Management Response

: Kenya
: 2012 - 2013 , Kenya (CO)
: Gender, Human Rights & Governance Programme - Human Rights Component Evaluation
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: Kenya
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: Approved
Recommendation: Overall Recommendation: There is need for UN WOMEN to up-scale its focus on work related to devolution and empowering women to understand and participate decision making on money devolution, budgeting and public funds as these are the resources that deliver on women?s economic social and cultural rights (ESCR) needs. If women do not understand how resources are allocated, then, it will reverse the gains made through increasing the number of women in elective positions. The two civil and political as well as ESCR must go hand in hand.
Management Response: Management Response: Don't agree with the recommendation the way it is stated.
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Description:
Management Response Category:
Thematic Area: Governance and planning (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Advocacy
Organizational Priorities: Operational activities
UNEG Criteria: Sustainability
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
UN Women strategy Women leadership and participation in governance unit and gender responsive planning and budgeting unit 2013/12 Completed UN Women strategy has been approved by Headquarters and is currently being implemented. Resource mobilization for the strategy is critical.The targeted call for proposal is currently being finalised and will be sent to partners
The recommendation is making conclusions based on wrong correlation of ESCR (Economic social and civil rights) vis a v women elective position. However the new strategy has a holistic approach that ensure issues of ESCR for women are addressed as outlined below. UN Women Kenya country program strategy for 2012-2013 focuses on supporting implementation of the new constitution. The new strategy departs from previous engagement around civil and political rights and now takes on a comprehensive holistic approach that includes political, economic, social and cultural rights. The strategy has identified 5 key areas of focus based on intensive consultation with key stakeholders (CSOs, development partners, Academia, business associations, Government institutions and key UN agencies). The key areas are : 1. Women?s leadership and participation in governance 2. Women?s economic empowerment 3. Protection of women and access to justice for women 4. Women?s leadership in peace building and humanitarian response and 5. Gender responsive planning and budgeting The targeted interventions seek to respond to national priorities through application of strategic approaches namely capacity building and financial support to civil society organizations at national and developed levels to i) enhance women?s engagement in political and administrative decision making processes ii)increase women?s access to leadership positions in political and administrative structures iii) enhance citizens understanding of women?s rights and responsibilities following the promulgation of the new constitution iv) build consciousness of men and women on GBV with a focus on VWA in electoral processes v)enhance advocacy for policies and regulations that enhance women?s business development and growth and vi) Ensure that women are able to engage meaningfully n planning and budgeting processes at national and devolved levels of government. Another approach is technical assistance as well as capacity development and support to key institutions at national and devolved levels of government's i) support the mainstreaming of gender in national planning and budgeting processes ii) build gender competencies and skills of key institutions including commissions to influence governance reform processes, including capacity strengthening of gender responsive law making iii)strengthen the capacity on the Ministry on the gender and social services to coordinate and implement its gender mainstreaming mandate at national and devolved levels iv) strengthen the capacity of women in peace building processes at national and county level v) demonstrate and provide guidance to the practical implementation of the affirmative action principle vi) educate, inform and equip (upcoming) women entrepreneurs with skills and finances to enhance their business v) strengthen the legal and policy environment to reduce violence against women and girls and vi) monitor the implementation of the NAP for UNSCR 1325 The GGP program is in the process of making a targeted call for proposals from CSOs to undertake phase 3 of the GGP program. The long term objective of phase 3 is to promote transformative leadership at all levels of decision making including enhancing women?s political participation during the next elections and civic education on the constitution. This entails a focus on devolution in the context of governance. The GGP in collaboration with the program reference group (PRG) and other key stakeholders will develop an exit strategy for 2013 and beyond. The exit strategy will take into consideration emerging issues such as devolved governance addressing issues of gender responsive budgeting. Relevant program officer 2013/12 Completed Through the Annual work plan, ongoing implementation till 2013.
Recommendation: Evaluation recommendation 1. Future programs should be based on a comprehensive program designs using results based approaches. Development of detailed logical frameworks consisting of program specific outcomes, outputs, indicators etc is the key to effective program implementation and evaluation. The programs also need to be formulated in a participatory manner involving all stakeholders especially beneficiaries. Organizing standard logical framework analysis workshops, facilitated by Logical Framework Approach (LFA) experts can help greatly in devising the programmatic logical frameworks.
Management Response: The current UN Women strategy was formulated through extensive consultations with key stakeholders including program beneficiaries. As a result, a context specific -needs based program has been developed. The program document was validated by stakeholders prior to its approval. A robust performance measurement framework has been developed, to monitor implementation of the program. The framework contains specific outcomes and outputs accompanied by clear indicators. The frame work identifies baseline information needs and clear targets. Efforts to collect baseline data where needed are underway- a national survey in partnership with UN Women, Amkeni and Uraia is ongoing. To monitor the indicators an indicator tracking sheet has been developed to systematically monitor the indicators. Plans are in place to strengthen the capacity of staff as well as implementing partners on results based management (M&E and RBM) Recruitment is under way for a full time M&E Officer for the Kenya Country program. An advert for the position was sent our end of April 2012. (See attached the performance measurement framework and the indicator tracking sheet)
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Description:
Management Response Category:
Thematic Area: Governance and planning (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Not applicable
Organizational Priorities: Culture of results/RBM
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
The current UN Women strategy was formulated through extensive consultations with key stakeholders including program beneficiaries. As a result, a context specific -needs based program has been developed. The program document was validated by stakeholders prior to its approval. A robust performance measurement framework has been developed, to monitor implementation of the program. The framework contains specific outcomes and outputs accompanied by clear indicators. The frame work identifies baseline information needs and clear targets. Efforts to collect baseline data where needed are underway- a national survey in partnership with UN Women, Amkeni and Uraia is ongoing. To monitor the indicators an indicator tracking sheet has been developed to systematically monitor the indicators. Plans are in place to strengthen the capacity of staff as well as implementing partners on results based management (M&E and RBM) Recruitment is under way for a full time M&E Officer for the Kenya Country program. An advert for the position was sent our end of April 2012. Regional M&E officer and Kenya program Monitoring and Evaluation officer and program managers 2013/12 Completed Ongoing
Recommendation: Evaluation recommendation 2. Future programming should pay attention and avail resources to effectively and timely measure the objectives and outcomes. Indicators need to be identified keeping in view the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Accurate, Realistic and Time bound) criteria. Most importantly adequate baselines need to be established and specific and realistic targets outlined to measure the performance of indicators. Due provisions shall be made in the program design to devise monitoring and evaluation frameworks and to collect and process required data. This may require the establishment of and comprehensive M&E system with dedicated resources and expertise at the program level.
Management Response: See action for evaluation recommendation 1.
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Description:
Management Response Category:
Thematic Area: Governance and planning (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Not applicable
Organizational Priorities: Not applicable, Culture of results/RBM
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness, Efficiency
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Resources for M&E (Human and financial) have been put in place, the resource mobilization strategy will include mobilization of resources for M&E) The leadership and governance unit has set aside resources to establish an emergency fund that will cater for any emerging issues gender issues related to ongoing constitutional/legislative/election reforms. Dialogue with a potential partner -Urgent Action Fund, to host and administer the emergency fund is ongoing. UN Women together with other UN agencies and key stakeholders like the National Gender Equality Program is in the process of developing a national contingency plan in readiness for humanitarian response. 2013/12 Completed Monitoring and Evaluation Officer Recruited
Recommendation: Evaluation recommendation 3: Consistency with country context needs to be further fostered by keeping a continuous watch on the changing human rights situation in the country especially in the context of ongoing constitutional and legislative reforms and changing ground situations. Resources and expertise need to be allocated to expedite situation analysis and scenarios building in the designing of future programs.
Management Response: The current program 2012-13 was designed in a participatory manner; it included a detailed situation/contextual analysis around the five identified focus areas. In addition recommendation s from evaluations of the GGP and Kenya human rights programs informed the design of the current program strategy. UN Women holds monthly programmatic meetings during which the changing contextual situations and emerging issues are discussed and integrated in program implementation
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Description:
Management Response Category:
Thematic Area: Governance and planning (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Not applicable
Organizational Priorities: Normative Support, UN Coordination, Operational activities
UNEG Criteria: Human Rights
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
The current program 2012-13 was designed in a participatory manner; it included a detailed situation/contextual analysis around the five identified focus areas. In addition recommendation s from evaluations of the GGP and Kenya human rights programs informed the design of the current program strategy. UN Women holds monthly programmatic meetings during which the changing contextual situations and emerging issues are discussed and integrated in program implementation. All program units 2013/12 Completed Ongoing
The leadership and governance unit has set aside resources to establish an emergency fund that will cater for any emerging issues gender issues related to ongoing constitutional/legislative/election reforms. Dialogue with a potential partner -Urgent Action Fund, to host and administer the emergency fund is ongoing. Women leadership and participation in governance unit 2013/12 Completed Initial discussions have started
UN Women together with other UN agencies and key stakeholders like the National Gender Equality Program is in the process of developing a national contingency plan in readiness for humanitarian response. Peace building and Humanitarian unit and protection of women and access to justice for Women GENCAP adviser 2013/12 Completed Under implementation-GEN CAP adviser recruited and is implementing key action points
Recommendation: Evaluation recommendation 4: For Ownership of the program by partners capacities of local stakeholders and especially of target communities needs to be further built to enhance their influence, coverage and ownership level. Provision should be made within the program to test indigenous solutions that are in line with local traditions and norms to foster local ownership of the interventions.
Management Response: Agree with the management Response
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Description:
Management Response Category:
Thematic Area: Not applicable
Operating Principles: Promoting inclusiveness/Leaving no one behind, Not applicable
Organizational Priorities: Operational activities
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness, Impact
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Institutional assessment of potential partners was undertaken in 2011. Capacity of the partners was assessed and areas where partners need strengthening were identified. The assessment was also informed by ongoing monitoring visits and partner monitoring reports. Un Women in its current program will focus on strengthening the capacities of implementing partners especially the smaller and weaker partners Tailor made trainings will be conducted to address the needs of the partners in program and program implementation in the field. All program officers and the M&E officers 2013/12 Completed Included in the AWP for 2012-2013
Recommendation: Evaluation recommendation 5: To further improve technical adequacy, there is a greater need to reach out to the wider population of women and vulnerable groups. In the next round, the program need to further foster its efforts and expand its interventions and partnerships to reach out the wider women population living especially in the rural and remote regions.
Management Response: Agree with the recommendation
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Description:
Management Response Category:
Thematic Area: Governance and planning (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Promoting inclusiveness/Leaving no one behind
Organizational Priorities: Partnership
UNEG Criteria: Gender equality
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Previous and ongoing program interventions have made deliberate and conscious efforts to reach out to the wider population of women including targeting marginalized and vulnerable groups such as women living with HIV/AIDs, nomadic communities, fishing communities, the elderly and women living in informal settlements among others. UN Women will continue to partner with CSOs/CBOs who target the above mentioned groups and have a strong presence in remote and rural areas of the country. In an effort to reach the wider population of women/vulnerable groups the current call of proposals for GGP has made a deliberate effort to engage with grassroots organizations, youth focused organizations and institutions dealing with women rights. While addressing the above issues the program is cognizant of the need for regional balancing and diversity. All program units 2013/12 Completed Availability of both financial and human resources is key to wide coverage of the program
Recommendation: Evaluation recommendation 6. There is a need to devise specific mechanisms for identification and targeting of beneficiaries at the community level and on the basis of geographical distribution. Equal chance needs to be given to all regions of the country and preference shall be for the most neglected, remote and unattended communities.
Management Response: See action for recommendation 5.
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Description:
Management Response Category:
Thematic Area: Governance and planning (SPs before 2018), Global norms and standards (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Promoting inclusiveness/Leaving no one behind
Organizational Priorities: Operational activities
UNEG Criteria: Efficiency
Key Actions
Key Action not added.
Recommendation: Evaluation recommendation 7. UN WOMEN is strategically positioned and is also held in high esteem by its partners, and simultaneously they have high long-term expectations. To meet these high expectations on one hand UN WOMEN has to generate more programmatic resources and on the other hand it has to synergise its capacities and energies in program management. The interventions need to be scaled up and longer term partnerships need to be built on sustainable basis to address women rights issues.
Management Response: Agree with the recommendation
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Description:
Management Response Category:
Thematic Area: Governance and planning (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Not applicable, Advocacy, Internal coordination and communication
Organizational Priorities: Normative Support, Operational activities, Partnership
UNEG Criteria: Sustainability, Gender equality
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
UN Women is in the process of developing a resource mobilization strategy that identifies approaches to mobilize resources and potential donors/development partners both traditional and non-traditional. Program Unit and country director 2013/12 Completed The resource mobilization strategy is in draft form will be finalized and implemented in 2013
UN Women is also in the process of leveraging funding and negotiating long term funding cycles which will in turn enable UN Women to grant/sub-grant longer-term agreements with partners Program Unit and country director 2013/12 Completed Funding to partners will however not go beyond the time line of the strategic plan 2012-2013
UN Women is in the process of expanding and realigning its staffing structure to harmonize with the needs on the new country strategy (M&E, communication specialists) Program Unit 2012/06 Completed Ongoing adverts for the 2 positions have been sent out, recruitment process with commence early June and the successful candidate will fill the position by end of June
UN Women is making conscious efforts to invest in its internal staffing capacities through staff training such as online mandatory training courses and tailor made courses on financial and program management systems. To further boost internal staff capacity, UN Women will also work with volunteers/interns. All program officers 2013/08 Completed Staff have receives training on ATLAS and humanitarian response mechanisms. All staff are enrolled on the UN Mandatory courses,
UN Women globally is in the process of restructuring to align to its new mandate as a UN Agency. Under the new proposed strategy, country offices will be strengthened hence will have delegation of authority to dispense funds of considerable amount. The will improve on efficiency and effectiveness. The 2 year strategic plan is transitional towards this end. All program officers 2013/12 Completed Ongoing
UN Women has developed a communication strategy that will provide visibility to UN Women work in Kenya. Recruitment of a communication officer to implement the strategy is under way. Regional communications officer 2013/06 Completed Strategy is in place and being implemented, the regional communications officer support the Kenya program recruitment for the communications officer will be finalized by June 2012.
Recommendation: Evaluation recommendation 8: Use of existing local capacities to achieve outcomes: there is a need to continue the programmatic and capacity building support to partners, especially to community groups to further enhance their influence to achieve the longer term impacts. Management Response: Agree with the Recommendation.
Management Response: See Action for recommendation 5
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Description:
Management Response Category:
Thematic Area: Not applicable
Operating Principles: Capacity development, Not applicable
Organizational Priorities: Operational activities, Not applicable
UNEG Criteria: Efficiency
Key Actions
Key Action not added.
Recommendation: Evaluation recommendation 9: Sustainability of the Program: In view of scarcity of available local resources, almost all partners including state institutions, CSOs and community groups were of the view that necessary financial, technical and capacity support needs to continue for a while until situation considerably improves. Sustainability can be ensured in the longer run by investing in joint ventures where state institutions, CSOs and communities join hands to implement joint interventions. To induce sustainability at the community level there is a need for investing more in local communities groups to gradually build their capacities and resources to continue the interventions in the longer run and without external support.
Management Response: Management Response: Don?t agree with the recommendation Experiences working with implementing partners have shown that Joint Ventures pose challenges related to accountability and delivery of results. During the validation workshop partners and key stakeholders were not in agreement with the recommendation from the evaluators on engagement with state and state actors vis v sustainability. This recommendation further understanding and analysis in-order to come up with concrete actions
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Description:
Management Response Category:
Thematic Area: Governance and planning (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Capacity development, Promoting inclusiveness/Leaving no one behind
Organizational Priorities: Operational activities, Partnership, UN Coordination
UNEG Criteria: Sustainability
Key Actions
Key Action not added.
Recommendation: Evaluation recommendation 10: Program Implementation Partnerships agreements should be made for longer periods and projects shall be implemented with partners in 3-5 years cycles. Transfer of funds to partners needs to be reviewed by putting in place desired financial management capacities at the program level. On the other hand capacities of some of the partners also need to be strengthened in timely reporting and financial management to avoid process delays. ? Coordination among stakeholders needs to be considerably improved to give way to generating synergies. Specific mechanisms need to explored and further strengthened including common forums and networking. Joint ventures shall be promoted, in which many partners are involved in implementation of joint projects. ? Monitoring and evaluation mechanisms and capacities need to be considerably strengthened both at the program and project level. M&E mechanisms need to be duly incorporated at the program and project design stage and necessary capacities shall be further built to effectively monitor and evaluate both programmatic and project interventions. ? Stakeholders and especially communities need to be involved at the program and project formulation stages to give way to their needs and ownership. The cooperation and support of respective communities need to be ensured through promotion of indigenous solutions and awareness rising. Issues of partnerships with closed nature state institution need to be further explored and these organizations should be involved by addressing their needs, raising awareness and building capacities.
Management Response: Regarding partnership agreements, while UN Women is negotiating with the donors and leveraging on funding, partnership agreements are largely dependent on UN Women policy on partnership, this will prevail carefully assessing what works and what doesn't. In addition, UN Women will be careful not to give grants beyond the time line of its current strategic plan- 2012-13 All program and finance staff has received training on the financial management and program systems- IPSA and ATLAS. This will result to efficient and timely disbursement of funds Recruited. At inception phase, new and old partners are undergoing training and intense induction on systems and procedure A Finance manager for the Kenya program who is currently providing backstopping support to all staff and partners including reviewing and providing feedback on partners reports has been On improving M&E of the program see action for recommendations for 2 On stakeholders involvement see action for recommendation see action for recommendation 5 The program will continue enhancing partnerships with ?closed nature partners ?such as the police, ministry of finance and planning. The program will align its interventions with those of the partners.
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Description:
Management Response Category:
Thematic Area: Not applicable
Operating Principles: Not applicable
Organizational Priorities: Partnership, Culture of results/RBM
UNEG Criteria: Efficiency, Gender equality
Key Actions
Key Action not added.