Terminal Evaluation of Global Solar Water Heating Market Transformation and Strengthening Initiative (GSWH Project)

UNEP and UNDP, with funds from GEF, have designed and implemented a project to accelerate global commercialization and sustainable market transformation of solar water heating, thereby reducing the current use of electricity and fossil fuels for hot water preparation. The Global Solar Water Heating Market Transformation and Strengthening Initiatives (GSWH) was proposed with two co-implementing agencies with the following roles in the project: (1) UNEP undertaking the management of a “Global Knowledge Management and Networking Component” to accelerate the advancement of knowledge of solar water heating in several countries and regions; and (2) UNDP undertaking the management of a “Country Program component” consisting of managing solar water heating market transformation in 5 countries, namely Albania, Chile, India, Lebanon and Mexico to contribute to global knowledge of best practices and lessons learned in the market transformation of solar water heating in these countries   The Terminal Evaluation was undertaken at completion of the GSWH project to assess project performance and determine outcomes and impacts stemming from the project.   The evaluation assessed the overall project and the country programs with respect to a minimum set of evaluation criteria grouped in five categories: (1) strategic relevance; (2) attainment of objectives and planned result, which included the assessment of outputs achieved, effectiveness and likelihood of impact; (3) sustainability and replication; (4) efficiency; and (5) factors and processes affecting project performance.

Econoler acted as supporting consultant, responsible for the evaluation of Mexico and Chile’s country programs. Econoler collaborated with a Team Leader in charge of the overall management of the evaluation and of the specific evaluation of GSWH project.   The evaluation work included the following tasks:

• Contributions to the inception of the evaluation, including:
• conduct a preliminary desk review and introductory interviews with project staff with the focus on the assigned country programs;
• support the evaluation team in drafting the reconstructed Theory of Change of the project and/or country programs for Chile and Mexico;
• assist in the preparation of the evaluation framework;
• prepare the survey protocols in close cooperation with the evaluation team; and
• contributed to the inception report.
• contributed to data collection and analysis by conducting a further desk review and in-depth interviews with key stakeholders of the project, with the focus on the assigned country programs with a mission in each country
• Contributions to the main report, including:
• write key sections of the main report concerning the assigned country programs,
• assist with finalizing the main report.