Validated Terminal Review of the UNEP/GEF project “Strengthening national biodiversity and forest carbon stock conservation through landscape-based collaborative management of Cambodia’s Protected Areas System as demonstrated in the Eastern Plain Landscape” (CAMPAS) GEF ID 4905, 2016 - 2022

This report is a Validated Terminal Review of the UNEP/GEF project ‘Strengthening national biodiversity and forest carbon stock conservation through landscape-based collaborative management of Cambodia’s Protected Areas System as demonstrated in the Eastern Plain Landscape’ (CAMPAS), implemented between 2016 and 2022. The project's overall development goal was to enhance Cambodia’s Protected Areas System management effectiveness and secure forest carbon through improving inter-sectoral collaboration, landscape connectivity, and sustainable forest management. The review sought to assess project performance (in terms of relevance, effectiveness and efficiency), and determine outcomes and impacts (actual and potential) stemming from the project, including their sustainability. The review had two primary purposes: (i) to provide evidence of results to meet accountability requirements, and (ii) to promote learning, feedback, and knowledge sharing through results and lessons learned among UNEP, the GEF, the Government of Cambodia, project partners and relevant agencies. This report has been prepared by an external consultant as part of a Terminal Review, which is a management-led process to assess performance at the project’s operational completion. The UNEP Evaluation Office provides templates and tools to support the review process and provides a formal assessment of the quality of the Review report, which is provided within this report’s annexed material. In addition, the Evaluation Office formally validates the report by ensuring that the performance judgments made are consistent with evidence presented in the Review report and in-line with the performance standards set out for independent evaluations. As such the project performance ratings presented in the Review report may be adjusted by the Evaluation Office. The findings and conclusions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the views of Member States or the UN Environment Programme Senior Management.