Defining metrics for monitoring and evaluating the impact of co-production in climate services

Despite increased commitment to co-production as a route to developing decision-relevant climate services, there has been less focus on the metrics or criteria for determining their success and impact. Drawing from literature and recent experiences from both operational- and research-focused climate resilience-building initiatives in Africa, we propose a framework and consider various approaches for monitoring and evaluating both the process and outcomes of investments in climate services co-production, so that scientific excellence can be monitored alongside development impact. This framework combines principles- and process-based approaches to track changes amongst the various parties involved in co-producing climate services. The development and application of this framework raises fundamental questions regarding the metrics for measuring the impact of co-production in climate services and the principles – including inclusivity, diversity and ensuring value for all partners in the process – on which these are based. The framework and its metrics contribute to the emerging field of monitoring and evaluation of climate services co-production, and will be of use in improving the robustness of the field going forwards.