Coastal communities are facing growing threats from climate change. The COAST programme aims to improve vulnerable coastal communities’ adaptive capacities and resilience to climate change and increase their prosperity from more sustainable management of coastal resources.
We are providing independent monitoring, evaluation and learning services to ensure FCDO and COAST delivery partners have the information needed to support evidence-based decision-making and adaptation across the programme.
The COAST programme is responding to the ongoing reliance on marine resources for many coastal area economies to build on the potential for more sustainable blue economies in coastal zones.
It will implement an integrated approach to deliver co-benefits for people, climate and nature, aligned with three priority outcomes:
- Protecting, restoring and sustainably managing coastal habitats (e.g. mangroves, seagrass, corals)
- Improving small-scale fisheries’ sustainability, productivity and resilience
- Catalysing more sustainable, less intensive aquaculture
The largest programme within the Blue Planet Fund (BPF), COAST will be delivered in up to six priority countries, starting with Mozambique, Vietnam, Indonesia and The Philippines in its first phase.
Our role
We are providing support with three interdependent workstreams – monitoring, evaluation and learning – strengthened by a MEL support platform, which provides technical support and advice to COAST delivery partners.
More of our climate action work
Principles of work
Delivery of the COAST MEL strategy is underpinned by four core principles that have been applied in the design of each workstream:
- Evidence-oriented: we will mobilise the best possible evidence to inform decisions by the programme or partners. All our outputs will be triangulated and contextualised through the use of a comprehensive evidence base.
- Participatory: we will collaborate with FCDO and COAST delivery partners to implement the MEL strategy and interpret and apply evidence, as this builds ownership and understanding.
- Utilisation-focused: our approach is designed to meet the needs and priorities of FCDO and COAST delivery partners and ensure ongoing MEL efforts add value to programme delivery.
- Transparent: our communications will be regular and open. This is the best way of building strong trusting relationships, which are essential for learning
Methods and approaches
The workstreams deliver MEL services at a programme level while also providing technical and advisory support to COAST delivery partners.
Programme-level work includes:
- Managing and reporting against the logical framework and Theory of Change, including establishing processes for and supporting partners with their ICF reporting
- Undertaking independent evaluation including both a theory-based impact evaluation and process evaluation
- Exploring and consolidating evidence developed internally and externally to COAST
- Providing learning and strengthening programming
The delivery of the MEL strategy is heavily influenced by COAST’s programmatic approach to adaptive management, innovation, gender and social inclusion (GESI) and value for money (VfM). As such, MEL strategy approaches to these important themes are integrated within each workstream and articulated at strategy level.
We are working in partnership with MRAG and our team is bolstered by a wider network of thematic, methodological and regional partners that will enable us to provide tailored support and expert advice.
Outcomes and impact
In the mobilisation phase, our team developed the COAST MEL strategy, which provides the foundations for the programme MEL and the vision, tools and approaches for delivery. This enables us to support FCDO and COAST delivery partners with high-quality and timely evidence and learning that will inform:
- Decision-making and action
- Effective programme-level oversight and reporting
- Adaptation
Through our work, we hope to inform more effective decision-making that supports vulnerable coastal communities’ resilience and sustainable adaptation to the impacts of climate change.
