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Tool 1. Diagnose

CSA policy readiness and enabling conditions checklist

The CSA Policy Readiness Checklist is a structured self-assessment tool designed to support policymakers, Managing Authorities, and public administrations in evaluating enabling conditions for Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA).

The online platform provides an overview of the 12 assessment dimensions. To complete the assessment, users should download the Excel Workbook, where all questions, scoring fields, notes, and action-planning sections are available.

By completing the workbook, users can:

  • assess institutional and policy readiness,
  • identify governance, financing, knowledge, and implementation gaps,
  • document evidence and responsible institutions,
  • prioritise actions across short-, medium-, and long-term horizons,
  • and develop a context-specific CSA transition roadmap.

The accompanying Technical Guidance Note explains the methodology, scoring system, and practical application of the tool.

Download Excel
Assessment Workbook

Download PDF
Full technical note

Purpose

Supports authorities in identifying policy gaps, bottlenecks, and enabling factors necessary to create favourable conditions for CSA uptake.

Key questions addressed

  • Are the necessary systemic conditions in place to enable CSA adoption?
  • What institutional or governance gaps hinder implementation?
  • What actions are needed to strengthen policy readiness?

Main features

  • Self-assessment across 9 policy dimensions
  • Combines closed and open-ended diagnostic questions
  • Includes 0–3 maturity scoring system
  • Generates structured inputs for CSA roadmaps/action plans

How this tool works

1

Assess

Review each thematic dimension and complete the assessment questions in the downloadable Excel workbook.

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2

Score

Score each closed-ended question with Yes/Partly/No and open-ended question from 0–3 and identify whether conditions are fully implemented, partially addressed, or missing.

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3

Document evidence & actions

Record evidence, institutional gaps, and actions needed, including responsible bodies, priority level, and implementation timeline.

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4

Build your roadmap

Use the results to prioritise actions and develop a context-specific CSA transition roadmap.

Explore the thematic dimensions

Proposed closed-ended questions

Is CSA formally recognised across ministries and agencies as a cross-sectoral transition framework?

Do policymakers and implementation bodies share a common operational definition of CSA?

Are behavioural barriers to CSA adoption systematically understood by public authorities?

Are behavioural insights integrated into staff capacity-building programmes?

Are CSA-related training programmes available for policymakers, advisors, evaluators, and paying agencies?

Is CSA integrated into institutional learning and administrative capacity-building programmes?

Are there official materials (guidelines, manuals, strategies) that define and guide the implementation of the CSA approach?

Is the CSA approach applied in the formulation or revision of sectoral policies and programmes?

Are regional climate risk profiles used in CSA (productivity, adaptation, and mitigation) planning?

Other (added as required by the context)

Proposed open-ended questions

To what extent is the CSA approach understood and supported among policymakers and governmental technical staff?

How clearly are the main knowledge gaps or misconceptions limiting the integration of CSA principles into policy processes identified and addressed?

To what extent do current governance and coordination structures support coherent CSA implementation across ministries, regional authorities and sectoral agencies?

How clearly are leadership roles and institutional responsibilities for promoting and mainstreaming the CSA approach defined at national level?

Other (added as required by the context)

Proposed closed-ended questions

Are policies periodically reviewed and updated to reflect changing climate, competitiveness and/or market conditions?

Are (CSA) policies aligned with national climate risk assessments and disaster risk reduction strategies?

Is CSA integrated into national agriculture, climate, and rural development strategies, plans and programmes? (for instance, the CAP Strategic Plan, National Climate Adaptation Strategy, National Biodiversity Action Plan, National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) or National Forestry Strategy)

Are CSA goals aligned with Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and food security strategies?

Are CSA policies aligned with EU frameworks (Soil Monitoring Law, Carbon Certification Framework, Nature Restoration Law, FSDN)?

Are policy contradictions between climate, agriculture, energy, and trade frameworks identified?

Is there a national CSA roadmap or action plan in place?

Are sectoral policies (e.g., water, forestry, energy) consistent with CSA priorities?

Is soil health explicitly integrated into (CSA) relevant national or regional strategies (e.g., soil monitoring, nutrient management, soil carbon)?

Are water governance frameworks (irrigation planning, drought plans, river-basin management) aligned with CSA goals?

Are behavioural insights integrated into CSA policy design (e.g., nudges, incentives, behavioural trials)?

Are value-chain incentives (procurement, contracts, labelling) considered when designing CSA strategies?

Does the legal framework support long-term investment certainty for CSA adoption?

Are data from EU Observatories systematically used to inform CSA policy design and monitoring?

Other (added as required by the context)

Proposed open-ended questions

To what extent do existing policies promote synergies between productivity, climate adaptation and mitigation objectives within CSA implementation?

To what extent are CAP Strategic Plan interventions effectively designed to support the adoption and long-term maintenance of CSA practices?

To what degree is the value chain perspective integrated into the design of CSA-related policies and interventions?

How clearly are the main barriers limiting stronger policy coherence for CSA identified and addressed?

How effectively does the current policy mix support incentives across the whole value chain to facilitate CSA adoption?

To what extent is the future National Regional Partnership Plan (NRPP) expected to support the adoption and long-term maintenance of CSA practices?

Other (added as required by the context)

Proposed closed-ended questions

Is there an inter-ministerial coordination body for CSA pillars (productivity, adaptation, and mitigation)?

Are roles clearly defined across national, subnational/regional, and local levels linked to farming competitiveness and/or climate change management?

Are regional and local authorities actively involved in CSA coordination (e.g., municipalities, river basin authorities)?

Are territorial governance asymmetries addressed?

Are CSA-related policies co-developed with farmer organisations and civil society?

Is there a monitoring or steering committee to track CSA pillars (productivity, adaptation, and mitigation) implementation?

Are gender and inclusion considerations mainstreamed in governance?

Are data-governance responsibilities (ownership, quality control, interoperability) clearly assigned among institutions (climate, water, soils, and agri-food)?

Other (added as required by the context)

Proposed open-ended questions

To what extent are coordination mechanisms among ministries and agencies structured to support integrated policymaking across the three pillars of Climate-Smart Agriculture (productivity, adaptation and mitigation)?

How effectively are farmer and civil society perspectives integrated into CSA governance and policymaking processes?

How clearly are the main institutional gaps limiting effective CSA coordination identified and addressed?

To what extent are governance bottlenecks across national, regional and local levels recognised and managed to support CSA implementation?

Other (added as required by the context)

Proposed closed-ended questions

Are there dedicated budget lines supporting the three pillars of Climate-Smart Agriculture (productivity, adaptation, and mitigation) within national or sectoral plans?

Are public subsidies or incentives provided for CSA practices?

Is CSA integrated into agricultural investment programmes?

Has access to climate finance or CSA insurance products been facilitated?

Are blended finance or public-private partnerships used to support CSA investments?

Are market incentives (premium prices, green procurement, quality labels) aligned with CSA?

Are public procurement mechanisms supporting CSA products?

Are carbon market mechanisms or certification schemes used to incentivise CSA practices?

Are value-chain actors (processors, retailers, banks) engaged in co-financing or incentivising CSA adoption?

Are climate risk insurance schemes available, accessible, and linked to CSA practices?

Are risk-sharing mechanisms available for farmers adopting innovative CSA practices?

Are climate scenario and resilience assessments integrated into investment planning?

Other (added as required by the context)

Proposed open-ended questions

To what extent are existing financing mechanisms sufficient to support CSA adoption across different farming systems and territorial scales?

How clearly are the main barriers limiting the mobilisation of finance for CSA implementation identified and addressed?

To what extent are the financial barriers affecting different categories of farmers or territories understood and considered in policy design?

How effectively do current financial instruments reduce the economic risks perceived by farmers when adopting CSA practices?

To what extent is private sector participation mobilised and integrated into CSA financing strategies?

Other (added as required by the context)

Proposed closed-ended questions

Is there effective integration between research bodies, advisors, and farmers?

Are CSA priorities integrated into national agricultural research agendas?

Are national R&I systems prioritising CSA technologies and practices?

Is there support for experimentation with nature-based and digital CSA solutions?

Is farmer-led innovation actively supported?

Are farmer-led innovation platforms supported (e.g., demo farms, participatory trials)?

Are CSA innovations tailored to local agroecological zones/biogeographical production systems?

Is traditional knowledge integrated into research, advisory systems and extension?

Is research funding aligned with farmer-identified needs (through AKIS or multi-actor approaches)?

Are innovation procurement mechanisms supporting CSA technologies?

Other (added as required by the context)

Proposed open-ended questions

To what extent are locally relevant CSA innovations identified, validated and supported within the policy and innovation ecosystem?

How effectively do farmers, researchers and other stakeholders collaborate in the co-creation of CSA solutions?

How clearly are the main barriers limiting the scaling and transferability of CSA research outcomes identified and addressed?

Other (added as required by the context)

Proposed closed-ended questions

Do advisory systems have sufficient CSA expertise?

Are advisory services sufficiently trained to support CSA-related behavioural and technical transitions?

Are peer-to-peer learning mechanisms supported?

Are digital advisory tools operational and accessible?

Are advisory services territorially accessible to small farms?

Are advisors equipped to support transition planning and sequencing?

Are communication and advisory programmes tailored using behavioural segmentation?

Other (added as required by the context)

Proposed open-ended questions

To what extent are the capacities and competences required to support CSA implementation identified and strengthened across the agricultural system?

How clearly are the main knowledge and advisory gaps limiting farmers’ adoption of CSA practices identified and addressed?

How effectively are information and communication tools adapted to reach different categories of farmers?

To what extent is climate and advisory information perceived as actionable, reliable and trustworthy by farmers?

How clearly are the institutional gaps limiting the reach and effectiveness of CSA advisory services identified and addressed?

How effectively do digital advisory tools support CSA adoption while reducing information overload, particularly among small and medium-sized farms?

Other (added as required by the context)

Proposed closed-ended questions

Is broadband connectivity sufficient in rural areas?

Are interoperable agricultural data systems available?

Are remote sensing and precision agriculture infrastructures accessible?

Are IoT and smart farming systems supported?

Are farmers able to access digital decision-support tools?

Are data-sharing protocols established among institutions providing CSA information?

Are advisory services interoperable with national digital platforms (IACS, FSDN, remote sensing tools)?

Is CSA information shared through digital tools like SMS, apps, or radio?

Are digital advisory tools operational and accessible?

Other (added as required by the context)

Proposed open-ended questions

To what extent do current limitations affect the use of digital tools, interoperability and farm-level data systems for CSA implementation?

To what degree does digitalisation contribute to reducing or reinforcing inequalities between different categories of farms?

How technically prepared are public administrations to process, manage and use CSA-related digital data effectively?

Other (added as required by the context)

Proposed closed-ended questions

Are priority CSA practices identified for each agro-ecological zone/biogeographical production systems?

Are barriers to adoption (inputs, credit, land tenure) addressed through policies?

Have behavioural barriers to CSA adoption been systematically assessed in the territory?

Are support measures differentiated by farm type and scale?

Are labour and skills shortages considered when designing CSA adoption support (training, mechanisation, automation)?

Are capacity-building programmes available for smallholders?

Are farmer feedback and learning mechanisms established?

Is adoption data disaggregated by gender, region, and farm size?

Do CSA programmes assess farmers’ behavioural drivers (risk perception, trust, social norms)?

Other (added as required by the context)

Proposed open-ended questions

To what extent are farmers aware of the opportunities, benefits and risks associated with CSA adoption?

How clearly are the CSA practices most commonly adopted within the territory identified and understood?

To what extent are behavioural barriers affecting CSA adoption systematically assessed and integrated into policy design?

How clearly are the main socio-economic factors influencing CSA adoption identified and addressed?

To what extent are farmers compensated or supported in managing transition-related risks associated with CSA adoption?

How effectively are farmers involved in shaping and co-designing CSA-related interventions?

To what extent are vulnerable farmers, generational differences and low-capacity farms specifically considered within CSA support measures?

Other (added as required by the context)

Proposed closed-ended questions

Is soil health systematically monitored?

Are SOC objectives integrated into agricultural planning?

Are water governance and irrigation efficiency adequately addressed

Are nutrient balances monitored?

Are landscape-scale ecosystem functions considered?

Are regenerative and agroecological approaches supported?

Are land-use conflicts assessed?

Is drought resilience integrated into planning?

Are nature-based solutions promoted?

To what extent is Farm Stewardship Conditionality being planned for in the future National Regional Partnership Plan, especially in relation to CAP support and existing CSA practices?

Other (added as required by the context)

Proposed open-ended questions

To what extent are land use planning, soil health strategies and water resource governance frameworks coordinated to support Climate-Smart Agriculture objectives?

How effectively do current governance and regulatory frameworks promote sustainable soil management, water efficiency and long-term ecosystem resilience within agricultural systems?

To what degree are territorial vulnerabilities related to soil degradation, water scarcity or climate risks integrated into agricultural planning and CSA-related interventions?

Other (added as required by the context)

Proposed closed-ended questions

Are vulnerable farming groups adequately supported?

Are youth and generational renewal integrated into CSA planning?

Are gender impacts assessed?

Are labour and workforce transition needs considered?

Are small-scale farms fairly represented?

Are just transition principles integrated into policy design?

Are rural depopulation risks considered?

Are there safeguards against maladaptation (e.g., over-irrigation, biodiversity loss)?

Other (added as required by the context)

Proposed open-ended questions

To what extent are local communities and relevant stakeholders involved in assessing CSA-related risks, trade-offs and safeguard measures?

To what extent are fairness, inclusiveness and distributional impacts systematically integrated into the design and implementation of CSA-related interventions?

Other (added as required by the context)

Proposed closed-ended questions

Are there indicators to track CSA adoption rates and impacts? Are CSA indicators operational and measurable?

Is monitoring data disaggregated by region, gender, age and farm size?

Are behavioural indicators integrated into monitoring frameworks?

Are outcome-based approaches used?

Are successful CSA pilots scaled with policy or financial support?

Are there scalability or planning mechanisms that connect farm-level results of Climate-Smart Agricultural Practices to the broader landscape level?

Is there an M&E framework linked to national climate and agricultural goals?

Are lessons learned regularly fed back into policy cycles?

Other (added as required by the context)

Proposed open-ended questions

How systematically are CSA-related impacts currently measured, monitored and reported within existing policy frameworks?

To what extent do current monitoring and evaluation mechanisms connect farm-level CSA results with landscape-level or value-chain-level transition strategies within NRPPs?

How comprehensively do existing monitoring systems capture behavioural changes and key CSA-related outcomes linked to productivity, resilience and mitigation?

Other (added as required by the context)

Proposed closed-ended questions

Are successful pilots systematically scaled?

Are transition pathways defined for 2030–2040–2050?

Are CSA measures embedded into long-term territorial strategies?

Are replication mechanisms operational across regions?

Are CSA transitions linked to broader food-system transformation strategies?

Other (added as required by the context)

Proposed open-ended questions

To what extent are long-term priorities for strengthening CSA readiness clearly identified and operationalised within future policy planning processes?

To what extent is there sustained political commitment and strategic capacity to develop and implement a long-term roadmap supporting CSA transition beyond the current CAP programming period and future programming cycles?

Other (added as required by the context)