Strong Conceptual Foundation Undermined by Administrative Problems. Phase IV demonstrates strong alignment with global processes and priorities, particularly SDG 12.4, the 2023 Global Framework on Chemicals (GFC), and EU priorities.  However, the project faces a serious administrative issue. The joint programme modality used by the Phase IV proved mismatched for sustained technical cooperation among seven organizations with distinct procedures. 

Mixed performance across outcomes. Reasonable progress has been made on management schemes development and user engagement, but limited progress in the remainder. Shortfalls can be expected on outputs that depend on previous work, for example translations. 

GFC presents an important opportunity. The GFC presents an opportunity to transform the IOMC Toolbox from a standalone capacity building initiative into a part of an integral global chemicals governance infrastructure. Existing content requires remapping and reframing in GFC terminology. The Project Management Group (PMG) has had the foresight to request POs to begin the mapping process. 

Limited institutional change despite broad reach. While the project achieved verified participation across 19 countries with 229 confirmed participants in IOMC Toolbox events, evidence of meaningful outcomes remains largely anecdotal. The documented successes, appear dependent on exceptional timing rather than systematic effectiveness. Gender equality and human rights integration shows partial progress but remains fragmented without the resources for a comprehensive strategy. 

Five recommendations were issued by the MTE. 

Immediate action 

R1. Secure No-Cost Extension Through Emergency Provisions.  

High priority  

R2. Address Administrative Bottlenecks for Phase IV: Ensure processes are more streamlined and address administrative bottlenecks. A practical suggestion is for POs to ensure reports align with donor expenditure and reporting requirements prior to submission and for the AO to vet PO financial reports more closely for compliance with donor requirements before submitting them to WHO Finance. 

R3. Achieve Strategic Realignment with Global Framework on Chemicals: Should the PMG wish to go beyond mapping Toolbox content onto GFC targets in Phase IV then the project should consider creating explicit entry points that position the IOMC Toolbox as essential infrastructure for GFC Programme One on national legislation and institutional capacity building. 

Medium priority 

R4. Improve user experience. Redesign platform functionality to address low engagement patterns through simplified navigation, contextualized content presentation, and interactive support mechanisms. 

R5. 5. Carry Out One or Two Targeted Low-Cost Interventions that Establish Gender Awareness as a Quality Improvement Rather than an Add-On. Given time and resources available in the second half of Phase IV of the project what it can do is to take one or two examples of where there is active exclusion to understand the barriers and how they could be overcome. The project could also explore if and where gender-blind language creates problems in two or three of the most used management toolkits and make targeted revisions as a pilot for doing this more widely. 

L1. Training alone is insufficient to achieve better chemical management: Better chemical management depends on organizational prioritization, resource availability, and ongoing support beyond single sessions. Tools need to go hand in hand with strengthened institutions, adequate financial resources and improved enforcement capacity. Many of these are outside the control of the project.  

L2. Multi-agency coordination as a double-edged sword: Multi-agency coordination to deal with sectoral gaps and overlaps, while theoretically sound and a rationale for the project, can create problems due to administrative complexity, e.g., 10-month funding delays and extended nine+ month consolidation delays significantly undermine overall project execution, timelines, and outcomes. 

L3. Timing Trumps Tools: Strategic timing - aligning support with emergent opportunity for policy change – can produce more impact than when there is no policy window. The Vietnam case illustrated this: OECD conducted training precisely when the country was revising chemical management legislation, leading to policy influence. However, this success appeared exceptional rather than systematic. 

L4. Embedding Over Standalone: Carrying out Toolbox activities within project, country and global processes is more likely to contribute to behaviour change because what is learned is more likely to be revisited and used when carried out in ongoing processes.