Terminal Evaluation of the UNEP Project “Interfaith Rainforest Initiative, Phase 2” (2021-2024), SMA ID 99286

This report is a Terminal Evaluation of the UNEP project: “Interfaith Rainforest Initiative, Phase 2” (SMA ID 99286)), implemented between 2021 and 2024.The project's overall objective was to “build faith-based movements in program countries (Brazil, Colombia, DRC, Indonesia, and Peru) that mobilize religious leaders on the protection of forests, climate change and the rights of Indigenous Peoples, and that are grounded in the values, ethics and moral guidance of faith communities”. 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 was collected through in-depth interviews with key stakeholders and document review. Data analysis was based on applying data to assess performance against a reconstructed Theory of Change and its causal pathways and answering key evaluation questions against defined criteria. With an overall performance rating of ‘Satisfactory’, the 5th point on a six-point scale, the main findings include: i) The innovative approach of framing environmental protection as a shared moral and spiritual responsibility proved exceptionally powerful, fostering unprecedented trust and collaboration between religious leaders and Indigenous Peoples, ii) The decentralized, country-driven model was a major strength, fostering deep ownership and the flexibility to adapt to immense challenges, iii) A lack of clear governance and leadership roles among core partners created confusion, diluted accountability, and prevented the project from fully leveraging the expertise of its partners. The main recommendations to UNEP are: UNEP should establish a formal, bi-annual strategic dialogue with the IRI Global Steering Committee to sustain the strategic link, ensure lessons are mainstreamed, and connect IRI’s work to UN global processes. Implementing parties are advised to prioritize and structure mentorship and knowledge-sharing between more mature country programmes (e.g., Brazil, Colombia) and its less-established ones (e.g., DRC) to accelerate capacity building.