Seven guiding principles
7. Monitor and evaluate
Rationale: Poor monitoring prevents accountability and the possibility to learn from past experience, thus undermining the ability to understand the change processes and improve future FLR activities. It is therefore critical to put in place a multi-stakeholder, gender sensitive (see cross-cutting Principle 3) monitoring and evaluation system (M&E) right from the start. A multi-stakeholder approach will ensure a comprehensive and objective monitoring of FLR activities while simultaneously providing opportunities for shared M&E capacities with other national commitments such as NDC, biodiversity and SDG reporting. An efficient M&E will ensure transparency and provide evidence of progress, achievements and impact of FLR. It will enable updates and help develop the national FLR strategy. It will also encourage positive momentum, inspire replication, and transfer relevant knowledge through the communication of positive results and outcomes and corrective actions taken in response to possible negative results. M&E enable investors to see progress towards their investment goals and open possible additional funding opportunities.
Criteria
- Realistic, simple, and feasible, multi-stakeholder monitoring framework including biophysical, social, economic and governance measures established
- Gender-sensitive indicators, and data-collection methodology disaggregated by gender developed
- Baseline for monitoring FLR achievements established, and, wherever possible, linked and integrated (compatible) with existing forest-monitoring systems
- Indicators, metrics, and indicator framework defined
- National FLR strategy implementation is continuously monitored and feed-back provided to policymakers and stakeholders in order to see progress and address issues of concern
- Regular M&E carried out and shared with all stakeholders
Expected benefits
- Successful and sustainable FLR
- Evidence of FLR impact provided, including on who benefitted, and on progress towards achieving national, regional, and international commitments.
- Enhanced trust in FLR and foster additional investments for scaling up
- Important contribution to national commitments regarding NDC, biodiversity, SDG reporting
- UN Decade principles 8 and 9 met