Management Response

: Mexico
: 2014 - 2019 , Mexico (CO)
: Final evaluation of the Mexico Strategic Note 2014-2019
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: Mexico
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UN Women Mexico Country Office conducted the final country portfolio evaluation (CPE) on the Strategic Note (SN) 2014-2019. The Evaluation involves a systematic assessment of the contributions made by the Country Office to development results concerning gender equality and women’s empowerment at the national level. It considers the set of interventions that UN Women has carried out during the Strategic Note period, combining its triple mandate of normative, programmatic, and coordination work. The key findings of the evaluation were UN Women in Mexico 1) has made an important contribution to advancing of gender equality in the country; 2) the initiatives carried out as part of the portfolio are relevant and pertinent to the situation in the country, and 3) that the Country Office is highly positioned among the stakeholders, who highlight its added value to support the women’s empowerment and respect for human rights. There were seven recommendations developed during the evaluation. The findings and recommendations from the CPE were seriously considered and incorporated in UN Women Mexico SN 2020-2025. Major or majority of recommendations have already been adopted and implemented and several others have been already incorporated in the planning of the Mexico CO Annual Work Plan 2020. Also, the SN 2020-2025 Mid Term Review (MTR) will be carried out on 2023 to evaluate the efficacy of the new SN.
: Approved
Recommendation: Incorporate in the new Strategic Note thematic issues that are relevant to the national situation of gender equality, such as: a. strengthening the capacities of elected women in the framework of parity. b. violence against women linked to insecurity, organized crime and the public policies that address these issues. c. the strengthening of interagency initiatives to enrich the application of instruments aimed at closing gender gaps in the labor market. d. more active participation at state and municipal levels.
Management Response: During 2019, the UN System in Mexico negotiated with the Federal Government and relevant national partners the new UNSDCF, in alignment with the National Development Plan and the SDGs. Based on CCA results, the UNSDCF defined 4 strategic areas and 10 programmatic outcomes. Thanks to a dedicated support by UN Women, the UNSDCF has incorporated a robust gender perspective and has defined outcomes directly targeting women’s rights and empowerment. Building on consultations with UN Women’s key partners, and according to its collaborative advantage and added value, in strong alignment with SP 2018-2021; UN Women Mexico SN 2020-2025 has installed capacity to participate in all 4 strategic areas set in the UNSDCF. This is crucial to be able to negotiate its participation in future joint programs. It will also allow UN Women to open new action lines which are key for the country and can be crucial for mobilizing resources.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Not applicable
Operating Principles: Alignment with strategy
Organizational Priorities: Operational activities
UNEG Criteria: Gender equality
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Incorporate in the Strategic Note 2020-2025 thematic issues that are relevant to the national situation of gender equality. a. strengthening the capacities of elected women in the framework of parity. b. violence against women linked to insecurity, organized crime and the public policies that address these issues. c. the strengthening of interagency initiatives to enrich the application of instruments aimed at closing gender gaps in the labor market. d. more active participation at state and municipal levels. Management team UN Women Mexico CO: Representative Project Managers PM&E Operations Communications Knowledge & data 2019/12 Completed Considering the country context analysis, the emerging issues in Mexico and the main areas of attention according to the UN Women SP 2018-2022, UN Women Mexico SN 2020-2025 opened action lines which are key for gender equality. Outcome 2.1 UN Women Mexico will focus its efforts on supporting the effective implementation of gender parity, with a special focus on the local level, strengthening the capacities of federal and local stakeholders to guarantee the full participation of women in decision-making in all areas; provide technical support for the implementation of parity standards and policies at all decision levels; promote the coordination of relevant actors to implement regional and international tools that measure women’s participation and the impact of gender parity in public policies; and the capacities of social organizations and women's networks will be strengthened. Outcome 3.2 As for decent work programs to address labor market needs, the CO will work with women and young women belonging to left behind groups, especially indigenous women, rural women, so that they may increase their access to the labor market, specifically through innovative STEM studies and training programs. Outcome 4.1 In the next five years, UN Women Mexico will have a comprehensive approach to eradicating violence against women and girls. In this sense, efforts will be focused in generating data, statistics and quality information on the different forms of violence, in line with international standards, to support the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of public policies. To achieve these results, the CO will catalyze the planned actions with other UN Agencies and will pay special attention to ensure a focus on gender-sensitive human rights, life cycle and intersectionality, with a territorial level approach, especially the municipal level, in order to have a visible impact and to guarantee the “leaving no one behind” principle.
Maintain UN Women strong relationship with the RC and the UNCT, funds and programs to promote gender equality and raise attention on Mexico’s major gender equality challenges and priorities. Management team UN Women Mexico CO: Representative Project Managers PM&E Operations Communications Knowledge & data 2023/12 Completed UN Women Mexico’s CO has actively participated and contributed to the formulation of the Mexico UNSDCF which includes a robust gender perspective throughout its outcomes, direct effects, and strategic lines, and has defined several direct effects that specifically target women’s rights and empowerment. A gender perspective and UN Women’s expected impacts are included in all four outcome areas of the UNSDCF, in all 10 direct effects that build these outcome areas and in 70% of all strategic lines. Innovatively, all outcome areas include activities that target the need for a cultural change towards gender equality and eradicating social norms and habits that discriminate women. To contribute with our interagency coordination mandate, the Interagency Gender Group, headed by UN Women, has also made relevant contributions to make sure that a gender perspective is included in the UNSDCF. Additionally, Mexico’s CO co-led with the RO a comprehensive assessment to expand networks and understanding across UN System the joint responsibilities for gender equality and women empowerment. To increase the gender sensitivity, a Scorecard Toolkit Resource was created. The toolkit contains concrete steps toward the minimum requirements established for the UNCT-SWAP Scorecard Performance Indicators. Among the interagency projects, Spotlight and the SDG Fund are examples of high-level results of the coordination mandate of gender equality. The Spotlight Initiative is the largest joint program in Mexico, in which six UNS agencies participate, co-coordinated by UN Women and the OCR. The implementation integrates the agencies according to their expertise and with the objective of making scalable and replicable programs at national and regional levels. Some examples that stand out are the methodology of analysis and prioritization of the legislative reform package, the pact with the media, adaptation to the essential services package, the recommendations for the creation of information systems and specialized training for civil society. The SDG Fund inter-agency programme: Closing Gaps: Making Social Protection Count for Women, implemented by UN Women, ILO and FAO. The overall purpose of the joint programme is to increase Mexican women’s access to social protection and expand its coverage and supporting the adoption of a permanent social protection regime by the Mexican Social Security Institute. The programme identifies policy levers to t improve access, coverage and adequacy of social protection and care for groups of marginalized women, particularly women in situations of exclusion, including domestic workers and women temporary agricultural workers at national level.
Recommendation: Maintain the concern for the strengthening of civil society organizations, expanding the activities of the Civil Society Advisory Group in terms of discussion of emerging issues and dialogue with civil society organizations that are not part of it.
Management Response: Strategic partnerships with civil society are essential to advance initiatives in priority areas. Civil society, women’s organizations and feminist movements are key partners for UN Women, and the collaboration ranges from their engagement in joint advocacy initiatives, their role of advisors within the frame of the Civil Society Advisory Group, to the implementation of civil society’s led initiatives or to the figure of implementing partners. UN Women strengthens the capacity of advocacy of civil society movements and women’s organizations on policies and reforms in favor of substantive equality and national and local women´s NGOs and community-based organizations are a crosscutting partnership for all areas of the Strategic Note 2020-2025.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Not applicable
Operating Principles: Capacity development
Organizational Priorities: Partnership
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Strengthening the capacity of civil society organizations. Management team UN Women Mexico CO: Representative Project Managers 2023/12 Completed UN Women strengthens the capacity of advocacy of civil society movements and women’s organizations on policies and reforms in favor of substantive equality and national and local women´s NGOs and community-based organizations are a crosscutting partnership for all areas of the Strategic Note 2020-2025. And for 2021, UNW facilitated the participation and support of the GASC of Mexico in the entire process of the Generation Equality Forum. Suggestions and recommendations were taken up and their participation in sessions and strategic spaces was supported. In the framework of the ED visit to Mexico for the GEF, a special meeting was organized with the GASC. UNW Mexico during Q1 facilitated and convened key federal and state institutions, civil society and UN agencies to hold high level meetings and develop reports in the framework of Beijing + 25 and the GEF.
Involving the Civil Society Advisory Group within the democratic planning process. Management team UN Women Mexico CO: Representative Project Managers 2019/12 Completed UN Women organized a consultation with the Civil Society Advisory Group to discuss the elaboration of the Strategic Note 2020-2025 and the strategic lines and programmes to be carried out during the next years. The actual composition of the CSAG includes an integral geographic balance as well as a wide range of gender specialties (violence, sexual and reproductive rights, political participation, economic empowerment, among others). The CSAG is also diverse, with young women and members with long experience in gender, and indigenous women.
Recommendation: Strengthen the partnerships with the private sector based on the mandates, capabilities, and resources of UN Women and according to the sector’s thematic and innovation interests, incorporating it into the discussion of the care system, closing gender gaps in the productive chain, and in general in promoting the women’s economic autonomy.
Management Response: The partnership between UN Women and the private sector in Mexico has grown in ambition, depth and effectiveness. More companies have engaged with the WEPS and are transforming their policies, more companies are supporting UN Women in its communication efforts to transform cultural patterns and promote positive masculinities, and more companies are directly financing UN Women, constituting, at the date, the most significant contributor of non-core resources of UN Women in Mexico. In the course of the SN 2020-2025 a set of new initiatives are being negotiated, suggesting that our programmatic contribution in the country, and the potential of our entity to generate sustainable change is very much linked to its capacity to leverage the enormous potential of the private sector, as mentioned in the lessons learned chapter of the SN. Specifically, the new Strategic Note lays out an innovative approach towards mobilizing private sector resources and increasing the level of commitments that our private sector allies adhere to, such as to the Women Empowerment Principles but also to financed gender mainstreaming advisory services to Global Compact members.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Resource mobilization
Organizational Priorities: Partnership
UNEG Criteria: Sustainability
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Engaging the private sector on decent work priorities at country level through their operations and investments, closing gender gaps and care system. Management team UN Women Mexico CO: Representative Project Managers 2023/12 Completed UN Women CO recognized the importance of the strategic partnership with the private sector , in which the CO efforts confirmed that events organized in collaboration with business chambers and councils are a useful tool to reach a higher number of companies. One of the most relevant events of the year was the webinar “The role of men in the face of the pandemic: How to build equal spaces for all?”, which was an innovative practice with the private sector since many companies were very interested in emphasizing the role of men for gender equality. Also, the CO promoted strategic alliances framed on the HeForShe campaign and the elaboration of two briefs: “HeForShe Guide to help us create collaborative spaces in our daily life and during this quarantine”, and translated the Shadow Pandemic Business Toolkit elaborated by Unstereotype Alliance and UN Women (HQ). Regarding the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic, CO launched a HeForShe guideline about positive masculinities disseminated via universities, the private sector and social media and developed two webinars, first with the Global Compact, with more than 500 attendees, and the second, alongside the SCO Cómplices por la igualdad and the National Commission por the Prevention of Discrimination, with around 10 thousand views via social media. The Mexico CO shared its new documents and innovative initiatives to other COs in LAC, especially the documents and webinars prepared for private sector; with modifiable versions so that UNW teams in LAC could make minimum local adaptations; it has been appreciated and publications from UNW Ecuador, UNW Colombia among others, are from this good practice. Additionally, UNW, in collaboration with the RO, several Latin American countries, and the Win-Win program, developed a study to understand the private sector’s needs and priorities to advance towards gender equality. From the learning of this analysis, the study highlights key ideas to develop a "menu of services" that UN Women can offer to the private sector.
Diversification of partnerships in all areas for more effective development. Management team UN Women Mexico CO: Representative Project Managers 2023/12 Completed UN women CO implemented its partnership building strategy by expanding engagement with the Executive (such as INMUJERES, Secretary of Finance, Secretary of Development), the Legislative, State and local authorities; the private sector; the academia and civil society; Embassies and other UN partners ( like ECLAC, ILO among others). Also, Mexico CO has developed a programmatic portfolio with a number of advantages in assessing the national context of programmes implementation and taking advantage of lessons learned; then several programmes, such as Second Chance Education, Moving Forward for Equality and Safe Cities, have demonstrated positive development results and potential to partners for scale up, since UNW has undertaken federal and local partnerships at national and local level strengthening their technical capacities and at the same time leveraging resource mobilization efforts. The communication strategy also adapted itself to the pandemic and addressed how the crisis is affecting the health of women in order to increase awareness among partners, national institutions, civil society and private sector by giving them information of the importance of working in favor of Gender Equality.
Recommendation: Strengthen the strategic design capacity of the Country Office to carry out integrated planning while being flexible to respond to context opportunities. That includes the formulation of theories of change by impact area, mainstreaming the intersectional and participatory approaches throughout the project cycle.
Management Response: UN Women Mexico has prepared its new Strategic Note for 2020-2025 that contains specific theories of change by impact area, based on the Common Country Assessment results. Additionally, the SN 2020-2025 was the result of a broad consultation process with the Government, CSO and stakeholders by addressing the challenges and gaps impeding the elimination of gender inequalities, referring to the recommendations of the final report of the evaluation of the country portfolio (SN 2014-2019) and based on lessons learned from the management of current projects. There are strong reasons to believe that the proposed theory of change is based on an in-depth understanding of the context. As examples of this are the inclusion of potential programmatic growth areas such as migration, climate change, disaster risk reduction and a mainstreaming of participation in programmes of indigenous and Afro-American women through all impact areas.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Governance and planning (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Alignment with strategy
Organizational Priorities: Culture of results/RBM
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Develop specific theories of change by impact area for the SN 2020-2025 and include emerging contextual issues into programmatic planning. Management team UN Women Mexico CO: Representative Project Managers PM&E Operations Communications Knowledge & data 2019/12 Completed The theory of change is key of the new 2020-2025 Strategic Note. It is built on the UN Women orientation guides in developing a theory of change, consultations with its stakeholders and is aligned with the UN Women 2018-2021 Strategic Plan and the new UNSDCF. This, with the aim of accelerating compliance with the SDGs, primarily SDG 5 and contributing to other goals, to reduce gender inequalities from an intersectional perspective, promote a comprehensive empowerment of girls and women to move towards the full exercise of their rights, and guarantee substantive equality, both nationally and locally. To achieve this result, for the period 2020-2025, UN Women in Mexico has designed a country strategy based on a comprehensive theory of change and a mid-term review will take place during the third year of SN 2020-2025 implementation.
Recommendation: Review the planning and monitoring system currently used to simplify it and guide it towards strengthening the results-based management; limiting the number of indicators, standardizing the criteria for assessing progress, develop annual meetings of the entire team to analyze the results achieved.
Management Response: The SN 2020 -2025 includes a coherent set of indicators for the CO programmes; aiming to be relevant to multiple stakeholders, and useful for monitoring and evaluation. Those SMART indicators, as well as their baselines and targets, are directly related to UN Women 2018-2021 Strategic Plan relevant output and outcome indicators to track progress and demonstrate the impact of the SN at outcome and impact levels. The number of SN 2020-2025 indicators is responding to its 7 outcomes, 22 outputs and 126 activities to provide reliable means to measure achievement, reflect the changes connected to an intervention, and to help assess the performance of the CO. In order to monitor progress at all levels of the system to provide feedback on areas of success and areas in which improvement may be required, Results Based Management (RBM) knowledge is a critical factor in ensuring the success in standardizing the criteria for assessing progress. It will ensure that all aspects of designing, implementing and monitoring and evaluating a program/project is done transparently and in a manner that ensures accountability. Also, a mid-term review will take place during the third year of SN 2020-2025 implementation and it will provide an opportunity to review the SN indicators system.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Governance and planning (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Oversight/governance
Organizational Priorities: Culture of results/RBM
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Strengthening the results-based monitoring system. Management team UN Women Mexico CO: Representative Project Managers PM&E Operations 2023/12 Completed The CO will continue operating an internal financial and programmatic monitoring system integrated by (i) procurement and implementation plans on a quarterly (ii) monitoring tools for core and non-core projects with monthly information on delivery, progress in programmatic activities and future commitments not registered in Atlas or in RMS (iii) consolidated calendar with key dates for the delivery of financial and donor reporting by project. The CO is putting together a results-based monitoring system to get the necessary data to better inform the decision-making process. The resulting data provides evidence on performance and flag any changes that may be needed for a given project, program, or policy, aligned to AWP and using RMS and to ensure quarterly monitoring and annual results reports. PM&E prepared the quarterly programme progress report of Q1 which is aligned to the outcomes and collate them by DRF and OEEF, accompanied by a detailed narrative of programme activities, targets versus achievement, challenges, and mitigating measures.
Provide basic RBM training to all recruited UN Women Country Office staff. Management team UN Women Mexico CO: Representative Project Managers PM&E Operations 2023/12 Completed In 2020 97% of the staff and non-staff of the Mexico CO has taken the basic course of RBM in LMS. There are new members that jointed to Mexico UN Women that are in process of taking the course of RBM.
Recommendation: Review the administrative procedures to propose its simplification in order to facilitate the management of the projects by the implementing partners, as well as generate a system of collaboration between the project teams and those in charge of management, to strengthen the support system.
Management Response: The country office will continue to support strengthening partners' capacity in the SN 2020-2025. The country office will ensure the partners to consider their sustainability strategy.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Governance and planning (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Internal coordination and communication
Organizational Priorities: Culture of results/RBM
UNEG Criteria: Sustainability
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Providing specific provisions and requirements relating to the selection and retention of partners by UN Women. Management team UN Women Mexico CO: Representative Project Managers Operations 2023/12 Completed Relating to the selection of new RP´s, UN Women CO use the Capacity Assessment Checklist Tool prior to signing on with any prospective CSO partners. When selecting a new responsible partner, the file is presented to the L-PAC to determine its viability and a risk assessment is performed to reduce uncertainty. Additionally, CO track closer current partners in programmatic and financial implementation (meetings and verification visits). Regarding the RP retention, the CO programmes periodically perform revisions and in-site visits to oversight their performance and follow-up the commitments made during the capacity assessment
Capacity building training to implementing partners to support women's organizations to enhance their capacities to deliver services. Management team UN Women Mexico CO: Project Managers Operations PM&E 2023/12 Completed Operation area continued on coordinating partnership review virtual meetings to review financial and administrative management procedures. At the same time, has provided procurement training to strengthen their capacities. Regarding the incorporation of a gender perspective and considering that some partner does not have gender equality as its central focus, UN Women Mexico is committed to strengthen this vision in the work of the organizations and it will be one of the priorities of strengthening. Also, as part of the institutional strengthening mandate, CO shared with responsible parties the data protection, anti-fraud, and sexual and work harassment guidelines so that they know, accept and prepare their own and as part of the areas of opportunity detected.
UN Women go along with implementing partners to build their sustainability strategy. Management team UN Women Mexico CO: Representative Project Managers Operations 2023/12 Completed UNW provide initial training to new IP and for IP with whom have already worked a financial ad hoc visits and trainings has been implemented. For example, with SCE, one of the largest projects in Mexico CO, 3 days workshop on financial acquisitions processes to reinforce knowledge and comply with official regulations. Another example of sustainability is the programme Moving Forward for Equality, since UNW has undertaken public and private partnerships strengthening their technical capacities. Moreover, SCE Mexico carried out several capacity development activities with government and civil society partners and strengthen their knowledge. They received technical assistance in matters such as intersectional approach, gender perspective, gender mainstreaming, feminist economy and care, and inclusive language.
Recommendation: Strengthen the capacities of the Country Office to contribute to the continuity and sustainability of the initiatives, identifying the necessary actions from the design and implementation of the projects, and prioritizing the accumulated institutional expertise to avoid the risk of scattering from the institutional agenda.
Management Response: The CO during the Strategic Note 2020-2025 implementation will guarantee compliance with financial regulations, policies and instructions. Based on the considered strategies, including the global change management, the mobilized resources and the expected growth potential of the CO, the current organigram has been reviewed with a functional analysis view and using the alignment of the SP Outcomes and the UNSDCF, resulting in a personnel restructuring to fully potentiate our current installed capacity. Based on the Mid Term Review recommendations, the Mexico CO started in 2018 a process to redesign its programme management capabilities through cross-cutting areas: 1) communications 2) operations and 3) planning, monitoring and evaluation, with the aim to provide support to programme portfolios and foster stronger results and sustainability.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Governance and planning (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: National ownership
Organizational Priorities: Operational activities
UNEG Criteria: Sustainability
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Increase effectiveness and to improve the CO’s AWP implementation performance. Management team UN Women Mexico CO: Representative Project Managers PM&E Operations Communications Knowledge and data 2019/12 Completed Based on the priority areas of intervention identified within the new Country Office Strategic Note, the Country Office developed an Office Organigram which reflects the organizational structure required to ensure the effective implementation of the new Strategic Note 2020-2025.
Enhanced operations and procurement capacity Management team UN Women Mexico CO: Representative Operations 2020/12 Overdue-Initiated Regarding the implementation of the Service Center, progress has been made with the development of a HR strategy that will provide an overview an a diagnosis of the administrative pull that supports core and non-core projects and how to configure the Service Center. Additionally, the operations area has held meetings to analyze administrative processes and flows to determine times and level of complexity.
Leverage thematic expertise available at Country Office level to support punctual interventions where indicated. Management team UN Women Mexico CO: Representative Project Managers PM&E Operations Communications Knowledge & data 2023/12 Completed As part of the recruiting procedure, Operations provided a welcome kit that contains the links to the most important documents, operational jargon and office hours. With this information a substantive induction to UNW is ensured. Additionally, Operation area has implemented continuous training about new procedures, platforms and scheduled meetings with administrative team and PM every 2 weeks to attend doubts and resolve pending topics. With the launch of TEAMS platform, a digital repository has been set up with online webinars, other guiding documents and materials as well as requesting the creation for new vendors and PO's. The programs area holds monthly update meetings on the office programs called billboards in which the implemented strategies and the results obtained are presented, as well as ways to solve problems.
The CO will undertake regular risk analysis and implement measures to mitigate political, operational and security risks. Management team UN Women Mexico CO: Representative Project Managers PM&E Operations Communications Knowledge & data 2023/12 Completed The risk analysis monitoring has been undertake in coordination of PME area and in strong collaboration with Operations PM. The risk register has been updated in the framework of CO planning process with the AWP 2021. On a regular basis and as part of the portfolio for the review of the ProDocs and the work plans of the responsible partners, the L-PAC requests a risk matrix that includes a mitigation plan.