Austrian Monitoring & Evaluation System – Flexible, Easy-to-Manage and Multi-Purpose

Markus Leitner – OECD Paris, France 14th March 2017 1

Austrian ADAPTATION policy process

Kick-off and political mandate

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016/17

Start of NAS/NAP Development process:

Stakeholder involvement

Austrian Adaptation Strategy (NAS) & Action Plan (NAP)

adopted

NAS/NAP taken note of by the provinces

1st Progress Report on Adaptation

published

Main responsibility, process owner: Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management

Support unit: Environment Agency Austria

Start work on Monitoring including

stakeholders

Revise NAS/NAP

Climate – and Energy Funds establishes

research program (ACRP)

Monitoring & Evaluation 1st Progress Report

Goals and purpose provide an overview on the implementation progress

of adaptation based on the Austrian NAS and NAP identify adaptation gaps and further adaptation needs provide information on key trends of

impacts/vulnerabilities create a basis for revision of the strategy create added value for all concerned stakeholders

Kick-off Jan. 2013

Stakeholder Workshop Sept. 2013

M&E framework March 2014

Expert survey & workshop

Data gathering and

analysis

Progress Report

Oct.2015

Overall Monitoring & Evaluation approach

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Self-assessment

Criteria catalogue

Overall view on the NAS

implementation & progress of

adaptation

Participatory approach

Data based approach

NAS with 14 Action fields (sectors) (Action Plan – goals and measures)

The joint consideration of both components can provide a broad picture of the implementation of the NAS/NAP and key adaptation trends in Austria.

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What to monitor and evaluate?

5

Self – assessment (Part 1)

(policy) implementation and processes

Stage of implementation of adaptation actions and measures

Criteria catalogue (Part 2)

(policy) implementation and processes

adaptation actions and measures

behaviour change changes in adaptation/

adaptive capacity/ vulnerability levels

(climate change impacts) Awareness building

The criteria (indicators) should be/make…

6

clearly relevant for adaptation, able to show adaptation trends

based on existing data sources (or collectable with little effort)

indicate trends and react to changes measurable on national level repeated on an appropriate timeframe allow a clear and accepted statement robust and statistically validated data (if quantitative) developed / selected in agreement with experts

Results…

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Adaptation targets need to be defined on sectoral level and for single measures ( 1st revision of the Austrian NAS/NAP introduced sector goals)

Most data available is not directly related to adaptation Criteria approach: data availability? ( Identifying data

gaps could initiate new developments) Not all aspects of adaptation processes are

“measurable” Criteria allow only partial or indirect statements Criteria allow different ways of interpretation clear definition of criteria (incl. selection reasons) carefulness in interpretation of results

Experiences and reflections 1

Experiences and reflections 2

Clear distinction between impact, response, output and outcome criteria is sometimes difficult

Monitoring scheme development and implementation process was resource-intensive

Participation of stakeholders in concept development and via survey has contributed to awareness-raising, communication and coordination of NAS

Acceptance of self-assessment: how to (better) motivate stakeholders to respond?

Highly useful information base for forthcoming 1st revision of NAS and NAP

Need for an „open“ and flexible M&E System that allows „learning“

Based on Self-assessment and criteria, the 1st Progress report on Adaptation for Austria concludes…

… many measures recommended in the NAP have been or are being implemented in all activity fields

… partly strong differences in progress between sectors

… positive examples of sectors (e.g.): Forest management Water management Natural hazard management Agriculture

Substantial adaptation gaps still persist…

Austria - next steps

NAS 2.0 - Update & advancement of the NAS Integration of new research results & results from 1st progress

report - final draft on expert level already completed Start to optimize the M&E scheme for NAS/NAP

Implementation plan between Ministry & Provinces 2016 WG on increased private initiative in case of extreme weather

events Regional workshops across Austria & brochure with best-practice In preparation: “train the trainers”, development of a special

training concept for consultants New regional adaptation programme (AT Climate- & Energy-Fund) Funds covering manpower for adaptation work (communities

apply) - programme launched on 21 September 2016

… and more …

Contact & Information

Markus Leitner Environmental Impact Assessment and Climate Change markus.leitner@umweltbundesamt.at Maria Balas, Andrea Prutsch and Sonja Völler

Environment Agency Austria - www.umweltbundesamt.at

Global Forum on the Environment & Climate Change 14-15 March 2017, Paris, France