Evaluation and Learning for International Sustainable Forest Initiatives:

Review the workshop in Oslo

12 - 13 Oct. 2017

7:00 - 11:00

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Norad
The information centre

Bygdøy allé 2, 0257 Oslo

Summary of the seminar

This report summarises main lessons from the workshop held in Oslo.

Forestry and land use (part 1) : Lessons from evaluations
High level reviews of what is being learned and to what extent this is reflected in decision making.
Forestry and land use (part 2) : Lessons from evaluations
"Fish bowl" panel discussion about lessons from evaluations in forestry and land use.
Evaluation contributing to forest sector interventions (part 1)
Views on past, present and future contributions of evaluations to international forest sector interventions.

The main purpose of the workshop was to discuss lessons from evaluating international forest initiatives. Particular attention was given to links between evaluations and decision making – both at policy and project levels.

Key questions included: To what extent are evaluations informing decision making? How can the relevance and contribution of evaluations be enhanced?

International sustainable forest initiatives are among the most important efforts to address climate change. These initiatives include REDD+ (reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation) and a variety of other programs and projects.

Significant additional forest and land use sector investments are anticipated in the near future within the frameworks of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change as well as the Sustainable Development Goals. An important question is what role evaluations can play in making these investments as effective as possible.

To further explore the topic, the evaluation department of the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation organized an international learning event, together with the evaluation units of the Global Environment Facility, the United Nation Environment Programme and the Green Climate Fund, in collaboration with the secretariat for the Government of Norway’s International Climate and Forest Initiative. 

See the program for the two day seminar in Oslo below. 

Stocktaking on achievements the Norwegian forest initiative

As Norway’s International Climate and Forest Initiative (NICFI) soon celebrates it's ten years anniversary, the Evaluation department at Norad is taking stock of the achievements and lessons so far.

Learn more

Schedule

Day 1
12 Oct
Day 2
13 Oct
07:00
Session 1 (click + for more information)

Welcoming remarks, Per Øyvind Bastøe, Evaluation Director, Norad

 

Learning from nine years of implementing the Norwegian International Climate and Forest Initiative. Tom Rådahl, Secretary General of the Norwegian Ministry of Climate and Environment

07:30
Session 2A: Lessons from evaluations in forestry and land use – high level reviews of what is being learned and to what extent this is reflected in decision making (click + for more information)

Facilitation: Jyotsna Puri, Head of the Independent Evaluation Unit, Green Climate Fund

  • Juha Uitto, Director, Independent Evaluation Office, Global Environment Facility
  • Michael Spilsbury, Director, Evaluation Office, UN Environment
  • Eoghan Molloy, FAO Office of Evaluation
  • Per Øyvind Bastøe, Evaluation Director, Norad
08:45
Break
09:15
Session 2B: Lessons from evaluations in forestry and land use – high level reviews of what is being learned and to what extent this is reflected in decision making (continued) (click + for more information)

Interactive Session with the four previous speakers plus the audience.

10:45
Lunch
12:00
Session 3: Views on past, present and future contributions of evaluations to international forest sector interventions (click + for more information)

Facilitation: Michael Wells, independent consultant

Followed by panel discussion, before overall Q&A session with audience.

13:30
Break
14:00
Session 4: Concluding panel discussion (speakers and others) (click + for more information)

What can be done to increase the contribution of evaluations to decision making and learning in forestry and land use – including how to push the frontiers of thinking, organization and technology?

Facilitation: by Michael Wells, independent consultant

Panel Discussion

15:00
End of day 1

Informal Dinner (networking style) – Open to all participants but please register in advance. If attending, please send an e-mail to post-eval@norad.no, as soon as possible and Monday 9. October the latest. 

07:00
Session 1: Introduction and agenda for the day (click + for more information)
  • Juha Uitto (IEO) and Jyotsna Puri (GCF)
07:15
Session 2: Quick presentations on specific evaluations in forestry and land use: what is being learned and how is this affecting decision making? (click + for more information)

Facilitated by Michael Wells

Speakers are invited to distribute materials and/or bring posters

One minute previews in plenary followed by presentations in groups, then discussion in groups before reporting back to plenary.

Group A

  • Amy Duchelle (CIFOR): Global Comparative Study on REDD+ projects
  • Torfinn Harding (NHH): Evaluation of policies to reduce deforestation in Brazil
  • Hanne Svarstad (HIOA): Evaluation of REDD+ projects in Tanzania and their interpretation
  • Petra Mikkolainen, Egger Topper (Indufor): Finnish evaluations of regional forest programs

Group B

  • Ruth Malleson (Econometrica): Monitoring forests with satellites - some tools and challenges
  • Martin Belcher (Palladium): A rapid assessment framework for land use investments
  • Christian Sloth (NEPCon): Risk Based Approaches to Evaluating Forest Governance Issues
  • Johan Oldekop (IFRI): Impact estimation and low cost monitoring and learning from forest interventions
  • Arild Angelsen (NMBU), Amare Teklay Hailu: How to pay for forest conservation: Evidence from Ethiopia

Group C

  • Marisa Camargo (Indufor): Evaluation issues for private sector supply chains
  • Alan Fox (UNDP): Evaluations of Protected Areas
  • Gerald Leppert (DEval): Evaluation of comprehensive land use planning in the Philippines
  • Serge Adjognon (DIME) What are we learning from PES impact evaluations?
  • Clare Brogan (Palladium): An Actor-based Behaviour Change Framework for FLEGT in Myanmar
09:00
Break
09:30
Session 3: “Evaluations are not telling us much we didn’t already know and are not significantly informing policies and programs”. To what extent is this a common reaction? What can be done? (click + for more information)

1. Facilitated by Jyotsna Puri: Break out groups, then panel discussion with Mike Spilsbury, Michael Wells, Per Øyvind Bastøe, Hugh King, Jonathan Stern and others.

2. Is there an enhanced role for the Earth-Eval network? 

Juha Uitto to lead discussion of what this community might do next. 
GEF Video.

11:00
Lunch and end of workshop