Evaluation of the German Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change
The German Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change (DAS) and the corresponding Adaptation Action Plan are the main pillars of Germanys climate policy. The Federal Government aims to reduce the vulnerability of the economy, the environment and society to the effects of climate change in the long term. To this end, a number of concrete measures have recently been implemented at various levels. In order to successfully adapt to climate change and to continue to develop the national climate change strategy, it is important to critically reflect on the current process as well as to acknowledge achievements and possible shortcomings.
The overarching goal of the evaluation commissioned by the German Federal Environmental Agency (UBA) was to determine whether the national adaptation strategy represents a successful approach for increasing the adaptive capacity and reducing the vulnerability of natural, social and economic systems to the effects of climate change. The evaluation included three central parts: (1) the process of developing and implementing the strategy on the national level (2) the implementation status of the adaptation measures at the federal level and (3), an impact assessment applying contribution analysis of the strategy’s effects on the vulnerability and adapative capacities of natural, social and economic systems.
Together with adelphi, the Center for Evaluation (CEval) carried out the evaluation on behalf of the UBA. The consortium drew on the methodology developed in a previous project and already politically agreed. Data was initially collected using various methods (guided interviews, document analyses, etc.) based on key evaluation questions and taking into account an impact model. A comprehensive analysis and evaluation of the data was then carried out on the basis of defined evaluation criteria. The resulting findings and recommendations were reflected upon and further consolidated in an online Delphi process.
Evaluation of the International Climate Protection Fellowship for Young climate experts from developing countries
In 2009, the Alexander von Humboldt-Foundation (AvH) initiated the International Climate Protection Fellowship (ICPF) for young climate experts from non-European developing/emerging countries. From 2010 to 2015, they supported 100 future leaders from academic and non-academic fields.
The target Groups of ICPF are young academics and future leaders form industry/politics from developing/emerging countries with higher education. Those Groups participate in developing/applying measures of (1) climate protection, (2) climate-related protection of resources, and (3) adapting to climate Change in developing/emerging countries. The ICPF’s Goal is to accompany their fellows over a long way: 12-months Fellowship for conducting their own research/research-related projects in cooperation with partners/Hosts in Germany, (2) participation in an alumni program (e.g., fundings for further stays in Germany, invitations to their home institutions abroad for their German partnsers/Hosts, invitations to AvH’s Network).
The Evaluation of ICPF examined the extent to which its effects contributed to (1) climate protection and climate-related protection of resources, (2) adapting to climate change in developing/emerging countries. Vital aspects of the evaluation were program-level examination of relevant goal achievements and the analysis of already testable program effects.
The evaluation was based on the DAC criteria. Combining document/secondary analyses with qualitative (extensive partly standarized interviews, case studies)as well as quantitative methods (partly standarized surveys), the evaluation can be characterized by its multi-method approach.
Evaluation of the Funding Activities of the Foundation Environment and Development North Rhine-Westphalia
The Foundation Environment and Development North Rhine-Westphalia was founded 2001 and promotes mainly volunteer environmental and development work of civil society groups. The objective of the foundation is to support the environmental and development work in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) in order to establish this work in the consciousness and in the practical involvement of the population permanently and at the state of the art.
For this purpose about 1,100 projects of non-profit organisations in NRW were supported with a volume of EUR 47.5 million so far. In addition, the Foundation carries out its own projects, to also promote the implementation of Agenda 21 of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in in 1994.
Within the evaluation, the results and effects of the funding activities of the Foundation were recorded and assessed. Furthermore, the evaluation was intended to find out information on potential inhibitory and / or promoting factors in the funding activities of the Foundation with respect to the foundation goals. Based on these findings recommendations on priorities of the Foundation with regard to content, actors, target groups and the methods and formats will be derived.
CEval applied a mixed method approach to collect relevant data. Therefore, relevant documents and accessible data of the foundation and of funded projects will be analysed. This will be combined with data based on qualitative guideline-based interviews with several stakeholders and standardised online surveys of current and completed projects.
Watermark Campaign
The “Watermark Campaign” is a program of the Ministry for the Environment that provides financial support to the Saarland municipalities in their efforts to separate non-contaminated rainwater from waste water that needs to be cleaned. Since the watermark campaign came into force in 1996, around 400 projects have been subsidized with a total of around 65 million. As part of this evaluation, it was systematically examined how the project was accepted by those involved on site and where problems arise. The results of the evaluation should be used to redesign the watermark campaign.
