Three principles for evaluating co-produced climate services

Abstract: As climate change impacts unfold across the globe, growing attention is paid towards producing climate information that supports evidence-based adaptation efforts. The use of such scientific knowledge remains limited in practice. Researchers and practitioners have started to co-produce climate services to ensure that information is contextual, timely and relevant to support climate change adaptation decision-making. Recent research shows a pressing need to better understand how to evaluate co-produced climate services, in particular their impact on policy and action. This thesis explores this issue through a systematic literature review, and an online questionnaire that targeted actors with previous experience in co-producing climate services. Three principles are proposed, which outline methodological choices applicable when evaluating co-produced climate services: 1) Theory of Change methodology, 2) participatory evaluation, and 3) mix-methods with a focus on visual products.