Performance evaluation of USAID/Pacific Islands global climate change portfolio

In 2016, Social Impact, Inc. conducted a performance evaluation on four of 11 portfolio activities (Coastal Community Adaptation Project, Pacific-American Climate Fund, Vegetation and Land Cover Mapping and Improving Food Security, and Climate Change Adaptation Program) across four of 12 portfolio countries (Fiji, Kiribati, Solomon Islands, and Papua New Guinea). The evaluation included a desk review and five weeks of mixed-methods data collection. Individually, the activities showed varying degrees of effectiveness in promoting climate change adaptation. Data from key informants and focus groups suggest that community-based activities with ongoing engagement showed the greatest promise in improving climate resilience. Activities with shorter timelines or insufficient resources were less likely to achieve positive impacts. Across the activities, some 60,000 persons will benefit from climate adaptive infrastructure, 24 civil society organizations (CSOs) will have improved implementation capacity, and regional partnerships may increase donor effectiveness. At the portfolio level, the lack of integration across activities inhibited programmatic synergies. Activities were not designed in a closely coordinated manner and close start dates left little time to conduct systematic planning. The evaluation team's recommendations include: (1) current portfolio activities should include a focus on capacity building for subnational (local and provincial) institutions and government; (2) USAID should continue community-based support and maximize the investment made in building a network of high-capacity CSO implementers; and (3) USAID should make funds available for longer periods of performance to increase sustainability. (Author abstract, modified)