| Overview : Kiribati is a nation comprised of 33 atolls (21 inhabited) spread across a vast Pacific Ocean territory. The people of rural Kiribati are largely reliant upon a limited land base and coastal zone fisheries for both nutrition and livelihood. As the population grows and climate change advances, the security of island resources will be challenged. Already, the ecosystem integrity upon which islanders depend for climate change resilience is being eroded. This is evinced by many factors including deteriorating quality of near-shore fisheries, degraded lagoon health, and reduced freshwater quality. The primary reason for this is that current management regimes for both atoll and lagoon resources are defined by open resource access. Active management, research and regulation of lagoon and on atoll resources is insufficient and climate change is exacerbating the situation, leaving the Kiribati communities highly vulnerable. The project’s objective is to build the adaptive capacity of vulnerable Kiribati communities to ensure food security under conditions of climate change. The project determines to do this through its two components. Under Component One, the project is assisting the Kiribati Government to address urgent institutional capacity building needs primarily on the national level. Through Component Two, the project is assisting the Kiribati Government to address climate change vulnerabilities by implementing and demonstrating community-based adaptation measures. For this, the project selected the three atolls of Abemama, Nonouti and Maiana to set in place models for land and lagoon resources management that is predicated upon thoroughly consultative, informed planning and management processes. Through the process, the project intended to increase the communities’ general awareness on fisheries management and knowledge of climate change impacts. Using this knowledge and the establishment of community-based monitoring systems, which it is translating into island-wide vulnerability assessments, the project has assisted the communities to make well informed decisions on natural resource use. The monitoring system is being linked to national level programming so that national level decision-making benefits from more broad-based information sources. The project supports the generation, adoption, and implementation of model council by-laws designed to be ecosystem inclusive and enhance ecosystem integrity. This model regulations are designed to be holistic, to include the management of fisheries, permitting, the provision of resource use reporting mechanisms, including that used for tourism. All project activity will target the reduction of food security issues by setting in place capacities required for local communities to maintain and enhance ecosystem integrity. By project close, Kiribati should have operational models showing that food security, ecosystem integrity and climate change resilience can be enhanced through improved management approaches. Kiribati was COVID-19 free until 18 May 2021, when two cases were reported, both border quarantine cases. Since then 3,042 COVID-19 cases has been recorded. Out of the 3,042 cases, 13 individuals have died. The Kiribati Government in its preparedness effort against the COVID-19 situation, closed its international borders in March 2020. This international border closure impeded the implementation progress towards indicator 15, the eco-tourism component of the project. Due to the border closure as well, the progress against the overall objective indicator 3, the automated weather stations set up and its operationalization, the materials for real-time display monitors were delayed in arrival in-country. Further to these, was the inability for the UNDP Country Office staff as well as the Regional Technical Advisor to conduct oversight missions in-country. Repatriation flights were coordinated by the Kiribati Government, in September and November 2020, with adherence to the strict quarantine guidelines, there were no positive community cases. However, in early January this year (2022) at the re-opening of the Kiribati’s international borders a flight carrying 54 passengers had 36 who tested positive upon arrival. On the 19th of January the Kiribati Government announced a nationwide curfew. This was followed by lockdown directive on the 22nd of January. In its effort to stifle COVID-19 transmission, the Kiribati Government has made the wearing of mask compulsory, with the curfew in place until the 18th of March. The government has received assistance from UNICEF to build the capacities of its frontline workers and strengthen their health system. It has also received assistance from the regional body, the Secretariat of the Pacific on the same. Foreign governments have assisted in providing vaccines such as Japan donating 56,000 doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. The terminal evaluation (TE) report will assess the achievement of project results against what was expected to be achieved and draw lessons that can both improve the sustainability of benefits from this project, and aid in the overall enhancement of UNDP programming. The TE report promotes accountability and transparency and assesses the extent of project accomplishments. Further to this, the objectives of the evaluation will be to: - assess the achievement of project results supported by evidence (i.e. progress of project’s outcome targets);
- assess the contribution and alignment of the project to relevant national development plan or environmental policies;
- assess the contribution of the project results towards the relevant outcome and output of the Sub Regional Programme Document (SRPD) & United Nation Pacific Strategy (UNPS/UNDAF);
- assess any cross cutting and gender issues;
- examination on the use of funds and value for money;
- assess the impact of COVID-19 on the project’s implementation and;
- draw lessons that can both improve the sustainability of benefits from this project and aid in the overall enhancement of UNDP programming
The TE will be conducted according to the guidance, rules and procedures established by UNDP and GEF as reflected in the UNDP Evaluation Guidance for GEF Financed Projects. | 
