Management Response

: Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (Thailand)
: 2014 - 2014 , Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (Thailand) (RO)
: Mid-term Review of Regional Programme on Improving Women?s Human Rights in South East Asia ? CEDAW SEAP
:
: Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (Thailand)
:

<>
: Approved
Recommendation: While the Programme PMF is fit for purpose in terms of its structure,outcomes, outputs and indicators, UN Women should devote resources to developing its monitoring and reporting tools and systems whereby data from the activities that take place across the eight programme countries can be systematically collated, analysed, and reported on, with an appropriate mix of quantitative and qualitative data. This should include data on the effect of key assumptions/risks on programme performance. UN Women should also give consideration to development of periodic tools that assess the translation of knowledge and expertise that is transferred via the Programme activities into behaviours and practices.
Management Response: Accepted UN Women agrees with this important recommendation.
More detail
Description:
Management Response Category:
Thematic Area: Governance and planning (SPs before 2018), Global norms and standards (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Knowledge management, Not applicable
Organizational Priorities: Culture of results/RBM, Not applicable
UNEG Criteria: Efficiency
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
1.1 Revise PMF to scale down number of indicators and consider adding qualitative indicators (must be systematically collectable, simple and realistic) as appropriate CEDAW Regional team, UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific 2014/12 Completed
1.2 Develop monitoring and reporting tools which are in alignment with reporting and can assess behavioural changes where possible. CEDAW Regional team, UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific 2014/12 Completed
Recommendation: A renewed focus on the balance of programmatic workplans with reference to each outcome is recommended, i.e. implementation of additional efforts to implement activities under Outcome 2 to ensure similar progress across all three programme outcomes
Management Response: Accepted UN Women agrees with this recommendation.
More detail
Description:
Management Response Category:
Thematic Area: Governance and planning (SPs before 2018), Global norms and standards (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Not applicable, Knowledge management
Organizational Priorities: Not applicable, Culture of results/RBM
UNEG Criteria: Efficiency
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
2.1 Include more activities to reach results under Outcome 2 in workplans of 2015 and 2016. CEDAW Regional team, UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific 2015/02 Completed
2.2 Convene national and regional meetings, bringing in relevant stakeholders together to discuss and propose recommendation based on each country?s experience and needs in formal and informal justice system actors. CEDAW Regional team, UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific 2016/02 No Longer Applicable UN Women has continued to support ASEAN in this function outside of the CEDAW framework. This action is therefore marked as no longer applicable in the context of this recommendation.
Recommendation: Capacity-building activities (trainings, study visits, workshops,seminars etc.), where appropriate (given the nature of the specific participants), where possible/appropriate, should include structured action-oriented outcomes as part of the training methodology with associated process and outcome indicators.
Management Response: Accepted UN Women agrees with this important recommendation.
More detail
Description:
Management Response Category:
Thematic Area: Governance and planning (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Capacity development
Organizational Priorities: Culture of results/RBM, Not applicable
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
3.1 Develop standardized monitoring and reporting tools (please refer to the tools mentioned in Action point 1.2) CEDAW Regional team, UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific 2014/12 Completed
3.2 Develop list of questionnaires as follow-up to on capacity building activities: participants assessment before and after capacity building activities that provide information on improved knowledge, skills, attitude and participant action plans. CEDAW Regional team,UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific Country offices with support from CEDAW Regional team 2016/06 Completed
Recommendation: Notwithstanding UN policies on partnerships/grant management, provision of additional technical assistance to partners with respect to preparation of proposals and/or reporting could pay dividends with regard to the quantity and quality of CSO partnerships in the Programme, as well as support sustainability of the Programme initiatives post-completion.
Management Response: Accepted UN Women agrees to this recommendation
More detail
Description:
Management Response Category:
Thematic Area: Governance and planning (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Capacity development, Knowledge management
Organizational Priorities: Partnership, Operational activities
UNEG Criteria: Efficiency
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
4.1 Extend support to smaller CSOs, where needed and applicable. Country offices with support from CEDAW Regional team 2016/06 No Longer Applicable UN Women continues to support CSOs as recommended in this evaluation. However, this action is marked no longer applicable since the conclusion of the CEDAW project.
4.2 Provide ongoing guidance and technical support to smaller CSOs at subnational level (networks and informal gender network) in the areas of proposal presentation and reporting as per UN Women requirements. Country offices with support from CEDAW Regional team 2016/06 No Longer Applicable UN Women continues to provide ongoing guidance and technical support to CSOs at the subnational level as recommended in this evaluation through various projects and programmes across regional and country teams. However, this action is marked no longer applicable since the conclusion of the CEDAW project.
4.3 Provide support to women?s groups, where possible through UN Inter agency gender theme groups, covering a broader scope of topics from programming cycle, RBM. Country offices with support from CEDAW Regional team 2016/06 No Longer Applicable UN Women continues to support women's groups as recommended across its programmes. However, this action is marked no longer applicable since the conclusion of the CEDAW project.
Recommendation: UN Women should consider how its advocacy efforts and technical capacity can be utilised to support the formation and strengthening of new NHRIs in programme countries and to provide support for strengthening of networks of women?s rights advocates and their associated movements. In particular, UN Women should support key ?champions? who are working to counter regressive trends and working towards empowering women at grassroots levels to understand the impact of CEDAW (and ASEAN) on their livelihoods and human rights.
Management Response: Accepts with reservation. UN Women agrees with this recommendation pointing the caveat that establishment of new NHRIs depends on national level politics, national policies.
More detail
Description:
Management Response Category:
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018), Ending violence against women (SPs before 2018), Global norms and standards (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Advocacy, Capacity development
Organizational Priorities: Operational activities, Partnership
UNEG Criteria: Gender equality
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
5.1 Incorporate a specific outcome in ASEAN Phase II on NHRIs and finalization of MOU with APF CEDAW Regional team, UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific Country offices with support from CEDAW Regional team Country offices with support from CEDAW Regional team 2016/06 Completed
5.2 Provide trainings for existing NHRIs (Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Timor Leste) on WHRs and CEDAW. CEDAW Regional team,UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific Country offices with support from CEDAW Regional team Country offices with support from CEDAW Regional team 2016/06 Completed
5.3 Develop advocacy strategies around establishment of NHRIs (Cambodia, Laos). In Viet Nam, UN Women will work with the UN Country Team in the joint advocacy so will not independently develop an advocacy strategy. CEDAW Regional team, UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific Country offices with support from CEDAW Regional team Country offices with support from CEDAW Regional team 2016/06 Completed As a first step, UN Women will commission an analysis paper to outline problems at country level and ways forward. The actual establishment of NHRIs2 in Laos, Cambodia seems unlikely within the project period. Viet Nam accepted UPR recommendations on establishment of an NHRI, but explicitly rejected the recommendations that referred to Paris Principles.
5.4 Continue identification of champions such as religious and faith based leaders,women?s human rights defenders and consider innovative approaches such as lunch dialogues, public felicitations and other appropriate measures in strengthening these WHR?s and GE champions. Country offices with support from CEDAW Regional team 2016/06 Completed These will be undertaken with other agencies in UN like OHCHR to enhance the comparative advantages of other agencies and expanding to other constituents.
Recommendation: Further efforts are required to generate ownership among partners and strategies to internalise support for many of the Programme initiatives among programme country governments (such as more communication efforts regarding the programme objectives and goal and/or an ICT/social media strategy), which in turn will encourage resource commitments by stakeholders and support sustainability of the Programme outcomes post-completion.
Management Response: Accepted UN Women accepts this recommendation
More detail
Description:
Management Response Category:
Thematic Area: Global norms and standards (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Not applicable
Organizational Priorities: Partnership, Operational activities
UNEG Criteria: Efficiency, Impact, Effectiveness
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
6.1 Print the programme brochure and standard visibility materials. Finalise the CEDAW SEAP webpage on the ROAP website and its dissemination CEDAW Regional team,UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific Country Offices and CEDAW Regional team 2014/08 Completed
6.2 Disseminate all key knowledge products including tool kits, audiovisual materials, booklets, etc. produced by the programme to appropriate stakeholders. CEDAW Regional team with UN Women Communications Specialist 2016/06 No Longer Applicable UN Women continues to disseminate key knowledge products across regional and country teams with a global communication strategy. However, this action is marked no longer applicable since the conclusion of the CEDAW project.
6.3 Conduct consultations at national and regional level back to back with other activities to share information on the regional programme objectives and exit strategy where applicable. Country offices with CEDAW Regional team 2014/10 No Longer Applicable UN Women continues to conduct consultations at various levels as per this recommendation. However, this action is marked no longer applicable since the conclusion of the CEDAW project.
6.4 Organise a regional programme wrap meeting with key stakeholders. Country offices with CEDAW Regional team 2016/12 No Longer Applicable
Recommendation: An ongoing process of consultation and reflection is required by UN Women with respect to the overall context and vision for the Programme. UN Women should develop its communications strategy that can provide disparate partners and stakeholders (including the public) with information on the Programme outcomes and goal and progress towards these.
Management Response: Accepted UN Women agrees with this recommendation
More detail
Description:
Management Response Category:
Thematic Area: Ending violence against women (SPs before 2018), Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018), Governance and planning (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Not applicable, Internal coordination and communication, Promoting inclusiveness/Leaving no one behind, Advocacy, Knowledge management
Organizational Priorities: Operational activities, Partnership
UNEG Criteria: Human Rights, Gender equality
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
7.1 Identify an Advisory Group to guide and support programme visioning in changing contexts CEDAW Regional team, UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific 2014/08 Completed
7.2 Implement the Communications Strategy CEDAW Regional team and Country offices 2016/06 Completed
Recommendation: Given the multiplicity of stakeholders, sources of funding and strategic approaches, attribution of positive policy changes in Programme countries to CEDAW SEAP II interventions is an ongoing challenge. The evaluators recommend identification of key policy changes in each Programme country that are to be specifically targeted via the Programme outputs and a periodic (e.g. annual) reconciliation of the contribution of these outputs to the specific policy changes. Quantitative attribution of results among different stakeholders is not a practical strategy for the Programme. Recognition of individual stakeholder contributions is an appropriate strategy.
Management Response: Accepted UN Women agrees with this recommendation
More detail
Description:
Management Response Category:
Thematic Area: Governance and planning (SPs before 2018), Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018), Ending violence against women (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Knowledge management, Advocacy, Promoting inclusiveness/Leaving no one behind, Internal coordination and communication, Not applicable
Organizational Priorities: Partnership, Operational activities, UN Coordination
UNEG Criteria: Gender equality, Human Rights
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
8.1 Provide capacity training on tools and process monitoring which will track changes attributable to UN Women?s work Country offices and CEDAW Regional team 2016/06 Completed
8.2 Make a video resentation/showcasing the programme?s promising practices in work plan of 2014-2015 Country offices and CEDAW Regional team 2016/06 No Longer Applicable
Recommendation: There is a need for strategies that facilitate greater adoption of responsibility for management and creation of synergies between the CEDAW SEAP programme and the ASEAN project, and, in countries where UN Women does not have senior country-level representation, greater coordination and synergies between UN Women and other UN agencies at country-level.
Management Response: Accepted UN Women notes this recommendation.
More detail
Description:
Management Response Category:
Thematic Area: Ending violence against women (SPs before 2018), Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018), Governance and planning (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Not applicable, Internal coordination and communication, Promoting inclusiveness/Leaving no one behind, Advocacy, Knowledge management
Organizational Priorities: Operational activities, Partnership, UN Coordination
UNEG Criteria: Human Rights, Gender equality
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
9.1 Include specific implementation arrangements in ASEAN Phase II. CEDAW Regional team 2014/12 Completed
9.2 Appoint Acting Country Managers for Project offices as an interim measure. Senior management UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific 2016/06 Completed
9.3 Build synergy with other groups including civil society organisations and other UN agencies working on issues related to girls, depending on the willingness of other agencies. Senior management UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific Country offices and CEDAW Regional Team 2016/06 No Longer Applicable During the CEDAW project, UN Women worked to coordinate civil society organisations, UN agencies, and other stakeholders in the ASEAN region to build synergies in programmes. UN Women continues to play this coordinating role as part of our triple mandate. However, this action is marked no longer applicable since the conclusion of the CEDAW project.
Recommendation: UN Women should proactively prepare a strategy to mitigate the ongoing risk to programme outcomes/the Programme goal presented by stakeholder unwillingness to translate knowledge gained under the Programme interventions into action or to be open to reform, particularly at community levels. Should a strategy to mitigate this risk not be possible due to limited leverage with government partners, expectations of programme outcomes/impact should be moderated accordingly
Management Response: Accepted UN Women agrees with this risk and will review risks, risk management and risk mitigation strategies in the next team meeting
More detail
Description:
Management Response Category:
Thematic Area: Governance and planning (SPs before 2018), Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018), Ending violence against women (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Knowledge management, Advocacy, Promoting inclusiveness/Leaving no one behind, Internal coordination and communication, Not applicable
Organizational Priorities: Partnership, Operational activities, UN Coordination
UNEG Criteria: Gender equality, Human Rights
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
10.1 Discuss risks, mitigation strategies adopted and potential implication on the programme results in the next team retreat and ensure risk mitigation measures adopted. To ensure a comprehensive approach is undertaken,country offices will look into the UNCT Annual Security Risk Assessment and UN Women Business Continuity Plan for reference. Country offices with Regional CEDAW team 2016/06 Completed