Management Response

: Moldova
: 2018 - 2022 , Moldova (CO)
: Final evaluation of SN 2018-2022
:
: Moldova
:

The present management response was prepared by the Moldova CO, as required according to UN Women’s Evaluation Policy, discussed with Moldova CO staff, and approved by CO Head of Office. UN Women Moldova CO fully accepts the recommendations and reflected almost all of those into the new Strategic Note (SN) 2023-2027, as well as in the process of bi-Annual Work Plan (AWP) for 2023-2024. The evaluation was a very interesting and positive experience organized at a difficult time, given COVID-19 traveling restrictions which implied that majority of data to be collected on-line coupled with several face-to-face focus group discussions moderated by the local national evaluation expert as part of the evaluation team. Lessons learned, conclusions and recommendations are relevant and well taken. The CO will be following up on all recommendations through the Management response and also embedding some of the steps undertaken following the Mid-Term review of the SN undertaken in early 2020 and reflected in the work under one of the largest UN Women project, finance by the EU. The lessons learned and recommendations from the CPE and the practices applied after the Mid-Term review will be considered holistically in the frame of the implementation of the new SN 2023-2027. The thorough Evaluation Reference Group process was clearly appreciated by involved partners, the ERG members expressed their appreciation of the approach taken by the UN Women, Evaluation Team and country office and their involvement during the evaluation process.

: Approved
Recommendation: RECOMMENDATIONS 1
Management Response: Accepted
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Description: Take integrated planning approach for development of the next Strategic Note and discuss various crisis/development scenarios
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Leadership and participation in governance systems (SP 2018-2021)
Operating Principles: Knowledge management, Internal coordination and communication, Resource mobilization
Organizational Priorities: UN Coordination, Partnership, Normative Support, Operational activities, Organizational efficiency, Culture of results/RBM
UNEG Criteria: Efficiency, Sustainability, Effectiveness
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Develop the UN Women CO new Strategic Note 2023-2027 and the one overarching theory of change integrating scenario development exercises and prioritization of impact areas ( peace and humanitarian/ humanitarian development nexus; development) using CPE recommendations. UN Women CO and UN Women Regional Offices (ECARO) 2023/03 Completed The new SN for the period 2023-2027 took into consideration CPE recommendations. The new outcome covers the humanitarian development and peace nexus as response also to the humanitarian crisis in the region.
Conduct a series of public discussions and verifications of the ToC with national stakeholders (Government, NWM, Civil Society, UN system in Moldova) UN Women CO 2022/10 Completed a virtual consultative meeting on the draft Strategic Note for 2023-2027, took place on 20th of July, from 10.00-12.00. Further written comments were collected by August 17, 2022. More than 40 written and verbal comments were received from the stakeholders which helped to improve the overall quality of the SN and strengthen further its alignment with national priorities
Review CO’s organizational capacities and start the adjustment process to balance it with the ambitions and enhance the CO’s analytical basis towards the realization of its triple mandate through its portfolio of interventions Country and Regional Offices 2022/12 Completed The CO already went through a process of re-organization of teams responsible for development and humanitarian work. The overall structure is reviewed and actions undertaken to strengthen operations for increasing efficiency and effectiveness vis-a-vis increased budgets and overall portfolio (including humanitarian programming). Although CO fulfills the criteria to be considered as large size office, this is only temporary situation due to the war in Ukraine , and the CO will consolidate for remaining as medium size office.
Recommendation: Recommendation 2
Management Response: Accepted
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Description: Integrate other aspects of Women, Peace and Security in development of the next strategic note, beyond women’s participation
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Peace and security (SPs before 2018), Leadership and participation in governance systems (SP 2018-2021)
Operating Principles: Advocacy, National ownership
Organizational Priorities: UN Coordination, Humanitarian action, Partnership
UNEG Criteria: Efficiency, Effectiveness, Sustainability, Gender equality
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Support the National Government and UN with gender expertise on how to involve more women in response plans, peace and humanitarian projects and joint programmes; UN Women, UNCT 2023/12 Completed In order to foster stronger inclusion of protection, peacebuilding (in country – Transnistria) and humanitarian relief a separate outcome is outlined in the new SN 2023-2027. (4 By 2027 state and non-state actors coordinate and deliver commitments on gender equality and women's empowerment across the humanitarian-development-peace nexus. ) To increase women’s meaningful participation in conflict resolution and peacebuilding processes, UN Women will continue its partnership with OSCE, PBF in strengthening capacities of women negotiators on gender sensitive mediation, and in supporting the functioning of the informal Women’s Advisory Board (WAB). On the broader gender and humanitarian implications of the war, the CO will work on the humanitarian, development, and peace nexus. In line with the 2022 Ukraine Regional Refugee Response Plan and UN Women Corporate Humanitarian strategy (2022-2025). For these UN Women will support gender mainstreaming into Government’s and UN response plans, humanitarian projects of different agencies and joint programmes with technical expertise and gender mainstreaming tools, capacity building on gender in humanitarian action, collection of sex- and age-disaggregated data (SADD) and gender analyses to inform humanitarian planning, programming and monitoring. This will be done in close coordination with the cluster groups on humanitarian response, co-chaired by UNHCR. In response to the humanitarian crisis caused by the military invasion of Ukraine, the Women’s Peace & Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) activated a regional emergency response to the crisis for women’s organizations to build the backbone of the feminist movement in Ukraine and Moldova. After 3 calls for proposals 24 projects for a budget of 4.490.123,00 USD contribute to peacebuilding and gender-responsive humanitarian action. in Moldova. 42 young people (25 women, 17 men) from both banks developed 8 innovative digital peacebuilding solutions to bolster cross-river social dialogue, 3 of which will be supported by UN Women in 2024 under the Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) project implemented jointly with UNDP and OHCHR. In addition, championing gender and youth responsive peacebuilding efforts positioned UN Women as a lead actor supporting country’s Women, Peace and Security.
Contribute to the development of the monitoring framework of the implementation of UN and other humanitarian stakeholders’ efforts from a gender perspective. CO, UNCT 2024/12 Completed UN Women advocated for inclusion of gender mainstreaming indicators into the UNSDCF 2023-2027; RRP2023 and SADD disaggregated indicators. A set of about 14 SP indicators indicators were fully transferred, into the UNSDCF and about 48 genders related, or gender sensitive indicators are part of the CF and UN Women SN 2023-2027. Thise will support the better monitoring of the development and humanitarian support from a gender perspective. UN Women has developed several genders-sensitive interventions for refugee response in 2023. These programmes will provide women and girls affected by the Ukraine crisis with immediate humanitarian assistance and essential GBV services, ensure their access to decent livelihood opportunities and enhance their leadership and resilience through community-based initiatives. In its programming UN Women adopts the humanitarian-development-peace nexus, which ensures that Moldova’s refugee response, development and peace interventions are informed by an intersectional understanding of gender-specific vulnerabilities. The nexus also promotes the participation and leadership of women and girls in humanitarian, relief, recovery, development and peacebuilding efforts. Due to interventions promoted by WPHF partner CSOs, various efficient mechanisms have been established to improve gender-responsive humanitarian planning, frameworks, and programming:  5 Local Action Plans approved, and 4 Local Action Plans implemented in partnership with local women-led CSOs and LPAs, based on the conducted needs assessment surveys and identified deficiencies.  Research study containing recommendations to improve the response of national authorities to preventing and combating GBV in the humanitarian context provided to public authorities available and approved by professionals from public authorities (CSO LaStrada)
Recommendation: Recommendation 3
Management Response: Accepted
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Description: In the current context of crisis, leverage UN Women’s mandate and added value strengthen coordination in previous and emerging coordination priority areas
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Leadership and participation in governance systems (SP 2018-2021)
Operating Principles: Advocacy, Internal coordination and communication
Organizational Priorities: UN Coordination, Partnership
UNEG Criteria: Efficiency, Gender equality, Sustainability
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Continue supporting line ministries in gender mainstreaming at policy levels. Explore possibilities for monitoring and evaluation of crisis response work from a gender perspective UN Women, UNCT 2023/03 Completed New UNSDCF for the period of 2023-2027 integrates GEWE mainstreamed across outcomes and outputs of the CF. UN Women SN for the same period 2023-2027 will contribute to the CF outputs 1.4 on right holder access to the quality public services; 1.5 on improved multisectoral response on EVAW; 2.1 on promotion gender responsive policies; 2.2 on producing and utilize sex disaggregated data; 2.3 on meaningful participation in decision -making processes; 2.4 on addressing humanitarian crisis and WPS; 3.2 on economic empowerment of women; 3.3 on resilience of the private sector to the crisis; 3.4 on right holders access to the safe working conditions and in-demand skills and resources. Even UN Women SN does not have a separate outcome related to environment our contribution to CF under area 4 will be to ensure that the national responses to climate changes and disaster risk management are gender responsive. The CCA will be done during the CF implementation where UN Women CO will participate. Other gender mainstreaming work are reflected under the SM MERP for the period 2023-2027. The WPHF evaluation mission visited Moldova for data collection during March, 2024. the report to be released in July. The CCA under revision RCO lead.
Participate pro-actively in the revised UNCT coordination platforms UN Women CO, RCO 2026/12 Completed The TOR of the GTG group revised according to the new GTG Guidance and endorsed by UNCT (July 2022) RGs, SDG M&E Groups retreats organized by RCO in September 2022 and the new TOR were edited and endorsed by UNCT at the end of the year 2022. In 2023, UN Women will continue to engage in the UNCT coordination platforms by chairing the GTG and the RG3, former RG2 (Enhanced Shared Prosperity in a Sustainable Economy), and co-chairing with national CSO platform the Gender Task Force under refugee response, as well as to co-chair the RG2, former RG1 (Participatory Governance and Social Cohesion). Moreover, UN Women takes over the leadership of the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Group (MEL, former SDG M&E). From the beginning of the year, UNW actively participated in the mini retreats organize by the RCO as part of the 2022 reporting exercise and will actively contribute to the development of the 2023 JWP, including through chairing /co-chairing the related RGs. The same trend on coordination work of the CO across the UNCT platform maintained during the 2024.
Maintain the CSO coordination through the existing platforms which ensures that vulnerable groups associations are involved UN Women CO 2026/12 Initiated In the new SN cycle, UN Women will continue its strategic dialogue and cooperation with civil society organizations/platforms such as Gender Equality Platform, National Coalition “Life without violence”, as well as with CSO organizations working with most excluded groups such as women with disabilities, Roma, rural women and CSOs from Transnistria.
Recommendation: Recommendation 4
Management Response: Accepted
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Description: Standardize capacity development management processes, particularly needs assessment, quality assurance of design and delivery, and implementing partners reporting; and strengthen overall monitoring and evaluation systems for relevant and tailored follow-up.
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Leadership and participation in governance systems (SP 2018-2021)
Operating Principles: Knowledge management, Capacity development
Organizational Priorities: Culture of results/RBM, Organizational efficiency, Operational activities
UNEG Criteria: Efficiency, Gender equality
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Initiate with the Regional Office, headquarters Departments on the development of a SOP on capacity development management processes. UN Women CO, Regional UN Women Office (ECARCO) 2026/12 Initiated UN Women during the SN implementation will Include cross-sectoral perspectives into capacity needs assessments. Ex. Women survivors or potential victim of violence trained on existing services for protection against VAW will also be trained on economic empowerment; women refugees trained on economic empowerment will also be involved in participation in decision-making process; girls and boys engaged in social norms and positive behavior education will also be covered with the economic empowerment and civic participation etc. As for the methodologies and tools on capacity development CO will liaise with ECA RO/HQ support on this issue. A regional initiative ( ECA Learn) initiated during the 2024 to invest in Learning, capacity development by the end of 2025.
Establish an overall monitoring and evaluation system for measuring the changes as results of capacity development interventions within the UN Women Country Office Moldova Portfolio. UN Women CO 2027/12 Initiated The existing tools on disaggregation data (corporative one) and the SP indicators with disaggregation will be used for data collection during the new SN implementation. The new database for all the capacity development interventions needs some conceptualization and development based on best practices from the region and not only. These will be investigated during the first year of SN implementation. The ECALearn Initiative on capacity building will explore some tools and methods on the measurements of the capacity development interventions which might be considered for further utilization at COs levels.
Recommendation: Recommendation 5
Management Response: Accepted
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Description: Further capitalize the potentials of Strategic Note Direct Funding in terms of strengthening the Country Office’s holistic programmatic approach of and its catalytic effect on resource mobilization.
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018), Ending violence against women (SPs before 2018), Leadership and participation in governance systems (SP 2018-2021)
Operating Principles: Resource mobilization
Organizational Priorities: Operational activities, Organizational efficiency, Normative Support, Partnership, Culture of results/RBM
UNEG Criteria: Gender equality, Sustainability, Effectiveness, Relevance
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Jointly with Sida promote the modality amongst other development partners and engage in diversification of sources of funding. UN Women CO 2023/12 Completed The new SN was shared with the Sweden Embassy in Moldova for initiating the next stage of SN unearmarked funding support. The CO already expanded and diversified the sources of funding from other development partners, such as Swiss Development Cooperation, Japan, US department of state for projects related to humanitarian response. In addition, the CO is in dialogue with the European Union delegation and the UK Embassy for specific areas of support related to the SN. However, if successful this will be carried out through project modality and direct SN support. Support to SN implementation will require coordinated efforts at country, but also HQ level as part of the pivot to the field advocacy on preferred partnership at country level. The new SN 2023-2027 under implementation for the second year. New resources mobilized and yet under mobilization with donors for the SN implementation (EU, Sweden, SDC, ADA,)
Negotiate with Sida on additional support for peacebuilding and humanitarian crisis. UN Women CO 2022/12 Completed A new allocation mobilized from Sweden as “response and management of refugee crisis in context of war in Ukraine” for the period of one year (june2022-june 2023) aiming to support women and girls contribute to and benefit from immediate response in crisis, benefit from decent work, income security and socio-economic development.
Organize strategic evaluations across the portfolio during the implementation of UN Women Moldova CO SN 2023/2027. UN Women CO 2027/12 Initiated According to the MERP for the duration of SN 2023-2027 are planned a country portfolio evaluation, evaluation of crisis response from a gender perspective, thematic evaluation as support to the national stakeholders (EVAW, NAP 1325, PBF) The final evaluation of the PBF project will be initiated by the end of 2024 . The draft TOR developed and consulted with the Regional Evaluation Specialist. The due date for the evaluation report is April 2025.
Update periodically the internal operational procedures to comply to the corporate requirements. UN Women CO 2027/12 Initiated Internal procedures will be constantly revised to be simplified and streamlined as well as aligned to the new ERP and other online platforms. More efforts will be made to build capacity of personnel, including soft skills, and strengthen partnerships within country and across the region. MDA CO is on track with the update of review and update of the current SOPs (in the areas of Human Resources, Procurement, Travel, Finance, Small Grants, Event Management, RFP & RFQs), based on lessons learnt and of corporate changes. During 2024 partners reporting SOP, IC engagements SOP were also updated.
Recommendation: RECOMMENDATIONS 6
Management Response: Accepted
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Description: Support further integration of the project staff, particularly those engaged during COVID-19 and those engaged in the EU-funded projects
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Not applicable
Operating Principles: Knowledge management
Organizational Priorities: Operational activities
UNEG Criteria: Efficiency
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Ensure all staff contribution to the next Strategic Note planning process and development of the Theory of Change and understanding of the each area role towards planned results UN Women CO 2023/03 Completed One workshop and one staff re-treat organized on development of the new SN TOC during April and June 2022 where all CO staff participated and the RCO invited. The entire SN was developed in-house by CO staff. The overarching ToC (annex G to SN) developed and is part of the SN https://unwomen.sharepoint.com/:w:/r/sites/roeca/moldova/_layouts/15/Doc.aspx?sourcedoc=%7B72BC6F76-2B7A-4BA3-BF18-1A0C71931777%7D&file=Annex%20G_SN%20Results%20Chain_2021%20SN%20Guidance%20(format%20A3).docx&action=default&mobileredirect=true
Further support the capacity building of the staff, consultant, responsible partners for stronger contribution to overall Strategic Note implementation UN Women CO 2022/12 Completed According to the new SN Moldova CO is a medium size office, as per office typology. However, as mentioned, the program portfolio of the CO increased significantly due to refugee crisis, leading to a high probability of reaching the targets of a large size office. Nevertheless, the current assumption of the CO leadership (despite the high unpredictability of the impact of the war in Ukraine to Moldova) is that the funding increase is temporary and will decrease at the end of 2023. The current structure includes positions corresponding to a large office due to the current context of regional political and economic crisis. The fluctuation of budgets might be high, and there is a need of relevant capacity to manage complexities and higher budgets.   The office structure will be maintained with some adjustments to align to the new SN. The Humanitarian team will be expanding on the basis of the continuous resource mobilization efforts.
Provide periodic follow-up with employees UN Women CO 2027/12 Initiated The information on the SN Implementation will be presented to the staff on annual basis at the staff meetings.
Recommendation: Recommendation 7
Management Response: Accepted
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Description: Ensure that the promotion of transformative approaches and social norms change is continued, that vulnerable groups’ needs are covered by the next Strategic Note and that these groups benefit from its implementation.
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Global norms and standards (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Promoting inclusiveness/Leaving no one behind
Organizational Priorities: Organizational efficiency, Youth engagement, Engaging men and boys
UNEG Criteria: Efficiency, Human Rights, Gender equality
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Engage with non-traditional partners for influencing social and cultural norms. UN Women CO 2027/12 Initiated CO will continue the long-term cooperation established during the last SN with academia (university, vocational, and pre-university institutions), mass media, religious leaders and cultural institutions in promoting better social norms and educate the people at large on gender equality in general. Coordination with the national CSO platform will co-occur in connection with CSOs in the field and grassroot organizations, as those actors can be the most effective channel to reach the communities and the most vulnerable groups of women and girls. during the Q2 2024 a new call for proposal was launched for responsible partners engagement and one of the applicant presented the proposal to work at local level with the priests on preventing domestic violence .
The Communication strategy for the SN 2023-2027 will envisage actions on strategies and tailored messages to involve men UN Women CO 2027/12 Completed The war of Russia against Ukraine, the military mobilization could inevitably lead to increased toxic masculinity and backlashes on women’s rights with manifestation of increased violence against women. To prevent the latter, initiatives to engage men and boys to promote positive masculinity and promote equality, diversity and respect of human rights will be designed and implemented jointly with influencers, cultural workers, sports activists and male gender champions. These are included in the communication strategy for the SN 2023-2027. Finally, behavioural changes towards gender inequality and gender-based violence will be implemented in schools and in the communities through gender mainstreamed Curricula for optional and or regular courses developed with UN Women support under the previous SN.
Further integrate LNOB principles across SN programmatic implementation and monitoring and reporting on vulnerable groups reached. UN Women CO 2027/12 Initiated The new SN envisage the following: “In line with the integrated and multidimensional approach of the UNSDCF and UN Women SP, the CO will focus its programming around systemic and structural drivers of gender inequality to address multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination and generate transformative changes in the lives of women and girls, in particular of those identified by the CCA as at most risk of being left behind”. (Vulnerable groups: These include vulnerable women, young people and children, particularly in rural areas; Roma and ethno-linguistic minorities; victims of human trafficking; vulnerable migrants; persons with disabilities; survivors of sexual and gender-based violence; persons living with HIV; LGBTQI+ persons; children and adolescents left behind without parental supervision; women in detention and women released from prisons; asylum seekers, refugees and stateless persons; drugs users; women sex workers; and older people. (UNSDCF 2023-2027)) For the implementing partners the following minimum disaggregation will be required for the realization of interventions - Age, Sex, Disability, and/or Geographic location. Where relevant disaggregation by vulnerable population groups or by focus area on key population groups will be required - LGBTQI, Indigenous women, Ethnic minorities, Migrants, Refugees, Internal displaced people, and Women living with HIV. The templates and tools are shared with RPs under the cooperation agreements with CO.
Recommendation: RECOMMENDATIONS 8
Management Response: Accepted
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Description: Taking into account the positive impact of UN Women’s technical assistance to the UNCT in Belarus, and also the sustainability challenges of the current approach, initiate and contribute to the corporate discussion on UN Women’s strategic approach to supporting UN Country Teams without a UN Women presence
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Leadership and participation in governance systems (SP 2018-2021)
Operating Principles: Advocacy
Organizational Priorities: UN Coordination, Partnership
UNEG Criteria: Efficiency
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Initiate discussion with the Regional Office on alternative possible arrangements for covering the commitments to UNCT in Belarus. UN Women CO, RO 2023/12 No Longer Applicable Under the approved SN for the period 2023-2027 it is mentioned: “The work as NRA needs to be progressively embedded into the portfolios of the regional office, which will also need substantive support from UN Women HQ” Communication with RO on the subject will continue