Global Accountability and Tracking of Evaluation Use - GATE System

Management Response

Management Response

Commissioning Unit:	Independent Evaluation Service (IES)
Evaluation Plan:	2024 - 2025 , Independent Evaluation Service (IES) (EO)
Evaluation Title:	Formative Evaluation of UN Women's Work in Sustainable Finance
Evaluation Type:	Corporate Evaluation-Thematic Evaluation
Unit Responsible for Providing Management Response: Independent Evaluation Service (IES)
Overall Management Response: test2 test2
Management Response Status:	Draft

Recommendations

Recommendation : 1

Recommendation:	REFINE AND COMMUNICATE A VISION AND COHESIVE STRATEGY OR ROADMAP FOR UN WOMEN’S SUSTAINABLE FINANCE WORK TO GUIDE HEADQUARTERS, REGIONAL AND COUNTRY OFFICES.
Management Response:	UN Women concurs on the importance of strengthening the articulation and communication of the organization-wide vision, priorities, and expected outcomes for sustainable finance, both internally and with external stakeholders while noting that UN Women's corporate Strategy for Women’s Economic Empowerment (WEE) was approved in 2024, within which sustainable finance has been identified as a cross-cutting area. This strategy is rooted in UN Women’s mandate and comparative advantage, developed through consultation with internal colleagues across the organization and external partners familiar with UN Women’s WEE trajectory. The global WEE strategy provides a foundational framework for the positioning and actions of the sustainable finance portfolio, including its value proposition, modalities, and cross-thematic linkages. UN Women agrees on the importance of developing a theory of change for sustainable finance which aligns with the existing WEE strategy, rather than establishing a standalone sustainable finance strategy. This approach will help ensure a cohesive, organization-wide framework that guides efforts at all levels. The theory of change will serve as the basis for articulating strategic positioning and vision for the Sustainable Finance portfolio going forward. UN Women's work on Sustainable Finance is embedded in the corporate Strategic Plan 2026– 2029 and appropriate indicators for output and outcome reporting have been developed in consultation and communication with Country and Regional Offices.

Description:
Management Response Category:	Accepted
Thematic Area:	Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles:	Alignment with strategy
Organizational Priorities:	Normative Support
UNEG Criteria:	Efficiency

Key Actions

	Responsible	Deadline	Status	Comments
Update the definitions, priorities, actions, partnerships, comparative advantages of UN Women's sustainable finance work, in line with UN Women WEE strategy in relevant documents.	Sustainable Finance team at HQ	2026/06	Initiated
Refine a theory of change with clear objectives, outcomes, interventions and indicators to articulate UN Women’s approach to advance sustainable finance for gender equality, in consultation with internal stakeholders from headquarters, Regional and Country Offices, as well as external stakeholders from the public and private sectors, including civil society. The narrative will be documented in the relevant documents	Sustainable Finance team at HQ	2025/12	Overdue-Initiated
Integrate UN women's vision and actions of sustainable finance work within the corporate strategic planning process and Strategic Plan 2026–2029 by including key elements within the Strategic Plan narrative and IRRF and by ensuring appropriate indicators methodological notes for output and outcome reporting	Sustainable Finance team at HQ	2025/12	Overdue-Initiated
. Communicate UN Women’s approach and accomplishments in this area internally and externally	Sustainable Finance team at HQ in collaboration with Division of Communication and Advocacy	2029/12	Not Initiated	UN Women will launch its online sustainable finance knowledge portal, has revitalized its regular sustainable finance network meetings, and continues to join learning cafés. The online portal is to share useful updates in the global sustainable finance market, UN Women's work and approach, build the evidence around sustainable finance for gender equality and share quality knowledge products. UN Women will develop a holistic communication package to demonstrate its approach and accomplishments in this area, to be presented to the public, development partners, financial market partners, civil society and internal stakeholders.