Methodology for the evaluation of the German adaptation strategy

This report presents the concept for the evaluation and further development of the national German adaptation strategy (⁠DAS⁠), a description of the survey instruments that shall be used and a detailed description on how the concept was developed.

The concept will be used to continuously review the evaluation process in Germany. In the long term, the evaluation concept shall be used to check whether the activities and instruments of the adaptation process are suitable to achieve the main goal of the DAS: “to reduce vulnerability and improve the adaptive capacity of ecologic, social and economic systems towards the unavoidable impacts of climate change.” In a first step, the evaluation shall be used to gain insights for the advancement and improvement of the adaptation process in Germany. The concept is based on a logic model designed for the evaluation from which five central evaluation questions were derived. A multi-method approach is used to collect required data and information. Instruments that will be used for data collection are, amongst others, a document analysis, several interview series and the analysis of indicators. Data will be analysed along defined criteria which ensures that the evaluation results are comprehensible and transparent. In order to validate results, a Delphisurvey will be conducted with central actors that are involved in the adaptation policy process. This report presents the evaluation concept, a description of the survey instruments that shall be used and a detailed description on how the concept was developed.