Since 2008, the International Climate Initiative (ICI) has supported 256 projects in over 60 countries with funding totalling around 556 million euros (as at November 2011). Between January 2011 and December 2012 the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) is conducting the first independent evaluation of ICI. The aim initially is to assess the results and impact of 115 individual projects and the programme as a whole. In particular, the review aims to determine to what extent the projects are contributing to the implementation of ICI’s objectives and the partner countries’ own environmental and climate protection goals. The evaluation also aims to assess the extent to which the projects have helped achieve, or will help achieve, climate protection. 

BMU has asked the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) to coordinate the evaluation procedure. Following a public tendering process, UBA awarded the contract to a consortium comprising GFA Consulting Group and GFA Envest. 

This initial evaluation cycle is focusing on the projects that were approved in the first two years (2008 and 2009), looking in particular at the final evaluation of each individual project (produced between six months before and six months after the project was completed). The aim is to carry out assessments in the field on 22 projects chosen at random, which involves conducting studies and surveys in the relevant project countries. Desk studies, supplemented by telephone and email surveys, are being completed for the remaining 93 projects.