Climate change - Scottish National Adaptation Plan 2024-2029: monitoring and evaluation framework

Executive Summary

• The third Scottish National Adaptation Plan sets out a commitment to develop and implement a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework for climate adaptation in Scotland.
• Establishing a practical and effective approach to M&E is essential for understanding whether or not the intended impacts of the Plan are being achieved and identifying the policies that are working well and those that are not.
• The M&E framework set out in this document is an important step forward in tracking Scotland's progress towards successful adaptation at a national level. It has been developed in collaboration with key stakeholders across Scotland.
• This Framework has been designed to complement existing monitoring and evaluation activities for Scotland. For example, it will build on and complement the UK Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA) process and provide additional evidence to feed into the Climate Change Committee (CCC) independent assessment of Scotland's current Adaptation Plan which is undertaken twice in every five-year period. The Framework will also provide data to support Scotland's National Performance Framework and proposed new Climate Action Outcome.
• Following this publication, work will continue to develop the Framework and improve how we are measuring and understanding change in Scotland's climate resilience, to inform future Adaptation Plans.
• The Framework contains the following four key elements:
  • Monitoring maps visually describe how the various elements of SNAP3 are expected to contribute to improving Scotland's resilience to climate change. They map the pathways through which the policy and delivery activities in the Plan, supported by 'enabling factors', should contribute to the SNAP3 objectives, outcomes and, in turn, the overall strategic aim of building Scotland's resilience. These maps provide the underpinning theory and context for measuring progress and change.
  • A set of indicators will be used to track progress towards the five outcomes and 23 objectives set out in SNAP3. Objective indicators will be reported on annually to monitor progress made in the short to medium-term. Outcome-level indicators will track longer term trends in Scotland's resilience. These will be reported on at the start of the Plan and again at the end of the 5-year period, to assess the progress made over the lifetime of the Plan.
  • An approach to improving policy evaluation will strengthen our understanding of how individual policies are contributing towards progress in SNAP3's objectives and outcomes. Stronger evidence from policy evaluations across priority SNAP3 areas will allow us to identify what does or doesn't work, for whom, in what contexts, and why, when adapting to climate change. It can improve targeting of policies by better understanding key barriers and enablers different groups face in accessing the benefits of specific policies.
  • Knowledge exchange and learningunderpins each element of the M&E framework. Over the SNAP3 period, mechanisms will be developed to ensure that the research, evidence and learning emerging through the M&E framework is shared in a regular and accessible way. This will support the use of evidence in the policy development cycle and improvements in how the Scottish Government delivers adaptation action.