Management Response

: Nepal
: 2020 - 2020 , Nepal (CO)
: Developmental Evaluation - Nepal Country Office [Stage-II]
:
: Nepal
:

UN Women NCO welcomes the overall findings and recommendations of the stage-II of developmental evaluation (DE) of its Strategic Note (SN) 2018 – 2022. The DE report highlights that UN Women NCO has adapted its management approach and its programming to the changing political context and in the current COVID-19 pandemic. It has invested to strengthen the capacities of its personnel partners to help internalize the feminist principles. It has further promoted a coherent approach among development partners working on GEWE, coordinated platforms to bring diverse voices representing the most marginalized groups to identify and adopt programmes responsive to their needs. UN Women NCO has been considered as the early initiator in the Asia Pacific region to innovate for social norm change making it the central aspect to interconnect its existing programme and partnership strategies. The findings and recommendations of the DE have been taken into consideration and UN Women NCO plans to implement the recommendations in the programme design and implement under the SN 2018 – 2022 and beyond.

: Approved
Recommendation: Work with the RO (and HQ) to share NCOs internal capacity efforts by organizing a series of learning sessions for the region (and open to others) on specific topics such as cognitive coaching and adaptive leadership, and a community of practice in teams.
Management Response: The NCO agrees with the recommendation. The NCO will continue to advance learning opportunities for NCO personnel, partners and document these efforts.
More detail
Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Not applicable
Operating Principles: Capacity development, Promoting inclusiveness/Leaving no one behind, Knowledge management, Innovation and technology
Organizational Priorities: Organizational efficiency
UNEG Criteria: Not applicable
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Continue to facilitate learning opportunities for NCO personnel and partners. In addition, continue to engage RO in the learning sessions on cognitive coaching and adaptive leadership. Participate in a community of practice (CoP) on GE/ LNOB when established under the UNDAF/UNSDCF. UN Women NCO 2022/11 Completed UN Women NCO has recruited the Hongkong Academy Educational Foundation Limited to conduct the sessions on cognitive coaching and adaptive leadership for UN Women personnel and partners in 2021 and 2022. A total of two trainings on foundations of coaching were conducted in April 2021 and September 2021 respectively. A total of 17 participants including from UN Women NCO, and its partners attended the training on September 2021. Further, a training on Adaptive Leadership was conducted in March/April 2022 which was attended by 22 participants including from UN Women NCO and Bangladesh CO, UNDP, UNRCO and past participants from CSOs. Additionally, a learning session on the developmental evaluation was organized in January 2021 which was attended by UN Women personnel from NCO, Regional Office for Asia and Pacific as well as Independent Evaluation Office. In March 2022, a learning session on “Financial Inclusion of Conflict-Affected Single Women” based on the findings of feasibility study conducted by UN Women, was organized in coordination with UN RCO and the invitation was extended to all UN agencies in Nepal. Further, a learning session on LNOB and intersectionality is planned in the second quarter of 2022 in support of strengthening the capacity of the UNCT LNOB (GESI) and UNDAF Results Group members to operationalize the principles of LNOB and intersectionality across UNCT’s strategic priorities and programme areas. UN Women chairs the Gender in Humanitarian Action Task Team (GiHA TT). The GiHA-TT, a multi-stakeholder network of Civil Society Organizations, International Development Partners, UN agencies and Government of Nepal, chaired by UN Women Nepal has been actively advancing the incorporation of gender equality and social inclusion into Nepal’s responses to the pandemic. In 2021, a total of 10 meetings were conducted where the discussions were focused on wide range of issues including: bridging the digital divide, safe migration, women’s leadership, monsoon preparation, flood response, needs and challenges of women and excluded groups, youth and innovation and GESI responsive recovery during COVID-19. In 2022, two GiHA meetings have been conducted which were focused on evolving challenges faced by women and excluded groups during COVID-19 pandemic and responses from the key humanitarian actors. The Gender Equality Update 31 (https://asiapacific.unwomen.org/-/media/field%20office%20eseasia/docs/publications/2021/06/np-ge-update-31-covid-19-response-19june2021.pdf?la=en&vs=3647) puts together the good practices and lessons learned by the GiHA-TT members in responding to COVID-19 in 2020. It also raises recommendations to various stakeholders on strategic measures that could be adopted to ensure no one is left behind in the responses to the pandemic and in subsequent recovery efforts. A knowledge product on best practices of GiHA members and lessons learned is being developed and will be published in Q1 2023. Additionally, a refresher session on LNOB and intersectionality for LNOB GESI WG members was conducted in June 2022. The session was aimed at strengthening the UNCT’s common understanding of and capacity to operationalize the principles of LNOB and intersectionality across UNCT’s strategic priorities and programme areas in the next UNSDCF period UN Women further contributed to integration of Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE) and LNOB in the Common Country Analysis, UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2023 - 2027 development process as well as the final evaluation of UNDAF 2018 - 2022. This was evidenced in the technical and substantive inputs provided by UN Women through LNOB GESI WG (as co-chair), UNCT PMT and UNCT M&E Working Group. The UNSDCF results framework has been endorsed by the government while the narrative document awaits final approval. As of now, no CoP has been established by the resident coordinator’s office for the UNDAF/UNSDCF.
Recommendation: Tie the different strategies of NCO together to ensure coherence and facilitate NCO’s development of a plan for measuring social norm change across initiatives of NCO in alignment with the Strategic Note and in parallel strengthen both NCO personnel capacity as well as that of partners to measure the progress. Continue the workshop series to help define social norms that NCO seeks to influence and engage partners in this process at key points moving forward to ensure relevance, ownership and commitment.
Management Response: The NCO agrees with the recommendation
More detail
Description: The NCO agrees with the recommendation.
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Leadership and political participation (SPs before 2018), Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018), Governance and planning (SPs before 2018), Ending violence against women (SPs before 2018), Leadership and participation in governance systems (SP 2018-2021)
Operating Principles: Knowledge management, Internal coordination and communication, Advocacy, Promoting inclusiveness/Leaving no one behind, Capacity development, Alignment with strategy
Organizational Priorities: UN Coordination, Partnership, Normative Support, Operational activities
UNEG Criteria: Not applicable
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Conduct workshop series on social norm change and establish interlinkage between different programme strategies, to ensure coherence across programming and map how UN Women NCO influences these social norms (internally and externally). UN Women NCO 2022/06 Completed The NCO focuses on three key thematic areas: (a) women’s leadership and participation in governance systems; (b) economic empowerment, especially for the mostly marginalised groups; and (c) ending violence against women (including IPV, trafficking and harmful traditional practices). All of the NCO strategies - (a) strategy on gender-responsive and inclusive governance, (b) strategy on women’s economic empowerment, (c) communications strategy, (d) gender-based violence strategy, (e) Resource mobilisation strategy, and (f) communication for development approach paper - identify harmful social norms as key drivers of gender-based discrimination and violence against women and LGBTQI+ groups in Nepal. To support a shared understanding on social norm change and interlinkages between strategies, NCO conducted two workshops in November 2020 and August 2021focusing on (i) defining and identifying key social norms (internally and externally); (ii) mapping how the NCO will influence key social norms externally as part of its programme and internally reflect on how to change organizational culture with focus on care, diversity and inclusion with an emphasis on self-directedness, other centeredness and deepening the leadership bench ; and (iii) Measuring social norm change using story telling. Further, a training on Gender Transformative Communication and Development focusing on social norms, was conducted in September 2021 which was attended by a total of 12 NCO personnel. A reflective discussion guide on behavioural change for members of community-based women’s organisations (CBWO) with an aim to facilitate positive change in the perception and behaviour of CBWO members was developed as part of the joint initiative with UNDP on access to justice. The discussion guide is based on feminist principles, inclusion, self-reflection and storytelling. To make reflective dialogues participatory and creative, artworks developed through a previous UN Women project (2021) titled ‘We for Us’, supported by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) were used. These artworks are based on the lives of two women leaders from Doti and Kailali districts. The discussion guide was pre-tested in Kailali district.
Continue to measure social norm change using storytelling as a methodology and explore other forms of data collection on social norms. UN Women NCO 2022/12 Completed UN Women in partnership with the Government of Finland has been implementing an innovative co-creation initiative to foster social norms change using storytelling. Entitled, ‘Measuring social norms change through storytelling in Nepal: Advancing the transformative shift towards gender equality by 2030’ leverages the power of storytelling to measure and influence change in gendered power relations and social norms. The overall objective of this initiative is to understand and measure the patterns of change in social norms and harmful practices through storytelling and find pathways to influence relations between individuals and across social institutions (household, community, market and state) for more transformative programming for gender equality. The initiative is being implemented starting from January 2022. The baseline of the research has been completed in December 2022. The NCO has also included action research on unpaid care work in the EU-UN joint programme and Government of Finland supported SN implementation which will be implemented from 2023 to 2026. UN Women implemented an innovative initiative called “Changing Norms, One Step at a Time – Youth Video Competition” - to capture social norms that are holding back women, gender minorities, and excluded groups from equal participation in all areas of life. Five selected youths aged between 18 – 29 from diverse groups including women, gender minorities, persons from excluded caste groups and persons living in rural areas of Nepal, were engaged, and provided with mentoring support to develop their films about social norms that are imposing barriers for equality in Nepal. These five films developed by the participants were further disseminated among wider stakeholders by organizing a launch event. These films along with art pieces developed by 12 Mithila artists (out of which six were survivors of domestic violence and belonged to Dalit community) on preventing GBV in their own communities and those developed under the “We for Us” initiative was showcased during the 16 days long exhibition to commemorate the 16 Days of Activism against GBV in 2022.
Recommendation: Build upon the enabling factors in support of innovation and institutionalize mechanisms to support innovation. Develop a risk appetite statement that establishes NCO’s intention to test new or unknown approaches in the spirit of innovation. Establish a core team to invest time in supporting innovation in the office to support brainstorming new ideas, finding innovative solutions as well as finding and sharing examples.
Management Response: The NCO agrees with the recommendation
More detail
Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Not applicable
Operating Principles: Internal coordination and communication, Innovation and technology
Organizational Priorities: Partnership, Culture of results/RBM
UNEG Criteria: Not applicable
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Put in place the NCO innovation task team to integrate new ideas on influencing key social norms externally as part of its programme and internally reflect on how to change organizational culture with focus on care, diversity and inclusion. The NCO will work with the ROAP and other COs to exchange experience. UN Women NCO 2022/12 Completed An Innovation Task Team consisting of six NCO personnel has been formed. The task team has been working together to brainstorm and pilot new ideas in coordination with programme and operations team.
The annual work plan 2022 and upcoming strategic note 2023 – 2027 will outline the NCO’s approach to innovation and learning. UN Women NCO 2022/12 Completed The NCO’s annual work plan 2022 and strategic note 2023 - 2027 focus on continuing the trial application of innovative approaches to streamline business processes and using the previously tested models such as storytelling methodology for measuring social norms change.
Recommendation: Leverage interagency coordination, joint programmes, technical and strategic partnerships with the Government that allow NCO to expand its reach at the sub-regional and community level to support social norm change efforts.
Management Response: The NCO agrees with the recommendation
More detail
Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Ending violence against women (SPs before 2018), Global norms and standards (SPs before 2018), Governance and planning (SPs before 2018), Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018), Leadership and political participation (SPs before 2018), Leadership and participation in governance systems (SP 2018-2021)
Operating Principles: Oversight/governance, Promoting inclusiveness/Leaving no one behind
Organizational Priorities: UN Coordination, Partnership, Normative Support
UNEG Criteria: Not applicable
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Continue to strengthen interagency coordination on GESI using coordination platforms like GIHA, UNDAF Outcome working groups, and other thematic working groups like LNOB (GESI), International Development Partners Working Group (IDPG) on GESI and Domestic Violence (DV) and Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse of Authority (PSEA). UN Women NCO 2022/12 Completed The inter-agency coordination has been continuously strengthened through the leadership of UN Women NCO as co-chair and secretariat of: (a) UNDAF Outcome 4; (b) Gender in Humanitarian Action Task Team; (c) GTG/LNOB WG; (d) PSEA WG; and (e) the Domestic Violence Task Force. Further, UN Women has been providing substantive inputs to other inter-agency coordination groups such as UNCT OMT, UNCT PMT, UNCT M&E WG and Youth WG. Through NCO’s engagement in these inter-agency mechanisms, shared accountability towards GEWE has been continuously strengthened and sustained by its substantive leadership, technical inputs, capacity development, advocacy, linkage facilitation and collaborative approach to planning, monitoring, reporting and mobilization of resources with focus on UN’s GEWE commitments. In line with this, the UNCT-SWAP Gender Equality Scorecard Annual Progress Assessment for 2021 and 2022 has been completed. UN Women together with UNRCO and UNDP, led the overall coordination among UN agencies during the reporting process. Additionally, as co-chair of the LNOB GESI WG, UN Women with UN RCO, facilitated the annual progress reporting of the Accountability Scorecard on Disability Inclusion in 2022.
Continue to design and implement joint programmes that include a focus on positive social norms for gender equality to be implemented across the federal architecture UN Women NCO 2022/12 Completed UN Women NCO continues to implement UN joint programmes on development, humanitarian and policy advocacy context. In line with the overall SP, social norm change is an important focus of several joint programmes such as (a) “Accelerating Progress towards Rural Women’s Economic Empowerment (JP RWEE – Phase II)”; (b) “UN Partnership to promote the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Multi-Donor Trust Fund”; (c) “Reorienting public finance for SDGs acceleration and leveraging additional resources in Nepal”; and (d) “Joint Programme on Decent Employment”; (e) “Shashakta Mahila, Sambriddha Nepal (Empowered Women, Prosperous Nepal)”. In addition, six joint programmes are currently under pipeline which also aim to contribute towards social norm change, namely: (a) “Human Security” with IOM, (b) “Urban Resilience through Gender responsive and Inclusive Green Public Spaces” with UN HABITAT; (c) “Strengthening Government Capacity to ensure safe, orderly and regular Migration (GCM)” with IOM; (d) “SheBuilds Nepal” with UNOPS; (e) “Joint Programme on Prevention and Response to GBV in Emergencies” with UNFPA and (f) “EmPower: Women for Climate-Resilient Societies - Phase 2 (Nepal Component)” with UNEP.