Terminal Evaluation of the UNEP Project “Strengthening the environmental management of the oil and gas sector in fragile and developing countries” PIMS ID 1957– SMA ID 30586 (2016 - 2024)

This report is a Terminal Evaluation of the UNEP project: “Strengthening the environmental management of the oil and gas sector in fragile and developing countries” (PIMS ID 1957– SMA ID 30586) implemented between 2016 and 2024. The project's overall goal was to enable fragile and developing countries, supported by the Oil for Development (OfD) Programme of Norway, to improve their environmental oversight of the oil industry and thus reduce acute and chronic risks associated with the exploration and production of hydrocarbon resources. The evaluation sought to assess project performance (in terms of relevance, effectiveness and efficiency) and determine the sustainability of its results. The evaluation has two primary purposes: accountability and learning. Data collection methods included: field observations, in-depth interviews and document reviews. Data analysis was based on applying triangulated data to assess performance against a reconstructed Theory of Change and its causal pathways. With an overall performance rating of Satisfactory, the 5th point on a six-point scale, the main findings include: i) The project successfully delivered all planned outputs with a high level of quality, including capacity-building workshops, technical resources, capacity needs assessments, Road Map development, and multi-stakeholder dialogues. In several cases, it went beyond the original scope by providing additional tailored support to address country-specific requests; ii) Sustainability of the project was supported by strong socio-political commitment, alignment with national priorities, and the long-standing participation of beneficiary countries in the OfD Programme; iii) Financially, sustainability depends on institutionalizing and funding Road Map recommendations within national budgets, including policies, laws, strategic plans, and coordination mechanisms. Recommendations: i) The upcoming Norway–UNEP cooperation on Energy for Development (EfD) should integrate targeted capacity-building support for OfD countries, responding to the capacity needs requested by the countries and highlighted in their Road Maps and building on the foundations established through the first phase of cooperation; ii) OfD countries should prioritize and take concrete actions to implement the Road Map recommendations in order to ensure sound environmental management of the oil and gas sector; iii) OfD countries should integrate the promotion and protection of human rights, gender equality, and the inclusion of marginalized and vulnerable groups as core principles during the implementation of the Road Map recommendations.