Management Response

: Kenya
: 2023 - 2025 , Kenya (CO)
: End-line evaluation for the Finland-funded Programme 2020-2023
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: Kenya
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Overall, the findings of the evaluation, recommendations, good practices, and lessons learned are critical towards informing the programming work of UN Women Kenya Country Office and the ESAR region. The findings of the evaluation are drawn from different stakeholders including Government of Finland as the donor; Government of Kenya; UN Women; UN agencies; Implementing Partners; and the project beneficiaries. An Evaluation Reference Group confirmed and validated the findings of the study and the proposed recommendations. Instructively, the lessons learned, and the findings will inform project planning and implementation of related programmes by the UN Women Kenya Country Office.

: Draft
Recommendation: Consider extending the project into Phase 2 and replicate and upscale strategies that have proved to be effective such as male engagement; awareness creation; advocacy and lobbying for implementation of the normative framework; capacity strengthening etc
Management Response: Th Government of Finland appreciates the success of the project, however due to budget cuts in 2023&2024 in development aid the Government of Finland will not be funding Phase 2 of the project . However, UN Women accepts the recommendation to replicate strategies that have proven effective such as male engagement, awareness creation, advocacy and lobbying for implementation of normative frameworks. UN Women will ensure that current and future resource mobilization efforts will pitch on value and impact of the intervention and strategies related to male engagement; awareness creation; advocacy and lobbying for implementation of the normative framework; and capacity strengthening.
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Description: i. Create a compelling pitch: Develop a persuasive pitch that effectively communicates the value and impact of the next phase of the project. ii. Identify other potential funding sources including government grants, foundations, corporate sponsorships. iii. Develop a fundraising plan: Create a comprehensive fundraising plan that outlines strategic results areas of UN Women iv. Develop a compelling grant proposal.
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Not applicable
Operating Principles: Capacity development, Advocacy, Resource mobilization
Organizational Priorities: Not applicable
UNEG Criteria: Sustainability
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Replicate and upscale strategies that have proved to be effective such as male engagement; awareness creation; advocacy and lobbying for implementation of the normative framework Senior Management Team with the support from the Programme Team 2024/12 Ongoing To ensure replication and upscaling of the strategies that worked well under the Finland Programme, the Monitoring, Reporting and Evaluation Team will share the lessons learnt and best practices with the Programme Team and the ESAR during the staff retreats. The lessons learnt and recommendations from the Finland project are already being applied in the ongoing resource mobilization efforts, as well as program planning.
Recommendation: Expand coverage of the project to include marginalized communities in hard-to-reach locations beyond urban settlements in line with the Leaving No One Behind (LNOB) principle
Management Response: UN Women accepts this recommendation. All of the Country Office's interventions are focused on reaching to people in Kenya at risk of being left behind - particularly all women and girls, all children and youth, all people in the ASAL counties and in informal urban settlements. UN Women is already implementing projects in the hard-to-reach locations line with the Leaving No One Behind (LNOB) principle. Particularly, the Country Office is keen on ensuring that implementation of all the projects are cascaded to the sub-counties and ward levels to ensure that more people under the LNOB groups are reached.
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Description: i) Mobilize more resources to expand the reach of the programme beyond urban areas. ii) Map out the hard pressed sub-counties and wards that they have not benefitted from the project interventions and prioritizing them in the next phase of the programme.
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Ending violence against women (SPs before 2018), Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018), Peace and security (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, Normative Support, Partnership, UN Coordination, Engaging men and boys, Youth engagement
UNEG Criteria: Relevance, Gender equality
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Expand coverage of the project to include marginalized communities in hard-to-reach locations beyond urban settlements Head of Programmes and Programme Teams (WPP, WEE, WPS and EVAW) 2024/02 Completed UN Women Kenya office is keen on ensuring that all the programmes/projects target LNOB groups. Based on the availability of resources, the country office is keen on ensuring that programme interventions are cascaded to the sub-location and ward levels where most of the LNOB groups are located. The country office has further conducted a county mapping analysis informed by poverty analysis , status of county marginalization, County Annual Capacity & Performance Assessment (ACPA) , LNOB Groups , and Gender inequality index. This analysis has informed selection of counties at risk of being left behind.
Recommendation: Enhance participation of PWD in line with the LNOB principle through budgeting and providing for their special needs such as transport, assistive devices, and helpers
Management Response: UN Women accepts this recommendation. The Country Office will work closely with the implementing partners to ensure that adequate resources are set apart to cater for the needs of the people with disabilities. UN Women, in close consultation with the implementing partners will ensure that interventions being implemented cater for the needs of People With Disabilities in order to encourage them to consistently participate in Gender Equality and Women Empowerment interventions.
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Description: It is recommended that the Country Office Should : i. Develop interventions that are friendly to the needs of PWDs and that would encourage greater participation of PWDs and other LNOB groups. ii. Work with implementing partners that have capacities to cater for the special needs of the PWDs such as transport, assistive devices, and helpers. iii. Increase budget allocations and create budget lines to interventions to ensure that the needs of PWDs and other LNOBs are catered for.
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Not applicable
Operating Principles: Promoting inclusiveness/Leaving no one behind
Organizational Priorities: Partnership, Operational activities
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness, Human Rights, Gender equality
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
i. Develop interventions that are friendly to the needs of PWDs and that would encourage greater participation of PWDs and other LNOB groups. ii. Work with implementing partners that have capacities to cater for the special needs of the PWDs such as transport, assistive devices, and helpers. iii. Increase budget allocations and create budget lines to interventions to ensure that the needs of PWDs and other LNOBs are catered for Head of Programmes and Programme Teams (WPP, WEE, WPS and EVAW) 2024/02 Ongoing UN Women is insistent that Implementing Partners should ensure that Implementing Partners conduct activities in places and spaces that are accommodative of People with Disabilities (PWDs). UN Women is working towards ensuring that there is adequate resources for the implementing partners to provide transport, assistive devices and helpers to PWDs who participate in UN Women supported interventions.
Recommendation: Consider UN presence or representation in counties with a higher number of Implementing Partners IPs) for improved coordination and communication
Management Response: UN Women partly accepts this recommendation. Having field based staff is dependent on availability of resources. Therefore, this is only feasible when the country office has adequate resources to recruit field staff.
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Description: It is recommended that UN Women should consider allocating resources to recruit field based staff. Field-based staff will help establish strong relationships with county government, partners, and beneficiaries, which enable efficient implementation and monitoring of interventions in addition to strengthening UN Women’s brand on the ground
Management Response Category: Partially Accepted
Thematic Area: Not applicable
Operating Principles: Internal coordination and communication
Organizational Priorities: Operational activities
UNEG Criteria: Efficiency
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Consider allocating resources to recruit field based staff Senior Management Team 2024/12 Ongoing UN Women Kenya Country Office already has two field staff in two of the selected 17 priority Counties under the 2023-2026 Strategic Note. The field staff have been instrumental in establishing strong relationships with county government, partners, and beneficiaries, which has enables efficient implementation and monitoring of interventions in addition to strengthening UN Women’s brand on the ground. Depending on availability of funding, UN Women may consider having more field based staff in other priority counties.
Recommendation: Enhance the programming efficiency of implementing partners through UN Women presence in the counties or through State Department for Gender and Affirmative Action (SDfGAA) county focal point and or county gender structure
Management Response: UN Women appreciates and accepts this recommendation. UN Women is currently ensuring that partners working in same counties are aware of what each other is doing. UN Women appreciates that working together will ensure that implementing partners synergistically deliver in the four key results areas of UN Women in manner that complement each other. UN Women has good relations with her implementing partners and is respected in the counties for thought leadership role on GEWE. This makes it possible for UN Women to convene her implementing partners and the government institutions.
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Description: It is recommended that UN Women should: i. Ensure that it is mandatory for implementing partners to demonstrate how they are collaborating with each other at the county level. ii. Hold regular check in meetings with implementing partners conducting activities in the same counties together with County Gender Departments and SDfGAA county focal point to establish areas of synergies
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Not applicable
Operating Principles: National ownership
Organizational Priorities: UN Coordination, Normative Support
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness, Efficiency
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Ensure collaboration between implementing partners at the county level Thematic Team Leads 2024/12 Ongoing Efforts have been put in place to ensure that implementing partners communicate and collaborate with with each other in regards to UN Women's interventions. Through results harvesting exercises UN Women has been able to bring together implementing partners to determine areas of synergies in the results areas they are contributing to. Additionally, UN Women has conducted a county mapping exercise that has determined the partners working in different counties. This mapping will be updated and shared with partners on regular basis so that they are aware of their counterparts working in similar counties and how they can collaborate. Equally, UN women is working closely with County Gender Departments and SDfGAA county focal point to establish areas of synergies
Recommendation: Further strengthen the capacity of IPs through capacity needs assessment, training and mentoring on programme management and MEL
Management Response: UN Women accepts this recommendation. UN Women has been conducting capacity building workshop on results based management including results based reporting and results harvesting for her partners. In line with recommendation, UN Women will ensure that future RBM training is tailored to the specific needs of the implementing partners as informed by a prior capacity needs assessment.
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Description: It is recommended that UN Women should:- i. Conduct needs assessments for partners on Results Based Management. ii. Tailor makes training curriculum for partners on results based management. iii. Conduct regular RBM training and mentorship sessions
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Not applicable
Operating Principles: Capacity development
Organizational Priorities: Culture of results/RBM
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness, Efficiency
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Capacity needs assessments, training and mentorship on Results Based Management Monitoring, Reporting and Evaluation Team 2024/12 Ongoing UN Women provides comprehensive induction and specialized Results Based Management (RBM) trainings to UN Women’s partners in the beginning and during the implementation of the projects to strengthen their institutional capacities. In addition, UN Women supports implementing partners in conducting results harvesting exercises to determine the results that have been achieved so far beyond the results frameworks. Training and mentorship on RBM will continue to be provided to all partners in addition to the regular monitoring and development of proper monitoring, evaluation, and reporting tools for use by partners.