Management Response

: Multi-Country Office for Central Asia (Kazakhstan)
: 2014 - 2015 , Multi-Country Office for Central Asia (Kazakhstan) (MCO)
: Portfolio Evaluation of Kazakhstan Multi-Country Office for Central Asia Strategic Note
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Multi-Country Office for Central Asia (Kazakhstan)

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The MCO very much appreciates the evaluation and its recommendations which it considers relevant, appropriate and applicable for the MCO. The draft evaluation recommendations were received in time to inform the development of the new 5 year SN for the period 2016-2020 and thus action on the recommendations was fully factored into the new SN. The recommendations from the evaluation will be also applied for development of the new thematic programming (WEE, EVAW specifically) at the country and regional levels.

: Approved
Recommendation: UN Women can build on the example of the extended GTG. Focus efforts on becoming an advocate and thought leader for UN joint programmes, recognising and advocating for the comparative advantage of other agencies, and aim to strengthen working relationships with UNDP.
Management Response: Accepted. UN Women in Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan will learn from the good example of the extended GTG in Tajikistan. In Kazakhstan, UN Women has re-formed the GTG in early 2015 and developed an AWP. The challenge in Kazakhstan is motivating and engaging the agencies in the UNCT who are located in both Almaty and Astana. For Turkmenistan, the HRGTG established in Spring 2015 is led by UNFPA with active engagement of UN Women. In all 3 countries UN Women is enhancing its relationship with UNDP; however, the relationship is strained by competition for financial resources and UNDP’s bigger claim in the market. UN Women rather prefers to establish to strengthen relationships with other like minded agencies such as UNICEF and UNFPA, while not excluding enhancing the relationship with UNDP. Limited capacity of UNDP COs on HR/GE responsive programming will be addressed by sharing the knowledge and best practices on GEWE programming at the country and sub-regional level.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Not applicable
Thematic Area: Not applicable
Operating Principles: Not applicable
Organizational Priorities: Not applicable
UNEG Criteria: Not applicable
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
KAZ: Engage the new RC to lead on gender in the UNCT MCO Representative 2016/12 Overdue-Initiated
KAZ: Strive for more engaged UN agencies in GTG plans, meetings, actions, and advocacy MCO Kazakhstan Representative, MCO and KAZ Programme Specialists 2016/06 Overdue-Initiated
KAZ: Lead the GTG/UNCT in development of the new Gender Strategy and facilitate coordinated relations with the National Commission with specific focus on relationship with UNDP MCO Kazakhstan Representative, MCO and KAZ Programme Specialists 2016/12 Overdue-Initiated
KAZ: Expand partnership with UNICEF and UNFPA, in addition to other agencies (WHO, UNISDR) MCO Kazakhstan Representative, MCO and KAZ Programme Specialists 2016/04 Overdue-Initiated
TKM: Contribute substantially to development of UNJP on NAP GE implementation MCO and TKM Programme Specialists 2016/12 Overdue-Initiated
TKM: Take the Chair of the HRGTG if requested by UNCT TKM Programme Specialist 2016/12 Overdue-Not Initiated
TAJ: Share experience of expanded GTG with KAZ and TKM, possibly by co-facilitating meeting or peer exchange TAJ Programme Specialist 2016/12 Overdue-Not Initiated
TAJ: Further enhance partnerships with UN agencies (UNICEF, UNHCR, e.g.) to rally UNDP into joint action with the UNCT on a level playing field. MCO Representative and TAJ Programme Specialist 2016/12 Overdue-Initiated
Recommendation: Within a five-year strategic note the MCO can afford to expand the ambition of future outcomes to embrace some of the structural transformations of the economic and cultural spheres called for by CEDAW.
Management Response: Accepted. MCO has worked into its new 5 year SN expanded outcomes that are taken from the structural transformations called for in CEDAW. This includes working more at national policy level through a focus on gender responsive national planning and budget which will allow cross sectoral interventions of UN Women to build synergies across sectors thus achieving a higher level impact. In addition, the MCO has a key focus on working to change stereotypes of gender roles in the MCO countries as a key approach to prevention of violence against women.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Not applicable
Thematic Area: Not applicable
Operating Principles: Not applicable
Organizational Priorities: Not applicable
UNEG Criteria: Not applicable
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
MCO: Prepare SN with recommendations factored in MCO Kazakhstan 2016/01 Completed
KAZ/TKM: Work with government ministries to develop key actions to achieve substantive gender response planning and budgeting KAZ/TKM Programme Specialists 2016/04 Overdue-Initiated
TAJ: Implement AWP with specific focus on women’s economic empowerment and cultural aspects of EVAW TAJ Programme Specialist 2016/12 Overdue-Not Initiated
TAJ: Apply findings of WEE project evaluation in Tajikistan planned for the beginning 2016 for development of a transformative programming on WEE in the country TAJ Programme Specialist 2016/12 Overdue-Not Initiated
ALL MCO: Develop advocacy campaign and strategic approach to communication on gender stereotypes Comms/Advocacy Specialist with Programme Specialists 2016/07 Overdue-Not Initiated
ALL MCO: Look for priorities and perspectives of programming at the regional level to address the existing common gaps/needs in regard of WHRs (labour migration; engendering DRR/humanitarian response; etc.) Programme Specialists 2016/12 Overdue-Not Initiated
Recommendation: Identify the key entry point (strategy) for intervening successfully at different geo-political levels and then use this initial accomplishment to leverage wider changes.
Management Response: Accepted: MCO will conduct more in-depth situation analysis to better determine key intervention points at macro, meso, and micro level in order to work toward top down and bottom up changes. Such analysis will be conducted with involvement and consultation of government partners, UNCT, beneficiaries, civil society, donors, and academia.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Not applicable
Thematic Area: Not applicable
Operating Principles: Not applicable
Organizational Priorities: Not applicable
UNEG Criteria: Not applicable
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Survey of key actors on targets of interventions at macro, meso, and micro level will be conducted MCO Programme Specialists (all) 2016/05 Overdue-Not Initiated To be followed up yearly.
Recommendation: Develop UN Women’s convening and bridging role at the national and sub-regional levels through support to national platforms and intra-regional normative dialogue.
Management Response: Accepted: UN Women as part of the UNCT and with the host governments will work for substantive gender focus across SDGs. UN Women will be actively involved in the UNPFD/UNDAF results groups and will leverage other agencies to ensure gender focus in all results groups across all countries. This approach will enhance the MCO’s active engagement and leadership in CEDAW compliance/implementation of Concluding Observations.
More detail
Description:
Management Response Category: Not applicable
Thematic Area: Not applicable
Operating Principles: Not applicable
Organizational Priorities: Not applicable
UNEG Criteria: Not applicable
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Propose side event for CA at CSW; in preparation foster greater involvement and dialogue around CSW on SDG gender targets and B+20 implementation MCO Kazakhstan programme staff 2016/04 Overdue-Initiated
Ensure gender mainstreaming throughout UNDAF/UNPFD results groups, including through leveraging GTG Continue dialogue/focus on sub-regional approach to CEDAW implementation MCO Programme Specialists (all) 2016/12 Overdue-Initiated
Facilitate sub-regional focus on SDG roll out/implementation MCO Representative and MCO Programme Specialist 2016/12 Overdue-Not Initiated
Recommendation: In accordance with the concluding observations of the CEDAW, UN Women must continue to consider how to best articulate the case for gender equality to power brokers at all levels of governance, including monitoring and evaluation of outcomes.
Management Response: Accepted. The MCO will continue to utilize the COs of the CEDAW as a basis for interventions and dialog in each country and at all levels. In addition, the MCO will greatly leverage the SDGs and the commitments made by host governments at the SDG summit to advocate for gender equality. The MCO will take a balanced and nuanced approach to gender equality in its countries, by focusing increasing on the role of men and boys in gender equality (for example through heightened advocacy under HeForShe) and approaching gender equality through a business case which is meeting the needs of the host governments, e.g. gender equality as a basis for peace and stability in society, in the family (gender equality as a core family value), that gender equality makes business sense (i.e. good for economic growth).
More detail
Description:
Management Response Category: Not applicable
Thematic Area: Not applicable
Operating Principles: Not applicable
Organizational Priorities: Not applicable
UNEG Criteria: Not applicable
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Use/link the SDGs and specified nationalized gender targets across all programming work MCO Programme Specialists and Project Managers 2016/12 Overdue-Initiated
Step up HeForShe campaign Comms/Advocacy Specialist with Project Managers 2016/12 Overdue-Not Initiated
Develop broad campaign for dealing with gender stereotypes in society Comms/Advocacy Specialist with Project Managers 2016/12 Overdue-Not Initiated
Present co-financing proposals to KAZ and TKM based on already existing government strategies and action plans, by weaving in a gender angle which makes business and political sense to host governments KAZ and TKM Programme Specialists 2016/04 Overdue-Initiated
Recommendation: Taking a long-term view, the evaluation considers that the balance of competencies in the MCO supports a transition to greater country-level autonomy and capacity. Many of the ambitions for Central Asia work can be achieved through collaboration between country-level offices, whilst the MCO is understandably challenged to realise the same level of political leverage that a country office has.
Management Response: Accepted. The MCO is indeed challenged to function at the same level as a CO for the four countries that it covers and it appreciates that the evaluation has recognized this. The MCO will continue to support sub regional dialogue and discussions, peer exchange, and south south collaboration and communication in order to build synergies and work for more impact. This extends beyond the MCO and involves also CO Kyrgyzstan and extends, although to a lesser extent also to other Cos and PPs in the ECA region. The MCO expects that the regional architecture evaluation will bring more detail and depth, which go beyond the scope of this evaluation, to the possible way(s) forward for the MCO.
More detail
Description:
Management Response Category: Not applicable
Thematic Area: Not applicable
Operating Principles: Not applicable
Organizational Priorities: Not applicable
UNEG Criteria: Not applicable
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Increase exchanges and joint events with KYR CO. MCO Programme Specialist 2016/12 Overdue-Not Initiated
Include KYR CO in annual planning retreat MCO Representative and MCO Programme Specialist 2016/01 Overdue-Initiated
Utilize lessons learned and best practices in ECA region for MCO work. MCO Programme Specialists (all) 2016/12 Overdue-Initiated
Actively participate in the regional architecture evaluation, making concrete proposals to evaluation team. MCO Kazakhstan, IEO 2016/07 Overdue-Initiated