Management Response

: Zimbabwe
: 2022 - 2023 , Zimbabwe (CO)
: FINAL EVALUATION OF THE SAFE MARKETS PROJECT EMPOWERING WOMEN THROUGH SAFE, RESILIENT, GENDER RESPONSIVE FOOD MARKETS AND SYSTEMS IN RESPONSE TO COVID 19 IN ZIMBABWE
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: Zimbabwe
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UN Women Zimbabwe Country Office has appreciated the relevance and usefulness of the evaluation findings, conclusions, and recommendations. These recommendations were drawn from an analysis of information documented through the desk review and primary data gathered from beneficiaries and stakeholders. All participants within the evaluation were consulted in the process of formulating recommendations provided. Stakeholders were consulted to provide their inputs into recommendations based on their involvement and interaction with the project. UN Women will ensure that the findings from this evaluation will inform future
: Approved
Recommendation: Fundraise for a follow-on project that builds on lessons learned from the safe markets project that is broader in scope and focus. Future similar projects should build on the design strength of providing a combination of training, infrastructure support and linkages for access to finance and explore possibility of including a micro-finance fund which is managed my micro-finance institutions but focusing on women being supported under the project.
Management Response: The CO will continue to develop proposals and fundraise for similar projects with a broadened scope. However, the uncoordinated approach and low level of funding available from development partners to funding for Gender Equality, Women’s Rights and Women’ empowerment remain an issue. Existing development partners continue to support gender equality activities and efforts, but with smaller amounts and no interest in funding the Strategic Note. UN Women scope to respond from a gender perspective is limited to a few areas of programming.
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Description: The project was relevant and addressed the needs of women such as access to clean and safe working environments that ensure that their commodities are not affected by weather elements and above all access to clean ablution facilities as some women sleep in the markets waiting to sell their commodities. Relevance was aided by a strong focus on addressing the multi-dimensional needs of women involved within markets. However, it was limited in scope given the number of women who work in markets and need support similar to what was provided by the project. Women in markets stressed the need to access affordable finance with flexible payment terms and this can be done through further engagement with financial institutions. The project was affected by the deteriorating macro-economic conditions which resulted in limited access to financial credit.
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Promoting inclusiveness/Leaving no one behind
Organizational Priorities: Urban agenda (safe cities and safe public spaces)
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness, Efficiency, Relevance, Sustainability
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Develop a proposal for funding in collaboration with other UN Agencies and stakeholders that focus on Safe Markets and engage donors to fund the project. UN Women and other UN Agencies 2024/12 Ongoing UN Women has been implementing the Safe market initiative with the Government Partner – Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development and constructed another Safe Market in Umzingwane Matabeleland South in 2023. The Ministry further secured its own funding from the African Development Bank (AfDB) to replicate the violence-free and disability-friendly Safe Markets for Women model in two other major cities.
Support linkages between women and financial institutions to access financial products for economic empowerment UN Women 2024/12 Ongoing During the reporting period, the CO supported the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development with videography services to document human interest stories of female entrepreneurs that have benefited from the Zimbabwe Women's Micro-finance Bank .The Bank was established by the Ministry in 2017 as a special purpose vehicle aimed at promoting women's access to finance. A total of 10 female entrepreneurs from the 10 provinces of Zimbabwe (Bulawayo, Harare, Manicaland, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West, Masvingo, Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South and Midlands) participated in the audio-visual documentation process. The human interest stories are critical for the Ministry and stakeholders within the Women's Economic Empowerment domain to creatively advocate for and facilitate increased investments towards the growth of women owned businesses through financial inclusion.
Train marginalized women including those living with disability on business management, employability skills, Transformative leadership, digital skills, e-commerce, financial literacy, gender responsive procurement to participate in economic value chains and the job market. UN Women 2024/12 Ongoing The CO co-hosted a Meet the Buyer meeting with the Women Owned Business Trust to promote access to markets for female entrepreneurs in Zimbabwe. The event was attended by 72 stakeholders (60 F; 12 M) including Women-Owned Business leaders, Heads of Government institutions/Departments, Heads of Missions and private sector leaders. The meeting was critical for female entrepreneurs to enhance their marketing skills while getting opportunities to interface with supply chain managers. The CO also collaborated with ZIMTRADE to promote access to regional markets for women and youth-led businesses through the Eagle's Nest Export incubator programme. A total of 40 (23F, 17M) young entrepreneurs participated in the 2023 Cohort and gains business skills and improved compliance to market expectations through technical interventions organised by the ZIMTRADE. The CO will now work on fostering multi-stakeholder collaborations towards improvement of access to markets for women and youth in Zimbabwe.
Include a micro-finance fund which is managed my micro-finance institutions in future project designs UN Women and other UN Agencies 2024/12 Ongoing The activity is ongoing
Recommendation: Engage the partner responsible for the Hatcliffe safe market so the funds paid to the contractor can be reimbursed. Future similar projects should explore possibilities of direct contracting by UN Agencies and ensure that payments are tied to specific milestones.
Management Response: UN Women has been engaging the implementing partner Helpline Zimbabwe responsible for the Hatcliffe Market so that funds paid to the contractor can be reimbursed. The CO realized the need for a robust risk analysis and risk management strategy for future similar projects. Strict operational and programming monitoring mechanisms will be employed in similar projects. In future, UN Women will not pay upfront and pay against milestones and complying with UN Women’s policies on construction projects.
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Description: The project experienced delays in construction the safe market in Hatcliffe. This was despite the contractor having been paid. This was attributed to capacity constraints within the selected contractor. This affected the project as vendors could not use the safe market within the planned timeframe.
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Promoting inclusiveness/Leaving no one behind
Organizational Priorities: Urban agenda (safe cities and safe public spaces)
UNEG Criteria: Efficiency, Relevance, Sustainability, Gender equality, Effectiveness
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Continuously analyse the risks and update the risk register regularly UN Women 2024/12 Ongoing Risk register in place and to be regularly monitored and updated to ensure risks are managed.
Engage Helpline Zimbabwe responsible for the Hatcliffe Market and ensure funds paid to the contractor can be reimbursed UN Women 2024/12 Ongoing Discussions are still underway with the Helpline implementing partner.
Develop robust operational and programme monitoring mechanisms UN Women 2024/12 Ongoing The CO now ensures that the partner monitoring and verifications are done on a quarterly basis to ensure efficient use of resources.
Strengthen the partner capacity assessment to ensure that the partner is well positioned to deliver on the assignment. UN Women 2024/12 Ongoing The CO continues to conduct the capacity assessment for all new partners engaged
Ensure not paying upfront and pay against milestones for future similar Projects UN Women 2024/12 Ongoing
Comply with UN Women’s policies on construction projects UN Women 2024/12 Ongoing The CO complied with UN Women Policies of construction during the construction of Umzingwane Safe market constructed in 2023.
Recommendation: Prioritize engagement of different power holders within the ecosystem related to the safe markets project. This contributes towards ensuring harmony during implementation. There should be strong user engagement in processes of designing infrastructure to be utilized by beneficiaries.
Management Response: With high levels of informalization in the country, market spaces are highly contested areas. Hence, men and highly powerful people are mainly benefitting. UN Women will continue to negotiate for the space for women and girls including by working more closely with the Ministry of Women Affairs on similar projects. UN Women conducted a baseline assessment for the Safe Markets project and the findings from the baseline informed the design of the project. However, UN Women recognized the importance of conducting a needs assessment, thorough stakeholder analysis and user engagement to ensure harmony in implementation.
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Description: The political nature of markets that has different interest groups embedded within market structures and having power to interfere in market activities, made it difficult to achieve some of the intended goals. The evaluation documented that space barons felt threatened by the new design of the safe market and they viewed the project as contributing towards disempowering them as it took away income they illegally collected. This contributed towards delays in allocation of spaces to traders and opening of the market in Mbare. Further, farmers in Mbare reported that they preferred an open space that facilitated free movement within the constructed space. The new market constructed has cubicles, and this affected movement.
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Promoting inclusiveness/Leaving no one behind
Organizational Priorities: Urban agenda (safe cities and safe public spaces)
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness, Relevance, Efficiency, Gender equality, Sustainability
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Conduct a needs assessment to determine what needs to be accomplished to reach project goals UN Women 2025/12 Ongoing the CO is ensuring that needs assessment is done for all new projects.
Engage different power holders within the ecosystem related to new projects UN Women 2025/12 Ongoing The CO is engaging key power holder when developing new projects. Further, the CO is planning a midterm review of the Strategic Note and this process will involve engagement of stakeholders.
Conduct a thorough review of stakeholder in future projects to ensure that all stakeholders are engaged. UN Women 2025/12 Ongoing The CO is planning a midterm review of the Strategic Note and this process will involve engagement of stakeholders as this was not done during the development of the CO Strategic Note due to Covid 19 Pandemic.
Continue to negotiate for the space for women and girls in markets. UN Women 2026/10 Ongoing This is work in progress.
Recommendation: Design interventions and allocate timelines that take cognizance of the practical realities of seeking approvals, procurement, and construction. The evaluation documented potential efficiency gaps emanating from the 18-month timeframe for project implementation. The project scope included construction of infrastructure, and this required more time or expedited processes in terms of approvals and construction. A combination of limited timeframes, delays in approvals, procurement challenges and movement restrictions for contractors resulted in inefficiencies.
Management Response: While recognizing that the COVID context added to the complexity of this project, UN will continue to conduct an exhaustive multistakeholder engagement in programme design and implementation to give more time for programmes of such a nature to ensure practical realities of seeking approvals, procurement, and construction are taken into consideration.
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Description: The evaluation documented potential efficiency gaps emanating from the 18-month timeframe for project implementation. The project scope included construction of infrastructure, and this required more time or expedited processes in terms of approvals and construction. A combination of limited timeframes, delays in approvals, procurement challenges and movement restrictions for contractors resulted in inefficiencies.
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Promoting inclusiveness/Leaving no one behind
Organizational Priorities: Urban agenda (safe cities and safe public spaces)
UNEG Criteria: Sustainability, Gender equality, Efficiency, Relevance, Effectiveness
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Conduct thorough stakeholder consultations when developing projects that includes construction UN Women 2026/12 Ongoing
Allocate enough time and ensure to factor inception phase when designing such projects UN Women 2026/12 Ongoing The CO is ensuring that enough time is allocated to inception phase for new projects especially the construction projects.
To establish a strong relationship with the Ministry of Local Government so that when similar future projects come on board will have good starting point. UN Women 2024/12 Ongoing
Recommendation: Build on the technology introduced by the project and facilitate easy access to critical market information for users so that they do not have to travel.
Management Response:
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Description: The use of digital platforms during COVID-19 contributed towards sustainability as it ensured farmers and traders were not exposed to COVID-19 since they could access market information digitally and could trade digitally.
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Promoting inclusiveness/Leaving no one behind
Organizational Priorities: Partnership, Culture of results/RBM
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness, Relevance, Efficiency, Sustainability, Impact, Human Rights
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Scale up such innovations and research new digital technologies to be used by women and continue to invest in digital technologies UN Women and other Agencies 2025/12 Ongoing
Support women to continue utilize the created platforms. UN Women 2026/12 Ongoing UN Women continues to support the women to utilise created platforms