Management Response

: Kenya
: 2014 - 2018 , Kenya (CO)
: Kenya Country Strategy Final Evaluation
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: Kenya
:

The KCO CPE was commissioned to conduct the final evaluation of the 2014-2018 Kenya Country Portfolio based on the detailed Terms of Reference (ToR). The evaluation considered the SN’s relevance, its achievements and progress against planned results, the sustainability of its results, and its effectiveness as a coordination and partnership framework and as a resource mobilization mechanism. As both a midterm evaluation of the 2014-2018 SN (SN MTE 2017) and the UNW KCO Annual Report from December 2017 provide recent information on the KCO Portfolio activities and outputs, this final evaluation was meant to be a strategic, macro-level assessment with a light programme review. The findings and recommendations were largely as expected and based on previous reviews and the midterm evaluation. The findings from the CPE were used to inform the new SN 2018-2022.

: Approved
Recommendation: Relevance – Portfolio Design and Alignment: Maximize financial and staffing investments by narrowing the geographical focus of interventions, and identifying and concentrating on those activities which are the most relevant and realistically achievable, given available resources, partners and the KCO’s demonstrated strengths, achievements, and comparative advantage - and which also complement initiatives by other actors in the gender ecosystem
Management Response: The recommendation is agreeable and has been a subject of discussion during the previous SN 2014 – 2018 implementation phase. KCO has already started working on this recommendation by reducing the number of outcomes in the SN from 22 to 10. Other measures of geographical coverage will also be implemented during the SN implementation.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Not applicable
Operating Principles: Oversight/governance
Organizational Priorities: Organizational efficiency
UNEG Criteria: Relevance
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Use an ecosystem approach to strengthen Portfolio synergies with and non-duplication of other DPs activities DCD 2019/03 Completed This is a continuous ongoing initiative
Relevance to national priorities and UN Flagship Programmes. Align Portfolio interventions to priorities in the Vision 2030, the MTP III and the Big Four Agenda as well as to UNDAF SRAs and the UN Reform Flagship Programmes DCD 2019/03 Completed This is integrated in the new SN 2019-2022
Build on and scale up the achievements with private sector partners developed under, for example, KRA 2 and KRA 4, to deepen engagement with corporate partners, both as boundary partners and as possible funders. DCD and Team Leaders 2019/03 Completed Strengthened partnership with the private sector including UNILEVER
Recommendation: Effectiveness – Coordination: To more strategically influence GEWE change at the national level, increase coordination with GoK stakeholders beyond the gender machinery, including the line ministries with which the KCO works in Joint Programmes and joint programming; options for greater coordination include the secondment of senior Gender Advisors and inclusion in relevant gender working groups.
Management Response: As much as the KCO would like to engage line ministries, there is a channel of communication in the government that stipulates the gender machinery to lead in all gender related initiatives. However, KCO will facilitate linkages between the line ministries and integration of gender in other ministries.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Partially Accepted
Thematic Area: Global norms and standards (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: National ownership
Organizational Priorities: UN Coordination, Normative Support
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Secondment of senior Gender Advisors in key ministries DCD 2019/12 Completed Seconded Advisors to Ministry of Agriculture and The Gender Department
Joint Programmes and Joint Programming: Continue to leverage through Joint Programmes and joint programming. DCD 2019/03 Completed
Recommendation: Efficiency and Effectiveness: Strengthen organizational efficiency and effectiveness
Management Response: The KCO, under the new SN, has already initiated measures to strengthen organizational efficiency and effectiveness
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Not applicable
Operating Principles: Oversight/governance
Organizational Priorities: Organizational efficiency
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness, Efficiency
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Conduct functional review after the formulation of the new Strategic Note to inform staffing numbers and competencies CD / DCD 2019/07 Completed The Functional review process was put on hold pending further guidance from HQ. A team in HQ is reviewing general functions at UN Women and aligned it to the UN reforms. The KCO will then resume its work once that is completed, probably early 2020.
Review and update RM, Communications and KM strategies and adjust staffing for these areas based on the functional review M&E Specialist 2019/12 Completed RM and communication strategies have been developed and are integrated in the new SN 2019-2022
Recommendation: Sustainability: Mitigate sustainability risks: a. Mitigate sustainability risks posed by the lack of handover plans and b. Reduce sustainability risks related to partner capacity deficits
Management Response: This recommendation has also been a long-standing observation from IP retreats and programme reviews. KCO will try to closely monitor the risk register and ensure that mitigation measures are taken at the earliest possible.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Not applicable
Operating Principles: Oversight/governance
Organizational Priorities: Partnership
UNEG Criteria: Sustainability
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Increase efforts to institutionalize capacity building, beyond strengthening individuals’ skills and competencies, through the development of gender tools, templates and policies DCD / TL 2019/12 Completed
Develop a phased and feasible exit strategy and review it with partners DCD 2019/12 Completed
Reduce the transaction costs for capacity building and training activities and their follow up by institutionalizing these activities with established and credible partners DCD / OM 2019/12 Completed KCO constituted a task team team who have came up with recommendation on reducing transaction costs. The recommendations is currently under discussion and BOPs developed once it is approved.