The strategic country cluster evaluation (SCCE) of least developed countries (LDCs) covers all 47 LDCs, located in Africa, Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean. Selection of the LDCs for an SCCE is based on the countries' common LDC status and related economic, social and environmental challenges. LDCs are low-income countries confronting severe structural impediments to sustainable development. They are highly vulnerable to economic and environmental shocks, have low levels of human assets, and almost half of the LDCs are countries in fragile situations. Synergies between the LDC SCCE and the in parallel conducted small island developing states SCCE and African biomes SCCE will be explored and utilized.
The overarching objectives of the evaluation are
- to provide a deeper understanding of the determinants of sustainability of the outcomes of GEF support in least developed countries, and
- to assess the relevance of the GEF towards LDCs' main environmental challenges from the countries' perspective.
Gender, resilience and GEF operations in fragile situations will be assessed as cross-cutting issues.
The GEF Council is the primary audience for this evaluation. The evaluation's evidence can also inform GEF Agencies' proposal development and GEF Secretariat's appraisal of LDC project proposals. Country- and non-governmental partners engaged in project and program design and implementation form the secondary audience.