Best practices in monitoring and evaluation of urban climate adaptation: a literature review

Increasingly, cities are taking control of assessing local or regional vulnerability to climate variability and extreme weather events and implementing adaptation strategies to reduce risks to their residents and to the economic activity and infrastructure on which their residents depend. To build resilience, cities will need to incorporate adaptation monitoring and evaluation (M&E) strategies that effectively measure and assess adaptation activities and allow for timely improvements to their strategies.

This report from the USAID-funded Adaptation Thought Leadership and Assessments (ATLAS) project examines a range of M&E approaches developed by international organizations, national governments and municipal authorities to guide cities toward robust, practical, and resource-efficient urban adaptation M&E systems. International organization frameworks explored include those developed by the World Bank Group, the Climate Investment Fund, the Global Environmental Fund and the United Kingdom Department for International Development. National government approaches include those from the Philippines, Kenya and Norway. City level case studies cover Helsinki, New York City and Rotterdam. The report also summarizes best practices for the design, implementation and ongoing success of urban adaptation M&E.

The report is accompanied by a reference guide on developing citywide adaptation M&E systems, as well as a report assessing the M&E systems capacity of Cagayan de Oro City in the Philippines. This work was also highlighted during the July 2019 Adaptation Community Meeting and can be accessed through the event presentation or recorded webinar.