Management Response

: Regional Office for East and Southern Africa (Kenya)
: 2022 - 2025 , Regional Office for East and Southern Africa (Kenya) (RO)
: Regional Office East and Southern Africa Strategic Note Evaluation 2022-2025
:
:

Regional Office for East and Southern Africa (Kenya)

:

UN Women ESARO Regional Management Team (RMT) welcomes and accepts all the recommendations from the Strategic Note evaluation. The evaluation provided valuable insights into areas of strength and opportunities for improvement, which have been used to inform the new ESARO Strategic Note 2026–2029. ESARO is committed to building on achievements and addressing gaps to deliver coherent, inclusive, and impactful results across its triple mandate—normative, operational, and coordination—within the humanitarian, peace, and development nexus with a client orientated approach. Key Commitments Under the new Strategic Note 1. Refining Strategic Direction and Integrated Programming ESARO will strengthen alignment between global, regional, and country-level programming to ensure coherence and complementarity. Integrated planning and cross-thematic collaboration will be prioritized to break silos and maximize impact. Regional programming will be positioned as catalytic for country-level results, while tailored support and oversight will be provided to Country Offices (COs), Programme Presence, and Non Programme Presence countries (NPPs). Collaboration with UNCTs in NPPs will be strengthened to ensure that UN Women contribution and results achieved are well reflected in UNSDCF and UNINFO reporting. 2. Enhancing Partnerships and Convening Power ESARO will deepen partnerships with RECs, UN agencies, civil society, youth networks, feminist movements, IFIs, and the private sector. Collaboration will move from operational to strategic through formalized frameworks, joint planning, and knowledge-sharing platforms. Multi-stakeholder engagement will amplify women’s voices and foster collective accountability for gender equality. A stakeholder analysis will be conducted to ensure that partnerships are established on the basis of strategic entries and successful results around the three major outcomes of the new SN. 3. Advancing Intersectionality and Inclusion A deliberate, inclusive, and intersectional approach will be embedded across programming and systems to ensure that no one is left behind. ESARO will strengthen accountability for inclusive results through disaggregated indicators, capacity building, and sharing of good practices, with particular attention to women and girls with disabilities and those facing intersecting forms of discrimination. This will be intentional through the customization of the corporate LNOB strategy to the region/country specific context, led by a Task Team under the leadership of TL EVAW unit. 4. Strengthening Coordination Across the Triple Mandate ESARO will operationalize its coordination role through regional interagency mechanisms and support to RCs and UNCTs. A new NPP strategy linked to the regional coordination strategy is being developed, to maintain UN Women's engagement and influence. Uptake of accountability tools and joint programming will be promoted to enhance coherence and system-wide accountability. 5. Tailored Capacity Building Support to COs ESARO has revised its approach under the new SN and will going forward prioritize demand and client tailored support and oversight to COs and Programme Presence Countries, based on surveys and feedback. The second line of defense role will be reinforced through an issued/solutions oriented support to countries. 6. Resource Mobilization and Results-Based Management ESARO will implement a Partnerships and Resource Mobilization Strategy to diversify funding sources and secure predictable, flexible financing. Multi-country programmes and coordination platforms will be leveraged for joint funding opportunities. RBM capacities will be strengthened, and collaboration between knowledge management, communications, and M&E will be integrated to ensure evidence-based reporting and donor engagement. ESARO will develop regional strategies to support HIC/MIC countries and increase the regional analysis and donor intelligence. 7. Operational Efficiency and Compliance ESARO will continue collaborating with HQ and participate in UN-wide initiatives such as BOS 2.0 and Common Back Office services to streamline processes, enhance internal controls, and improve turnaround times. Efforts will focus on reducing duplication and strengthening compliance and accountability. Conclusion Through these measures, ESARO will deliver gender-transformative results that are impactful, coherent, inclusive, and responsive to the region’s complex challenges. The Strategic Note 2026–2029 provides a strong foundation for implementing these commitments and advancing UN Women’s vision of gender equality and women’s empowerment across Eastern and Southern Africa.
: Approved
Recommendation: Sharpen strategic focus and thematic integration Refocus ESARO’s strategic direction by clearly defining regional priorities guided by the new Strategic Plan and evidence where efforts have the most potential for impact; aligning regional and country-level efforts; and fostering cross-thematic collaboration and planning mechanisms to maximize impact and coherence.
Management Response: UN Women ESARO RMT accepts the recommendation. ESARO takes note of the identified areas of strength upon which it can build, and the areas highlighted in the evaluation which need strengthening. Through the new Strategic Note for the ESA region 2026-2029, ESARO will refine its strategic direction and encourage integrated approaches to programming by: - Identifying and drawing on regional priorities across its triple mandate based on regional context analysis - Strengthening alignment between global, regional and country-level programming to ensure coherence and complementarity - Enhancing cross-thematic collaboration through integrated planning and coordination mechanisms to break silos and maximize impact and efficiency - Ensuring stronger coordination and strategic engagement with partners such as the RECs and UN and COs. This approach ensures that all interventions are mutually reinforcing and responsive to the region’s complex, cross-border challenges. To support this, ESARO's new Strategic Note is centered around one impact as well as systemic, cross-thematic outcomes and outputs.
More detail
Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Governance and participation in public life, Women's economic empowerment, Ending violence against women, Women peace and security, humanitarian action & disaster risk reduction
Operating Principles: Alignment with strategy
Organizational Priorities: Partnership, Culture of results/RBM
UNEG Criteria: Efficiency, Impact
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Develop an integrated policy support strategy SP specialist with TLs and DRD 2026/12 Initiated
Carry out surveys to external partners to capture feedback to inform strategic planning and prioritization KM specialist 2026/12 Initiated
Develop a Regional Strategic Note for ESA that applies an integrated programming approach, is informed by regional context analysis and priorities, and strengthens strategic engagement and partnerships. SP specialist 2026/01 Completed
Support COs to align their Strategic Notes with the Strategic Plan 2026-2029 and the ESARO Strategic Note 2026-2029, including results areas, Programming frameworks, indicators as well as through cross-border programmes SP specialist 2026/12 Initiated
Recommendation: Strengthen strategic and inclusive partnerships ESARO should strengthen its partnership approaches by further enhancing strategic engagement with regional bodies and deepening inclusive collaboration with civil society.
Management Response: ESARO RMT accepts the recommendation and its underbuilding findings. The RO brings together governments, RECs, UN agencies, donors, private sector, women’s rights organizations, youth networks, parliamentary networks, and other civil society partners. This enables multi-stakeholder dialogue, alignment of efforts, and joint action toward shared gender equality goals. Its convening power fosters consensus-building and amplifies the voices of women across the region. As noted in the evaluation, there is however potential to enhance the partnerships further in terms of moving from being transactional and ad hoc to strategic and resulting in impact. The RO will under the new Strategic Note 2026-2029 strengthen its partnership approaches through the following actions: - Enhancing strategic engagement with regional bodies by formalizing collaboration frameworks, participating in regional policy dialogues, and leveraging intergovernmental platforms to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment priorities. Targeted Memorandum of Understandings will clarify responsibilities, respective value-adds, identified outcomes, and monitoring mechanisms. Engagement with RECs will be done through a designated focal person for each REC, and the workstream with the AU liaison office will be clearly defined to avoid duplication and overlaps. - Deepening inclusive collaboration with civil society organizations (CSOs) by expanding outreach to diverse networks, including grassroots and women-led organizations, and ensuring their meaningful participation in program design, implementation, and monitoring. This will for example be done by better leveraging the Civil Society Advisory Group and Regional Youth Steering Committee by setting out clear engagement roles and expected outcomes. In terms of partnerships with feminist movements and women's rights organizations, ESARO will strive towards continued partnerships through programmes such as the ACT programme, and leveraging the UNTF Africa Regional Hub and WPHF partnerships in ESAR - Institutionalizing partnership mechanisms such as regular consultations, joint planning sessions, and knowledge-sharing platforms to foster mutual accountability and sustainability. RO will strategically invest in multi-stakeholder platforms and processes that promote inclusive collaboration, greater solidarity and effective coordination to serve as critical mechanisms for implementation, monitoring, and reporting on social norms and standards. These partnerships will foster collective accountability and drive gender transformative actions. - The RO will strengthen partnerships with IFIs and the private sector through enhanced engagement strategies and the formulation/adoption of clear MOUs based on lessons learned from past experiences.
More detail
Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Governance and participation in public life, Women's economic empowerment, Ending violence against women, Women peace and security, humanitarian action & disaster risk reduction
Operating Principles: Alignment with strategy
Organizational Priorities: Partnership
UNEG Criteria: Relevance, Sustainability
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Develop a RECs strategy Coordination specialist 2026/12 Initiated
Carry out a stakeholder mapping of key partners and donors at the regional level, and keep it regularly updated RM specialist 2026/12 Initiated
Finalize and operationalize Memoranda of Understanding with RECs, including clear protocols, roles, responsibilities and joint review mechanisms. DRD and RECs focal point 2026/12 Initiated
Strategically leverage the Regional Civil Society Advisory Group and Regional Youth Steering Committee by clarifying objectives and reviewing terms of reference, to ensure their meaningful and systematic engagement in shaping regional priorities, informing programme design and implementation, and providing strategic guidance to UN Women and partners across the region. DRD 2026/12 Not Initiated
Prioritize IFIs and private-sector actors by reviewing past collaboration experiences, agree on mutual priorities, and co-develop clear MOUs that define roles, coordination mechanisms, and implementation pathways. RM specialist 2026/12 Not Initiated
Recommendation: Enhance intersectionality through systematic approaches to leave no one behind To translate corporate commitments on leave no one behind, disability and youth inclusion into consistent regional practice, ESARO should strengthen institutional guidance, accountability and engagement mechanisms.
Management Response: UN Women ESARO welcomes the recommendation. Despite corporate commitments and progress made, various reports have highlighted that mainstreaming rights of women and girls with disabilities, and those who experience intersecting forms of discrimination, requires further and more intentional investment. Programmes often address single vulnerabilities rather than multiple intersecting disadvantages, and compliance reporting requirements and short-term agreements present barriers to establishing partnerships with organizations representing young women, women with disabilities and rural communities, among other groups. Leave no one behind dimensions are referenced in regional work but are not consistently applied or tracked. Embedding intersectionality across programming and systems would strengthen accountability for inclusive results and ensure efforts reach those most at risk of being left behind. In line with the recommendations and the findings, ESARO will under its new Strategic Note 2026-2029 adopt a more deliberate, inclusive and intersectional approach across the triple mandate and across the humanitarian, peace and development nexus, to advance the rights of all women and girls. ESARO has in the Strategic Note included specific results statements and indicators, and will whenever possible disaggregate the indicators to ensure data is captured and progress is measured. Capacity building regarding institutional guidance and sharing of good practices across the region will be continuously done. More information is available in the SN annex on LNOB engagement, which will provide basis for further integration into ESARO work planning.
More detail
Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Governance and participation in public life, Women's economic empowerment, Ending violence against women, Women peace and security, humanitarian action & disaster risk reduction
Operating Principles: Promoting inclusiveness/Leaving no one behind
Organizational Priorities: Culture of results/RBM
UNEG Criteria: Relevance, Impact, Human Rights
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Enhance and mainstream use of intersectional analysis to guide leave no one behind efforts across thematic programming with clearer institutional guidance and resourcing led by a Core Team, based on a regional strategy. DRD with TLs 2026/12 Not Initiated
Provide tailored support and facilitate exchange of good practices and practical tools to Country Offices to apply inclusive approaches in design, delivery and monitoring, across thematic areas. Including by selecting specific indicators and targets on inclusion in the Strategic Notes. SP specialist with EVAW TL 2026/12 Not Initiated
Expand partnerships with regional civil society representing marginalized groups toward upholding non-discrimination, working in collaboration with sister agencies and existing coordination mechanisms. Coordination specialist 2026/12 Not Initiated
Recommendation: Strengthen system-wide coordination on gender equality and women’s empowerment To reinforce UN Women’s coordination mandate and improve system-wide coherence on gender equality, ESARO should strengthen regional coordination by deepening engagement with Resident Coordinators and UNCTs; enhancing use of accountability tools and data; clarifying roles; and leading and linking regional platforms.
Management Response: ESARO accepts the recommendation. In the region the coordination mandate is positioned as the central driver to support operational and normative mandates, enabling integrated programming, joint initiatives, and leveraging UN resources. However, ESARO takes note of the findings that coordination needs to be strengthened across the triple mandate, in line with the Strategic Plan 2026-2029, and that the support needs to be more effective and strategic, especially in NPPs, with clear working models and responsibilities. To strengthen the coordination mandate and capacities going forward, UN Women ESARO will operationalize its mandate by leveraging regional interagency mechanisms—such as UNDCO PSG and OIBCs to jointly support RCs and UNCTs in advancing gender equality across CCAs, UNSDCFs, UN Prevention Platforms in the region and humanitarian responses. Due to limited resources, ESARO will move away from having staff based in the NPPs and is instead developing a NPP strategy closely linked to the regional coordination strategy. The strategy will be based on three clusters. Cluster 1) Strategic and systemic functions focusing on RO providing coordination and normative guidance through RC and UNCT regional mechanisms. Funding is to be covered by ESARO core funds. Cluster 2) will focus on support on data, knowledge and learning for example evidence, CGEP, dashboards at RC request or joint learning. Budget will come from ESARO and UNCT as cost-sharing. Cluster 3) will focus on advocacy and programming, for example proposals, campaigns, multi-country work based on RC or government request via RC and results groups. Funding will come from joint mobilization or project based. The ESARO NPP strategy will feed into the development of a global NPP strategy. The coordination role of UN Women will catalyze and complement the work of other stakeholders towards scaling up gender results. This includes supporting the uptake of accountability tools such as UNCT-SWAP Gender Equality Scorecard, Gender Equality Marker (GEM), IASC gender policy and rollout of the GEAP, while strengthening platforms that promote coherence, joint programming, and mutual accountability. ESARO will support Offices to develop SNs that align with the Strategic Plan coordination TOC, results and indicators. ESARO will mobilize thematic experts to integrate gender equality into national and UN planning and support the coordination mandate to deliver gender-transformative results across ESA. The objective is to have a more strategic and better-aligned coordination function to increase system-wide accountability for gender equality and women’s empowerment results and better leverage the Resident Coordinator system to influence national action on normative commitments.
More detail
Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Governance and participation in public life, Women's economic empowerment, Ending violence against women, Women peace and security, humanitarian action & disaster risk reduction
Operating Principles: Alignment with strategy, South-South cooperation
Organizational Priorities: UN Coordination
UNEG Criteria: Efficiency, Sustainability
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Finalize the regional coordination strategy and disseminate broadly Coordination specialist 2026/07 Initiated
Develop a regional NPP deployment strategy, and contribute to the development of a global NPP strategy Coordination specialist 2026/07 Initiated
Map out thematic coordination platforms to strategically position UN Women Coordination specialist 2026/07 Not Initiated
Recommendation: Enhance strategic and differentiated support to Country Offices To ensure more targeted, efficient and needs-responsive support to Country Offices, ESARO should systematize and differentiate support to Country Offices; strengthen planning and accountability mechanisms; and enhance capacity-building approaches and cross-thematic support.
Management Response: UN Women ESARO accepts the recommendation. The RO Mid-Term Review (MTR) (2023) and SN evaluation (2025) identified the importance of clarifying the RO’s dual role— by providing support and oversight to COs, Programme Presence and NPPs countries and delivering regional-level programming. The new ESARO Strategic Note 2026-2029 therefore articulates more clearly the strategic direction and intentional support it will provide to its clients, eg. COs, Programme Presence Countries and NPPs. ESARO will prioritize demand and client tailored support and oversight to COs, Programme Presence and NPPs, while also developing and implementing regional (multi-country) programmes, positioning regional work as catalytic for country-level results. ESARO will also develop a regional strategy to encourage integrated approaches to programming and policy support across the triple mandate and cross-thematic units.
More detail
Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Governance and participation in public life, Women's economic empowerment, Ending violence against women, Women peace and security, humanitarian action & disaster risk reduction
Operating Principles: Capacity development, Internal coordination and communication
Organizational Priorities: Culture of results/RBM, Organizational efficiency
UNEG Criteria: Efficiency, Relevance
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Carry out surveys to COs and NPPs to capture feedback to inform strategic planning and prioritization KM specialist 2026/12 Initiated
Conduct regional context risk and situational analysis to inform ESARO strategic prioritization and tailored support to COs SP specialist with TLs and DRD 2026/12 Not Initiated
Strengthening the use of QBR to include programmatic metrics, tracking progress and delivery against agreed actions as well as identifying request for ESARO support, and increase focus on strategic matters and planning OM with SP specialist and RBM specialist 2026/12 Initiated
Recommendation: Strengthen operational efficiency and effectiveness To improve strategic coherence and regional support functions, ESARO should reinforce systems in results-based management, resource mobilization, communications, knowledge management and operations.
Management Response: Management of ESARO accepts this recommendation. During the last couple of years, efforts have been intensified to enhance and structure support on RBM and resource mobilization both within the Regional Office as well as with Country Offices. However, RMT acknowledges that there are still gaps and that more can be done in terms of establishing a holistic, strategic approach. During the implementation of the Strategic Note 2026-2029, ESARO will enhance and amplify the UN Women brand and leverage the triple mandate across the humanitarian-development-peace nexus, as a thought leader and norm setter on GEWE in ESA. In response to declining ODA and shifting donor priorities, ESARO has developed a Partnerships and Resource Mobilization strategy to accompany the SN. The strategy will help strengthen and diversify funding partnerships, including expanding IFI partnerships, deepen domestic financing for identified gender priorities and use the coordination mandate to deepen financing for GEWE in the UNSDCF, joint programmes and by other agencies. Through the strategy, as well as the private sector strategy that will also be developed, RO will support COs and NPPs to attract adequate and more predictable volumes of flexible/softly earmarked multi-year funding. Where possible, the RO will support COs to collaborate with national governing institutions to increase GEWE financial commitments through mechanisms such as sovereign funds or gender-responsive budgeting and planning. Multi-country programmes will be utilized to provide RM opportunities to countries with limited donor interests, and strategic instruments such as Flagship Programme Initiatives (including Women count), the GEAP and Programming Frameworks will be deployed to consolidate efforts and drive measurable change. ESARO will harness communications and advocacy as a strategic lever to drive conversations about and broaden engagement for GEWE. It will shape narratives to support gender equality and share women and girls’ stories and voices. It will partner with regional influencers, media, and invest in next-generation digital platforms such as the Transparency Portal, RMS, and PGAMS for results and financial data aggregation, reporting, and visibility, to highlight impact and collaboration with donors. The RO will strengthen the strategic planning and dissemination of knowledge management products, in line with the new KM strategy It will provide high quality support to COs, Programme Presence countries and NPPs to support transformative, scalable impact and enable timely aggregation and communication of results and financial data. UN Women will integrate strategic foresight, advanced data analytics, and emerging technologies into strategic planning processes in ESA. The use of innovation, including artificial intelligence, will enhance the capacity to analyze trends, synthesize large data sets, and anticipate shifts. These tools will be embedded in the support to COs during SN formulation process, work planning, and development of inputs to the Common Country Analysis and the UNSDCF, ensuring stronger positioning of gender equality within UN system-wide planning. Finally, the RO will promote the use of findings from evaluations, audits, implementation monitoring, and partner assessments to drive evidence-informed programme improvements. COPs, pilot initiatives, and regional learning exchanges will be utilized to facilitate the uptake of lessons learned and successful innovations across the region. It will also provide strategic support to COs to improve the quality and credibility of results reporting, with a focus on timeliness, outcome orientation, and donor accountability. The use of QBRs will support adaptive management, improve transparency, and demonstrate the effectiveness of SN-based programming. The regional office will encourage stronger collaboration between partnership/resource mobilization, knowledge management, communications and M&E colleagues to ensure that results and data are integrated into and drawn upon in proposals and that results are communicated to donors as well as more broadly.
More detail
Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Governance and participation in public life, Women's economic empowerment, Ending violence against women, Women peace and security, humanitarian action & disaster risk reduction
Operating Principles: Knowledge management, Resource mobilization
Organizational Priorities: Partnership, Culture of results/RBM
UNEG Criteria: Sustainability, Impact
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
As part of the SN, develop an elaborate RM Strategy and a Private Sector Engagement strategy RM specialist 2026/12 Initiated
Develop cross-thematic/ cross- border proposals together with COs DRD with TLs and RM specialist 2026/12 Initiated
Develop a regional strategy on how to support COs, PPCs and NPPs on Strategic Note Direct Funding SP specialist with RM specialist and WEE unit TL 2026/12 Not Initiated
Deliver regional RBM capacity-building, coaching and peer-learning initiatives RBM specialist 2026/12 Initiated
Recommendation: Escalate corporate operational-level challenges ESARO should engage headquarters on priority operational issues that require corporate-level solutions.
Management Response: RMT welcomes and accepts the recommendations and its underpinning findings. ESARO is committed to further strengthen collaboration, compliance and internal controls, and is working closely together with HQ on how to continuously improve business processes and solve challenges. For example, RO participates in UN-wide initiatives like the Business Operations Strategy (BOS 2.0) and Common Back Office services, which will enhance operational integration and reduce duplication. ESARO will also leverage the presence and business re-modeling of UN+80 HQ pivoted teams to streamline processes and workflows, build on common system efficiencies, and reduce turnaround times for support requests. Specifically, ESARO collaborates with HQ regarding financial reporting and procurement. Other areas that are identified through planning, implementation or reporting will be continuously worked on together with the global team.
More detail
Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Governance and participation in public life, Women's economic empowerment, Ending violence against women, Women peace and security, humanitarian action & disaster risk reduction
Operating Principles: Oversight/governance, Internal coordination and communication
Organizational Priorities: Organizational efficiency
UNEG Criteria: Efficiency
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Enhance COs’ compliance and timely completion of Strategic Monitoring exercises and Quarterly Business Reviews by providing technical support and facilitating peer learning, leveraging PRISM and PowerBI dashboards to track operational performance and deliver second-line-of-defense oversight OM with RBM specialist 2026/12 Not Initiated
Deliver targeted and demand-driven training and capacity-strengthening sessions to COs on financial management, compliance, risk mitigation and procurement OM 2026/12 Not Initiated
Ensure robust financial management and operational coherence across the region by providing technical support on Quantum ERP, leveraging HQ global financial functions, reviewing and validating month-end and year-end reconciliations, overseeing verifications and certification of financial transactions, and conducting regular performance analyses to optimize resource utilization and support Country Offices in achieving full delivery targets OM 2026/12 Not Initiated