Management Response

: Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (Thailand)
: 2016 - 2016 , Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (Thailand) (RO)
: Endline Evaluation Report Leveraging Technical Tools, Evidence and Community Engagement to Advance the Implementation of Laws and Provision of Services to Women Experiencing Violence in South-East Asia
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: Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (Thailand)
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As a learning programme on ‘what works’ to end violence against women, the programme was designed as a first phase, with plans to develop a Phase II based on the evidence generated. A clear recommendation was that UN Women should indeed build a Phase II: it concluded that the programme results constitute “a very high social return on the investments made by the Australian government,” illustrating the ability of the programme to achieve results through its participatory approach, which created very high ownership at the government level and among other implementing partners, and its strategic positioning and utilization of the latest evidence and good practices in the target countries also contributed to its success as a foundational programme that lays good ground for up-scaling of interventions. All of the recommendations from the Evaluation are well received, and UN Women accept them and will act on them to the extent possible. Where funding might be lacking, UN Women has indicated that the recommendation is “partially accepted”. More precisely: The results of the programme will be disseminated in order to inform countries in the Region on the programme results and lessons learned, in order to inspire and inform programming in these areas, and the networks created will be fostered. A Phase II programme proposal has been developed, with a commitment of the Australian Government of AUD 1,4 million. The evidence on costing of VAW developed underthis programme adds to the knowledge-base and advocacy for quality essential services in the region. The costing methodology and results are being disseminated widely and will be at the forefront during knowledge exchanges on essential services during 2017, not least within the context of the joint UN Essential Services Programme which is being actively rolled out in the Region. In addition, UN Women is introducing the costing methodologies into EVAW programming in Myanmar, funded by UNFPA. The EVAW Unit at ROAP is keen to partner with research institutions in order to research promising approaches to EVAW, with particular focus on Essential Services.

: Approved
Recommendation: RECOMMENDATIONS 1 Document and disseminate details pertaining to Programme results: The Programme’s design and impact delivered should be widely documented and disseminated as it has the potential to add value to programme development and deployment across other regions. This dissemination should not be restricted to UN Women alone as other UN agencies can also benefit from developing a better understanding of two key attributes of the Programme. First, the potential impact that can be delivered through well planned, low investment interventions; and second, how active partnerships with government institutions can contribute to the relevance and sustainability of interventions.
Management Response:
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Description:
Management Response Category:
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Not applicable
Organizational Priorities: Culture of results/RBM
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness, Relevance
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
. PRODUCTION OF RESULTS-BROCHURE OF PROGRAMME, FOR EASY EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION ON PROGRAMME DESIGN, METHODOLOGY AND RESULTS EVAW Unit ROAP 2016/09 Completed
2. DISSEMINATION OF PROGRAMMES' RESULTS-BROCHURE, WHICH OUTLINES TYPE OF PROGRAMME DESIGN AND WHY IT WORKED EVAW Unit ROAP 2017/12 Completed
Recommendation: RECOMMENDATIONS 2 Continue building and leveraging platforms for South-South knowledge exchange: The beauty of the knowledge sharing platforms developed is that they are not restricted to UN Women COs and include government representatives and CSOs from each of the four countries. A number of stakeholders will continue to look towards these platforms to continue the process of learning and innovating in the space of gender equality, and VAWG and EVAWG. Therefore, UN Women should continue to expand these platforms to include more countries from the region, more stakeholders from the participating countries, and more UN agencies. The knowledge sharing platform should also be used to share and disseminate more material and technical tools that various stakeholders can use to develop interventions within their own countries.
Management Response:
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Description:
Management Response Category:
Thematic Area: Ending violence against women (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Internal coordination and communication
Organizational Priorities: Culture of results/RBM
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness, Relevance, Sustainability
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
1. FOSTER THE NETWORKS CREATED THROUGH THE PROGRAMME AND INVITE STAKEHOLDERS TO FUTURE REGIONAL KNOWLEDGE-SHARING EVENTS EVAW Unit ROAP 2017/12 Completed Knowledge exchanges will continue in the region through new programming. Partners through this programme remain part of a network of contacts that UN Women continues to engage through knowledge sharing, ongoing meetings and events.
Recommendation: RECOMMENDATIONS 3 Utilize and evaluate methods and tools: The methods and tools developed under the umbrella of this Programme are showing great performance and the initial results are promising; however, they should be further tested and evaluated to determine if the approach brings the anticipated change (e.g., the adaptation of SASA! in Viet Nam). Further implementation of the methods and tools will take a few years to test and properly evaluated to determine whether they demonstrate significant and long-term change.
Management Response:
More detail
Description:
Management Response Category:
Thematic Area: Ending violence against women (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Not applicable
Organizational Priorities: Culture of results/RBM
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness, Efficiency, Relevance
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
1. BUILD A PHASE II OF PROGRAMME EVAW Unit ROAP 2018/11 Completed Phase II of the Programme, building on the significant results of Phase I and the proposal developed for Phase II, is now being implemented with funding support from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Government of Korea. Phase II will continue to support a multi-year effort in Da Nang, Viet Nam, to further promote prevention of violence. Producing evidence and sharing learning about what works in this region to prevent violence against women and girls is a strong focus of Phase II. We are still mobilizing resources to fully fund the phase II of the programme.
Recommendation: Make methods and tools available across countries: Tools and methods from one country can serve as a basis for developing solutions in another country. There are significant variations in the socio-political context of each of the four countries - Indonesia, Lao PDR, Timor-Leste and Viet Nam – and in the prevalence of VAWG and the way they implemented the Programme. The challenges faced by these four countries in combating VAWG and promoting EVAWG, as each of the governments continue to take advantage of the benefits of the technical tools and methodologies developed under the umbrella of the Programme are notable. Opportunities will emerge in the future to address new challenges with tools developed in other countries; therefore, the process of South-South Exchange must continue in the future.
Management Response:
More detail
Description:
Management Response Category:
Thematic Area: Ending violence against women (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Not applicable
Organizational Priorities: Culture of results/RBM
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness, Relevance, Efficiency
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
1. BUILD AND INITIATE A PHASE II OF PROGRAMME EVAW Unit ROAP 2017/12 Completed With an initial investment by Australian DFAT now being finalized, the next phase of the programme is being initiated. Further fundraising to implement the full scope of the proposed programme is happening in parallel. Update Oct 2018: Additional USD 400,000 has been raised from the Government of Korea. Fundraising efforts to implement the full scope of the proposed programme is still happening in parallel. We have invested in supporting Indonesia, Lao PDR, Timor Leste and Viet Nam to participate in regional knowledge sharing, learning and South-South exchange, such as through the regional Essential Services meetings. In both Laos and Timor-Leste we have visited to co-facilitate national level meetings on Essential Services. In both cases, this builds on evidence and achievements from Technical Tools.
Recommendation: Develop a technical support hub as a mechanism to help governments scale-up their achievements related to monitoring the implementation of EVAWG laws and policies during Phase I: During the Programme, a number of important challenges and gaps were identified among government and relevant ministries and departments. These challenges can be broadly categorized into financial challenges, differing capacities of human resources, and the existence of hierarchies within governmental ministries and departments. Financial challenges can be the lack of resources or issues related to the prioritisation of financial resources. Limitations related to the capacities of human resources can also be attributed to a lack of knowledge and capabilities related to M&E, including interpreting and using collected data and information. In some cases, a general lack of understanding of VAWG has been an issue, resulting in implementing agencies not receiving required financial support to implement EVAWG laws and policies, and deliver a minimum package of essential services. Given these findings, it is recommended that UN Women focus on building skills for collecting and analysing data related to VAWG. Through a subsequent Programme, UN Women should consider looking at the possibility of a technical support hub to build the capacities of government officials to collect, analyse, and use collected data and information to improve the quality and quantity of services to VAWG survivors, and the accountability of service providers. For example, this can be done by securing a dedicated M&E Specialist on EVAWG who can work directly with UN Women staff and government partners to support capacities in this area. Supporting the establishment of baselines related to the implementation of EVAWG policies and programmes is an important step to track progress. The next phase of the Programme should invest significantly in providing strong technical support and capacity development to help countries better monitor their practices, achievements, and shortfalls in implementing EVAWG laws and policies.
Management Response:
More detail
Description:
Management Response Category:
Thematic Area: Ending violence against women (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Not applicable
Organizational Priorities: Culture of results/RBM
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness, Sustainability, Relevance
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
1. COMMUNICATE RECOMMENDATION TO COUNTRIES AND DISSEMINATE GUIDANCE ON ESSENTIAL SERVICES Field Offices 2017/12 Completed
2. BUILD AND INITIATE A PHASE II OF PROGRAMME WITH A DEDICATED M&E SPECIALIST IN THE BUDGET EVAW Unit ROAP 2017/03 Completed Funds have been dedicated to M&E for the community-mobilisation and school-based prevention of violence components of Phase II. The regional Stepping Up Solutions proposal contains a strong focus on M&E. The proposal has also been adapted to focus on ASEAN countries, at the request of ASEAN countries.
Recommendation: Utilize costing study results to prepare guidelines for providing essential services to VAWG survivors: Significant time and resources have been invested in undertaking costing studies across countries covered under the Programme and the findings provided the evidence needed to plan for financial commitments to provide essential services to VAWG survivors. The costing studies also provided insight which can help the governments prepare guidelines for the provision of essential services. This approach of evidence-based service planning and provision should be institutionalized and be the norm for any future revisions to the minimum support package of essential services for VAWG survivors.
Management Response:
More detail
Description:
Management Response Category:
Thematic Area: Ending violence against women (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Not applicable, Capacity development
Organizational Priorities: Culture of results/RBM, Partnership
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness, Relevance, Human Rights
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
1. DISSEMINATE COSTING STUDY RESULTS AND ADVCATE FOR THEIR USAGE EVAW Unit ROAP 2017/12 Completed Costing study results are being actively utilized by countries that have completed the research, and regionally in interagency forums and meetings, including high level UN and intergovernmental meetings. The costing findings are being used to build arguments for governments to address VAW as a component of national aims to improve women's economic empowerment. In a new project with ASEAN, the costing results have been shared with ACW and ACWC members, and will be utilized in new guidance on VAW data collection that is being developed in partnership with ASEAN. There is strong interest in some ASEAN countries in implementing VAW costing research. Update Oct 2018: UN Women partnered with ASEAN to develop the ASEAN Regional Guidelines on Violence against Women and Girls Data Collection and Use, funded by Australian DFAT. The ASEAN VAWG Data Guidelines provide information on costing studies and tools and advocate for their usage. The Guidelines are being translated and promoted in ASEAN countries but also regionally and internationally in meetings and forums. The costing guidelines are continuing to be used to inform costing studies around the world, including by UN Women in Latin America.
Recommendation: Develop the programme with a longer timeframe: Social norm change to EVAWG takes time; in addition, to see change and evaluate to change takes time. To adequately implement and evaluate impact and effectiveness requires a longer timeframe; at least four years is recommended, although social norm change is long-term and will require much longer than four years.
Management Response:
More detail
Description:
Management Response Category:
Thematic Area: Ending violence against women (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Not applicable
Organizational Priorities: Operational activities
UNEG Criteria: Sustainability
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
1. BUILD AND INITIATE A PHASE II OF PROGRAMME WITH A MINIMUM FOUR-YEAR TIME FRAME EVAW Unit ROAP 2017/12 Completed
Recommendation: Consider partnering with a research institution(s) for deeper research potential on EVAWG: To properly evaluate the effectiveness of prevention and response interventions for EVAWG, the highest standard of research possible will be valuable; therefore, partnering with a research institution with experience conducting VAWG research would add enormous value. A research institution could design research methods and tools that provide clear indications of which approaches hold promise to prevent VAWG and interventions have supported change (as well as which have not).
Management Response:
More detail
Description:
Management Response Category:
Thematic Area: Ending violence against women (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Not applicable
Organizational Priorities: Operational activities, Culture of results/RBM
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness, Efficiency, Relevance
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
1. RECOMMENDATION TO BE EXPLORED WITH POTENTIAL INSTITUTIONS EVAW Unit ROAP 2017/12 Completed UN Women is exploring collaboration with research institutions across ASEAN, as part of UN Women's partnership with ASEAN to implement the Regional Plan of Action on EVAW- as well as beyond in the rest of the AP region. UN Women's work on the SDG Indicators provides critical new opportunities to engage in data collection and research on VAW, including related to administrative, costing and prevalence data- and the linkages between the three. Update Oct 2018: UN Women has consistently raised this interest in collaboration with government ministries, academics and universities, and promotes these relationships at the country levels across offices. The new ASEAN VAWG Data Guidelines we developed with and for ASEAN are an important step in building closer relationships related to evidence building.