INDEPENDENT EVALUATION DIVISION OFFICE OF EVALUATION AND INTERNAL OVERSIGHT Independent Terminal Evaluation GEF UNIDO Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions through Improved Energy Efficiency in the Industrial Sector in Moldova UNIDO ID: 103043 GEF Project ID: 3719 UNIDO INDEPENDENT EVALUATION DIVISION Independent Terminal Evaluation GEF UNIDO Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions through Improved Energy Efficiency in the Industrial Sector in Moldova UNIDO ID: 103043 GEF Project ID: 3719 Vienna, April 2019 Distr. GENERAL ODG/EIO/IED/18/R.19 May 2019 Original: English This evaluation was managed by the responsible UNIDO Project Manager with quality assurance by the Independent Evaluation Division The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this document do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. Mention of company names and commercial products does not imply the endorsement of UNIDO. The views and opinions of the team do not necessarily reflect the views of the Governments and of UNIDO. This document has not been formally edited. Table of Contents Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................................. v Abbreviations and acronyms ................................................................................................................... vi Glossary of evaluation-related terms .................................................................................................... viii Executive Summary .................................................................................................................................. x 1 Evaluation Objectives, Methodology, Process ............................................................................ 1 1.1 Introduction and Background on the Terminal Evaluation ............................................................ 1 1.2 Objectives and Scope of the Terminal Evaluation .......................................................................... 1 1.3 Evaluation Methodology ................................................................................................................ 1 1.4 Challenges and Limitations ............................................................................................................. 2 2 Country and Project Background ................................................................................................ 3 2.1 Country Background ....................................................................................................................... 3 2.2 Sector-specific issues of concern to the project ............................................................................. 4 2.3 Project Summary ............................................................................................................................ 5 2.3.1 Project Goal, Objective and General Information .......................................................................... 5 2.3.2 Partners and Stakeholders ............................................................................................................. 7 2.3.3 Key Events in Project Design and Implementation ........................................................................ 9 2.3.4 Implementation Arrangements and Project Partners ..................................................................10 2.3.5 Positioning of the UNIDO Project .................................................................................................12 3 Project Assessment ...................................................................................................................14 3.1 Project Design ...............................................................................................................................14 3.1.1 Overall Design ...............................................................................................................................14 3.1.2 Logframe and Reconstructed Theory of Change ..........................................................................16 3.2 Project Performance .....................................................................................................................20 3.2.1 Relevance......................................................................................................................................20 3.2.2 Effectiveness .................................................................................................................................21 3.2.3 Efficiency .......................................................................................................................................37 3.2.4 Sustainability of Benefits ..............................................................................................................39 3.3 M & E System ................................................................................................................................42 3.4 Monitoring Long Term Changes ...................................................................................................43 3.5 Processes affecting achievement of project results .....................................................................44 3.5.1 Preparation and readiness / quality at entry ...............................................................................44 3.5.2 Country Ownership .......................................................................................................................44 3.5.3 Stakeholder Involvement .............................................................................................................45 3.5.4 Financial Planning .........................................................................................................................45 3.5.5 UNIDO Support .............................................................................................................................46 3.5.6 Co-Financing on Project Outcomes and Sustainability .................................................................46 3.5.7 Delays of Project Outcomes and Sustainability ............................................................................47 3.5.8 Implementation approach ............................................................................................................47 iii 3.6 Project coordination and management .......................................................................................47 3.7 Gender Mainstreaming.................................................................................................................49 4 Conclusions, Lessons Learned, Recommendations ...................................................................52 4.1 Conclusions ...................................................................................................................................52 4.2 Lessons Learned ...........................................................................................................................53 4.3 Recommendations ........................................................................................................................54 Annex 1. Evaluation ToR .........................................................................................................................56 Annex 2. List of Documents Reviewed ...................................................................................................65 Annex 3. List of Respondents .................................................................................................................66 Annex 4. Summary of Project Identification and Financial Data ............................................................68 Annex 5. Project Results Framework .....................................................................................................71 Table 1: General Information on the IEE Moldova Project ..................................................................... 6 Table 2: Key dates for the IEE Moldova Project ...................................................................................... 7 Table 3: Summary of IEE Moldova Project Framework ........................................................................... 7 Table 4: Key Stakeholders involved in Project Execution ........................................................................ 8 Table 5: Key events in the IEE Moldova Project design and implementation......................................... 9 Table 6: IEE Moldova Project Results Framework ................................................................................. 17 Table 7: Summary of the Project's Success in Goal and Objective ....................................................... 23 Table 8: Summary of the companies generating direct GHG emission reductions .............................. 25 Table 9: Summary of the Project's Success in Producing Outputs under Outcome 1 .......................... 26 Table 10: Summary of the Project's Success in Producing Outputs under Outcome 2 ........................ 32 Table 11: Summary of the Project's Success in Producing Outputs under Outcome 3 ........................ 35 Table 12: Summary of the IEE investments receiving direct Project support ......................................