Management Response

: Tunisia
: 2025 - 2026 , Tunisia (PP)
: Country Portfolio Evaluation Tunisia
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Tunisia

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The Tunisia Country Office endorses all recommendations of the CPE and is committed to implementing them through the corresponding key actions outlined in the management response.
: Approved
Recommendation: Under the next Strategic Note, the Country Office should aim to achieve greater thematic coherence and engage deeply in a limited number of thematic areas of work that address the most pressing gender equality challenges where the Country Office has a clear comparative advantage.
Management Response: The Tunisia CO endorses this recommendation. It is worth noting that, compared to the previous SN, the 2027-2031 SN adopts a leaner results framework, reducing from two impact statements to one, three outcomes to two, and eight outputs to seven. Priority thematic areas under the new SN have been selected in consultation with key national partners, donors, and civil society to reflect the most pressing challenges in the country based on the findings of the CPE, CGEP, and UN Women’s comparative advantage in Tunisia. Consultations have been carried out with CSOs (December 2025), donors (May 206), and UN partner agencies (June 2026), to ensure that the new strategic priorities reflect the perspectives of key stakeholders and build on lessons learned from the current cycle. CSO consultations specifically aimed to capture the needs and priorities of women's rights organizations, while donor consultations informed the alignment of thematic priorities with anticipated funding. Engagement with UN partner agencies ensured coherence with the UNSDCF and opportunities for joint programming were identified from the outset.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Ending violence against women, Governance and participation in public life, Women peace and security, humanitarian action & disaster risk reduction, Women's economic empowerment
Operating Principles: Alignment with strategy
Organizational Priorities: Operational activities, Engaging men and boys, Normative Support, Urban agenda (safe cities and safe public spaces)
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness, Relevance, Coherence
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
1.1 Consolidate the EVAW portfolio around an integrated prevention-to-response approach, developed in consultation with CSOs, donors, and government counterparts, and establish strong cross-thematic linkages with WEE, GRB, leadership, digitalization, and social norms change interventions. Develop a stand-alone EVAW strategy to support coherence, visibility, and multi-sectoral collaboration. Country Office Management Team & Regional Office Strategic Planning Unit 2027/12 Initiated Subject to funding, the planned programming for the new SN period (particularly the ACT-EVAWG project) operationalizes this recommendation by adopting a comprehensive, integrated approach to VAWG across three interrelated dimensions: strengthening laws, policies and institutional systems; transforming social norms and preventing violence; and improving response mechanisms and service delivery. The approach was developed in close consultation with CSOs, donors, and government counterparts, including line ministries across justice, security, health, and social protection. Cross-thematic linkages are explicitly embedded in the project design, including through the integration of women’s economic empowerment within shelter-based reintegration programmes, private sector engagement aligned with WEPs, digitalization and online GBV as a dedicated area of intervention, and GRB and governance linkages through multi-sectoral coordination mechanisms. A stand-alone EVAW strategy will be developed as part of the project to support coherence, visibility, and multisectoral collaboration across the portfolio. In addition, the CO is strengthening its coordination mandate by engaging closely with UNDP, UNICEF, and UNFPA to ensure complementarity and avoid duplication and overlap. In this context, the CO led the elaboration of a joint concept note on EVAW under the Spotlight Initiative. The Spotlight Initiative will further strengthen collaboration with the UNCT on the EVAW portfolio, ensuring greater coherence and complementarity in line with the new UNSCDF.
1.2 Refine the WEE portfolio to strengthen emerging domains including the green and blue economy, climate change, the care economy, and women’s participation in STEM, while broadening efforts to achieve the expected scale of results. Country Office Management Team & Regional Office Strategic Planning Unit 2027/12 Initiated The WEE portfolio is currently being refined through four complementary planned projects, all articulated under the same umbrella “Surging Women’s Employment in Tunisia by 5% by 2030 (SWEIT)”, covering women in STEM, green and blue economy, climate- and gender- GRB, and the care economy. SWEIT was developed in consultation with the government, private sector, IFIs, and based on a series of assessments and business case studies that identified the sectors with the highest potential for creation of job for women. WEE is expected to become a core pillar of the Country Office programme, supported by the regional SWEI initiative and reinforced through ongoing partnerships, including the Netherlands-funded PROGRESS Joint Programme and the extension of the Joint Programme on Rural Women’s Economic Empowerment (JP RWEE) with FAO. Particular attention will be given to rural women, while young women graduates in STEM will emerge as a key beneficiary group, reflecting the programme’s growing emphasis on access to high-potential and future-oriented employment sectors. In parallel, the Country Office will strengthen its engagement with private sector partners through the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) initiative. These priority thematic areas are also more prominently reflected in the new Strategic Note outputs, demonstrating a stronger and more explicit focus on women’s economic empowerment than in the previous Strategic Note.
1.3 Consider mainstreaming social norms change interventions across all thematic areas of the portfolio, with particular emphasis on engaging men and boys as agents of change to foster gender-transformative and sustainable outcomes. Country Office Management Team & Regional Office Strategic Planning Unit 2027/12 Initiated The new SN mainstreams social norms change, recognizing that harmful gender norms, and structural inequalities are root causes of VAWG, women’s unequal political participation, and economic empowerment. In light of it, a comprehensive SN output clearly elaborates on how social norms change and combating discrimination (output 1.1) will ensure that women and girls, along with men and boys, community leaders, women-led and women’s rights organizations, have strengthened knowledge and capacity to prevent and respond to gender-based discrimination and to promote women’s social and economic rights, including by challenging discriminatory social norms. The engagement of men and boys as agents of change is a central design principle, embedded in community interventions and extended through private sector engagement and advocacy. These approaches will be mainstreamed across thematic areas of the portfolio to foster gender-transformative and sustainable outcomes beyond the EVAW portfolio.
1.4 Consider narrowing the focus of WPS engagement to a smaller number of priority areas to ensure greater thematic coherence and more targeted results, while ensuring WPS considerations are mainstreamed across the portfolio. Country Office Management Team & Regional Office Strategic Planning Unit 2027/12 Initiated In the new SN, there has been a deliberate decision to de-prioritize WPS rather than treat it as a standalone outcome area. The SN will also operationalize WPS principles in design and programming across the portfolio (for example, promoting the work of women-led CSOs, participation of women and girls in social dialogues, the role of women as agents of change and in promoting social cohesion), while reserving deeper, resourced WPS programming for the outcome 1.1 (human capital development), where results can be tracked and demonstrated. This will provide thematic coherence suggested by this recommendation.
1.5 Advocate for the integration of gender-responsive planning throughout the entire policy cycle, ensuring that gender analysis informs not only budgeting but also the design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of programmes and policies, in line with GRB commitments. Country Office Management Team & Regional Office Strategic Planning Unit 2027/12 Initiated Subject to funding, planned programming for the new SN period (particularly the project “Dual Integration for Inclusive Governance in Tunisia: Gender-Responsive and Climate-Sensitive Public Policies and Budgets”) directly operationalizes this recommendation by embedding gender-responsive and climate-sensitive approaches across the entire policy cycle, moving beyond budgeting alone to encompass design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of public policies. The project supports the revision and adoption of national and sectoral policies that systematically integrate gender equality, the development of a National Guidance Note on Dual Integration, and the revision of ministerial Gender Engagement Sheets to align commitments, indicators, and budget allocations with national gender and climate priorities.
Recommendation: The Country Office should build on the recommendations of the recently completed functional review to address the structural and operational challenges that have constrained the efficient delivery of its mandate.
Management Response: The Tunisia CO endorses this recommendation. The Tunisia CO has been actively implementing functional review recommendations by ensuring leadership continuity through the Head of Programmes and finalizing dedicated HR, Finance, and PMER recruitments to bridge operational gaps. The office has been implementing a change management process to shift SSA contracts to staff contracts, with related training delivered with support from the RO. Simultaneously, the office has upgraded its knowledge management and evidence-based advocacy by deploying a new SharePoint platform. Led by the Country Representative, and supported by a dedicated partnerships function, the CO will cultivate non-traditional donors to diversify its funding portfolio in the next SN 2027-2031.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Not applicable
Operating Principles: Evidence, Data and statistics, Internal coordination and communication, Knowledge management, Oversight/governance, Resource mobilization
Organizational Priorities: Culture of results/RBM, Organizational efficiency
UNEG Criteria: Efficiency
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
2.1 Continue to implement the recommendations of the functional review process to strengthen the Tunisia-Libya cluster arrangement, paying special attention to the need for a second line of leadership and strengthened operations functions. Country Office Management Team 2026/12 Initiated The CO is actively implementing the recommendations of the functional review to strengthen the Tunisia-Libya cluster arrangement. A Head of Programmes is in place to provide a second line of leadership and ensure programmatic continuity and oversight across both country portfolios. Recruitment for dedicated HR and Finance positions has been completed, with both staff members onboarded in early July 2026, directly addressing the previously identified operations capacity gap. The office has also established a Resource Mobilization and Partnership position, which is expected to be finalized by the end of Q3 2026, as well as a 50% Coordination position to strengthen the implementation of its mandate. Building on this foundation, the CO will continue to assess and address remaining operational gaps, including through the definition of clear roles and responsibilities across the cluster, strengthened coordination mechanisms among portfolios, and, where feasible and in line with resource availability, the identification of additional operational support needs.
2.2 Support revitalization of the teamwork culture and streamline internal coordination mechanisms. Country Office Management Team & HR team 2027/12 Not Initiated The CO will take deliberate steps to revitalize teamwork culture and streamline internal coordination, recognizing that organizational effectiveness depends as much on people and processes as on structures. Concretely, and leveraging the finalized recruitment of the HR position, the CO will review and strengthen existing internal coordination mechanisms, including regular all-staff meetings and quarterly planning meetings with PMs, to ensure they are fit for purpose, inclusive, and action oriented. The CO will also create opportunities for team-building and collective reflection, including through joint planning processes, office retreats, and informal engagement initiatives that strengthen collegial relationships and a collaborative work environment.
2.3 Strengthen the planning, monitoring, knowledge management and learning function within the Country Office, paying attention to capturing outcome-level results for advocacy, communications and resource mobilization. Country Office Management Team & PMER, Partnerships, Communication focal points 2027/12 Initiated Taking advantage of the newly established P2 position on Planning, Monitoring and Reporting, the CO will strengthen its planning, monitoring, knowledge management, and learning function through a set of concrete measures. A new SharePoint platform has been put in place, replacing the previous system, significantly improving accessibility, document management, and institutional knowledge sharing across the cluster. Building on this foundation, the CO will ensure systematic documentation of results at outcome level, with particular attention to capturing changes in policies, institutions, and norms that are critical for advocacy, communications, and resource mobilization. The CO strengthened its PMER capacity by recruiting a dedicated function to ensure the consistent application of the UN Women’s Planning, Monitoring, and Reporting Policy. The CO will further work on strengthening the link between results data, communications and resource mobilization efforts, ensuring that outcome-level evidence is translated into compelling narratives for donors and partners.
2.4 Continue to strengthen resource mobilization efforts by creating a small, cross-functional team to lead donor intelligence, pipeline tracking and strategic engagement, enabling a proactive, coordinated and sustained approach to fundraising that seeks to diversify the funding partner portfolio. Assign clear responsibilities for this team and ensure the unit collaborates closely with programme, monitoring, communications and operations teams to align fundraising with programmatic priorities and advocacy messaging. Country Office Management Team & PMER, Partnerships, Communication focal points 2027/12 Initiated The CO will strengthen its resource mobilization efforts through a structured, cross-functional approach under the overall leadership of the Country Representative. A dedicated partnerships function is already in place and contributes significantly to donor intelligence and strategic engagement, including through monthly partnership snapshots that ensure regular, consolidated information-sharing across the Tunisia-Libya cluster. The function collaborates closely with programme, PMER, communications, and operations functions to ensure that fundraising efforts are aligned with programmatic priorities, outcome-level evidence, and advocacy messaging. Building on this foundation, the CO will prioritize diversification of its funding partner portfolio, expanding engagement with non-traditional donors, the private sector, and multilateral financing mechanisms, while maintaining and deepening relationships with existing donors through timely and high-quality reporting.
Recommendation: The Country Office should foster resilient partnerships with civil society, feminist movements and grassroots organizations, with a focus on protecting achieved rights; building alliances to counter pushback; supporting gender-equality actors; and sustaining gender equality action.
Management Response: The Tunisia CO endorses this recommendation. As part of its 2027-2031 Partnerships Strategy, the Tunisia CO is developing a dedicated framework for civil society and feminist engagement that prioritizes “do no harm” principles, safeguarding, and long-term accompaniment to protect civic space and ensure CSO independence. To operationalize this, the office will conduct a comprehensive mapping of national grassroots actors, followed by an open call for proposals to expand and diversify its pre-qualified partner base. Furthermore, UN Women is leveraging its leadership within the UNCT gender equality architecture to drive a coordinated response to anti-gender pushback. Through the UNCT Gender Strategy 2027-2031, the CO is mobilizing high-level support, joint advocacy, and collective monitoring of Law No. 58 to build resilient alliances that safeguard achieved rights and sustain gender equality action.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Not applicable
Operating Principles: Advocacy, Promoting inclusiveness/Leaving no one behind
Organizational Priorities: Normative Support, Operational activities, Partnership, UN Coordination
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness, Impact, Sustainability
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
3.1 Conduct an assessment and mapping of CSOs in Tunisia and launch an open call for proposals to identify and pre-select a pool of qualified CSOs for potential partnership as responsible parties. Country Office Management Team 2027/12 Not Initiated The CO will conduct a comprehensive assessment and mapping of CSOs in Tunisia, covering women’s rights organizations, feminist movements, grassroots organizations, and community-based actors, with attention to geographic coverage, thematic expertise, and organizational capacity. Building on this mapping, the CO will launch an open call for proposals to identify and pre-select a pool of qualified CSOs for potential partnership as responsible parties, ensuring a transparent, inclusive, and competitive process that broadens the CO's partner base and reduces reliance on a limited number of established organizations.
3.2 Develop a strategy for engaging with civil society and feminist movements in Tunisia outlining the commitment to “do no harm” principles. Country Office Management Team 2027/12 Initiated As part of the Partnerships Strategy 2027-2031 as well as the SN Partnerships, Communication and Visibility Annex, the CO will develop a dedicated strategy for engaging with civil society, feminist movements, and grassroots organizations in Tunisia, outlining clear commitments to “do no harm” principles, safeguarding, and the protection of civic space. The strategy will define UN Women’s approach to partnership, including principles of complementarity, non-substitution, and long-term accompaniment of women's rights organizations, ensuring that UN Women’s engagement strengthens rather than undermines the independence and sustainability of civil society actors. A concept note has also been developed to strengthen UN Women’s technical and financial support to civil society organizations (CSOs) and the feminist movement in Tunisia. Resource mobilization efforts are ongoing to secure sustainable partnerships and funding for the implementation of this programme.
3.3 Work closely with the UN Resident’s Coordinator’s Office, UNCT and donors to adopt a more coherent and strategic response to anti-gender pushback in Tunisia, building on growing concern about this issue among civil society, donors and UN partners. UN Women can add value by providing the UNCT with expertise and good practices on countering pushback Country Office Management Team 2027/12 Initiated The CO is actively contributing to a more coherent and strategic collective response to anti-gender pushback in Tunisia through its leadership role within the UNCT gender equality architecture. UN Women has led the development of the UNCT Gender Strategy 2027-2031, which identifies domestic politics and backlash against GEWE as a high likelihood, high impact risk, with a mitigation action calling on the UNCT to engage in high-level diplomacy to forge stronger alliances and cooperation for GEWE. The Strategy establishes a comprehensive framework for coordinated UNCT action on gender equality, including joint advocacy campaigns, strengthened partnerships with WROs and GEWE CSOs, and high-level leadership commitment from Heads of Agencies and the Resident Coordinator. It also calls for the UNCT to empower WROs as independent monitors of the national response to Law No. 58, and to advocate for temporary special measures and time-bound targets to accelerate substantive equality. UN Women will leverage the Strategy to ensure that anti-gender pushback is tracked and collectively responded to, drawing on its global expertise and good practices to support the UNCT, RCO, and donors in developing a coherent, context-relevant response.
3.4 Regional Office and headquarters should provide systematic support, guidance and lesson sharing to assist the Country Office in developing a context-relevant approach to anti-gender pushback that is coherent with wider organizational-level responses to this challenge. Regional Office and headquarters 2027/12 Not Initiated
Recommendation: Building on its Disability Inclusion efforts to date, the Country office should further strengthen its work, paying attention to commitments under the United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy and recommendations arising from the Country Office’s EnAbility audit (2024), including the systematic collection and reporting of data on disability inclusion.
Management Response: The Tunisia CO endorses this recommendation.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Ending violence against women, Governance and participation in public life, Women peace and security, humanitarian action & disaster risk reduction, Women's economic empowerment
Operating Principles: Promoting inclusiveness/Leaving no one behind
Organizational Priorities: Operational activities, UN Coordination
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness, Impact
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
4.1 Provide more explicit references to the United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy (UNDIS) in the Strategic Note and develop an associated workplan with clear targets to strengthen results in this area. CO Disability Inclusion focal point 2027/12 Initiated The CO has taken initial steps to strengthen disability inclusion and alignment with the UNDIS. A workplan is in place to guide the implementation of recommendations arising from the CO’s EnAbility Audit (2024). The office plans to launch implementation of this work from Q3-4 2026, providing a structured framework to strengthen disability inclusion across operations and programmes. The workplan will support the translation of recommendations into concrete actions and targets, while contributing to more systematic efforts to advance disability inclusion within the SN and broader programme delivery.
4.2 Ensure a specific focus on collecting disability data to demonstrate reach and results. CO Disability Inclusion focal point 2027/12 Initiated Through the use of the regional monitoring system Track-It!, disability-disaggregated data has started to be systematically collected and stored across programme interventions. This represents an important step towards strengthening UN Women’s ability to demonstrate reach, inclusivity, and results for persons with disabilities. Going forward, increased and consistent use of Track-It! across all programme areas will further enhance the availability and quality of disability-disaggregated data, supporting evidence-based programming and reporting on commitments to leave no one behind.