Introduction

In 2018, the Norwegian government launched a new development program to combat marine litter and microplastics. The government of Norway has planned to spend NOK 1.6 billion on the development program to combat marine litter and microplastics between 2019 and 2024. 

The program is intended to contribute to poverty reduction and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with particular focus on SDG 14.1: to prevent and significantly reduce the amount of marine pollution, and in particular plastic litter, in partner countries.

The purpose of this review is two-fold: learning and accountability. The review provides an opportunity for learning to inform the future direction of the program by shedding light on progress made towards reaching its main objectives.

The review assesses the coherence of the portfolio, including assessments of portfolio balance and composition (including thematically and  eographically); lessons learned; and untapped potential against a
set of identified dimensions. The review also assesses the effectiveness of the program, by determining likely or achieved progress of the portfolio towards the main objective to prevent and reduce marine litter, and towards the short- and medium-term effects of the interventions’ outputs/outcomes.