Final Evaluation of a Flagship Protected Area Financing Project in Malaysia.

What We Did: Using UNDP terminal evaluation guidelines and OECD-DAC criteria, the terminal evaluation assessed the relevance, effectiveness, sustainability and efficiency of the initiative. The evaluation drew upon five forms of inquiry: i) theory based, an examination of the causality that links activities and results; ii) stakeholder analysis, an examination of factors enabling and inhibiting participation in the Protected Area Financing initiative; iii) contribution analysis, questions seeking to understand the added value provided by reform sustainable finance and to the protection threatened species; iv) institutional and organisational analysis, an examination of the implementation of grant activities with a view to scalability and the likelihood of sustainability; and v) systems analysis, an examination of the interactive effects between the various stakeholders. Data collection was undertaken through a document review, 38 semi-structured interviews and an e-survey of partners. Field visits were undertaken at critical sites to validate data collected through other sources and to hold focus groups with beneficiaries. Deliverables included an inception report, a sense-making learning workshop, a final evaluation report and a findings meeting with project staff and executive leadership at the UNDP Malaysia Country Office.

‍Objective: The US$ 19M UNDP-supported, GEF-financed “Enhancing the Effectiveness and Financial Sustainability of Protected Areas” project in Malaysia aims to improve the management and financial sustainability of protected areas in the country. The project focuses on developing and implementing a more effective and integrated performance-based management system for protected areas, enhancing the capacity of relevant stakeholders, and exploring sustainable financing mechanisms to ensure the long-term financial sustainability of protected areas. The ultimate objective is to enhance the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services in Peninsular Malaysia.