Measurement and Performance Tracking: Civil Society Policy Implementation

Overview

While ambitious climate and energy goals may exist on paper in many countries, tracking their on-the-ground implementation will be critical if progress towards their achievement is to be understood. Civil society has a vital role to play in tracking policy implementation in order to increase trust, transparency, and accountability of government action.

MAPT is collaborating with WRI’s Open Climate Network (OCN) to develop and test a policy implementation tracking tool that can be used to assess the extent to which a given policy has been implemented. In future stages of tool development, the effects of implementation, including co-benefits and negative consequences, may also be included in the tool’s scope.

We are partnering with civil society organizations in several countries to pilot the tool for select policies. After an initial set of policies is assessed, we will work with various stakeholders, including other civil society organizations and governments, to provide trainings and support broader uptake.

Scoping

In 2011 WRI worked with in-country partners to conduct a scoping exercise in each of the six MAPT countries. This included a combination of surveys with key stakeholders including government officials, workshops and desk-based research.

The scoping survey included questions pertaining to the institutions (including national and sub-national government agencies, civil society organizations, academic institutions, and others) that are involved in monitoring the implementation of policies aimed at reducing GHG emissions.

The results of the country surveys, as compiled by in-country partners, can be accessed here.

Outputs

Policy Implementation Tool: This tool enables civil society to assess the progress of climate-related policy implementation. The tool has two components: a component that identifies and tracks major milestones in the policy implementation process, and a component that examines the dimensions of governance and institutional arrangements influencing the effectiveness of policy implementation.

Background: WRI serves as the Secretariat of the Electricity Governance Initiative, a network of stakeholders that promotes open, transparent and accountable decision-making processes in the electricity sector. The MAPT project will build on this work to build civil society capacity to produce independent assessments of climate-related electricity policy implementation. Additional information on the Electricity Governance Initiative, including the EGI toolkit can be found at www.electricitygovernance.wri.org. The civil society policy implementation component is collaborating with WRI’s Open Climate Network, an independent, international partnership that tracks and reports on the progress of key countries on climate change. OCN seeks to accelerate progress toward the low-emissions future by providing consistent, credible information that enhances accountability both between and within countries. Visit: www.insights.wri.org/open-climate-network

Contacts

For further information on this component contact Davida Wood and Bharath Jairaj.

Related Links

Electricity Governance Initiative
Open Climate Network