Management Response

: Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (Thailand)
: 2024 - 2024 , Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (Thailand) (RO)
: We Rise Together
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: Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (Thailand)
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The final evaluation of the WE RISE Together (WRT) project highlights significant progress in advancing Gender-Responsive Procurement (GRP) across Thailand and Viet Nam. The evaluation underscores the project’s success in laying the foundation for systemic change, particularly in fostering partnerships, influencing policies, and increasing awareness of GRP within the private sector and government institutions. One of the key lessons emerging from the evaluation is the importance of strategic alignment with broader UN initiatives and national frameworks to amplify the impact of GRP. While the project has effectively engaged with stakeholders at multiple levels, strengthening coherence with UN agencies and leveraging existing networks will be critical for sustained impact and scalability. The evaluation also highlights the need for a more tailored approach to GRP, recognizing the diverse needs and capacities of Women-Owned Businesses (WOBs). Differentiating support mechanisms for WOBs based on their size, sector, and role within supply chains can enhance their competitiveness and integration into procurement markets. Strengthening WOB-to-WOB linkages and enabling medium-sized WOBs to act as both buyers and suppliers will be instrumental in creating sustainable market-driven ecosystems. In addition to the size and sector of WOBs, the necessity to explicitly embed Leave No One Behind (LNOB) approach within GRP implementation will be emphasized better in phase 2. Although we great quantitative results in phase 1, the evaluation pointed out the important of qualitative approach to demonstrate the project results. Enhancing monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems with both quantitative and qualitative data will provide a more comprehensive understanding of GRP progress and outcomes. Documenting business cases and success stories from private sector engagement will remain a priority, particularly in demonstrating the value of supplier diversity for business profitability, quality, and ethical sourcing. Coupling with these success stories documentation, the evaluation highlights the critical role of cross-country learning and regional knowledge exchange in sustaining momentum. The end-of-programme learning event has provided valuable insights, reinforcing the need for structured mechanisms to capture and disseminate best practices. Future program phases will continue to leverage regional platforms and collaborative frameworks to drive continuous learning and policy innovation. Moving forward, these lessons will inform the strategic direction of WE RISE Together Phase 2, ensuring that GRP implementation remains responsive to local contexts while contributing to broader systemic change in procurement policies and practices.

: Approved
Recommendation: 1: Strengthen external coherence Based on Finding 2 and Finding 15; Conclusion 3 • Relevant to: ROAP programme staff • Recommended timeline: during the next SN. • Medium urgency, medium difficulty, high impact
Management Response: We accept the recommendation to further strengthen external coherence with UN agencies, particularly those with strong engagement in Women-Owned Businesses (WOBs) and Gender-Responsive Procurement (GRP), such as for example ESCAP, and UNDP. We will identify and deepen collaboration with specific agencies at the national level to integrate GRP into responsible business and women’s entrepreneurship initiatives, ensuring procurement is recognized as a key enabler of inclusive economic growth. Additionally, we acknowledge the importance of linking green business approaches with GRP and will identify relevant UN agencies depending the country context. However, when linking to the WEPs agenda we will note not dilute GRP’s core messaging. The WEPs consist of 7 principles, with GRP falling under Principle 5 (focused on gender-responsive marketplace practices) without specific emphasis, companies might revert to focusing primarily on internal workplace gender equality initiatives (such as Health, Family-Friendly and other internal workplace gender equality initiatives covered by other WEPs principles and other UN agencies e.g. ILO) rather than on their procurement and marketplace practices which is the project’s priority. This approach acknowledges the value of the overall WEPs framework while safeguarding the distinct attention needed for procurement and marketplace practices that can economically empower women entrepreneurs and women-owned businesses. Other identified WEPs areas as mentioned will be covered through different programming. To scale impact, we will engage practical implementation-focused organizations such as ADB and World Bank, private sector networks, and trade associations to drive GRP adoption at a systemic level.
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Description: 1. In the journey towards scale, connect more deeply with the work of UN agencies working on different dimensions of responsible business with SMEs and the wider private sector, to communicate and integrate GRP as a specific and essential dimension of inclusive growth. 2. Consider amplifying the GRP agenda through UN agencies’ past or current work with women’s entrepreneurship, and other ‘sister’ agendas such as responsible business. 3. In this dialogue, it will be essential to establish linkages between ‘green’ business approaches and gender responsive business and, for example, to mine and integrate ESCAP’s experience in catalysing women’s entrepreneurship at a governance level. 4. Where a future project is designed to consolidate and sustain the WEPs work, with its broader agenda than GRP specifically, consider amplifying broader WEPs messaging by integrating key compatible concepts from key UN partners – such as family friendly workplaces; and consider drawing on ILO’s experience with the role of worker organisations in advancing WEP’s principles such as Health, Safety and Freedom from Violence, and Enterprise Development more generally. 5. It will likely also be essential to seek to connect with very practical and implementation focused, organizations, including wider development organisations, with larger formalized networks and members to drive scale and tangible impact.
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Internal coordination and communication
Organizational Priorities: UN Coordination
UNEG Criteria: Coherence
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
1. Identify strategic alignment with key UN initiatives and other international organisation such as for example ADB and World Bank (IFC) WE RISE Together RO and Country Offices 2025/02 Completed ADB has its policy advocacy work on GRP highlighted legislative reforms and data gaps. Its work aligns with ASEAN’s Inclusive Business Framework (AIBF). IFC supports sustainable finance which includes gender-lens investing and SME financing. It also promotes corporate governance and gender equality in supply chains via ESG criteria. These mirrors ASEAN’s inclusive value chain agenda.
2. Embed the recommendation under WE RISE phase 2 log frame under activity 2.1.3 Facilitate cross-organizational knowledge transfer WE RISE Together RO and Country Offices 2025/03 Completed RO will provide overarching strategic direction, and primarily facilitated cross-country learning, and regional-level exchanges to enhance the scalability and coherence across the Mekong region. COs/NPP will take ownership in leading country-specific knowledge-sharing efforts, contextualizing best practices, and engaging local stakeholders, including WOBs, government agencies, and private sector actors.
3. Identify country specific engagement in the workplan WE RISE Together Country Offices 2025/08 Initiated Following the project activity 2.1.3, the project country office will identify activity workplan during the inception phase of the project phase 2 by August 2025. Example of such plan is to coorganize with UN agencies a workshop on GRP and UN procurement process.
Recommendation: 2. Strengthen the approach to governance and consider concentrating efforts towards progress in government procurement on Viet Nam as a potential learning space. Based on Findings 3, 16, 18; Conclusions 1 and 2. • Relevant to: ROAP programme staff; Viet Nam CO • Recommended timeline: during new programme design/ inception phase • High urgency, medium difficulty, high impact
Management Response: MANAGEMENT RESPONSE We accept the recommendation. Viet Nam presents a strategic opportunity to develop a strong public procurement model that can generate data-driven evidence and serve as a scalable example for the Mekong region. We will draw lessons from Thailand’s experience, particularly in navigating policy and institutional barriers, to refine our governance and advocacy strategy where WOBs are not yet fully recognized in procurement frameworks. In future GRP implementation, we will ensure that project timeframes are realistic and account for the complexities of policy change, especially in countries where GRP is relatively new. This will involve early engagement with policymakers, structured advocacy efforts, and alignment with national procurement reform agendas.
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Description: 1. Draw lessons from the experience in Thailand to strengthen the programme approach at governance / policy level, especially where the initial conditions for addressing WOBs as a category are not favourable. 2. In future work in countries where the GRP concept is (relatively) new, establish project time frames which accommodate policy level advances. 3. In Viet Nam, consider strengthening the approach at this level in order to advance work on government procurement, drawing on the opportunity here to create examples of progress and generate data for a more widespread business case on public procurement.
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: National ownership
Organizational Priorities: Normative Support
UNEG Criteria: Relevance
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
1. Conducted end of project learning event to draw lessons from Thailand and Viet Nam and influence the project phase 2 design WE RISE Together RO and Country Offices 2025/03 Completed The event brought in different line ministries, including Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Economic and Finance, not only from Thailand and Viet Nam but also from Cambodia as the future country to work in. The results from the events will be incorporated in the detail workplan in each implementing country.
2. Embed the recommendation under WE RISE phase 2 log frame under Outcome 2, especially specified in Activity 2.1.1 to organize multi-stakeholder exchange sessions and dialogues to share knowledge in GRP implementation and Output 2.2: National GRP related policy gaps are identified with practical recommendations WE RISE Together RO and Country Offices 2025/02 Completed While this action has already been embedded as part of ongoing activity throughout the phase 2 implementation years (2025-2029), the first multi-stakeholder exchange at the regional level is planned in Q4/2025.
3. Conduct nationwide rapid needs assessments in new implementing countries (Cambodia and Lao PDR) to evaluate the feasibility of GRP policy advancements within the project timeline WE RISE Together Country Offices 2025/08 Not Initiated A draft ToR for the rapid assessment will be completed and advertised by end of March 2025. The rapid assessment will be completed by August 2025 with the scope for the new countries, which will help the project team to tailor the goal, workplan and feasible milestones, specific to the country context. The rapid assessment will set the project expectations of realistic policy changes are aligned with the country's regulatory landscape. These assessments will provide critical insights into existing GRP frameworks, stakeholder readiness, and potential barriers, allowing for a more informed approach to integrating GRP into national policies and ensuring that project timeframes account for the pace of policy development and adoption.
Recommendation: 3. Establish a strengthened approach to LNOB in GRP Based on Findings 14, 15; Conclusion 2 • Relevant to: UN Women ROAP WEE staff; Viet Nam and Thailand COs • Recommended timeline: during new programme design/ inception phase and during implementation • High urgency, medium difficulty, high impact
Management Response: We accept the recommendation to strengthen the Leave No One Behind (LNOB) approach in Gender-Responsive Procurement (GRP) by integrating a stronger focus on supplier diversity within the value chain. WE RISE Together phase 2 will establish appropriate measurement and tracking mechanisms to document progress on WOBs that are led by marginalized groups and/or include marginalized groups in their business., ensuring that data-driven insights inform programmatic decisions. The primary target group of the project are SMEs (missing middle enterprises), they serve as a critical bridge to include ‘LNOB;, including micro entrepreneurs into their value chains. At the same time by connecting SMEs to larger buyers in a way that it will benefit all actors in their value chain. We will strengthen engagement with SMEs that work with marginalized groups as employees or within their supply chains, ensuring that intersectional supplier diversity principles are embedded into the GRP framework. The Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) approach will be more explicitly integrated to ensure that GRP aligns with inclusive employment, ethical sourcing practices and promoting the intersection of gender-responsive and environmentally sustainable business practices.
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Description: Establish an agreed and explicit approach to LNOB in the programme. 1. Target and document progress of a sample of WOBs businesses led by marginalised groups such as ethnic minorities, or businesses in remote areas. 2. Integrate more strongly a WEPs approach into the work with WOBs, ensuring to include and target WOBs who work with marginalized groups as employees or in their supply chains. 3. Include progress on these as part of the programme objectives and results. 4. Leverage the broad interest in supplier diversity with regard to LGBTQI, indigenous groups, and environmental sustainability as sites in which to integrate GRP with a strong gender analysis. 5. Articulate and promote an intersectional approach to these dimensions of supplier diversity, establishing an awareness of the differential situation of women entrepreneurs (and employees) within the category of indigenous groups etc. 6. Develop a strong articulation of the intersections of gender responsive approaches with environmental sustainable business principles.
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Promoting inclusiveness/Leaving no one behind
Organizational Priorities: Not applicable
UNEG Criteria: Human Rights
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
1. Develop Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) strategy for phase 2 together with DFAT WE RISE Together Country Offices 2025/08 Not Initiated As part of the inception report obligation to the donor, DFAT, WE RISE phase 2 will submit GEDSI strategy which outline the project plan to engage LNOB including reporting mechanism, aligning with UN Women existing guidance.
2. Collect data of WOB who engage marginalized group in its value chain WE RISE Together RO and Country Offices 2025/08 Not Initiated The format and detail process will be agreed upon with DFAT as part of the GEDSI by Aug 2025.
3. Embed the recommendation under WE RISE phase 2 log frame under Activity 2.2.2: Leverage government programs (e.g., OCOP/OTOP) to support underserved women business groups and community enterprises WE RISE Together RO and Country Offices 2025/02 Completed WRT will actively engage with existing government-led programs that promote local entrepreneurship and community-based enterprises, tailoring support to each country’s context: Thailand – One Tambon One Product (OTOP), Viet Nam – One Commune One Product (OCOP), Cambodia – One Village One Product (OVOP)
4. Document progress of a sample of WOBs businesses that engage with LNOB in their value chain in the project phase 2 communication materials WE RISE Together RO and Country Offices 2025/08 Not Initiated These communication materials, based on the actual results created by the project implementation, will include for example one pager project brief and key message that frame supplier diversity in intersectionally lens.
Recommendation: 4. Differentiate the GRP model regarding size and roles of WOBS Based on Findings 6, 13, 18; Conclusion 4 • Relevant to: UN Women ROAP WEE staff; Viet Nam and Thailand COs • Recommended timeline: during new programme design/ inception phase • High urgency, low difficulty, high impact
Management Response: We accept the recommendation to differentiate the GRP model based on the size and stages of WOBs, recognizing that different types of WOBs have varying capacities and opportunities. WE RISE phase 2 will integrate a tailored approach for medium-sized SMEs, acknowledging their dual role as both buyers and suppliers within the value chain. However, we emphasize that networking and value chain linkages must develop organically, rather than being pre-assigned or enforced. While we will create enabling environments for WOB-to-WOB supply linkages, the decision on whether WOBs will act as buyers or sellers will emerge through their own business negotiations and interactions. By differentiating strategies for various WOB stages, phase 2 ensures flexibility in participation, fostering sustainable and market-driven relationships among women-led enterprises within the GRP ecosystem.
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Description: 1. Integrate an understanding of the different capacities and opportunities of different types of WOBs into the model. 2. Specifically, strengthen and design for the positioning of relatively well established, medium sized SMEs in the approach by addressing them as buyers and sellers. 3. Adapt training / capacity building / awareness exercises so that these address: • The constraints faced by medium WOBs (such as in accessing finance, buyer networks, international markets) • The opportunities they present for establishing gender responsive mechanisms in their own business approaches by, including in their suppliers, by strengthening and further supporting their engagement in the WEPs. • Strengthening networks between medium WOBs and with smaller WOBs with explicit intention of creating WOB2WOB supply linkages.
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Capacity development
Organizational Priorities: Operational activities
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
1. Embed the recommendation under WE RISE phase 2 log frame under output 3.2, particularly activity 3.2.4 support development of women-led miro-enterprises to connect with SMEs with export potential, to larger contracts and international supply chains and Output 3.3: Collaboration, visibility and market access for WOBs/GREs WE RISE Together RO and Country Offices 2025/02 Completed In country activities to customize supports while link the value chain include Micro-enterprises receive training and mentorship, business matching between micro and larger SMEs, and scaling larger SMEs to export experience. These will be on going activity for WRT phase 2.
2. Adapt training / capacity-building / awareness exercises to address key WOB constraints and opportunities. WE RISE Together RO 2025/03 Completed Training curriculum on GRP for WOBs is being finalized in March 2025 in English version. Contextualized into Thai and Vietnamese languages will be under reviewed during Q2/2025 The curriculum will be used as primary training material for WOBs in phase 2.Expected WOBs in country training to start in 2026.
Recommendation: 5. Clearly include a solidarity dimension in the process of building business networks with WOBs. Based on Findings 6, 13, 18; Conclusion 1 • Relevant to: UN Women programme staff; Viet Nam and Thailand COs; Implementing partners • Recommended timeline: during new programme design/ inception phase and during implementation • High urgency, low difficulty, high impact
Management Response: We accept the recommendation to include a solidarity dimension in the process of building business networks with WOBs. We will adjust our programme activities in phase 2 as well as M&E to include measurements/indicators tracking the progress and results of building in this solidarity dimensions in communities of WOBS.
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Description: 1. Create or strengthening networks beyond business contacts to include opportunities for building solidarity and empowerment as WOBs focused on gender equality. This might include opportunities for exploration of their common or contrasting situations as WOBs, as well as the approaches with which they have overcome gender-based disadvantages faced. 2. Include measurements/indicators to track the progress and results of building in this solidarity dimensions in communities of WOBS.
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Capacity development
Organizational Priorities: Operational activities
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Embed the recommendation under WE RISE phase 2 log frame under Output 3.2: Technical support and training for WOBs/GREs is provided to increase their capacity to access markets, develop entrepreneurial skills and networks, and build more resilient and sustainable business models WE RISE Together Country Offices 2025/02 Completed WRT COs will ensure to include solidary measures in capacity building workshop and peer-to-peer networking and develop ecosystem for WOB group learning.
Enhance Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) systems by using mixed method approaches to capture qualitative impact stories. WE RISE Together RO and Country Offices 2025/08 Not Initiated M&E methodology will be confirmed with DFAT during the inception phase. We will also innovate in survey distribution and explore ways to increase survey uptake and data collection methodologies to build a comprehensive and reliable picture of grp progress, supporting long-term policy and market transformation.
Recommendation: 6. Strengthen the advocacy base for GRP Based on Findings 5, 6, 11, 18; Conclusion 4 • Relevant to: UN Women ROAP staff; M&E staff • Recommended timeline: immediate and throughout a future programme • High urgency, medium difficulty, high impact
Management Response: We accept the recommendation to strengthen the advocacy base for GRP and recognize that data-driven success stories and robust outcome monitoring are critical for influencing future private sector adoption. Some elements of this recommendation, such as documenting success stories from engaged WOBs are already in progress. We will continue to capture and analyze the impact of supplier diversification, particularly in terms of business profitability, product quality, branding, and ethical sourcing benefits, to strengthen the business case for GRP. Additionally, we will enhance efforts to disaggregate and analyze official data on SMEs and WOBs, ensuring this information is publicly accessible to facilitate connections between buyers and diverse suppliers. In phase 2 monitoring and reporting process will further strengthen to include both quantitative and qualitative approaches in its M&E framework.
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Description: 1. Identify and document success stories from larger corporations and medium enterprises which have been engaged in the programme as sellers and have made supplier changes as a result of business matching exercises. 2. Focus on exploring the consequences of diversifying their suppliers – has this benefitted the business in terms of product quality and price; overall profitability; branding and marketing; and/or in ethical dimensions? 3. Develop this learning into products as a basis for advocacy among future cohorts of potential private sector buyers. 4. Continue to facilitate the development, disaggregation of and analysis of official data on SMEs and WOBs to support the case for GRP. Ensure this information is publicly accessible to facilitate connections with suppliers for buyers seeking to diversify their supply chains. 5. Strengthen programme outcome monitoring and reporting to build a reliable picture of progress. Include both quantitative and qualitative approaches in future M&E design, and innovate in the distribution of surveys.
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Advocacy
Organizational Priorities: Operational activities
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
1. Continue documenting and showcasing success. These insights are already incorporated in the training toolkit and will also be developed into advocacy materials, and case studies to engage new cohorts of private sector buyers WE RISE Together RO and Country Offices 2025/08 Initiated Photo essays on WOBs success stories have been finalized and are on scheduled to publish in both website and social media from the second half of March and continuing. WEPs Awardees’ stories will be scheduled after as a lead up to the WEPs Forum. The WEPs forum itself will be the platform to showcase, learn, exchange and document these business cases from real practitioners.
3. Embed the recommendation under WE RISE phase 2 log frame under Output 3.3: Collaboration, visibility and market access for WOBs/GREs WE RISE Together RO and Country Offices 2025/02 Completed WRT RO and COs will coordinate to scale WOB visibility efforts including profiling of success stories, establish list of WOB suppliers and identify trade missions to potential markets to explore future business opportunities
2. Embed the recommendation under WE RISE phase 2 log frame under Output 1.3 Availability of sex-and intersectionally-disaggregated data development for policy, finance and business frameworks of public and private organizations are improved WE RISE Together RO and Country Offices 2025/02 Completed Enhance efforts to collect, analyze, and disaggregate data on SMEs and WOBs, ensuring it is accessible and actionable for stakeholders. In country project officers will work with government agencies, business associations, and data providers to develop a database of WOBs. This will help bridge market access gaps and support more informed procurement decisions.
4. Enhance Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) systems by using mixed method approaches to capture both quantitative progress indicators (e.g., number of WOBs accessing procurement) and qualitative impact stories. WE RISE Together Country Offices 2025/08 Not Initiated M&E methodology will be confirmed with DFAT during the inception phase. We will also innovate in survey distribution and explore ways to increase survey uptake and data collection methodologies to build a comprehensive and reliable picture of grp progress, supporting long-term policy and market transformation.
Recommendation: 7. Establish and document end of programme learning opportunities for current programme participants to inform future work. Based on Finding 6. 18; Conclusion 4 • Relevant to: ROAP programme staff; CO staff; M&E staff; implementing partners; beneficiaries • Recommended timeline: immediate (before current programme end) • High urgency, low difficulty, high impact
Management Response: MANAGEMENT RESPONSE We accept the recommendation to establish and document end-of-programme learning opportunities for current participants to inform future work. A cross-country learning event was successfully conducted at the end of the programme, facilitating knowledge exchange among WOBs, GREs, implementing partners, and government stakeholders. This event allowed participants to reflect on key challenges, successes, and areas for improvement in GRP adoption across different contexts. Moving forward to phase 2, the project will further strengthen cross-country learning opportunities by leveraging regional platforms i.e. WEPs Forum to facilitate structured learning sessions that integrate insights from programme evaluations. In addition, phase 2 design to pay close attention to sector-specific challenges and opportunities, while also identifying commonalities across industries.
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Description: 1. Establish cross-country learning opportunities for programme stakeholders at each level, including WOBs as sellers, WOBs and GRES as buyers, implementing partners and government stakeholders. 2. Learning opportunities planned for the final weeks of the programme could be augmented by consolidated learning sessions at regional level leveraging the regional platforms for stronger cross-fertilization of learnings from evaluations. 3. In these exercises, it will be important to bear in mind the specificities of different types of business sectors as well as their common experiences.
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Knowledge management
Organizational Priorities: Organizational efficiency
UNEG Criteria: Sustainability
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
1. Conducted end of project learning event to facilitate cross-country learning exchanges by bringing together WOBs, policymakers, private sector and implementing partners. The event was a needed space to share best practices, lessons learned, and innovative approaches for scaling GRP adoption, strengthen peer-to-peer learning, and foster regional linkages and collaboration opportunities. WE RISE Together RO and Country Offices 2025/02 Completed A cross-country learning event has already been conducted at the end of the programme on 17-20 February 2025. Moving forward, we will augment this initiative by organizing regional-level consolidated learning sessions, leveraging platforms such as ASEAN Inclusive Business (IB) forum. During the cross-country learning sessions, the project teams recognized sector-specific commonalities and opportunites. (e.g. agrifood, consumer goods, tourism, green business) to ensure relevancy, in country and Mekong region.
2. Design Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) strategy during the inception phase to integrate evaluation findings, best practices, and country-specific insights to ensure that future GRP strategies are informed by real-world experiences across multiple contexts. WE RISE Together Country Offices 2025/08 Not Initiated M&E methodology will be confirmed with DFAT during the inception phase. This approach will ensure future GRP interventions are informed by practical, evidence-based lessons from Phase 1, enhancing the effectiveness and scalability of GRP efforts in the Mekong region. It will allow stakeholders to apply learnings in a way that is practical and applicable to their market environments.