Supporting international climate negotiators: a monitoring and evaluation framework

The document outlines a hybrid monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework used by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) to track the effectiveness of its Negotiations Support programme. Because international climate negotiations are complex and non-linear, CDKN moved away from traditional linear causal chains toward 'outcome mapping,' which focuses on behavioral changes in 'boundary partners' (negotiators and delegations). The framework uses five 'Dimensions of Change' as proxies for outcome challenges, with specific 'progress markers' categorized by ambition: 'expect to see', 'like to see', and 'love to see'. Early results indicate that change was observed across all five dimensions, with the most significant progress in negotiator capacity and coordination. The paper argues that while direct attribution of negotiation successes to specific interventions is difficult and politically sensitive, this approach allows for the identification of 'plausible contributions'.

• CDKN implemented a hybrid M&E framework that integrates outcome mapping with a traditional logical framework (logframe) to better capture non-linear behavioral changes in international negotiations.
• CDKN avoids claiming direct attribution for negotiation successes due to the complexity of the UNFCCC process and political sensitivities regarding donor influence, opting instead to identify 'plausible contributions'.
• Effective M&E in this context requires the triangulation of data from multiple sources, including suppliers, recipients, other negotiators, donors, and NGOs, to mitigate potential bias from support providers.

APA

Hamza-goodacre, D., Jefford, S., & Simister, N. (2013). Supporting international climate negotiators: a monitoring and evaluation framework. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/CDKN_Working_Paper-ME-_Final_WEB.pdf

Chicago

Hamza-goodacre, Dan, Stuart Jefford, and nigel Simister. Supporting international climate negotiators: a monitoring and evaluation framework. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2013. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/CDKN_Working_Paper-ME-_Final_WEB.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Hamza-goodacre |first1=Dan |last2=Jefford |first2=Stuart |last3=Simister |first3=nigel |title=Supporting international climate negotiators: a monitoring and evaluation framework |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |date=November 2013 |url=https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/CDKN_Working_Paper-ME-_Final_WEB.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{hamzagoodacre2013supporting, author = {Hamza-goodacre, Dan and Jefford, Stuart and Simister, nigel}, title = {{Supporting international climate negotiators: a monitoring and evaluation framework}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2013}, month = nov, url = {https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/CDKN_Working_Paper-ME-_Final_WEB.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }