Applying Business Unusual principles to reporting and monitoring and evaluation

Embedding monitoring, evaluation and learning in national and global processes

The LIFE-AR Initiative emphasises a shift from traditional, business-as-usual climate responses to more innovative, inclusive, and effective strategies. The Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) system under LIFE-AR ensures that reporting is not a top-down exercise but is driven by the priorities and needs of the participating countries. It promotes continuous learning and adaptive management, with a focus on integrating local views and voices into the evidence-gathering process. This ensures that the most vulnerable communities are supported and are at the centre of climate adaptation and resilience-building initiatives, action and decision making.

LIFE-AR's approach to MEL is anchored within the initiative’s global theory of change (ToC). This envisions that if LDCs lead inclusive, coordinated climate resilience efforts, with at least 70% of finance directed to local-level actions, climate resilience will improve for the most vulnerable. The global ToC is driven by a global MEL plan and contextualized MEL plans for each participating country. The MEL system is embedded within the LIFE-AR management structure at all levels, and makes use of both qualitative and quantitative indicators to assess progress.

The MEL approach deliberately moves away from traditional quantitative evaluation approaches and adopts qualitative methods. This includes self-assessments, peer reviews, score cards which generate rich, in-depth data, and insights critical to improving government systems and capabilities. It provides high-level guidance to stakeholders and participating countries for setting up tailored MEL systems, mapping climate adaptation and resilience stakeholders, and collating evidence of the initiative's effectiveness, impact, coherence, and sustainability. Through adaptive management, the MEL system fosters learning across countries, strengthens Communities of Practice, and ensures that evidence-based communication highlights the transformative impact of LIFE-AR.

Therefore, the key components of the LIFE-AR MEL are:

• The global theory of change (ToC)
• Contextualized ToCs at the country level
• A comprehensive MEL Plan at the global level, and
• Country-specific MEL plans that align to country priorities.

The MEL plan is supported by detailed results frameworks that clearly indicate the cycle for data gathering, analysis, and learning and adjustment, with roles and responsibilities clearly defined.

Simplifying reporting processes at all levels

The MEL framework introduces two complementary levels of reporting: a global-level system and country-level systems.

The LIFE-AR initiative reports to its governing Board on a quarterly basis (financial report), and every six months (narrative report).

Financial reporting and risk updates at both global and country levels is completed on a quarterly basis, to ensure there is sufficient tracking of fast-changing contexts and risks, allowing adaptive management with budget adjustments.

Activity reporting is carried out every six months, focusing on activities and outputs along with a narrative account of changes in contexts and risks. This six-monthly reporting on activities is planned to avoid imposing a reporting burden on countries, in line with the principles of the partnership compact.  

The annual report, to be submitted after Q4 of the initiative’s financial year, also includes narrative responses on progress towards LDC Offers and Asks as outcomes, along with annual initiative-wide learning questions. The Board meetings and LDC-Donor Dialogues provide an opportunity for both LDCs and development partners to jointly share progress and learning on the LDC Vision, Offer and Ask, in line with LIFE-AR partnership compact and associated principles.

The timing for annual reporting at country level aims to align with national reporting timeframes, so that LIFE-AR is able to contribute to other reporting processes.

Reporting allows the initiative to highlight its Business Unusual approach to delivering better value for money and increasing access to climate finance.