Readiness and Preparatory Support Programme: Revised Work Programme for 2018 – Addendum I

The review finds that while the GCF Readiness Programme addresses critical capacity-building needs for country-owned climate action, it suffers from a lack of a clear Theory of Change, inefficient application processes, and a heavy reliance on international consultants. Key recommendations include developing a formal Theory of Change, increasing Secretariat and regional advisor capacity, streamlining application timelines, and providing guidance in multiple languages to reduce barriers for non-Anglophone countries.

• The Readiness Programme is effectively addressing foundational capacity needs, particularly in establishing no-objection procedures and accrediting direct access entities, but it is too early to robustly assess overall impact and effectiveness because many activities are still in initial implementation stages.
• The Programme lacks a clearly articulated Theory of Change, which has led to stakeholder confusion regarding its specific activity areas and intended results.
• The application process is perceived as inefficient, with stakeholders noting that the investment of time and resources required is disproportionate to the available funding, especially for grants up to USD 300,000.
• Operational bottlenecks include a complex process involving over 50 steps from submission to first disbursement, and a quarterly submission policy that creates backlogs and encourages the submission of lower-quality proposals.
• Non-English speaking countries face significant barriers because proposals must be submitted in English and guidance in other languages is limited, increasing transaction costs and risks of misinterpretation.
• Sustainability is threatened by a heavy reliance on international consultants and a lack of institutionalization within governments, where capacity-building often targets only a few individuals rather than broader institutional processes.
• As of August 2017, the Programme had received 215 proposals totaling USD 154 million, with 57% approved; however, only 6% of projects have been completed.

APA

Green Climate Fund (2018). Readiness and Preparatory Support Programme: Revised Work Programme for 2018 – Addendum I. https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/gcf-b19-32-add01.pdf

Chicago

Green Climate Fund. Readiness and Preparatory Support Programme: Revised Work Programme for 2018 – Addendum I. 2018. https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/gcf-b19-32-add01.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Green Climate Fund |title=Readiness and Preparatory Support Programme: Revised Work Programme for 2018 – Addendum I |date=12 February 2018 |url=https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/gcf-b19-32-add01.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greenclimatefund2018readiness, author = {{Green Climate Fund}}, title = {{Readiness and Preparatory Support Programme: Revised Work Programme for 2018 – Addendum I}}, institution = {Green Climate Fund}, year = {2018}, month = feb, url = {https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/gcf-b19-32-add01.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }