Management Response

: Zimbabwe
: 2021 - 2021 , Zimbabwe (CO)
: Country Portfolio Evaluation for Zimbabwe
:
: Zimbabwe
:

UN Women Zimbabwe Country Office has appreciated the relevance and usefulness of the Country Portfolio evaluation findings, conclusions and recommendations. The evaluation is expected to inform the development of future programmes as this can be reflected from the accepted recommendations. The CO has identified key actions to be taken based on the recommendations which will be monitored for compliance.

: Approved
Recommendation: Recommendation 1: Improve joint support on strengthening the gender machinery in the country. Challenge: While several initiatives were put in place to strengthen the gender machinery it remains weak and needs strengthening. When: Immediate Responsibility: UN Women and MWACMED
Management Response: The CO will continue to strengthen the Gender Machinery to promote gender equality and/or improve the status and rights of women. To date UN Women and Ministry of Women Affairs have begun a vast consultative process with stakeholders. The Consultative process will inform key activities towards strengthening the Gender Machinery in the country.
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Description: UN Women and MWACSMED need to undertake a joint analysis of the requirements to strengthen the gender machinery, including crystallising the gender architecture in the country, which would allow UN Women to be strategic and systematic in its approach to strengthening the gender machinery. There is already traction for this among the donor gender forum and in the extended gender results group, providing a basis for its implementation. Results of this analysis should lead to the development of a multi-year programme for gender machinery strengthening. Such a document can be used to facilitate resource mobilisation for this initiative_
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Leadership and participation in governance systems (SP 2018-2021)
Operating Principles: Advocacy, Oversight/governance
Organizational Priorities: Partnership, Normative Support
UNEG Criteria: Relevance, Human Rights, Gender equality
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Finalise the consultative process on strengthening the National Gender Machinery UN Women and Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development 2023/02 Completed A NGM framework is now available that was informed by consultative process for the National Gender Architecture to develop a single narrative for the advancement of Gender Equality and Women's Rights (NGM and National Gender Cluster)
Conduct a joint analysis of the requirements to strengthen the gender machinery UN Women and Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development 2023/04 Completed The NGM framework is now available, the CO will support the Ministry of Women Affairs in 2024 to convene and coordinate key stakeholders in processes for the National Gender Architecture to develop a single narrative for the advancement of Gender Equality and Women's Rights (NGM and National Gender Cluster)
Develop a strategic framework for the National Gender Machinery UN Women and Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development 2023/04 Completed A strategic framework on the revitalization of the NGM is in place.
Develop a multi-year programme for gender machinery strengthening UN Women and Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development 2023/05 Completed The CO mobilised resources from Irish Aid for 2024 to strengthen the Gender Machinery and is expecting more resources from Beyond Spotlight Project.
Mobilise resources for the multi-year programme UN Women and Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development 2023/12 Completed A funding proposal has been sent to the EU and the CO is awaiting response. meetings are happening in regards to this and UN Women is leading the process.
Recommendation: Recommendation 2: Strengthen partnership with the MWACSMED by instituting joint work plan reviews Challenge: While joint planning is undertaken between UN Women and MWACSMED, there are concerns from the latter that this a paper process with no significant importance for partnership development. There were no systems for review of the joint planning. When: Immediate Responsibility: UN Women and MWACSMED
Management Response: UN Women acknowledges the importance of conducting monitoring and evaluation activities to strengthen its partnership with the MWACSMED. In this regard, the CO will immediately conduct joint review meetings with the MWACSMED.
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Description: Undertake joint quarterly and annual review of the joint workplan_
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Leadership and political participation (SPs before 2018), Peace and security (SPs before 2018), Governance and planning (SPs before 2018), Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018), Ending violence against women (SPs before 2018), Global norms and standards (SPs before 2018), Leadership and participation in governance systems (SP 2018-2021)
Operating Principles: Alignment with strategy, National ownership
Organizational Priorities: Culture of results/RBM, Partnership
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Conduct annual consultations and develop joint Annual Work Plan UN Women and Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development 2023/12 Completed The CO conducted consultations with the Ministry of Women Affairs when developing its 2024 WP. This has informed the joint workplan with the Ministry. The 2024 joint workplan is currently under development.
Conduct a midterm review of the joint Work Plan UN Women and Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development 2023/06 Completed The midterm review for the 2023 joint WP was conducted to take stoke in terms of where we are in implementing the workplan.
Produce quarterly and annual reports UN Women and Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development 2023/04 Overdue-Initiated During the reporting period, the CO and the ministry did not produce a report because there were some delays in signing and approval of the work plan y the Ministry of Women Affairs. However, a 3rd quarter of 2024 report will be produced.
Recommendation: Recommendation 3: UN Women should strengthen communication with stakeholders on its, and strategic approach Challenge: There are significant misconceptions about UN Women, its role and mandate within the country which have the potential to negatively affect partnerships. Such misconceptions may point to inadequate appraisal or communication with stakeholders on the UN Women’s strategic approach in the country
Management Response: UN Women will ensure that its role and mandate will be effectively communicated within the country and advocacy efforts will be embedded across all thematic areas and programmes.
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Description: UN Women needs to develop and implement a communication plan for stakeholders to ensure there is adequate awareness of its strategic approach, and its role and space in the gender sector.
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Global norms and standards (SPs before 2018), Ending violence against women (SPs before 2018), Governance and planning (SPs before 2018), Leadership and political participation (SPs before 2018), Peace and security (SPs before 2018), Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018), Leadership and participation in governance systems (SP 2018-2021)
Operating Principles: National ownership, Alignment with strategy
Organizational Priorities: Partnership, Culture of results/RBM
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Finalise CO’s Advocacy and Communications Strategy UN Women 2023/01 Completed The CO’s Advocacy and Communications Strategy was completed and implementation is in progress.
Implement CO’s Advocacy and Communications Strategy to ensure there is adequate awareness of its strategic approach, and its role and space in the gender sector. UN Women 2023/12 Completed Implementation of Communication Strategy currently in progress rolling out Campaigns riding on International days, strategic events and milestones.
Develop and implement advocacy campaigns across all thematic areas on EVAW, Governance and WPP, WEE targeting stakeholders and communities UN Women 2023/06 Completed Between July and September, Mainstream media was engaged in the Spotlight Initiative End of programme documentation. 4 journalists from mainstream media Newspaper- Herald and Newsday, Radio- Star FM, Online media- 263Chat were part of the exercise and have contributed to the visibility of the programme by producing and publishing news articles inline with their media outlets. In collaboration with the UNCT. The country office also collaborated with various partners to engage the media on the online #EndViolenceStandForEquality Campaign. The campaign ran from the 1st of August 2023 to the 29th of September, ahead and after the Zimbabwean Harmonised Elections. The campaign raised awareness on Political Violence against women before, during and elections and advocating for women political leaders from local governance to national positions. A physical launch of the campaign was held in Harre on the 8th of August. 50 Journalists from various media organisations participated, 28 females and 22 males.
Unpack UN Women Zimbabwe CO strategy to stakeholders and partners UN Women 2023/04 Completed UN Women Programme Profiles where developed and designed, abridged versions of the CO’s Programme implementation Strategy, currently being disseminated to stakeholders.
Develop an abridged version of the CO Strategic Note UN Women 2023/04 Completed UN Women developed abridged versions of the CO’s Programme from the Strategic Note as part of the briefing package to partners.
Recommendation: Recommendation 4: Strengthen the ZCO’s response to humanitarian crises with significant gender concern. Challenge: The absence of a strategy that recognises the intersectionality between crises and women’s rights and the response options for UN Women in the SN 2016-2021 undermined the speed and quality of response to crises by the ZCO. This challenge is important in the context of more frequent crises because of climate change.
Management Response: Although Humanitarian response was not a focus area in the 2016- 2021 strategic note, the ZCO has provided thought leadership and technical expertise by enabling the gender analyses to inform the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) Gender Mainstreaming Strategy and the UN Socio-Economic Framework in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, UN Women developed a proposal in 2021 that received funding from the Government of Japan on preventing COVID-19 infection among vulnerable women and girls in Mbire and Guruve Districts. The program aims to contribute towards enhancing access to COVID 19 testing and vaccination services, provision of PPE and improving knowledge and attitudes on COVID 19. 2022-2026 Strategic Note promote an intersectionality perspective in humanitarian coordination to ensure that women and girls are better served by humanitarian response, disaster risk reduction, recovery and resilience mechanisms and processes
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Description: UN Women should include, in its new Strategic Note, intersectionality between humanitarian crises and women’s rights and strategic approaches by UN Women in those circumstances.
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018), Peace and security (SPs before 2018), Leadership and political participation (SPs before 2018), Governance and planning (SPs before 2018), Ending violence against women (SPs before 2018), Global norms and standards (SPs before 2018), Leadership and participation in governance systems (SP 2018-2021)
Operating Principles: Alignment with strategy, National ownership
Organizational Priorities: Culture of results/RBM, Partnership
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Provide technical support on gender mainstreaming to UNCT in Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) and Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) UN Women 2023/12 Completed The work is ongoing. The CO Humanitarian focal point has been attending the UNCT in Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) and Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) meetings and providing technical guidance and support to these meetings.
UN Women will participate in all joint programmes on humanitarian response UN Women 2023/12 Completed The CO participated in the AFDB joint proposal for funding.
Support UNCT in the implementation of HCT Gender mainstreaming strategy UN Women 2023/12 Completed The work is ongoing. The CO Humanitarian focal point has been attending the UNCT HCT meetings and providing technical guidance and support to these meetings from gender perspective.
Recommendation: Recommendation 5: Strengthening partnerships with CBOs to enhance reach of women (in conjunction with Recommendation 8) Challenge: There have been concerns about national level CSOs not efficient in reaching women, sustaining the interventions at local level and ability to reach women in remote areas. CBOs provide the ZCO opportunities to efficiently reach women in communities as well as support sustainability of community level work. While the ZCO has, in the process of implementing the SN, reached to CBOs through the Spotlight Initiative and IAGs, support for CBOs could have a benefited from a clear strategy of engagement from the design of the SN.
Management Response: Although UN Women Zimbabwe CO made some efforts to engage CBOs through the Spotlight Initiative Programme, the CO is mindful of the financial risks associated with partnering with CBOs and will remain engaging with them as long as they meet requirements under our capacity assessments. Going forward, UN Women will deliberately identify CSOs that have a stronger presence at community level and avoid when necessary, working with the usual suspects that are based in Harare. Further, the CO will commit to expanding its footprint in terms of geographical presence and in terms of the groups we engage with and support.
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Description: The ZCO needs to do the following: 1) develop an engagement strategy for CBOs in the new strategic note. This should also address the risks associated with supporting start up and small CBOs and structures; and 2) undertake a national mapping of CBOs, possibly jointly with the MWACSMED, to identify CBOs that have the potential for partnership.
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Global norms and standards (SPs before 2018), Ending violence against women (SPs before 2018), Governance and planning (SPs before 2018), Leadership and political participation (SPs before 2018), Peace and security (SPs before 2018), Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018), Leadership and participation in governance systems (SP 2018-2021)
Operating Principles: National ownership, Alignment with strategy
Organizational Priorities: Partnership, Culture of results/RBM
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Develop an engagement strategy for CBOs to address the risks associated with supporting start up and small CBOs and structures. UN Women 2023/06 Overdue-Initiated In progress
Undertake a national mapping of CBOs, possibly jointly with the MWACSMED, UN Women 2023/12 Overdue-Initiated In progress
Identify CBOs that have the potential for partnership. UN Women 2023/12 Overdue-Initiated In progress
Recommendation: Challenge: The ZCO enhanced its efficiency through outsourcing external expertise such as consultancies to support implementation of the CP. While this strategy ensured the availability of the appropriate level of expertise required for effective implementation of interventions it is not a sustainable solution for partners as there is generally limited capacity transfer to the host institution due to absence of key performance indicators for capacity of the host institution (individual, organisational and institutional capacities). In majority of cases UN Women excluded the partner in the recruitment and placement of the technical expert. This approach reduced ownership of the technical support among recipient partners. In other cases, the technical support was viewed as not relevant or not of the required quality resulting in limited engagement by the partner. Such approaches were undermining ownership by beneficiaries of the support
Management Response: The CO will continue to build the capacity of staff and partners to deliver on UN Women's mandate as it is very critical and calls for a total shift on the tendency to recruit consultants to support the CO's work or the work of Partners.
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Description: Capacity development or institutional strengthening is a key feature of UN Women’s strategic approach. The ZCO needs to develop conceptualisation document of its institutional strengthening approach that ensures: 1) clarity on the institutional development objectives; 2) approach to institutional objectives that allows for ownership of the support by recipients; and 3) clarity of the measurement of the institutional support to the recipient as part of performance measurement for the technical support.
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018), Peace and security (SPs before 2018), Leadership and political participation (SPs before 2018), Governance and planning (SPs before 2018), Ending violence against women (SPs before 2018), Global norms and standards (SPs before 2018), Leadership and participation in governance systems (SP 2018-2021)
Operating Principles: Oversight/governance, National ownership
Organizational Priorities: Operational activities, Culture of results/RBM, Partnership
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness, Efficiency
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Develop a conceptualisation document of institutional strengthening approach that ensures: 1) clarity on the institutional development objectives; 2) approach to institutional objectives that allows for ownership of the support by recipients; and 3) clarity of the measurement of the institutional support to the recipient as part of performance measurement for the technical support. UN Women 2023/12 Overdue-Initiated Not yet done
Continue to build the capacity of staff and partners to deliver on UN Women’s Mandate UN Women 2023/12 Completed The CO is participating in ongoing HQ, Regional and Office level training in various disciplines.
Engage partners at ToR development stage with clear deliverables and reporting responsibilities to assure ownership and clarity. UN Women 2023/12 Completed This is being done.
UN Women to consider transferring funds where policy allows to support a technical position embedded within the partner organization. UN women 2023/12 No Longer Applicable This is not applicable as per the UN Women SOPs at the moment.
Recommendation: Recommendation 7: Strengthen partnerships and continuity of initiatives in key institutions Challenge: Support to key institutions has been short term and directed by grants available. While this has helped to achieve short term objectives, long term objectives are difficult to achieve with such an approach.
Management Response: UN Women will prioritize working with partners with the capacity to make an impact and provide larger and more predictable support to avoid spreading its work thinly and have little to show for our work when aggregated. The CO will also continue engaging key institutions that were supported in the previous Strategic Note 2016-2021 to build on outstanding actions.
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Description: UN Women needs to identify key institutions it will support in the new strategic plan building on outstanding actions in the SN 2016-2021. With each of these institutions, the ZCO needs to develop joint long-term plans of how it will support them over the course of the new strategic note. This will allow for more coherent support that supports sustainability.
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Ending violence against women (SPs before 2018), Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018), Leadership and political participation (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Alignment with strategy, Capacity development
Organizational Priorities: Partnership, Operational activities, Culture of results/RBM
UNEG Criteria: Relevance, Efficiency, Effectiveness
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Conduct a strategic partnership analysis and develop a partnership framework and action plan for UN Women Zimbabwe. UN Women 2023/12 Completed This was done and a resource mobilisation strategy was developed.
Management will continue to lead call for proposals to identify IPs that will help implement UN Women SN/AWP and all new projects moving forward. UN Women Management 2023/12 Completed
Develop and implement Zimbabwe CO Resource mobilisation Strategy UN Women 2023/12 Completed Conduct a strategic partnership analysis and develop a partnership framework and action plan for UN Women Zimbabwe.
Develop and strengthen partnerships to galvanise women movement building UN Women 2023/12 Completed UN Women has been partnering with traditional and non-traditional partners to galvanise women movement building.
Develop new Joint Programmes with sister UN agencies, in particular UNICEF, FAO, UNESCO, UNDP and UNFPA UN Women, UN Agencies 2023/12 Completed (5) Five joint programmes were developed in 2023. SUSTAINING THE GAINS OF SPOTLIGHT: UN JOINT PROGRAMME ON GENDER EQUALITY, WOMEN’S RIGHTS AND THE EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN, YOUNG WOMEN AND ADOLESCENT GIRLS. The overall vision of the Joint Program on Gender Equality, Women’s Rights and the Empowerment of Women, Young Women and Adolescent Girls is that women and girls realize their full potential in a gender-just society free from all forms of violence and where women and girls fully contribute towards the attainment of an upper middle-income society by 2023. This is a Programme with other Agencies and UN Women is the Overall Technical Lead and Coordinator of the programme (UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF and UN Women). A new joint programme with UNFPA, ILO, UN Women, UNESCO, ITU, UNHCR and UNDP was developed on INCLUSIVE MARKETS FOR WOMEN ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT during the reporting. The programme was submitted to the AFDB for funding. Placing the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at the Core of Sustainable Development in Zimbabwe with UNRCO, UNESCO, ILO, UNDP, UNFPA, IOM STRENGTHENING OF PEACE ARCHITECTURE IN ZIMBABWE THROUGH PARTICIPATIVE DEVELOPMENT with UNDP. This joint inter-agency project will take a preventive approach to peacebuilding that promotes social cohesion and inclusion in democratic processes. In the immediate/short, medium and long-term, the project will focus on two key areas namely, promote Socio-Political Dialogue, and promote structural prevention and institutional building for conflict prevention and management capabilities of national counterparts in Zimbabwe. ZIMBABWE ELECTORAL COMMISSION CAPACITY BUILDING PROJECT Phase Two (ZIM-ECO2) with UNDP-Zero Tolerance for Violence against Women in Politics
Recommendation: Recommendation 8: Improve reach of women with disabilities, women in hard-to-reach rural areas and men. Challenge: The evaluation noted that women in hard to reach areas, those with disabilities and men were not extensively reached by the portfolio. Strengthening men and boys’ role in transforming power dynamics that still perpetuate gender inequality at all levels is important to balance power dynamics between men and women.
Management Response: UN Women takes note of this recommendation. The principles of Leaving No One Behind (LNOB) and the Human-Rights Based Approach (HRBA)was grounded in the new Strategic Note 2022- 2026 and will guide the programming to ensure targeted beneficiaries are co-creators; and the HRBA focuses the CO’s interventions to support ‘duty-bearers’ to meet their obligations, and ‘rights-holders’ to claim their rights.
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Description: The ZCO, as part of the new strategic note, needs to develop a Leave no One Behind Strategy and how it can reach men to transform power dynamics. This will guide all projects in mainstreaming these dimensions.
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Leadership and political participation (SPs before 2018), Peace and security (SPs before 2018), Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018), Ending violence against women (SPs before 2018), Leadership and participation in governance systems (SP 2018-2021)
Operating Principles: Promoting inclusiveness/Leaving no one behind
Organizational Priorities: Culture of results/RBM, Operational activities, HIV/AIDS
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness, Sustainability, Impact, Human Rights, Gender equality
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Develop a disability inclusion strategy for the CO. UN Women and UNPRPD 2023/12 Completed The disability inclusion strategy now in place
2. Train staff on disability inclusion UN Women, UNPRPD 2023/12 Completed The staff were sensitised on disability inclusion strategy and trained on disability inclusion.
Develop an LNOB checklist that will guide all projects in mainstreaming these dimensions. UN Women 2023/12 Completed Done