Management Response

: Malawi
: 2017 - 2018 , Malawi (CO)
: Country Portfolio Evaluation for Malawi
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Malawi

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UN Women Malawi CO welcomes the findings of the Country Portfolio Evaluation (CPE) completed in October 2017 based on the CO SN 2014-2017. Primarily, this was a formative (forward-looking) evaluation aimed at supporting the UN Women CO and national stakeholders for strategic learning and decision-making. Secondarily, the evaluation is summative (backward-looking) perspective, to support enhanced accountability for development effectiveness and learning from experience. The CPE was gender-responsive, and aimed at actively supporting the achievement of Gender Equality and Women Empowerment (GEWE). In terms of methodology, the evaluation used a mixed methods approach to assess the relevance, efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of the country programme. Two external evaluators (1 international and 1 national) led on the conduct of the evaluation. Six recommendations were made and have all been adopted for management response.
: Approved
Recommendation: UN Women CO needs to engage in a system-wide approach that involves multi-stakeholder, multi-sectorial collaboration to further strengthen GEWE in Malawi.
Management Response: UN Women Malawi CO must strengthen collaboration across sectors of government, UN, donors, and sectors of civil society, including women themselves. Bringing strong government sectors like health, education, and finance together with gender and social welfare needs to be done to leverage their strength, expertise, and funding.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Leadership and political participation (SPs before 2018), Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018), Ending violence against women (SPs before 2018), Global norms and standards (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Capacity development, Internal coordination and communication
Organizational Priorities: UN Coordination, Partnership
UNEG Criteria: Sustainability
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
UN Women CO should provide strategic leadership, by assisting the MOGCDCD to comment on draft inputs/position papers for the successor MDGS III. National Programme Officer 2018/01 Completed supported the Ministry of Gender to get a buy in from Ministry of Finance and recruitment of a consultant to support the ministry of Gender in the process to engender MDGS III
Identify and train gender focal points within government structures. This will provide these influencers with greater capacity to liaise within and across their sectors and help to speed up GEWE processes. National Programme Officer 2018/12 Completed trainings for Gender Focal Persons were concluded in 2019. They were training in gender analysis and gender mainstreaming.
Develop a plan, outlining when, with whom, and on what areas of work will be conducted. National Programme Officer 2018/12 Completed The Malawi Country Office has completed the development of a New Resource Mobilization and Partnership Strategy. This has been completed in 2023
Recommendation: UN Women CO should redefine its relationship with partners.
Management Response: Review the existing approach to partnership selection while also integrating capacity building for CSOs.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018), Leadership and political participation (SPs before 2018), Global norms and standards (SPs before 2018), Ending violence against women (SPs before 2018), Governance and planning (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Capacity development
Organizational Priorities: Partnership
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness, Efficiency
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
UN Women CO should ensure that rigorous partnership review is carried out for every project with an aim to support and increase the longer-term programme goals. UN Women CO should uniformly use the Capacity Assessment Checklist Tool prior to signing on with any prospective CSO partners. National Programme Officer Team Leads 2018/06 Completed Guided by the new PME policy, every project is implementing rigorous quarterly review meetings which involve key project stakeholders and beneficiaries. The office now conducts and fills in the online capacity assessment tool prior to signing any prospective partners
Conduct partner training to enhance their capacities in various areas. National Programme Officer Team Leads 2018/12 Completed During the partner review meeting, Implementing partners were trained in RBM, financial management, partnership management and sexual harassment.
Recommendation: UN Women CO should create a Road Map that highlights the gaps and way forward on critical legislation.
Management Response: UN Women CO should develop a comprehensive road map on the status of gender friendly legislation. The road map would include: the status of all gender friendly legislation (including acts, draft laws, and laws), the stage (still in draft, being considered by parliament, or a law), and then a focus on what next steps are necessary. The various steps might include raising public awareness, lobbying government, and/or holding government accountable for implementation.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Leadership and political participation (SPs before 2018), Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018), Ending violence against women (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Capacity development, Advocacy
Organizational Priorities: Normative Support
UNEG Criteria: Gender equality
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Develop a comprehensive road map on the status of gender friendly legislation. National Programme Officer Team Leads (EVAW and GBG Specialists) 2018/12 No Longer Applicable Spotlight programme which was supposed to champion this ended.
Cost the roadmap to ensure that ministries are equipped with the necessary budget lines to be able to pass these laws and policies. National Programme Officer Team Leads (EVAW and GBG Specialists) 2018/12 No Longer Applicable The activity was supposed to be implemented under the Spotlight Programme which phased out
Recommendation: UN Women CO should develop and implement a strategy for the structural engagement of men that cuts across all impact areas
Management Response: UN Women CO should develop and implement a strategy for the structural engagement of men that cuts across all impact areas
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018), Leadership and political participation (SPs before 2018), Ending violence against women (SPs before 2018), Governance and planning (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Alignment with strategy, Promoting inclusiveness/Leaving no one behind
Organizational Priorities: Engaging men and boys
UNEG Criteria: Gender equality, Effectiveness
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Strategize on comprehensive approach and strategy for engagement of men National Programme Officer Team Leads (EVAW Specialist) 2018/12 Completed The Male Engagement Strategy is completed and rolled out. The strategy was adopted in 2022
Engaging CSO partners to pilot approach and strategy National Programme Officer Team Leads 2018/12 Completed The Male Engagement Strategy is completed and rolled out. The strategy was adopted in 2022
Recommendation: UN Women CO should strengthen the internal workings of its office, including a review of roles and enhancing M&E to improve programs.
Management Response: UN Women CO must invest further in their staff and partners to strengthen the capacity to collect and utilize data.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Leadership and political participation (SPs before 2018), Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018), Governance and planning (SPs before 2018), Ending violence against women (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Capacity development
Organizational Priorities: Culture of results/RBM
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness, Efficiency, Relevance, Gender equality, Impact, Human Rights
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Conduct staff training in monitoring and evaluation, particularly on data gathering and utilization. M&E 2018/12 Overdue-Initiated 3 staff members participated in a training in Results Based management in 2018. 2 staff Un staff members participated on the annual general meeting for the Africa Evaluation Association in Ivory Coast. UN Women has planned another training in RBM for staff and IPs in May and this will be facilitated by the Regional Office. Update as of April 2025: 2 personnel participated in the MER retreat in the regional office in March 2024 and 2 other personnel also participated in Kenya country office outcome harvesting workshop
Train partners in monitoring, evaluation and reporting functions to ensure systematic data gathering, analysis and reporting for learning and demonstrating accountability. M&E 2018/12 Overdue-Initiated UNW facilitated a training in monitoring and evaluation for IPs during the partners review meeting held on 20-21st February 2019. UN Women has planned another training in RBM for staff and IPs in May and this will be facilitated by the Regional Office. Update as of April 2025: The country office continues to provide support to partners through training. In 2024, the country office conducted training for in RPs for Women's Resilience to Disasters project, PBF and WPHF projects. The office also continues to provide ongoing online RBM refresher session with partners.
Recommendation: UN Women CO should revamp its resource mobilization strategy by enhancing visibility on GEWE
Management Response: UN Women CO should explore all its potential entry points with the UN, which would start with utilizing the One UN Strategy to end Harmful Traditional Practices as an opportunity and entry point to fully engage the UN family.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018), Leadership and political participation (SPs before 2018), Global norms and standards (SPs before 2018), Ending violence against women (SPs before 2018), Governance and planning (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Resource mobilization
Organizational Priorities: Partnership
UNEG Criteria: Sustainability, Gender equality
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Carry out resource mobilization assessment and gather funding intelligence data. National Programme Officer Team Leads 2018/12 Overdue-Initiated To be done biannually based on the Resource Mobilization Strategy