Since inception, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) has been explicit about the importance of involving stakeholders, initially described as "the public", in GEF-financed interventions. This is stated in the original GEF Instrument and reflected in a series of policies, guidance, and strategies that have evolved over time to ensure that GEF Agencies are applying a uniform approach to inclusive of a diverse set of stakeholders across the GEF Partnership. This evaluation looks at the application of a set of three policies at the GEF - the Stakeholder Engagement Policy, the Gender Equality Policy, and the Policy on Environmental and Social Safeguards. This evaluation will assess the operational relevance and strategic alignment of these policies and look at whether there is any evidence that the application of these policies has led to increased engagement, inclusion, and risk mitigation, and whether this has increased outcomes from GEF interventions over time. This will lead to better understanding of whether the application of these policies moves beyond a compliance exercise, and whether they lead to behavior change which drives improvements in design of GEF-financed intervention.
