Management Response

: Palestine
: 2018 - 2022 , Palestine (CO)
: End-term Joint Evaluation of UN Women and OCHA Joint Action Plan “Strengthened Gender Focus in Humanitarian Action”
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: Palestine
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UN Women PALCO will ensure that its work on gender in humanitarian action is informed by the findings of the external evaluation. While the evaluation findings indicated that the Joint Action Plan is considered to be to “a certain extent gender responsive” due to the fact that “it did not focus on men and boys despite the fact that UN Women and OCHA have sent a clear overriding message about gender inclusiveness being wider than a focus on women and girls”, UN Women considers the Joint Action Plan to be gender responsive. This is based on the IASC gender policy, where women and girls are disproportionately impacted by crisis situations and face structural inequalities and therefore women and girls are prioritized in term of actions by UN Women. UN Women however does engage men and boys in interventions directed to transformative social norms. Evidence of such actions were made available during the source of the evaluation. This does not negate the reality that other groups are in urgent needs. However, UN Women does not consider that “targeting just women is gender blind” as stated in the evaluation report. Targeting a specific group because its members face structural inequalities and discrimination is part of gender-based affirmative action and does not constitute, as stated in the evaluation, “targeting just women is gender blind”. All gender analyses undertaken by UN Women and other actors had highlighted that specific groups of women and girls are among the most vulnerable in the oPt.

: Approved
Recommendation: Recommendation 1: OCHA and UN Women should do a joint review of the JAP management structure, with a view to sharing the responsibilities and day to day management of the JAP in a more equative manner, and that includes more frequent stops for joint stocktaking exercises and moments for reflection.
Management Response:
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Description: Such an approach could lead to a timelier identification of the factors threatening the sustainability of the JAP in the future (including the lack of dedicated resources) and to an earlier identification and leveraging of enabling factors. It should include ways of bolstering the human resources that both organizations have at their disposal in the country (whether through missions or more long-term).
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Peace and security (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Oversight/governance
Organizational Priorities: UN Coordination, Humanitarian action
UNEG Criteria: Efficiency
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
UN Women and OCHA will have a thorough consultation process during the development of the new JAP. The management structure and day to day responsibilities will be discussed and changes will be introduced to ensure balanced involvements. Heba Zayyan 2022/03 Completed A wide consultation process was conducted with national and international humanitarian actors including cluster coordinators, HCT members, donors, government and women-led organizations in the West Bank and Gaza to inform the development of a new joint action plan with OCHA.
Recommendation: Recommendation 2: For the next iteration of the JAP, UN Women and OCHA should involve the HCT members by consulting them and incorporating their suggestions and recommendations with a view to increasing the sustainability of the good results of the JAP as well as its ownership.
Management Response:
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Description: They should also brief the donors on the ongoing work that is being realized within the framework of the JAP and seek their support to its implementation.
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Peace and security (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Advocacy, Knowledge management
Organizational Priorities: UN Coordination, Humanitarian action, Partnership
UNEG Criteria: Relevance
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
UN Women had recruited a consultant to carry out a wide consultation process with HCT members, humanitarian clusters, women led organizations, and government actors. The consultation report, which will be ready in January 2022, will be utilized to inform the new JAP design. The consultation is expected to ensure that the new JAP address the priorities of the HCT on Gender and humanitarian action and increase the sustainability of the good results of the JAP as well as its ownership. Heba Zayyan 2022/12 Completed Based on the recommendations of the consultation carried out by the consultant (the report of which is available) and also the JAP external evaluation, UN Women agreed with OCHA to develop a Gender in Humanitarian Action (GiHA) Accountability Framework (2022–2025) in consultation with various humanitarian actors. The draft GiHA framework, which has been already developed, was submitted to OCHA for review, and it will be shared with HCT for final validation, review and endorsement in the first quarter of this year.
UN Women had recruited a consultant to carry out a wide consultation process with HCT members, humanitarian clusters, women led organizations, and government actors. The consultation report, which will be ready in January 2022, will be utilized to inform the new JAP design. The consultation is expected to ensure that the new JAP address the priorities of the HCT on Gender and humanitarian action and increase the sustainability of the good results of the JAP as well as its ownership. Heba Zayyan 2021/12 Completed Based on the recommendations of the consultation carried out by the consultant (the report of which is available) and also the JAP external evaluation, UN Women agreed with OCHA to develop a Gender in Humanitarian Action (GiHA) Accountability Framework (2022–2025) in consultation with various humanitarian actors. The draft GiHA framework, which has been already developed, was submitted to OCHA for review, and it will be shared with HCT for final validation, review and endorsement in the first quarter of 2023.
Recommendation: Recommendation 3: UN Women and OCHA Palestine should liaise with the HC’s office to identify ways in which the accountability for gender equality and women empowerment is clearly identified and system wide.
Management Response:
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Description: This could include but is not limited to a) placing the responsibility overseeing gender responsiveness and inclusiveness in humanitarian action in his/her office; b) ensuring that the HCT compact which is the framework of accountability translated into action on gender equality and gender responsiveness and reflects the responsibilities of different actors; c) strengthening the monitoring of gender-related commitments made by the HCT members, particularly those that have been ranked as gender responsive; d) including gender-responsiveness as a collective outcome when they begin to align their strategic planning exercises in 2022 (i.e., the Cooperation Framework and the Humanitarian Response Plan). In doing so, they should systematically apply a diversity and inclusion sensitive approach, disaggregated data and use standardized SOPs (e.g., on referral of survivors of GBV).
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Peace and security (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Oversight/governance
Organizational Priorities: UN Coordination, Partnership, Humanitarian action
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness, Gender equality
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
UN Women is currently undertaking a UNCT-SWAP Gender-Equality Scorecard Exercise. The exercise is being carried out in cooperation with sister agencies, members of HCT and UNCT, and RCO. The UNCT-SWAP is an accountability framework promoting improved planning, coordination, programming, and results for gender equality and women’s empowerment at country level. It also assesses the performance of the UNCT for gender mainstreaming against globally established requirements. The findings of the exercise are expected to be ready by the first quarter of 2022 and to inform the UNCT and HCT in Palestine at large. Heba Zayyan 2022/12 Completed The UNCT-SWAP Gender-Equality Scorecard Exercise was developed and endorsed by the UNCT in 2022. Based on its recommendations, a UNCT plan on promoting gender equality was developed and endorsed by the UNCT.
Recommendation: Recommendation 4: UN Women, OCHA should lead efforts by the HCT to strengthen the localized approach to gender-responsiveness in Palestine, better reflecting the priorities of national stakeholders including the national authorities and affected population and civil society organizations.
Management Response:
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Description: Such efforts should: a) emphasize the empowerment of women and their resilience as much as they emphasize on their need for protection; b) reach out to the wider society, local leaders, men, and youth-led organizations on evidence-based approaches to gender and masculinities; c) build grassroot capacities on male engagement on these issues; and d) continue to document more frequently and clearly the differentiated consequences that the military occupation has had on the lives of men, boys, women, and girls as well as their differentiated humanitarian and protection needs. The results of these documentations should continue to be integrated and highlighted in their advocacy efforts and continue to be linked to UN Women and OCHA’s interventions on UN SC Resolution 1325 and the national action plan.
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Peace and security (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: National ownership, Promoting inclusiveness/Leaving no one behind
Organizational Priorities: UN Coordination, Humanitarian action, Partnership
UNEG Criteria: Relevance
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
The consultation process being currently carried out to inform the development of the new JAP is expected to contribute to the localization of UN Women and OCHA joint efforts on GiHA including through partnership with the government institutions. Heba Zayyan 2022/12 Completed The new GiHA accountability framework which was developed based on the recommendations of the consultation, has a specific focus on gender-responsive localization and a standalone outcome on promoting the participation of women-led organizations in humanitarian action. UN Women succeeded in including one women-led organization as a member in the country newly established localization taskforce.
Recommendation: Recommendation 5: UN Women and OCHA in Palestine should liaise with their respective headquarters and the IASC to encourage a comprehensive review of the GAM based on the experience of the HCT in Palestine and the significant challenges that have been encountered.
Management Response:
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Description: The revised GAM should be incorporated into the formal planning and reporting tools used during the HRP. Pending a broader reform of the GAM, UN Women and OCHA in Palestine should lead in proposing alternative user-friendly, relevant, and practical guidance notes that organizations and their staff could use in different stages of the programme cycle.
Management Response Category: Rejected
Thematic Area: Peace and security (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Oversight/governance
Organizational Priorities: UN Coordination, Humanitarian action
UNEG Criteria: Efficiency
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
UN Women and OCHA will highlight the findings of the external evaluation on GAM to the GenCap and possibly to IASC through UN Women and OCHA HQ teams. Heba Zayyan 2022/06 Completed UN Women and OCHA had highlighted the findings of the external evaluation at the HCT two times and also to UN Women and OCHA HQ. It was recently presented to Germany during a virtual visit to Palestine and at the UN Women global retreat.
Recommendation: Recommendation 6: UN Women should review the content of its trainings and capacity building with a view to nuancing the key messaging and developing further guidance on how to assess and reflect the needs of vulnerable groups following a gender-inclusive assessment including boys and men (e.g. LGBTI, persons with disabilities) and implementation. It should also invest in trainings of trainers and in ensuring that the training is adapted to the knowledge level and needs of the recipients from among relevant stakeholders.
Management Response:
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Description: UN Women and OCHA should also go back to holding trainings on the HRP jointly as it was done in the past as both agencies served to reinforce each other’s efforts.
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Peace and security (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Capacity development
Organizational Priorities: UN Coordination, Humanitarian action
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
UN Women to review the content of its trainings as anonymous with developing the new JAP. Heba Zayyan 2022/05 Completed UN Women had reviewed the content of GiHA trainings and a pilot of the new modules will take place in July 2023 ahead of the 2024 HPC cycle.
Recommendation: Recommendation 7: UN Women and OCHA in Palestine should advocate with the HC and the ICCG principals for the strengthening of the position of the gender focal points.
Management Response:
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Description: Some of the ways through which gender focal points can be better supported include: a) formalizing the responsibilities of their staff that act as gender focal points; b) ensuring that gender focal points are evaluated against them; c) extending the responsibilities of the gender focal points to include also lending support with the monitoring of gender-responsiveness in the humanitarian response of clusters (particularly projects with 4T and 4M GAM; d) undergoing a thorough induction training when they assume their responsibilities as gender focal points; e) receiving a training on how to become trainers, so that they can autonomously impart knowledge among relevant stakeholders including the authorities and national NGOs and CBOs involved in the humanitarian response.
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Peace and security (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Capacity development, Oversight/governance
Organizational Priorities: UN Coordination, Humanitarian action, Partnership
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Regular update on the HGG work and the role of the GFPs to the UNCT. Heba Zayyan 2022/12 Completed A presentation on the HGG and the new GiHA framework took place at the HCT in June 2023. It was agreed with OCHA to have an agenda point on GiHA at the HCT on a biannual basis.
Recommendation: Recommendation 8: UN Women, OCHA and the wider HCT should engage national NGOs and civil society organizations more effectively, particularly in sectors such as water and sanitation where women’s organizations are less active and prevalent.
Management Response:
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Description: The key consideration for supporting national NGOs should be their expertise, links to the community and their ability to meet the needs of their communities. Local partners should be engaged as equal partners. Efforts should be made to be more inclusive of smaller CBOs who may not be specialized protection NGOs but who nevertheless play an important role in meeting the needs of vulnerable groups.
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Peace and security (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Capacity development, National ownership, Promoting inclusiveness/Leaving no one behind
Organizational Priorities: UN Coordination, Partnership, Humanitarian action
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness, Relevance
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Undertake a research to further unpack women led organizations (WLOs) and women run organizations (WROs) role in humanitarian action and reach at action oriented and context specific recommendations to strengthen their participation and leadership role in humanitarian coordination, preparedness and response. The findings are expected to be released in the first quarter of 2022 and will inform the development of the new JAP. Heba Zayyan 2022/06 Completed The research has been finalized and is being currently branded. The findings and recommendations were already used as evidence in the new GiHA Accountability Framework.
Recommendation: Recommendation 9: UN Women, OCHA and the wider HCT should develop plans for the systematic capacity building of civil society organizations, including women’s organizations and which are not limited to gender-inclusiveness but also incorporate topics such as programme and financial management, as well as broader protection and humanitarian principles.
Management Response:
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Peace and security (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: National ownership, Oversight/governance
Organizational Priorities: UN Coordination, Humanitarian action, Partnership
UNEG Criteria: Relevance, Effectiveness
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Conduct a research on women led organizations (WLOs) and women run organizations (WROs) role in humanitarian action. The research will assess opportunities for building the capacities of WLOs and WROs and networks in fields that are relevant to their leadership and participation in humanitarian cation. Based on the findings of the research, an institutional capacity strengthening plan of WLOs and WROs will be developed and implemented through the new JAP. Heba Zayyan 2022/05 Completed The research has been finalized and is being currently branded. The findings and recommendations were already used as evidence in the new GiHA Accountability Framework.