Table 1.

Examples of approaches to tracking adaptation

Emphasis of the approach	Description	Relevant measures	Sources of information
Progress e.g., Gagnon-Lebrun and Agrawala (2007)	• Emphasis on progress made by governments, NGOs, private sector etc. from articulating adaptation goals to planning and implementation • Views concrete action as more valuable than groundwork	• Have there been vulnerability and impact assessments tailored to the scale, sector, region of focus? • Have different adaptation options been identified? • Have adaptation policies been formulated? • Has adaptation been explicitly incorporated into projects? • Have adaptation measures been implemented? • Has there been learning from past adaptation experience?	• UNFCCC National Communications • UNFCCC Private Sector Initiative • National/regional/sectoral adaptation assessments • Peer reviewed scholarship • Organization websites (e.g., government, civil society organization, health authority) • Legislation • Adaptation databases
Process e.g., Fussel (2008) Mukheibir and Ziervogel (2008)	• Emphasis on procedural aspects of adaptation policy/planning • Views coherent policy-making process to be more likely to produce effective adaptation	• Is there a clear procedural structure in the policy-making process? • Is there evidence of localized impact assessments? • Is there evidence of building M&E into the adaptation process? • Is there evidence of inclusion of key stakeholders? • Have adaptation concerns been prioritized in the policy-making domain? • Has adaptation been incorporated into the development process? • Has adaptation been incorporated into Disaster Risk Reduction programs? • Is there a prioritization among adaptation policies • How are uncertainties being managed?	• Adaptation planning documents Adaptation program descriptions • Consultation documents • Boundary organizations • Institutional structure analysis • Adaptation readiness evaluations • Program development • Decision maker surveys
Diversity e.g., Carmin et al (2012) Lesnikowski et al (2011; 2014)	• Emphasis on the need to tackle vulnerability across sectors • Values variety of adaptation policies • Values diversity of impacts and sectors addressed • Highlights the importance of diverse typologies to address different problems	• How many/which impacts are being addressed? • How many/which sectors are being strengthened? • Which policy typologies are being used (e.g., direct management vs. soft and open policies)	• Government policy summaries • Sectoral adaptation reports (e.g., transportation ministries, utilities ministries, port authorities) • Global/regional/local surveys of adaptation activity • UNFCCC National Communications • IPCC Assessment Reports
Quality e.g., Dupuis and Biesbroek (2013)	• Evaluates the success of policy on increasing resilience Emphasis on purposeful and substantive aspects of adaptation policy • Outcome oriented, examining the quality of existing adaptation policies	• Is the policy explicitly designed to manage the impacts of climate change? • Does the policy reduce climate change vulnerability?	• Documents monitoring implementation • Independent program evaluation • NGO/private sector assessments • Public and private policy analyses • Peer reviewed scholarship