Management Response

: Georgia
: 2021 - 2025 , Georgia (CO)
: Final Evaluation for the Good Governance for Gender Equality in Georgia project – II phase
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Georgia

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The evaluation process was smooth, professional, and constructive, providing the Country Office with a valuable opportunity to reflect on implementation progress, capture important lessons learned, and generate evidence to inform future programming. Overall, it was a positive and rigorous exercise. The recommendation to strengthen jointness between the two project components is understandable; however, it is important to note that these components were originally designed and implemented as separate projects under distinct programmatic areas. They were consolidated under a single contract at the request of the donor for administrative purposes, rather than as part of a unified programmatic design. While this context shaped the way the project evolved, the Country Office has nevertheless accepted the recommendation in principle and will work to further enhance synergies between the two components moving forward. As a result of the evaluation, the project received four broad recommendations that have been accepted by the Country Office.

: Approved
Recommendation: Design governance programming with built-in flexibility to shift between direct institutional engagement and alternative implementation approaches based on political conditions.
Management Response: Accepted
More detail
Description: Conduct annual assessments of the political environment to determine whether conditions support direct gender mainstreaming work with government institutions or require alternative approaches. Based on this assessment, adopt one of two tracks: Track A (Enabling Environment): Direct institutional collaboration, policy development, capacity building with government partners, and active gender mainstreaming advocacy. Track B (Restrictive Environment): Civil society partnerships, maintaining relationships with committed government champions, technical tool development, and preparing advocacy materials for when political opportunities re-emerge.
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Governance and participation in public life, Women's economic empowerment
Operating Principles: Capacity development, Knowledge management, Evidence, Data and statistics
Organizational Priorities: Partnership, Operational activities
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness, Relevance, Sustainability, Gender equality
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
1.1. Adopt Strategic Note Direct Funding (SNDF) modality rather than cost-share, project-bound funding for future governance programming. SNDF enables rapid reallocation of resources between Track A (direct institutional engagement) and Track B (civil society partnerships) based on annual political assessments, without requiring formal project amendments or donor renegotiations for each strategic shift. UN Women (lead) CSOs Donors Government 2026/12 Initiated UN Women has initiated strategic consultations with existing and prospective donors to secure funding under the Strategic Note Direct Funding (SNDF) modality for the 2026–2030 programming cycle. Engagement focuses on mobilizing flexible, non-earmarked contributions that would enable adaptive governance programming in response to evolving political conditions.
1.2. Conduct annual assessments tracking government partner engagement levels, legislative developments affecting gender equality and civic space, and political leadership statements on gender issues. UN Women 2026/03 Completed UN Women actively monitors political and legislative developments affecting gender equality through continuous partner engagement, regular coordination meetings civil society stakeholders, and active information exchange. Quarterly staff meetings further support internal reflection and analysis of the evolving political and civic space environment. In addition, the annual Country Office retreat, including structured discussions with key partners, provides a dedicated opportunity to assess the operating context and inform adaptive programming decisions. During the retreat different portfolio teams usually do SWAP analysis of key partners per their portfolios’ priorities to inform their stakeholder engagement strategies.
1.3. Engage civil society organizations as evidence collectors and strengthen their capacity in this regard. UN Women (lead) CSOs 2027/12 Initiated Under the current project, UN Women has invested significantly in strengthening CSOs as both data users and data producers, building their capacity to generate, analyze, and apply evidence in support of gender equality advocacy. We have also prioritized their broader institutional and individual capacity development, including support for psychological resilience, well-being, and adaptive leadership in challenging operating environments. UN Women continuously engages CSOs to sustain their meaningful participation in gender equality processes and to reinforce their advocacy efforts. Through ongoing consultations, information exchange, and joint issue identification, CSOs are further strengthened as evidence collectors and accountability actors—particularly during periods of restricted civic space. Building on these foundations, we plan to continue and accelerate this work, subject to the availability of resources.
Recommendation: Enhance women’s economic empowerment programming by leveraging peer networks and private sector collaborations.
Management Response: Accepted
More detail
Description: Expand women’s economic empowerment programming by investing in peer network formation, experiential learning methodologies, and private sector engagement through the WEPs platform.
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women's economic empowerment
Operating Principles: Capacity development, Knowledge management, Internal coordination and communication
Organizational Priorities: Partnership, Operational activities
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness, Sustainability
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
2.1. Shift resource allocation for women entrepreneurs from classroom training to relationship-building activities, such as study tours, peer exchanges, mentorship programmes, and collaborative learning. UN Women (lead), donors, private companies 2027/12 Initiated Experience and feedback gathered from women participating in the project have highlighted the growing importance of shifting resource allocation from traditional classroom-based training toward relationship-building and experiential learning approaches. In response, UN Women has initiated a transition toward more practice-oriented interventions, including study tours, peer exchange initiatives, practical workshops with small groups, mentorship programmes, and collaborative learning activities. These approaches foster practical knowledge sharing, strengthen networking opportunities, and promote sustained cooperation among women entrepreneurs and Self-Help Group (SHG) members.
2.2. Systemize women entrepreneur and Self-Help Group alumni networks through facilitation via digital platforms and periodic gatherings. UN Women 2027/12 Initiated UN Women continues to support networking among women entrepreneurs and Self-Help Group (SHG) alumni through various initiatives facilitated by the organization. This process includes periodic knowledge-sharing and networking gatherings aimed at ensuring sustained peer support, collaboration, and continued access to opportunities beyond project implementation. Digital platforms, such as WhatsApp groups, are also utilized to maintain and formalize ongoing communication and networking among members.
2.3. Develop training-of-trainers models that enable accomplished beneficiaries to mentor subsequent cohorts. UN Women 2027/12 Initiated Based on the findings of survey analyses conducted among workshop participants, the need to further strengthen and utilize local intellectual resources has been identified. In response to this recommendation, UN Women has initiated the development of a Training-of-Trainers (ToT) approach aimed at capacitating accomplished women beneficiaries to serve as local mentors and trainers. The initiative will support selected women entrepreneurs to enhance their technical and facilitation capacities in areas such as social media management, branding, and product photography. Through this approach, trained beneficiaries will be enabled to transfer knowledge and mentor subsequent cohorts of women entrepreneurs, thereby promoting peer-to-peer learning, strengthening local expertise, and ensuring sustainability of project results beyond direct interventions.
2.4. Expand the WEPs platform’s engagement with the private sector by framing business cases (talent attraction, retention, productivity, reputation) and creating peer learning platforms where companies share gender equality practices and business outcomes. UN Women (lead) WEPs signatory companies and other prospective WEPs signatory companies 2027/12 Initiated UN Women continues to convene regular meetings, conferences, and training sessions with private-sector partners, providing a platform for WEPs signatories to exchange experiences and share good practices. In addition, UN Women actively engages with signatories that demonstrate strong commitments to GEWE to discuss and design prospective joint initiatives across the workplace, marketplace, and community. Several promising best practices have already emerged as a result of these collaborative efforts. UN Women will continue to undertake evidence-based research and analytical studies to document, measure, and showcase successful practices and impact.
Recommendation: Operationalize integration in multi-component programming through deliberate design and dedicated coordination mechanisms.
Management Response: Accepted
More detail
Description: UN Women Georgia Country Office should design future integrated multi-component programmes with specific operational mechanisms and unified management structures, working in partnership with implementing partners to execute integration activities.
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Governance and participation in public life, Women's economic empowerment
Operating Principles: Internal coordination and communication
Organizational Priorities: Operational activities, Organizational efficiency
UNEG Criteria: Coherence
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
3.1. Design integration mechanisms and activities between WEE and Women’s Leadership in Decision-making components during the next programme development. UN Women 2026/12 Initiated During the development of the next programme cycle (2026–2030), UN Women will deliberately design integration mechanisms to enhance synergies between governance and women’s economic empowerment components. This will include establishing unified programme management arrangements, developing a single results framework that captures integration of outcomes, and institutionalizing joint planning processes across teams.
3.2. Implement integration activities as specific deliverables: • Platforms where women entrepreneurs and government officials trained on gender mainstreaming engage together (women inform policy; officials understand women’s business realities) • GRB analysis that identifies allocations for women’s business support and connects government resources to women entrepreneurs seeking capital • Joint learning events where governance and economic empowerment beneficiaries participate together • Women’s success stories used in governance advocacy; government officials applying gender analysis skills to women’s entrepreneurship programmes UN Women 2030/12 Initiated During the development of the next programme cycle (2026–2030), UN Women will consider incorporating specific integration activities to enhance synergies between governance and economic empowerment interventions. Potential measures include joint dialogue platforms, integrated GRB analysis, cross-component learning events, and coordinated advocacy efforts.
3.3. Document and learn from which integration approaches work effectively in the Georgian context (ongoing) UN Women 2030/12 Initiated UN Women is continuously capturing lessons learned from cross-component collaboration through internal reflection processes, partner consultations, and joint implementation experiences. Ongoing monitoring and periodic programme reviews provide opportunities to assess which integration approaches are most effective in the Georgian context. Lessons learned will inform adaptive programming and future programme design.
Recommendation: Integrate exit and transition planning into project design with progressive ownership transfer.
Management Response: Accepted
More detail
Description: Develop exit and transition strategies during the project design phase, identify continuation partners from the outset, and progressively transfer ownership throughout implementation.
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Governance and participation in public life, Women's economic empowerment
Operating Principles: Capacity development, National ownership
Organizational Priorities: Partnership
UNEG Criteria: Sustainability
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
4.1. During the design phase, identify the ownership and maintenance plan for each major intervention after project completion. If no plausible continuation partner exists, reconsider the inclusion of the intervention. UN Women 2030/12 Initiated UN Women will consider incorporating structured sustainability and ownership planning into the design phase of future projects. Potential continuation partners and post-project maintenance arrangements will be assessed, and the inclusion of interventions will take into account the likelihood of sustainable continuation.
4.2. In the planning and implementation of the next phase (whether through SNDF or non-core project) factor sustainability and ownership considerations as much as possible. UN Women (lead) Partners in Steering Committee 2030/12 Initiated UN Women will initiate relevant discussion with identified continuation partners from the onset of future collaboration. Ideally, a phased transition model will be initiated, whereby Year 1-2 focuses on UN Women-led implementation with partner engagement, Year 3 and 4 on co-leadership, and Year 5 on partner-led implementation with UN Women backstopping.
4.3 Monitor sustainability: Include indicators that track partner capacity development and ownership assumptions in the monitoring framework, alongside beneficiary outcomes. UN Women 2030/12 Initiated UN Women will consider integrating sustainability-focused indicators into future monitoring frameworks.