Management Response

: Multi-Country Office for the Caribbean (Barbados)
: 2017 - 2021 , Multi-Country Office for the Caribbean (Barbados) (MCO)
: Evaluation of the UN Women Multi-Country Office for the Caribbean
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Multi-Country Office for the Caribbean (Barbados)

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The evaluation experience, though a longer process than originally expected, was critical in informing the development of UN Women's Strategic Note 2022- 2026. It provided an evidence base of what has worked and what needs additional investment to comprehensively address UN Women's mandate in service of the Caribbean sub-region. The Evaluation clearly addressed the need for further integration into the Regional Office work, which is underway because of an increased emphasis at the Regional Office on pivoting to the field from 2019. It may be more strategic for there to be a collaborative approach to SIDS and engaging with the SIDS DESA office led by a focal point by HQ or one appointed in the field so that the MCOs governing SIDS have a cohesive approach, rather than MCO Caribbean should not be reaching out to the DESA SIDS Office directly. The MCO Caribbean agenda should be linked to the SIDS agenda as well. The evaluation doesn't reference the UN Women policies regarding MCOs and SIDS, which would be critical to a coherent programmatic response. Given Finding 14 related to Human and Financial resource allocations, it would be important for this to be considered regarding specific guidance for MCO structures and IB and core aligned to reflect this in order for sustainable operations to be achieved. Otherwise some of the actions required to address the recommendations sustainably are the MCO Caribbean's full control, shifts would need to be made to the recommended structure of MCOs and to staffing positions included on core and/or IB. Decisions on this have now be decentralized partially to the RO, others remain with HQ.

: Approved
Recommendation: UN Women should articulate a clear approach to enhance internal coherence between the Caribbean MCO and ACRO
Management Response: The MSDCF and SN processes should and does now ensure increased alignment between ACRO and MCO Caribbean internal coherence. Additional efforts can be made from the MCO and ACRO
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Description: The ability to strengthen linkages between the Caribbean MCO and ACRO
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Governance and planning (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Alignment with strategy
Organizational Priorities: UN Coordination, Operational activities, Organizational efficiency
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness, Efficiency, Impact, Relevance
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Institutionalize programmatic dialogue and knowledge exchange across thematic areas ACRO and MCO Caribbean 2023/12 Completed Meetings have already been held with the WEE ACRO lead and team as well as WPS. Meetings have been scheduled with EVAW team and one will be scheduled with Governance team. Key ACRO-led priorities to meet this action point will include: (a) ACRO will ensure MCO inclusion in regular programmatic interchanges through available interpretation across different thematic areas through Communities of Practice; (b) ACRO will translate knowledge products to English (the WEE team will translate 100% of products)
Present MCO Strategic Note and way of working to sensitize ACRO staff ACRO and MCO Caribbean 2023/09 Completed MCO Caribbean action is complete, with the presentation of the SN by the MCO Representative, to the RD and DD. UPDATE as of 12th Feb: The 2022 - 2026 SN was presented to and approved by ACRO. Progress on implementation of the SN takes places through reporting in the RMS which is reviewed by ACRO on a quarterly and annual basis.
Increase level of direct programme implementation and management support ACRO 2023/12 Completed Key ACRO-led priorities to meet this action point will include: (a) For the Spotlight Initiative's Caribbean Regional Programme, provide technical support through deploying 10% of the time of the programme manager and 50% of the time of the programme associate to support implementation acceleration. (b) For the WEE area, incorporate Caribbean countries into actions that have been carried out within the gender-responsive budgeting area.
Recommendation: Build on UN Women’s ample social norms experience in the Caribbean to further facilitate a shift in behaviours, and scale work on climate change as part of its ongoing Strategic Note implementation.
Management Response: The MCO Caribbean SN speaks specifically to using Communications to integrate knowledge on social norms to support shift in behaviours. MCO Caribbean also commits to upscaling climate change work. MCO Caribbean is one of the first UN Women Offices globally to align the CC and DRR work to WEE as a programmatic approach. This builds on the organization's comparative advantage as the foundation to access CC and DRR funding, without duplicating efforts of other UN agencies. The MCO has hired senior staff with expertise on CC and DRR to move the programme forward and has been in discussions with HQ and the RO regarding new programme funding.
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Description: The ability of the MCO to enhance its existing normative work as well as experience in the Region, simultaneously building on its comparative advantage in the area of Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction/Resilience to realize results at the country level.
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Global norms and standards (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Alignment with strategy, Advocacy, Knowledge management
Organizational Priorities: Climate change, Normative Support, Partnership
UNEG Criteria: Gender equality, Impact
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Hire more communications staff MCO Caribbean 2023/06 Completed Recruitment processes ended in July 2023
Hire CC and DRR focused staff MCO Caribbean 2023/06 Completed Recruitment process ended in March 2023.
Engage with HQ and RO to integrate MCO in Regional and HQ proposals MCO Caribbean 2023/09 Completed MCO engaged with DRR team globally and regionally to develop Caribbean proposal on Women's Resilience.
Recommendation: Enhance the UN Women Caribbean MCO's monitoring, reporting and evaluation capacities both internally and through mainstreamed practices with partners.
Management Response: The MCO Caribbean SN has been trying to secure the funds to recruit an M&E Officer for some time. The argument could be made that M&E is essential to the functioning of an office and as such this should be included in Core and/or IB funding. Given the recent success the MCO has had in fundraising we have been able to recruit two M&E Analysts.
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Description: UN Women’s approaches for programmatic integration showed strong results across the Caribbean MCO portfolio, in particularly data and statistics. These positive results would be enhanced through more concerted monitoring and evaluation efforts.
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Governance and planning (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Capacity development, Internal coordination and communication, Evidence, Data and statistics
Organizational Priorities: Partnership, Operational activities, Culture of results/RBM
UNEG Criteria: Efficiency, Effectiveness, Impact, Relevance
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Hire more M&E staff MCO Caribbean 2023/06 Completed Recruitment Processes completed in July 2023.
Propose for M&E post on institutional budget MCO Caribbean 2023/12 Completed The proposal to include M&E on IB was rejected.
Recommendation: Enhance capacity building and knowledge management to support long-term work and sustainability.
Management Response: The MCO Caribbean SN developed comprehensive programme of support for NGMs and CSOs. The Spotlight Initiative created an opportunity for the Ops Team and Programme team to collaborate on a programme of support for CSOs. An assessment was also completed of NGM needs to inform continued comprehensive support.
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Description: This recommendation stems from the evaluation findings which stated that the MCO Caribbean office was able to mainstream capacity development approaches to enhance the sustainability of its work especially with NGMs, in a manner that was cross-cutting. Organizational constraints however affected capacity development among CSO partners and therefore it is being proposed that a more inclusive lens would drive increased sustainability of results.
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Governance and planning (SPs before 2018), Global norms and standards (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Capacity development, Alignment with strategy, Internal coordination and communication, Resource mobilization
Organizational Priorities: Culture of results/RBM, Operational activities, Normative Support, Partnership, UN Coordination
UNEG Criteria: Sustainability, Impact, Effectiveness
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Develop and implement capacity strengthening programme for NGMs MCO Caribbean 2025/07 Initiated Assessment of NGMs completed and will be used to inform already consistent quarterly check-ins with NGMS. The methodological template used has been documented and will be shared with the Regional Office. UPDATE as of 12th Feb: Engagement through the quarterly meetings with NGMs continues, informed by not only the NGM assessment, but also by updated information gathered in 2024, that will assist in framing the approach and strategy for moving forward. Additionally, the MCO has developed a Draft Programme Partner Capacity Building Toolkit (Strengthening Capacity of Government entities, IGOs NGOs, CSOs and other potential programme partners. Areas for capacity strengthening include Project management cycle, Monitoring and Evaluation, Procurement Procedures, Financial Planning for Programme Partners, Communication for Advocacy, Resource Mobilization and Succession Planning. Finalization of the toolkit is expected by the second quarter of 2025.
Develop and implement capacity strengthening programme for CSOs MCO Caribbean 2025/07 Initiated Initial sessions held and coaches procured for CSOs in the region. The model being used will be documented and shared with the Regional Office. UPDATE as of 12th Feb: The MCO engages CSOs on a quarterly basis, and it is envisaged that the recently drafted Programme Partner Capacity Building Toolkit will be component of the model being implemented.