCC Non-Annex 1 MRV Handbook: https://unfccc.int/files/national_reports/annex_i_natcom_/application/pdf /non-annex_i_mrv_handbook.pdf • CDKN Planning for NDC Implementation: Quick start guide: https://ndc- guide.cdkn.org/ • Partnership on Transparency in the Paris Agreement database of good practices in MRV: https://transparency-partnership.net/good-practice- database