Methodology

Methodology

SCGPR  applies a refined, delivery-oriented assessment methodology that builds directly on the credibility and lessons of previous editions. The updated approach rewards functionality, implementation depth, and governance effectiveness; not merely the presence of structures or volume of activity. It is designed as a practical governance reform instrument grounded in five core principles:

Outcome-oriented indicators — go beyond institution presence to evidence of tangible impact.
Independent verification — supplement self-reported data with third-party, remote, or proxy checks.
Inclusive of voices — build mechanisms for youth, women, and civil society participation.
Practical realism — align expectations with current data capacities while setting clear milestones for improvement.
Delivery Reality Adjustment (DRA) - assess Outcome Consistency to determine whether observed climate outcomes contradict governance and delivery claims. No state can “paper-score” its way to the top. Delivery failure now has consequences.

The methodology rewards effort, accountability, and progress, not perfection. A lower score does not signal failure; a higher score reflects credible, verifiable delivery capacity. The full methodology process will be pursued as follows:

Development of the framework/criteria for rating and ranking in the form of a questionnaire alongside a scoring matrix.
The developed questionnaire will be an online exercise sent to Climate Change Desk Officers, Permanent Secretaries, Directors and Honourable Commissioners in the State Ministries of Environment of all 36 states
Only one response will be expected from each state.
The representative of each state responding to the questionnaire must upload a letter authorising him/her to respond to the questionnaire on behalf of the state, duly signed by the Honourable Commissioner/Permanent Secretary, or any other equivalent official.
A scoring system shall be developed for each indicator (rating question), and the criteria for ranking shall be defined and benchmarked to assess performance.
Data analysis from the responses to the questionnaire will be used to generate rating points that will form part of the overall rating used to decide the single ranking.
There will be an interface with authorised officers from the 36 States and, for validation, where necessary, at the State levels.
Weighted / Point values are assigned based on how critical each indicator is to the thematic framework.
The points accumulated by respective states shall be used in determining the rating.
Statistics, weighing, and Infographics shall be used to communicate final results and the final ranking, which is based on the aggregated rating, will be done internally and supervised by independent experts before publication.
Indicator selection and weighting reflect national climate priorities and relevant international frameworks, ensuring policy coherence, comparability across states, and relevance to real-world delivery challenges.
Respondents will be required to provide a list of projects, a photo and a verifiable link to the announcement/launch
A team of 9-11 senior experts to vet the ranking before and after data collection shall be constituted.
The methodology, including any assumptions or limitations, shall be clearly documented and publicly communicated to stakeholders, partners, quality assurance experts and subnational officers.

In all, the adopted methodology is designed to generate results that are actionable, verifiable, and usable by states, partners, and national stakeholders, and will integrate best practices in research design, data collection, validation, and stakeholder engagement to maximise credibility and actionable outcomes that drive subnational climate ambition.