Management Response

: Afghanistan
: 2013 - 2013 , Afghanistan (CO)
: Japan project external Evaluation
:
: Afghanistan
:

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: Approved
Recommendation: Overall Recommendation: Overall the project demonstrates a strong relevance to the needs of beneficiaries and project participants; however, two factors undermine the project?s relevance: Lack of commitment of members to actually utilise support (poor meeting attendance and resistance to training). If project participants do not demonstrate engagement, resources could be better used elsewhere. Flaws in intervention logic: Some of the project activities are not designed to meet the ambitious goals stated in the project objectives. - Financial support to WPCs focuses on maintaining existing services; it is not targeted at expanding or improving services. - Resource centres reach a limited, urban population; the greatest need for public awareness on EVAW is in rural communities.
Management Response: Don't agree with the recommendation as stated. Individual responses to the recommendations are addressed below.
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Description:
Management Response Category:
Thematic Area: Ending violence against women (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Internal coordination and communication, Not applicable
Organizational Priorities: UN Coordination, Operational activities, Culture of results/RBM
UNEG Criteria: Relevance
Key Actions
Key Action not added.
Recommendation: Evaluation recommendation 1. Confront EVAW Controversy using the EVAW Commission structures: The EVAW Commission needs to release a unified statement to dispel doubts about the EVAW Law. They need to provide clear, easy to understand messages that defend the law from a religious standpoint. These messages then need to be circulated through the EVAW Commissions at the provincial level.
Management Response: Don't agree with the recommendation : While in another context this would be a good idea, there needs to be recognition of the fact that the High Commission is responsible for any statements and for guiding the Provincial Commissions. There are detractors in all levels of the government, and the process of gaining understanding is much more complicated than what is recommended. However the ACO has put in place a multi pronged strategy to address the EVAW controversy including community discussions, joint UN/international donors supporting campaigns, participation of non political leaders and the youth in advocacy
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Description:
Management Response Category:
Thematic Area: Ending violence against women (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Not applicable, Knowledge management
Organizational Priorities: Operational activities, Normative Support, UN Coordination
UNEG Criteria: Relevance, Impact, Effectiveness, Efficiency
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
The ACO has a significant advocacy strategy that is larger than this project, addressing VAW issues. EVAW Commissions are capacitated to run Resource Centers and community awareness campaigns on EVAW All ACO EVAW Commissions, DOWAs 2015/01 No Longer Applicable Ongoing Old programme - this recommendation has been closed.
Recommendation: Evaluation recommendation 2. Encourage Commission members to champion the EVAW Law and provide them with the tools to do it. The Commission members need to hear clear arguments why they should still stand behind the EVAW Law. They need clear talking points that they can use to share these arguments within their organisations and when confronted by opponents.
Management Response: Don't fully agree with the recommendation: There is a political will issue that is being addressed, in terms of strong leadership of the High Commission to send the necessary messaging.
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Description:
Management Response Category:
Thematic Area: Ending violence against women (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Knowledge management, Not applicable
Organizational Priorities: UN Coordination, Normative Support, Operational activities
UNEG Criteria: Efficiency, Effectiveness, Impact, Relevance
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Support to civil society and women?s rights activists engaged in the parliamentary debates continues, and the results will be shared for further dissemination through the commissions, after clearance from the High Commission. EVAW Pillar; Political participation Pillar 2015/01 Overdue-Initiated Ongoing
Recommendation: Evaluation recommendation 3: Enhance the presence of male counterparts in the process. The project has taken a positive step by hiring both male and female PAs. Too often, programming on gender issues focuses exclusively on women, neglecting the fact that men must also be part of the solution when finding issues such as domestic violence. Community outreach needs to adopt a more balanced approach to advocating women?s rights to men, women, boys, and girls.
Management Response: Agree with the recommendation: This is covered under 2014 DRF, with increased engagement of men and boys mainstreamed across pillar activities, including advocacy and other awareness raising activities.
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Description:
Management Response Category:
Thematic Area: Ending violence against women (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Not applicable, Knowledge management, Promoting inclusiveness/Leaving no one behind
Organizational Priorities: Partnership, Youth engagement, Engaging men and boys
UNEG Criteria: Relevance, Impact, Effectiveness, Efficiency
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
The ACO has ensured increased engagement of men and boys across all pillar activities All ACO Pillars 2015/01 Overdue-Initiated Ongoing
Recommendation: Evaluation recommendation 4: Develop a strategy for transfer or phase out of the project: There is not a clear plan for how the EVAW Commissions will continue should project support be discontinued. A strategy should be developed for phase-out or transfer of responsibility for the operational support currently provided to EVAW Commissions and resource centres.
Management Response: Don't agree with the recommendation : At this point in time, neither option is under consideration as this is nascent within the government. MoWA lacks funding for such activities, and the only other option is to find another external partner to support the process. A phase out process will only be considered once there is evidence that resources are available within the government budgets.
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Description:
Management Response Category:
Thematic Area: Ending violence against women (SPs before 2018), Governance and planning (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Capacity development, Not applicable
Organizational Priorities: Operational activities, Not applicable
UNEG Criteria: Sustainability
Key Actions
Key Action not added.
Recommendation: Evaluation recommendation 5: Continue pooled funding to enhance sustainability: By supporting a pooled funding mechanism (the EVAW Special Fund) to WPCs, the project ensured a consistent approach with donors providing comparable support to WPCs and reduced transaction costs for both the donor and the recipients Should additional funding be allocated for WPC support, it should again be channelled through the EVAW Special Fund.
Management Response: Agree with the recommendation: The SF intends to continue for as long as it is needed as a pooled funding mechanism, as the donors prefer this approach, and it allows even small contributions, such as from the UNW National Committees, to have an effect.
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Description:
Management Response Category:
Thematic Area: Ending violence against women (SPs before 2018), Governance and planning (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Advocacy
Organizational Priorities: Operational activities, Not applicable
UNEG Criteria: Sustainability
Key Actions
Key Action not added.
Recommendation: Evaluation recommendation 6. Clarify the EVAW Mandate amongst Commission Members: EVAW Members need to assume a role that focuses on higher-level policy and strategy decisions, not operational decision-making on specific cases or delivery of public awareness campaigns.
Management Response: The Provincial EVAW Commissions at the provincial level are not policy making bodies. Only the High Commission can make policy. The provincial mechanism is to ensure monitoring and tracking of cases through the local processes, as well as to support women seeking justice through the resource centers, which are attached to the Department Women Affairs (DoWAs) for this reason.
More detail
Description:
Management Response Category:
Thematic Area: Ending violence against women (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Capacity development, Advocacy
Organizational Priorities: UN Coordination, Operational activities, Not applicable, Culture of results/RBM
UNEG Criteria: Efficiency, Effectiveness, Relevance
Key Actions
Key Action not added.
Recommendation: Evaluation recommendation 7. Re-orient resource centres toward their intended purpose: The resource centres are being used as media centres. Strategies need to be developed to ensure visitors are being exposed to the EVAW Law and broader human rights messages, so the project is not just subsidising a free Internet service.
Management Response: Agree with the recommendation: We recognise that the PAs assigned to each center often lack the capacity to do more than support women coming for access to the internet. A set of training initiatives is under development, and more intensive monitoring of the centres? activities will be undertaken in 2014.
More detail
Description:
Management Response Category:
Thematic Area: Ending violence against women (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Not applicable, Advocacy, Knowledge management
Organizational Priorities: Operational activities, Not applicable
UNEG Criteria: Relevance, Effectiveness, Efficiency
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
EVAW Commissions capacitated to run Resource Centers and community awareness/outreach DOWAs, Provincial EVAW Law Commissions 2015/01 Overdue-Initiated Ongoing
EVAW Commissions capacitated to run Resource Centers and community awareness/outreach DOWAs, Provincial EVAW Law Commissions 2015/01 Overdue-Initiated Ongoing
Recommendation: Evaluation recommendation 8: Develop a framework to record members? attendance and willingness to participate in trainings as indicators of their commitment. Projects are too often evaluated on resources spent, with not enough emphasis on the efficiency of the process. If project participants do not demonstrate engagement, resources could be better used elsewhere (e.g. innovative means of targeted community outreach; WPC support; etc.)
Management Response: Agree with the recommendation: Noted.
More detail
Description:
Management Response Category:
Thematic Area: Ending violence against women (SPs before 2018), Governance and planning (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Capacity development
Organizational Priorities: UN Coordination, Operational activities, Not applicable, Culture of results/RBM
UNEG Criteria: Efficiency, Effectiveness
Key Actions
Key Action not added.
Recommendation: Evaluation recommendation 9: Increase community awareness and combat misperceptions where it is most needed. Many EVAW Commission members feel it is their duty to deliver public awareness personally; they are not utilising the institutions and networks at their disposal (e.g. provincial departments) to increase community awareness where it is needed most: in rural areas. Members should follow the example of the Departments of Hajj and Religious Affairs (DoHRAs), which disseminate messages through networks of mullahs. Members should also focus on targeting existing misperceptions about VAW, victims and WPCs at the provincial level through public awareness activities.
Management Response: Do not agree with the recommendation: It is anticipated that this will increase as members are trained and tools are developed for them to use. As membership of the Commissions includes the various departments, it is not accurate to say that they are not using the institutions.
More detail
Description:
Management Response Category:
Thematic Area: Ending violence against women (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Capacity development
Organizational Priorities: Operational activities, UN Coordination, Culture of results/RBM, Not applicable
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness, Efficiency
Key Actions
Key Action not added.
Recommendation: Evaluation recommendation 10: Share experiences across provinces: Cross-provincial training and experience training should be conducted so that provincial actors struggling to implement the EVAW Law can learn from those with a proven capacity to do so (e.g. Kabul and Hirat). However, the GIRoA will need to demonstrate a willingness to implement the law before additional effort is placed on improving capacity.
Management Response: Do not agree with the recommendation: There is no province successfully implementing the EVAW Law, so it is not clear when such an activity could take place.
More detail
Description:
Management Response Category:
Thematic Area: Ending violence against women (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Capacity development
Organizational Priorities: UN Coordination, Operational activities, Not applicable, Culture of results/RBM
UNEG Criteria: Efficiency, Effectiveness
Key Actions
Key Action not added.
Recommendation: Evaluation recommendation 11: Support legal departments at the provincial level that demonstrate a willingness to implement the EVAW Law. Many provincial legal departments need more staff (especially female staff to interview and collect evidence from victims), technical facilities and funding for handling cases. However, funding should be tied to a demonstrated willingness to implement the EVAW Law, as this is often the biggest hurdle to implementation, beyond financial or material hurdles.
Management Response: Do not agree with the recommendation: UNW does not intend to start paying for legal department staff, as other international entities are conducting programmes for those departments. However, training can be undertaken in collaboration with those other entities, and will be considered for future programming, funding permitting.
More detail
Description:
Management Response Category:
Thematic Area: Ending violence against women (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Capacity development
Organizational Priorities: Operational activities, UN Coordination, Culture of results/RBM, Not applicable
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness, Efficiency
Key Actions
Key Action not added.
Recommendation: Evaluation recommendation 12: Strengthen free legal counsel for victims: Provide financial support for free legal services to ensure victims have adequate representation. This is especially important in cases where victims risk being criminalised within the justice system. When providing follow-up for cases, EVAW Commissions should also monitor the quality of legal counsel provided to victims
Management Response: Do not agree with the recommendation: While we agree that the EVAW Commissions can play a role in monitoring the quality of counsel, it is not part of UNW?s programming to provide free legal services, as this is being done by other entities. The expansion of the Family Guidance Centre model is within our planning and therefore will take into account linkages with EVAW Commissions as possible.
More detail
Description:
Management Response Category:
Thematic Area: Ending violence against women (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Capacity development
Organizational Priorities: UN Coordination, Operational activities, Not applicable, Culture of results/RBM
UNEG Criteria: Efficiency, Effectiveness
Key Actions
Key Action not added.
Recommendation: Evaluation recommendation 13: Given the rapid decline in political support for the EVAW Law in recent months, further provision of financial, technical or material support for the EVAW Commissions should be contingent on improved efforts on the part of the GIRoA to support and implement the EVAW Law. The government has demonstrated that it is a lack of will, rather than a lack of capacity, that is currently the biggest barrier to EVAW Law implementation. While there is a need for activities that support implementation, resources would be better spent elsewhere if the government fails to demonstrate the will to implement the EVAW Law.
Management Response: UNW cannot refuse to support the EVAW Commissions based on poor implementation of the law by GoIRA, as only the women would suffer. Instead UNW is pursuing a parallel process of advocacy for better understanding, as recommended earlier, by legal institutions and government representatives while continuing to support the Commissions.
More detail
Description:
Management Response Category:
Thematic Area: Ending violence against women (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Capacity development
Organizational Priorities: Operational activities, UN Coordination, Culture of results/RBM, Not applicable
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness, Efficiency
Key Actions
Key Action not added.
Recommendation: Evaluation recommendation 14: Financial support for resource centres should also be re-assessed, especially if other public awareness activities co-ordinated by PAs more accurately target the intended public. Support for WPCs and free legal counsel for women should continue regardless of the government?s stance on the EVAW Law, as they provide a vital service for women victims of violence.
Management Response: It should be understood that the PAs have two primary tasks; to run the centres and to support the Commissions. It is agreed that a more coherent use of the centres is needed, and this is reflected in the 2014-17 planning documents. WPCs and FGCs remain part of the EVAW Pillar?s activities for the same period.
More detail
Description:
Management Response Category:
Thematic Area: Ending violence against women (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Capacity development
Organizational Priorities: UN Coordination, Operational activities, Not applicable, Culture of results/RBM
UNEG Criteria: Efficiency, Effectiveness
Key Actions
Key Action not added.