Good Practice Study on Principles for Indicator Development, Selection, and Use in Climate Change Adaptation Monitoring and Evaluation

This study identifies and addresses key challenges concerning Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) for Climate Change Adaptation (CCA). It does so by documenting good practices and good practice principles on the development, selection, and use of indicators used in the M&E of adaptation interventions. The study also looks at the steps and contexts M&E personnel should consider when formulating, selecting, adjusting, and/or using indicators. In addition, the study identifies common themes in the literature and gaps in data—including the role of learning in an adaptation M&E system and the identification of linkages (or lack thereof) between indicators and policy formulation and decisions.

The study first looks at M&E for CCA in a broader context to see what the key challenges are (chapter 2), and how M&E is being applied in the adaptation field (chapter 3). It reviews the types of adaptation indicators that are commonly used (chapter 4), and then moves into a narrower discussion of what practitioners need to consider when developing better, more useful indicators. It next documents good practice principles that help define indicators for adaptation interventions (chapter 5). Finally, it looks at how the evaluation- policy interface can support better adaptation policies, and if good practice principles can inform greater uptake of evaluation results as evidence in policy making (chapter 6).