The NAMA Support Project (NSP) “Colombia Transit Oriented Development”(TOD) promoted the shift in Colombia’s urban growth model towards TOD scheme that maximises GHG emission reductions and the co-benefits of public-transit investment. It aimed to showcase projects of better-designed, walkable, transit-oriented neighborhoods with reduced household transport costs, better access to jobs and services, and improved social inclusion.
On this account, during the period of June – September 2022, AMBERO and Oxford Policy Management undertook a Mid-term Evaluation and Learning Exercise (ELE) on the progress of the project’s Financial Component. The Financial Component intended to leverage the policies, technical capabilities and inputs created by the Technical Component (please see the ELE report on the Technical Component) and support the execution of TOD demonstration projects in several Colombian cities.
Below are some of the key findings of the ELE:
- Sustainability remains a key goal for large Colombian cities, but COVID-19 diverted political attention to social and economic recovery. With the effects of the pandemic easing, sustainability is expected to become a priority again.
- Intersectoral coordination that TOD projects require has proven challenging. Other NDC projects focusing on single sectors appear to be able to leverage higher GHG reductions while facing fewer implementation barriers.
- Processes to promote internal learning and adaptation are relevant for driving the implementation and any potential revisions of the Financial Component’s instruments.
The following lessons learned and recommendations were derived by the evaluators of the ELE for future TOD related projects:
- Lessons learned from the Technical Component are crucial for facilitating the scaling of the Financial Component’s instruments to make them more adaptable to the complex and evolving contexts in which TOD- related NSPs are designed and executed. The dissemination of the lessons learned from the Technical Component shall be disseminated to facilitate large-scale replication of TOD initiatives.
- Formal requirements for NSPs to track ELE recommendations shall be introduced. Findings from previous ELE activities need to be sufficiently addressed by NSPs to ensure the practical value of the ELE efforts.
Following the main findings and recommendations of the ELE, the TSU and NSP have compiled a management response to address the key points that were raised.
The management response and the executive summary of the ELE report are available in the Knowledge & Learning Hub. The full report is available upon request.