Real-time evaluation of Norway’s international climate and forest initiative: contributions to a Global REDD+ Regime 2007-2010

The Norwegian Government launched its International Climate and Forest Initiative in December 2007, aiming at reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries (REDD). In order to assess the results of the Initiative with regard to its objectives, Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) organised a real-time evaluation starting in early 2010. This fact sheet demonstrates the objectives, scope, process and principles of that evaluation.The first objective of the evaluation aimed at improving the prospects of the inclusion of an REDD mechanism in a post-2012 climate regime. The evaluation also focused on the work of the major recipients of funding, covering management and administration in Norway as well as multilateral, bilateral and non-governmental agencies funded by the Initiative. The evaluation also deals with national REDD processes, plans and actions, seeking the conservation of natural forests to maintain their carbon storage capacity. The main recommendations of the evaluation mission include: REDD Readiness should be focused more prominently on measuring 1) progress in the forest reform agenda, and 2) progress on improving forest governance. It is here that DRC&rsquo;s progress towards REDD readiness might best be seen at the moment REDD in DRC is generally considered as a forest sector issue. This does not enhance broad national multi-sector ownership of the REDD agenda and it may lead to tunnel vision. A number of institutional developments are proposed the REDD Readiness process should give higher priority to investing in supporting land-use planning processes with a high level of local participation at provincial level once DRC&rsquo;s reference scenario is formulated, providing a clear vision on REDD in the context of DRC&rsquo;s future development, a priority will be to mobilise support for the setting-up of a national early investment fund for REDD. This may require a closer bilateral relationship between Norway and DRC there is an urgent need to develop a reference scenario that fits the reality of DRC and that provides for a broader development vision than just reduced deforestation. More should be done to promote a true reflection of DRC&rsquo;s development path a higher priority should be given to developing Congolese capacity for REDD and this could start by ensuring that as many young university graduates as possible are directly employed in relevant REDD studies and inventories and that higher education courses include REDD in the curriculum<br /><br />