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The GCF Secretariat provides a detailed response to an independent evaluation of its gender approach, agreeing with several recommendations to shift from a compliance-driven model to one focused on meaningful implementation and results. While the Secretariat accepts the need for stronger institutional coherence, improved budget tracking, and enhanced capacity building, it disputes certain factual assumptions in the evaluation—specifically the reference to a non-existent 2018 GESI Policy—and rejects the introduction of mandatory mid-term Gender Action Plan updates due to the burden they would place on Accredited Entities.

The GCF Secretariat broadly agrees with the Independent Evaluation Unit's findings on the Project Preparation Facility (PPF), acknowledging its role as a strategic de-risking tool. The Secretariat commits to improving coherence between the PPF and the Readiness and Preparatory Support Programme (RPSP), differentiating support pathways for varying entity capacities, and enhancing monitoring and knowledge management. While accepting most recommendations, the Secretariat notes that some findings lacked sufficient contextualization and that the PPF Service modality represents only about 21% of approved requests.

The GCF Secretariat and the Independent Integrity Unit (IIU) respond to an evaluation of the Policy on the Protection of Whistleblowers and Witnesses (PPWW). While the Secretariat agrees with all five recommendations, the IIU partially agrees with several, citing factual inaccuracies in the evaluation and noting that some suggestions—such as external appeal processes—conflict with standard practices in international governmental organizations (IGOs) and international financial institutions (IFIs). Both entities acknowledge a need for better policy coherence, specifically regarding the outdated Administrative Guidelines on Human Resources (AGHR), and commit to increasing training and awareness for staff and counterparties.

The GCF Secretariat responds to the Independent Evaluation Unit's synthesis of direct access, agreeing with most recommendations to broaden access beyond accreditation and enhance support for direct access entities (DAEs). Key initiatives include the project-specific assessment approach (PSAA) pilot, the Simplified Approval Process (SAP), and the use of the Portfolio Performance Management System (PPMS) for implementation support. The Secretariat aims to integrate these improvements into the GCF Strategic Plan for 2024-2027 (USP-2) and a revised Readiness Strategy.

The GCF Secretariat responds to an independent synthesis of its accreditation function, agreeing or partially agreeing with recommendations to improve access to resources. Key actions include updating the accreditation framework, strengthening the capacity of Direct Access Entities (DAEs), and implementing a project-specific assessment approach (PSAA) to complement institutional accreditation.