Payment for environmental services (PES) -is an economic instrument based on the transfer of benefits in exchange for conservation practices to ensure or enhance the provision of environmental services. The instrument has been gaining strength as a conservation strategy and restoration of natural environments and although widely researched in recent years still presents difficulties due to the lack of an evaluation system that gives results quickly and transmits security to the actors involved.

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... Given this gap this paper aims to propose a model of evaluation of the effectiveness of water for environmental services payment schemes located in the Atlantic Forest that focus on the conservation of native vegetation on private farms. The evaluation framework was built from the theoretical framework, through a systematic literature review, looking up which important conditions for the success of the PES. To check the operation of the elaborate model we apply the structure in six cases of water PES located in the Atlantic Forest. The results showed that the constructed model is robust, as it has clarity on the types of data you use and the way it is done the trial, flexible, it can also be applied to other types of PES schemes with the necessary adjustments, and relatively simple application, allowing the use of secondary data. As for the evaluation of PES it was observed that the studied schemes do not meet all conditions set by the academic literature as important to the success of the instrument. Even the basic conditions for the success of PES most mentioned in theoretical as participatory management with the establishment of trusts and understanding of the context to see if the PES is the best solution to the local problem is not effectively used. Such results are also observed in cases of International PES. We can conclude that the proposed evaluation model generates useful and reliable information about the development of water PES schemes also identifies problems so that interested parties may have an overview of the layout of the situation. The results of the implementation of the evaluation model in the cases studied in the Atlantic Forest showed that such schemes present problems that hinder the achievement of objectives that mainly propose regarding the costeffectiveness and cost-effective, participatory management and additionality.