This paper describes an approach to measuring the effectiveness of the national systems that underpin public climate finance delivery. It assesses three interlinked elements of government administration: the policy environment that supports climate change expenditures, the institutional architecture that determines relevant roles and responsibilities, and the public financial system through which climate change-related expenditures are channelled. It identifies key principles of effective climate finance delivery for each of these three elements, and formulates criteria and indicators that reflect a progression towards compliance with those principles.