Management Response

: Georgia
: 2016 - 2020 , Georgia (CO)
: Final Evaluation of Women’s Economic Empowerment in the South Caucasus Project (WEESC)
:
: Georgia
:

The overarching aim of the project “Women’s Economic Empowerment in South Caucasus” (WEESC) implemented between 2018 - 2021 was to ensure that women, particularly the poor and socially excluded, in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia are economically empowered and participate in relevant decision-making. Relying on the three-pronged approach, the project has been working towards transformative results for increased gender equality and greater protection of the rights of women and girls. Activities under Outcome 1 were carried out in some of the most disadvantaged regions in all three countries, such as Shirak and Gegharkunik in Armenia, Gusar, Khazar and Sabirabad in Azerbaijan and Kvemo Kartli, Kakheti and Samtskhe Javakheti in Georgia with a specific focus on poor and socially excluded groups of rural women. Relying on grassroots social mobilization, the activities conducted in these regions aimed at increasing women’s access to income-generating opportunities, knowledge and training, including strengthening their capacities to organize and participate in decision-making at the national and local levels (Armenia and Georgia). Activities under Outcome 2 and Outcome 3 addressed policy and legislative frameworks and building the institutional capacities in Armenia and Georgia. To achieve the desired results, UN Women established strategic partnerships with a vast number of government and non-government (civil society) affiliated institutions and agencies. The main partners under Outcome 1 in Georgia included Kakheti Regional Development Foundation of Georgia (KRDF), TASO Foundation, Association of Finance Officers of Georgian Local Self-Governing Units (GFA) and Ministry and of Finance Training Academy (MoFA). In Armenia and Azerbaijan, the project has been implemented in close partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Under Outcome 2 and 3, the key partners included Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labour, Health and Social Affairs; Ministry of Economy & Sustainable Development; the Rural Development Agency; International School of Economics at TSU (ISET) and National Statistics Office (GEOSTAT) in Georgia, and Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Ministry of Territorial Administration and Development and ARMSTAT in Armenia.

: Approved
Recommendation: Ensure that implementing partners, key stakeholders and a representative sample of women beneficiaries are proactively engaged in the design of Phase Two through participatory processes. Actions to consider: Hold virtual brainstorming sessions on Zoom with women from each WRC or Women’s Room, including the coordinators during the project design and review process. Conduct participatory mapping exercises in the inception phase to ensure more social inclusion as well as participatory action research to promote local ownership of research results (designing research questions, identifying risks and mitigation strategies, validating assumptions and findings, etc.).
Management Response: Extensive stakeholder consultations, thematic bilateral meetings and several studies carried out during the inception and the first main phase project, as well as the final external evaluation, have provided the foundation for the updates and revisions to the interventions proposed for the second phase of the project. Further consultations with the stakeholders and focus groups with women beneficiaries are planned prior to drafting of the Terms of Reference for the implementing partners.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: National ownership
Organizational Priorities: Partnership, Culture of results/RBM
UNEG Criteria: Relevance, Sustainability
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Engaging the main responsible partners and key stakeholders in designing of the WEESC II phase UN Women Georgia CO 2021/07 Completed The evaluation results were accounted for during the WEESC II planning and key stockholders have been extensively consulted and key interventions of the WEESC II phase discussed with the key stakeholders and partners.
Focus groups with women beneficiaries to support designing of the WEESC II phase UN Women Georgia CO 2021/12 Completed The online focus groups with grassroots women’s groups conducted in the scope of the evaluation of the first main phase provided important insights and feedback to the effectiveness of the activities conducted and services provided to date. Additional focus groups with the beneficiary women took place in the early stages of implementation of the II phase, prior to drafting of the Terms of Reference for the Outcome 1 responsible partners. Eventually, needs assessments of already targeted as well as potential beneficiary women are planned to be carried out across all project regions to further fine-tune and design the project interventions in WEESC II phase.
Recommendation: Refresh the inception analysis to look more closely at the factors that facilitate and limit women’s ability to secure (a) wage employment, and (b) self-employment across the three countries and the policies and the service provisions that are necessary to facilitate both types of economic activities. Actions to consider: - Conduct new baseline studies and/or needs assessments that take into account the gendered relations and family dynamics by consulting both females and males from different age, ethnic, and religious groups. Ensure disabled, migrant and other disadvantaged people are included.
Management Response: The studies that are being completed by the end of the first main phase provide the analysis of the above stated problems and will be taken in consideration during the implementation of phase II.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Knowledge management
Organizational Priorities: Partnership, Culture of results/RBM
UNEG Criteria: Human Rights, Relevance
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Conduct new baseline studies and/or needs assessments UN Women Georgia CO 2021/12 Completed The studies that are being completed by the end of phase I of the project: RIAs of the ILO C 183, 189 and 156, the minimum social floors assessment and gender impact assessment reports in Armenia and Georgia are taking the close look to the factors contributing to women’s economic inactivity and possibilities to foster female employment and decent jobs for women and will be taken into account during the implementation of WEESC II phase (in Georgia and Armenia).
Recommendation: Obtain a clear understanding of market potential or growth prospects for a wide range of economic activities before offering grants to women for self-employment, vocational training, or wage employment. Actions to consider: Conduct an economic analysis in each country to identify the sectors or economic activities that have growth opportunities both for formal employment and self-employment for women in the target rural regions and also those economic activities where women are currently active in. Use the analysis to decide which sectors or activities should be prioritized for project activities.
Management Response: The information and knowledge gathered in the scope of the First main phase along with the findings of the evaluation provided important insights into the existing economic situation in the project regions, serving as the initial building blocks when drafting the Phase II of the WEESC project. At the same time, the implementing partners have been able to provide UN Women with substantial knowledge and information on the project regions also with respect to their economic/ growth potential. As a result, UN Women was already able to take these into consideration in the process of designing the Phase II. Eventually, the economic analysis of the project regions as one of the evaluation recommendations will be conducted in the early stages of the implementation along with the needs assessment of the already targeted as well as potential beneficiary women in project target regions. Together, these will provide important inputs in the design of the small business and vocational education grants.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Knowledge management, National ownership
Organizational Priorities: Organizational efficiency
UNEG Criteria: Relevance, Effectiveness
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Integrate economic analysis per target municipality / region in the needs assessment of beneficiary / target grassroots women UN Women Georgia CO 2021/12 Completed Desk reviews to create economic and agricultural profiles of each target region or municipality have been integrated in the planned needs assessment of project beneficiary women. Oftentimes targeted municipalities have local / regional / rural development strategies and plans that already contain sound economic analysis of the region or municipality in question and these resources have been consulted as before.
Recommendation: Align Phase Two with new UNSDCFs for three countries (2021-2025) along with their commitments under international human rights treaties, conventions, and relevant national legislation. Actions to consider: Incorporate/address recommendations from UN human rights committees under CEDAW, CERD, ICSECR, ICCPR, CMW, CRPD, and Special Rapporteur reports on Violence against Women as they relate to GE and WEE particularly. Work more closely with UNCT members such as OHCHR and UNHCR within each country, as well as national government authorities.
Management Response: The WEESC phase II is in full compliance with the UNSDCFs of the three countries. The recommendations of the UN Human rights treaty monitoring bodies will be addressed / incorporated in the advocacy and capacity development interventions as relevant and cooperation with the UN agencies strengthened.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Global norms and standards (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Promoting inclusiveness/Leaving no one behind, Oversight/governance
Organizational Priorities: UN Coordination
UNEG Criteria: Human Rights, Impact
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
WEESC II phase fully aligned with UNSDCFs of the three countries UN Women Georgia CO and ECA RO 2021/06 Completed UN Women has participated in UNSDCF planning cycles in all three countries and aligned the project with the documents.
The recommendations of the UN treaty monitoring bodies and special procedures addressed in the design of the WEESC II phase. UN Women Georgia CO 2021/06 Completed The recommendations were considered during the planning of the WEESC II phase, and this commitment / approach will be upheld throughout the project implementation as it is the broader commitment of UN women Georgia CO stipulated in its Strategic Note (2021-2025).
The recommendations of the UN treaty monitoring bodies and special procedures addressed in the design of the WEESC II phase. UN Women Georgia CO 2021/06 Completed The recommendations were considered during the planning of the WEESC II phase, and this commitment / approach will be upheld throughout the project implementation as it is the broader commitment of UN women Georgia CO stipulated in its Strategic Note (2021-2025).
Recommendation: Strengthen the regional dimension of WEESC based on the comparative advantage of UN Women and UNDP in the region in knowledge management by formalizing a WEE sub-regional knowledge hub within UN Women Georgia. Actions to consider: Allocate specific resources to support a hub and an associated online platform to facilitate knowledge management and sharing. Create a regional level and country level knowledge sharing mechanism for stakeholder coordination whereby implementation partners and key stakeholders (including other relevant donor projects) can discuss the progress and coordinate activities to prevent duplication, share tools and amplify impact.
Management Response: Due to COVID-19 related restrictions, the regional activities initially planned for Phase I (in-person cross-border exchanges, etc.) were not implemented in their full scope. At the same time, knowledge sharing in the framework of online conferences and platforms proved to be a viable solution and alternative to the initially foreseen in-person exchanges for all three countries. In the Phase II, a combination of in-person exchanges and online knowledge sharing will be applied to ensure wide-enough outreach as well as effective learning outcomes for the beneficiaries.
More detail
Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Knowledge management
Organizational Priorities: Partnership
UNEG Criteria: Impact, Sustainability
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Regular intercountry exchanges of information, tools and good practices among the project beneficiaries through conferences and study tours UN Women Georgia CO 2024/07 Overdue-Initiated Intercountry exchanges of information, tools, and promising practices among the project beneficiaries through study tours and conferences (in-person / online based on the epidemiological situation in the region) will be implemented on a regular basis. The resources, information, and tools shared in the scope of these regional exchanges will be further made available to the beneficiaries with the support of the responsible partners.
Exchanges of good practices, knowledge and tools among the private sector companies and the WEPs signees across the three countries UN Women Georgia CO 2024/07 Overdue-Initiated Regular exchanges of good practice, knowledge and tools will be organized across the region to create regional interlinkages, facilitate learning, and enhance the work with the private sector and effective implementation of the WEPs in the registered companies.
Recommendation: Enhance the involvement of local governments and private enterprises at the grassroots level, with the objective of creating jobs for women. Actions to consider: Assess opportunities for job shadowing and volunteering for young women (and men) as part of a career development strategy for the next generation of gender-sensitive workers. Work with the local school authorities and chambers of commerce to create pilot GEWE projects in commercial sectors that enhance the resilience of the rural communities (i.e. that meet basic needs such as food, water, medicine, shelter, clothing, safety, and access to health facilities). Identify “champions” within these organisations to spearhead the programs and serve as role models in promoting gender inclusive and sexual harassment free workplaces. Mentorship could also be tested with more mature entrepreneurs to provide motivation and advisory support to other women. Where in-kind resources are provided by any partners, they should be both recognized and reflected in cost-efficiency analyses.
Management Response: Enhancing formal employment opportunities of the beneficiary women has been one of the priorities in drafting of the project activities for the Phase II. With this aim, the project will focus on creating stronger interlinkages between the grassroots work in the rural areas and the work with the private sector. In the scope of Phase II, relevant private companies – i.e. WEPs signatories – will be actively linked to the beneficiary women as potential employees or suppliers of goods/services. Volunteering and job-shadowing will be one of the supported modalities for women’s entry into the formal employment. At the same time, in the framework of the educational grants, internships with local employers will continue being supported in the Phase Two. Potential employment opportunities will also be addressed in dialogue with the local authorities.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: National ownership, Capacity development
Organizational Priorities: Partnership
UNEG Criteria: Sustainability
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Establishing new partnerships in the newly selected project region in Azerbaijan UN Women Georgia CO 2024/07 Overdue-Initiated In Azerbaijan, a new WRC will be established under a local Community Resource Hub (CRH). The initial arrangements have already taken place in Q2 of 2021. Relevant information and knowledge will be shared by the existing three WRCs to speed up the process of its launching. Knowledge will be shared regularly among the WRCs, and experts will be brought in to build expert capacities of the WRCs.
Expanding the partnerships of Women’s Rooms in Georgia UN Women Georgia CO 2024/07 Overdue-Initiated UN Women will partner with NALAG to extend the resources and partnerships of women’s rooms to foster women’s economic empowerment.
Recommendation: Develop further partnerships to facilitate awareness on gendered norms, and collaboration with market actors or other organisations who can offer services to support poor rural women in reducing their load of unpaid care Actions to consider: Models with the private sector, particularly with those companies that have endorsed the WEPs to promote flexible work hours so that women are encouraged to engage in formal employment. Support services to meet unpaid care responsibility for women. For e.g. this could be part of the Women’s Rooms or WRC’s business model and be linked to the “care economy”. Establishment of daycare support in the community as a social enterprise so that women can help themselves). Consider engaging men and other household/community members to promote positive gendered norms and reduce traditional perceptions of women’s roles. This can also be linked to potential expansion of project scope to include social and civic empowerment.
Management Response: One of the main ambitions of the first phase under Outcome 1 was to empower women and their agency withing their communities. This work has been facilitated in the scope of the self-help groups (SHGs) as well as under the GRB component. Most women reported higher confidence in their personal lives as well as within their communities in general. This work will continue under Outcome 1 as SHGs will continue serving as important safe space spaces for sharing information and growing awareness on gendered and harmful social norms. Change of social and cultural norms is a step-by step process and the Phase II will organically build upon the results achieved in the scope of the first phase. Additionally, reconciliation of work, family and private life will also strongly resonate in the work with the private sector, bringing attention to flexible work arrangements and flexible care modalities as necessary alternatives in the company practices.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Capacity development, National ownership
Organizational Priorities: Partnership
UNEG Criteria: Sustainability, Effectiveness
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Strengthening the work with the WEPs and relevant private sector companies in all project countries UN Women Georgia CO 2024/07 Overdue-Initiated In Georgia, the work with the private sector has been accelerated in the scope of implementation of the JAWE project (“Joint Action for Women’s Empowerment”) and will continue in its second phase. In Armenia and Azerbaijan, the WEPs component is not as advanced yet, however, strengthening the linkages between the grassroots work and the work with the private sector will be an important part of the Outcome 1 in all three project countries. Volunteering and job shadowing, as proposed in the recommendations, will be explored as some of the modalities of facilitating women’s entry into the formal employment.
Identifying “champions” within the organizations/ piloting mentorship programs in the private companies UN Women Georgia CO 2024/07 Overdue-Initiated Both modalities will be tested under Outcome 1 of the WEESC II phase. With regards to mentorship programs, Georgia has a successful track record of introducing the concept into its WEPs work. The good practice will be further shared in the scope of the regional WEPs exchanges.
Internships funded in the scope of vocational education grants UN Women Georgia CO 2024/07 Overdue-Initiated Internships have been successfully piloted in the phase I of WEESC and will be further funded under the Vocational education grants in all three project countries.
Recommendation: Demonstrate some form of “graduation” to break the cycle of grant dependence in order to continue to further support and sustain self-employed women, especially those who are currently establishing their businesses and obtaining small grants from the WEESC project. Actions to consider: Identify strategic partners who can be long term sources of working capital for women. Engage with service providers or market actors (e.g. raw material suppliers, agro-dealers/retailers, financial institutes, etc.) to pilot models for products or services that enable women to access finance or credit using buyer contracts as a guarantee, or value chain financing.
Management Response: Small business grants and vocational education grants serve as important entry points for the women beneficiaries, facilitating their entry into the value chains and their economic activities in general. For many of them, these grants helped successfully launch their businesses and they can now rely on their profit to continue and sustain their economic activities. In other cases, further support is needed to scale up the existing businesses. To continue to support and sustain these small businesses aside from small grants under WEESC, a range of options will be explored in the Phase Two, e.g. through partnership with Rural Development Agency (in Georgia) or exploring other available and relevant options in the project regions.
More detail
Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: National ownership, Capacity development
Organizational Priorities: Culture of results/RBM
UNEG Criteria: Sustainability
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Support services to meet unpaid care responsibility for women UN Women Georgia CO 2024/07 Overdue-Initiated Selected modalities of support services are planned to be explored and tested in the scope of the WEESC II phase. Generally, the GRB work has provided a useful platform for raising issues relevant to the beneficiaries and communities, among others childcare facilities within the communities. This work and relevant advocacy dialogues will be further enhanced in the upcoming phase. In the case of the WRCs (in Azerbaijan), establishment of support services (daycare, etc.) will also be explored in the scope of the upcoming phase.
Awareness raising to combat adverse social norms that reify discrimination and inequality UN Women Georgia CO 2024/07 Overdue-Initiated The self-help groups represent an important platform for voicing the issues women beneficiaries are facing in their private lives as well as communities. Adverse social norms will be further addressed and challenged through a sensitive work facilitated by the implementing partners.
Engaging men and family / community members UN Women Georgia CO 2024/07 Overdue-Initiated Although tailor-made to the needs and priorities of women, the project strategies (social mobilization, Women’s Resource Centres (WRCs), etc.) will not exclude men in the target communities, in terms of information-sharing and consulting, as relevant. The work with the communities has already been initiated in the scope of the WEESC I phase and will be further strengthened in the next phase through a range of activities.
Recommendation: Demonstrate some form of “graduation” to break the cycle of grant dependence in order to continue to further support and sustain self-employed women, especially those who are currently establishing their businesses and obtaining small grants from the WEESC project. Actions to consider: Identify strategic partners who can be long term sources of working capital for women. Engage with service providers or market actors (e.g. raw material suppliers, agro-dealers/retailers, financial institutes, etc.) to pilot models for products or services that enable women to access finance or credit using buyer contracts as a guarantee, or value chain financing.
Management Response: Small business grants and vocational education grants serve as important entry points for the women beneficiaries, facilitating their entry into the value chains and their economic activities in general. For many of them, these grants helped successfully launch their businesses and they can now rely on their profit to continue and sustain their economic activities. In other cases, further support is needed to scale up the existing businesses. To continue to support and sustain these small businesses aside from small grants under WEESC, a range of options will be explored in the Phase Two, e.g. through partnership with Rural Development Agency (in Georgia) or exploring other available and relevant options in the project regions.
More detail
Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Capacity development, National ownership
Organizational Priorities: Culture of results/RBM
UNEG Criteria: Sustainability
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
VSLA savings scheme to help support the businesses launched under WEESC UN Women Georgia CO 2024/07 Overdue-Initiated VSLA savings scheme has been successfully piloted in nine municipalities in Georgia under Phase I and following the positive feedback, this work will be further explored in the scope of the phase II.
Stand-alone grant programme and/or quotas and special measures for women in the grant programme of Rural Development Agency UN Women Georgia CO 2024/07 Overdue-Initiated In Georgia, the project will provide support to the Rural Development Agency to develop and pilot a stand-alone grant programme and/or quotas and special measures for women, including gender-centred service delivery through the extension centres. This has been one of the recommendations made by the GIA that was performed on the RDA’s largest programme in terms of social reach and number of individual beneficiaries – its “Plant the Future” programme. The RDA programs include larger scale assistance then UN Women’s grant program and usually ask for co-funding from the grant / credit scheme participants. Participation of UN Women’s beneficiaries in these programs will ensure that they are capable larger scale agricultural production and their chances for sustainability and financial independence will significantly increase.
Piloting “collective action schemes” in Armenia UN Women Georgia CO 2024/07 Overdue-Initiated At least two types of “collective action schemes” will be piloted in Armenia for improved access to markets and access to finance, used by women who are farmers, self-employed or micro-business owners
Piloting “collective action schemes” in Armenia UN Women Georgia CO 2024/07 Overdue-Initiated At least two types of “collective action schemes” will be piloted in Armenia for improved access to markets and access to finance, used by women who are farmers, self-employed or micro-business owners
Recommendation: Adjust the training program to be more learner-centric and better aligned with the needs, current level of understanding and experiences of the target groups in each country, and include the use of accelerated digital technology, including online courses and creation of videos for core modules Actions to consider: Conduct a training needs assessment across two groups (self-employment and wage employment) in different areas and also identify the level of willingness and skill to engage with different medium, particularly, digital platforms. Leverage WRCs and Women’s Rooms to bring small groups together for digital training of those impoverished women who lack the facilities for online learning at home and provide related budget support for connectivity, and where required, devices. Identify strategic partners (e.g. vocational training services providers, knowledge providers and or other businesses who could outsource supply and also train women) who have the incentive to provide training or advisory/mentorship support. Collaboration with local or international service/knowledge providers might solve the certification or validation challenge and ease the way of women to wage-employment. Develop more modular training that includes core foundational or generic modules such as digital skills, book-keeping, management/business planning and advisory. This should be separated from advanced trainings (e.g marketing and those specific to sectors or technical skills such as production or quality control, with more practical examples); mentorship or linkages with experienced businesses/entrepreneurs. WEESC could also consider modules specific to the two WEE pathways (self-employment and employment).
Management Response: Information gathered in the scope of the first phase as well as through the evaluation of the first phase provided important and comprehensive inputs into drafting of the Phase II. Planned needs assessment of the existing and potential beneficiaries in all three project countries will provide further insights into the training-related expectations of the women beneficiaries. As substantial changes due to COVID-19 have been introduced already in the scope of Phase I, digital solutions have been piloted across all three countries. This work will be further strengthened in the scope of the Phase II, ensuring that all women have the ability and access to the training content. In cases of most disadvantaged women with lack of internet access, communal use of the tools and devices will be supported (through WRCs and SHGs).
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Capacity development
Organizational Priorities: Culture of results/RBM, Agriculture
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Needs’ assessment of already targeted as well as potential beneficiary women in project target regions UN Women Georgia CO 2021/12 Completed Needs assessments of already targeted as well as potential beneficiary women in project target regions across all three countries are planned to take place in the beginning of 2022 in the frameworks of the WEESC II phase to further design project interventions and activities. The findings of the assessments will further shape the selection and design of trainings.
Enhancing the modular approach (self-employment/ employment) UN Women Georgia CO 2021/12 Completed The work on the modular approach has been initiated in Q3 of 2020 when all trainings were assigned to one or both categories (self-employment / employment) as the initial division of trainings was not flexible enough. Based on the experience from the Phase One, the two categories/ modules have been further fine-tuned to better cater to the women and their training needs with respect to employment/ self-employment.
Trainings in digital skills UN Women Georgia CO 2024/07 Overdue-Initiated Following the COVID-19 related restrictions on movement, digital solutions have been introduced across all three counties as essential for women’s further engagement in the project. As a result, solid skills and knowledge base has been created and this work will be further accelerated under the WEESC II phase, with the objective of supporting women’s access to markets via digital technologies.
Recommendation: Develop systems to ensure closer monitoring of training to assess relevance, effectiveness and efficiency of the learning Actions to consider: Consider contracting of specialized instruction design expertise, a blended approach to learning once COVID restrictions are eased and a higher level of resource allocation for training than has been currently allocated in Phase One. Conduct short tracer studies at least 6 months to 1 year after the training is complete with different cohorts to see what skills women have been able to apply in practice (why or why not) and track their progress with (self-) employment pathways in an effort to accelerate the uptake of skills and percentage of women who secure (self-) employment.
Management Response: Following the changes introduced to the trainings format due to COVID-19 starting in March 2020, return to in-person trainings is expected to a large extent in the Phase II. The findings of the evaluation also confirmed that women beneficiaries prefer the in-person trainings to the online modality, although this will also largely depend on the epidemiological situation in the target regions at any given time. At the same time, the online modality proved to be very useful in terms of ensuring greater outreach and access to resources and knowledge to perhaps more women than initially foreseen, also cross-border-wise. Blended approaches will therefore be the preferred modality to build upon the good practice and ensure flexibility. Online trainings are also easier to access for monitoring purposes. However, a more systematic monitoring system will be explored and applied to assess relevance, effectiveness and efficiency of the learning and to allow for corrections/ further fine-tune if needed as soon as possible.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Capacity development
Organizational Priorities: Operational activities
UNEG Criteria: Efficiency, Effectiveness
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Training assessments on relevance, effectiveness, and efficiency UN Women Georgia CO 2024/07 Overdue-Initiated In compliance with the modular approach in training implementation, to be adopted in the second phase, for every training module specific indicators will be developed to assess relevance, effectiveness and efficiency of the learning. The indicators will be reflected in the training assessment questionnaires to be completed by trainees. Data analysis for the assessment will be performed on a modular level to ensure drawing conclusions for entire training modules.
Recommendation: Strengthen the M&E framework for Phase II by harmonizing the tracking system of enhanced performance indicators as well as ensuring there are gender-sensitive qualitative indicators also built into WEESC LogFrame. Actions to consider: Designate specific M&E teams or personnel within each country and develop country-specific outputs mapped to the overall Theory of Change. Review the assumptions and indicators and strengthen the measurement around behaviour change and sustainability. Engage the regional UN Women Evaluation Unit in Istanbul to deliver capacity-building exercises for local personnel to further develop M&E competencies in the field and with implementation partners. Explore the use of cloud-based platform(s) for housing data and also presenting results in a user-friendly across multiple countries and partners.
Management Response: Complexity of the project operations in three countries necessitates establishment of a user-friendly M&E framework, compliant with capacities of local partners and harmonized across three countries, which was clearly showcased by the project evaluation. In the WEESC Phase II this issue will be addressed by establishment of user-friendly cross-country M&E system in close coordination with project partners. The development of the system will apply participatory approach and will involve specialists with M&E functions for each partner in all three countries, who will subsequently represent users of the system. The system will be piloted in the first project quarter to enable incorporation of lessons learned during the piloting and to introduce improvement in order to ensure further smooth operation through the project lifetime. Even though during the WEESC Phase I Partner Progress Reports provided qualitative evidence on project performance, introduction of qualitative, gender-sensitive indicators in Phase II will enable to capture richer insights and more in-depth information on project beneficiaries, their success as well as challenges faced, which will used for improvement of planned interventions on the activity level. Thus, WEESC LogFrame for the second Phase will enable to capture qualitative dimensions of project progress through several newly introduced qualitative indicators.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Oversight/governance, Knowledge management
Organizational Priorities: Operational activities, Culture of results/RBM
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Establishment of User-Friendly cross-country M&E system UN Women Georgia CO 2021/07 Completed At the inception stage of the WEESC second phase, in close cooperation with project partners, more user-friendly M&E system, harmonized across three countries, has been established. The system considers lessons learned from phase one and builds on existing capacities of the partners, also with an aim for their further improvement. Importantly, information flows are defined and documented in special M&E manuals, which is being used by partners for reference throughout the project implementation (also mitigating the risks of change in team members). The system has been piloted in the first project quarter and improved based on identified findings.
Capacity Building in M&E UN Women Georgia CO 2024/07 Overdue-Initiated The M&E system should be aligned with the capacities of the partners to ensure sound and hassle-free reporting of the monitoring data. In this regard, in addition to making the M&E reporting system more user-friendly, the project will concentrate on capacity building of partners in M&E skills. Regional UN Women Evaluation Unit in Istanbul can be involved in the process of deliver of capacity-building exercises for local personnel to further develop M&E competencies in the field and with implementation partners.
Recommendation: Strengthen the program TOC and interventions to reflect linkage between Outcome 1 and Outcomes 2 and 3. This inter-linkage amongst the outcomes is a core element of the WEESC project design. Actions to consider: Currently, the majority of institutional interventions are geared towards employment, whereas, to date, there has been a greater uptake of women in self-employment, for multiple reasons. These include, but are not limited to, issues related to unpaid care, continued perception of gendered norms which limit women from taking up formal employment and the current COVID-19 context. The project needs to take these into account and develop potential activities to help mitigate these challenges. Alongside policies for employment, the project should also consider what needs to be done to reduce entry and expansion barriers in self-employment. For example, if finance is a key problem, then partnerships could be developed with banks, MFIs, savings and loan groups to introduce alternative financing models into the project. If working capital to buy raw materials is an option, the project could test out value chain financing models For the employment pathway, in addition to supporting an enabling policy environment, the project should also explore which sectors offer high potential for jobs and based on this landscape assessment, work together with partners (both private and public sector) to enable increased jobs for women in these sectors. These could include such sectors as the green economy (agri-business, waste recycling, renewable energy), the care economy (daycares, elder care centres, women’s shelters), the health and safety sector (health care workers, personal support workers and emergency response workers). Increase engagement of implementing partners to facilitate linkages, particularly between Outcomes 1 and 2.
Management Response: In line with the Phase II ToC, the project foresees a transformative change through a holistic approach, enabling linked interventions at all three levels: grass-roots, policies and legislation, and institutions. In fact, these linkages will be further strengthened in the scope of Phase Two following the evaluation recommendations. The project, therefore, provides a holistic and sustainable approach for the achievement of the project’s goal/impact through consistent dialogue and the participation of women – rights holders – so that relevant institutions, policies, legislation and services respond to their needs and demands and enable women with strengthened capacities to empower themselves economically.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Knowledge management, Oversight/governance
Organizational Priorities: Culture of results/RBM
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness, Sustainability, Impact
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Strengthening the linkages between the grassroots work and the private sector in all project regions to enhance the employment pathways UN Women Georgia CO 2024/07 Overdue-Initiated Strengthening the linkages between the grassroots work and the work with the private sector will be an important part of the Outcome 1 in all three project countries.
Integrate economic analysis per target municipality / region in the needs assessment of beneficiary / target grassroots women UN Women Georgia CO 2021/12 Completed Desk reviews to create economic and agricultural profiles of each target region or municipality have been integrated in the planned needs assessment of project beneficiary women. Oftentimes targeted municipalities have local / regional / rural development strategies and plans that already contain sound economic analysis of the region or municipality in question and these resources are being consulted as before.
Enhancing the work with Women’s Rooms UN Women Georgia CO 2024/07 Overdue-Initiated Deepening work around Women’s Rooms in Georgia by ensuring their institutionalization as a municipal service presents yet another opportunity for establishing tangible links between Outcomes 1, 2 and 3: by transforming Women’s Rooms into spaces that provide women with information about their rights (including labour rights), with access to existing central government funded programmes and initiatives aimed at WEE and, last but not least, one-stop shops to receive information on municipal programmes and benefits.
Stand-alone grant programme and/or quotas and special measures for women in the grant programme of Rural Development Agency UN Women Georgia CO 2024/07 Overdue-Initiated In Georgia, the project will provide support to the Rural Development Agency to develop and pilot a stand-alone grant programme and/or quotas and special measures for women, including gender-centred service delivery through the extension centres. This has been one of the recommendations made by the GIA that was performed on the RDA’s largest programme in terms of social reach and number of individual beneficiaries – its “Plant the Future” programme. The RDA programs include larger scale assistance then UN Women’s grant program and usually ask for co-funding from the grant / credit scheme participants. Participation of UN Women’s beneficiaries in these programs will ensure that they are capable larger scale agricultural production and their chances for sustainability and financial independence will significantly increase.
Awareness raising to combat adverse social norms that reify discrimination and inequality UN Women Georgia CO 2024/07 Overdue-Initiated The self-help groups represent an important platform for voicing the issues women beneficiaries are facing in their private lives as well as communities. Adverse social norms will be further addressed and challenged through a sensitive work facilitated by the implementing partners.
Allocation of finance to further support the women’s businesses and the smallholder farmers UN Women Georgia CO 2024/07 Overdue-Initiated See entries under Recommendation 9 In addition, UN Women has supported the GIA of SME development strategy with the focus on enhancing women’s asses to finance. UN Women in partnership with government will follow the recommendations.
Allocation of finance to further support the women’s businesses and the smallholder farmers UN Women Georgia CO 2024/07 Overdue-Initiated See entries under Recommendation 9 In addition, UN Women has supported the GIA of SME development strategy with the focus on enhancing women’s asses to finance. UN Women in partnership with government will follow the recommendations.
Recommendation: Improve the use of the M&E data for decision making purposes, not only for reporting purposes. The project should also revisit how it measures sustainability across different levels and focus more on adoption and behavior change. Actions to consider: Assess effectiveness and analyze (a) the variability of results from target and (b) the attrition rate from access to usage to benefit and the uptake/application (e.g. women applying the skills) and benefit (e.g. women securing jobs or self-employment). There should be a focus on assessing behaviour change and indicator(s) related to sustainability need to be revisited. Develop a clear sustainability and exit strategy, that is, how will these services and functions carry on in the long term without the support of external funding Review and analyse findings against such indicators.
Management Response: During the first phase of the project M&E data was extensively used for project monitoring purposes through quarterly reporting system. Building on this experience in the second phase of the project the use of M&E data will go beyond monitoring and more emphasis will be put on continuous learning to comply with the MEL (Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning) approach. This will imply application of more flexible approach in planning and adjustment of project interventions (e.g. particular activities) based on previously identified lessons learned. This will enable to see more clearly the behavioral change driven by the project and will shed more light in terms of sustainability of project results.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Oversight/governance, Knowledge management
Organizational Priorities: Culture of results/RBM
UNEG Criteria: Impact, Effectiveness
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Effectiveness Analysis UN Women Georgia CO 2024/07 Overdue-Initiated During the second phase of the project effectiveness analysis of Outcome 1 level interventions will be performed based on M&E data. Analysis of project M&E data will enable to identify interlinkages between different interventions (e.g. trainings and (self-) employment) and draw conclusions of the attrition rate, hence effectiveness of delivered capacity building activities, support to grant recipients or beneficiaries being supported to find new or better employment. Effectiveness will be assessed on different levels, e.g. application of skills obtained (uptake) and securing (self-) employment. In both instances the M&E will be used to capture behavioral change driven by the project. Effectiveness Analysis will be performed on a quarterly basis to enable introduction of improvements in the interventions for the next quarter.
Development of Sustainability and Exit strategy UN Women Georgia CO 2024/07 Overdue-Initiated A specific sustainability and exit strategy will be developed in close cooperation with partners and applying participatory approach by involving actual project beneficiaries in the strategy development. Sustainability and exit strategy will focus on approaches that will support project benefits to be sustainable in the long term without the support of external funding.
Recommendation: Enhance transparency and accountability for the use of resources (financial, human and material). Actions to consider: Report on resources utilized by all implementing partners broken down by specific budget-line items to more effectively determine more the cost- efficiency of each output/activity in Phase II.
Management Response: Financial reporting for UN Women and the partners are enshrined in UN Women’s organizational procedures and agreed with the donors at the corporate level. The CO is not capable to amend these processes and procedures, but can certainly inquire with relevant units in the HQ how further may one enhance transparency and accountability for the use of resources.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Partially Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Oversight/governance
Organizational Priorities: Operational activities
UNEG Criteria: Efficiency
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
UN Women Georgia CO to inquire with relevant units in the HQ how further may one enhance transparency and accountability for the use of resources to be utilized during evaluations. UN Women Georgia Co 2021/12 Completed This issue has been raised and discussed with the ECA Regional Evaluation Specialist, to make sure that the recommendation is understood correctly.
Recommendation: Position UN Women & UNDP should act as a role model for other project stakeholders as it relates to disaggregating data by sex and vulnerability. Actions to consider: UN Project Managers ensure disaggregated data by sex, age, minority status, disability, and income via agreements with implementing partners and any consultants hired. Share UN Women’s & UNDP’s corporate gender policies with all stakeholders, including gender-sensitive procurement policies, in order to contribute to the promotion of women-owned businesses and their legitimate place in the value chain. Encourage project stakeholders to model and promote their own gender-sensitive procurement policies to enhance their credibility with local governments, civil society and private sector companies working within the rural communities.
Management Response: Leave no one behind (LNOB) principle that UN is using extensively already assumes careful tracking and monitoring of beneficiaries outreached through intersectional programmatic interventions and will be upheld also in the WEESC II phase.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Oversight/governance
Organizational Priorities: Operational activities
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
WEESC II Project Monitoring Framework incorporated disaggregation of beneficiary data by sex, age, minority status, disability, and income. UN Women Georgia CO 2021/07 Completed The WEESC II Log-frame and PMF developed and allows for beneficiary disaggregation according to their sex, age, minority status, disability and income. In addition, M&E Specialist included in the WEESC II phase team to ensure consistent and quality tracking of relevant data.
Share UN Women’s gender-sensitive procurement policies with project partners and stakeholders in order to contribute to the promotion of women-owned businesses and their legitimate place in the value chain. UN Women Georgia CO 2024/07 Overdue-Initiated
Recommendation: Enhance the demand-driven aspect of the training provided to women to improve their business and their readiness for economic activities. Actions to consider: Analyze the demand or market for high-priority those sectors/services/products and the demand-driven opportunities for women in the employment sector. Facilitate linkages so that buyers are connected to these suppliers and employers see the benefit of hiring women. Explore promoting women’s involvement in investing in alternative initiatives such as small-scale renewable energy (solar, biogas, wind turbines), waste recycling operations (paper, plastics, glass, metals, and organic materials for composting, etc.).
Management Response: Economic analysis of the regions in combination with the results of the need assessment of the existing and potential beneficiaries in all three project countries planned for the early stages of the Phase One will provide important insights into the employment-related opportunities and challenges in the project regions. These will help further identify relevant sectors and options in the region with respect to employment, hence applying more demand-driven approach. Additionally, strengthened work with the private sector under Outcome 1 will allow for more linkages with the grassroots work in the upcoming phase (such as engaging the beneficiary women as suppliers or even employees through internships, volunteering, job-shadowing etc.).
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Capacity development
Organizational Priorities: Partnership
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Integrate economic analysis per target municipality / region in the needs assessment of beneficiary / target grassroots women UN Women Georgia CO 2021/12 Completed Desk reviews to create economic and agricultural profiles of each target region or municipality have been integrated in the planned needs assessment of project beneficiary women. Oftentimes targeted municipalities have local / regional / rural development strategies and plans that already contain sound economic analysis of the region or municipality in question and these resources are being consulted as before.
Strengthening the linkages between the women beneficiaries and the private sector in all project regions UN Women Georgia CO 2024/07 Overdue-Initiated Strengthening the linkages between the grassroots work and the work with the private sector will be an important part of the Outcome 1 in all three project countries. Volunteering and job shadowing as well as introducing women beneficiaries as suppliers will be explored as some of the modalities of facilitating women’s entry into the formal employment.
Women’s involvement in investing in alternative initiatives (waste recycling operations) UN Women Georgia CO 2024/07 Overdue-Initiated Recycling has been one of the areas of focus under the GRB component in the Phase One. In the next phase, the environmental aspects of the economic activities and environmental activism will be strengthened and opportunities for women’s potential economic involvement in waste recycling will be further explored.
Recommendation: Develop pilot activities to demonstrate a shared incentive for the private sector to adopt policies and practices to improve absorption and retention of women at the workplace. Actions to consider: Conduct pilot initiatives with select private sector partners in relevant countries to capture and “demonstrate” the financial and social benefits of adopting the WEPs and resultant changes to corporate policies and practices. These initiatives could potentially include the following activities to be implemented directly with private sector partners (1) convene discussions to understand if companies are having issues with retention, absenteeism and employee turnover and also understand if there is scope for women’s (increased) employment in the organisation and rationale for the companies to hire more women; (2) conduct brief exploratory research to understand if any of the above issues are specific to women; (3) interview current female staff separately to obtain their individual perspectives and identify potential female role model/champions within the company (4) develop models with interested private sector partners to address above issues that may have been identified and align with international and regional best practice; and (5) share the learning with other private sector organisations and develop a community of practice of private sector partners committed to operationalizing the WEPs in the context of inclusive business models that embrace women’s economic empowerment. Given the current COVID-19 context, partnerships with local companies active in rural areas should be prioritized in Phase 2 by conducting landscape assessments in the 3 countries. There may be an opportunity to prioritize collaboration with local companies engaged in agri-business (i.e. wage employment opportunities) in light of food security issues related to COVID, and also potentially those engaged in the medical supplies sector. Such interventions have been undertaken with strong success by IFC in Asia, Market Development Facility in the Pacific and the Arab Women Enterprise Fund in Jordan and Egypt.
Management Response: In Georgia, the work with the private sector has been accelerated in the scope of implementation of the JAWE project and will continue in its second phase. In Armenia and Azerbaijan, the WEPs component is not as advanced yet, however, important partnerships and linkages have been established in the scope of the Phase One and this work will be further enhanced in both countries. Opportunities to pilot initiatives demonstrating the benefits of WEPs will be further explored in the scope of the next phase. At the same time, strong emphasis will be placed on establishing links and partnerships wish local companies and employers to also facilitate employment options and inclusion of the self-employed women and smallholder farmers in the value chains.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: National ownership
Organizational Priorities: Partnership
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness, Sustainability
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Strengthening the work with the WEPs and relevant private sector companies in all project countries UN Women Georgia CO 2024/07 Overdue-Initiated In Georgia, the WEPs component will be largely overseen by the Phase Two of the JAWE project. In Armenia and Azerbaijan, the work with the private sector will be further strengthened as the WEPs will be nationalized and made more relatable for smaller and local companies in the two countries. Good practices will be shared by the Georgia CO as well as by the ECA Regional Office.
Study on benefits of WEPs in Cooperation with Pricewaterhousecoopers (Offices of Georgia and India) conducted in the scope of the JAWE project UN Women Georgia CO 2021/02 Completed PriceWaterhouseCoopers has been selected through an open tender to conduct a study on Business Benefits of WEPs. The findings of the study provide important inputs in for the work with the WEPs also under WEESC. Conducting of similar studies in Armenia and Azerbaijan might be explored further into implementation of the Phase Two (also provided sufficient number of private companies register).
National and regional exchanges of good practices, knowledge and tools among the private sector companies and the WEPs signees UN Women Georgia CO 2024/07 Overdue-Initiated Regular exchanges of good practice, knowledge and tools will be organized nationally as well as across the region to create important linkages, facilitate learning and enhance the work with the private sector and effective implementation of the WEPs in the registered companies.
Recommendation: Develop a specific WEESC Phase II COVID-19 Action Plan, including priority activities and resource allocation requirements. Actions to consider: The action plan should continue to address the ongoing immediate needs of poor and excluded women and also focus on medium-term strategic policy and institutional initiatives, as well as post-COVID recovery considerations. Consider the creation of a COVID-19 Gender Response Tracker that defines gender-sensitive measures as those that seek to directly address the risks and challenges that women and girls face in the COVID crisis, notably violence against women, unpaid care work and economic insecurity. Measures currently included in the tracker are clustered into 4 categories: Social Protection, Labour Markets, VAW and Economic and Fiscal Policies
Management Response: The project will develop the action plan with the focus on policy initiatives. Tracking the Covid and gender response is part of UN Women’s country office efforts.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Oversight/governance
Organizational Priorities: Organizational efficiency, Humanitarian action
UNEG Criteria: Relevance
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Develop COVID-19 Action plan UN Women Georgia CO 2021/12 Completed The project has adapted its annual work plan to COVID-19 conditions.
Covid-19 response tracking UN Women Georgia CO 2021/12 Completed UN Women is tracking the COVID-19 impact on gender equality and government’s response. To this end UN Women conducted and communicated the findings of few COVID-19 impact studies to the government; namely the second wave of Rapid Gender Assessment; Analysis of COVID-19 Impact on Domestic Workers; Analysis of COVID-19 Impact on Access to Services to the Survivors of Violence; Analysis of COVID-19 Impact on Frontline Healthcare Responders.
Recommendation: Country-specific recommendation Georgia: 1. Capitalize on the achievements and results of Phase One and deepen/expand activities in Outcomes 2/3 for improved policymaking and legislation for WEE and recommendations to ensure that the legislation harmonizes with international standards. Actions to consider: Provide much needed support to the line Ministries in order to enhance their GE and WEE capacity and help them translate their strategies and action plans into policy documents and standard operating procedures.
Management Response: Phase One has generated evidence and data that form the foundation for engaging in significant policymaking and legislating work for WEE in Phase Two, thus, this recommendation will be upheld with high diligence and persistence.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Capacity development, National ownership
Organizational Priorities: Partnership, Normative Support
UNEG Criteria: Efficiency, Effectiveness, Relevance, Gender equality
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Continued support to Ministries and agencies in order to enhance their GE and WEE capacity and help them translate their strategies and action plans into policy and normative documents and standard operating procedures. UN Women Georgia CO 2024/07 Overdue-Initiated Recommendation is reflected in the PRODOC of the 2nd phase of the project.
Recommendation: Country-specific recommendation Georgia: 2. Accelerate work with municipal decision-makers to raise the awareness of the benefits of GRB and influence the institutionalization of GRB related work. Actions to consider: GRB has been positioned as an auxiliary strategy for social mobilization activities in Phase One of the project. It has been successful in this regard, and in Phase Two, the WEESC project should address the current expectations among rural and vulnerable women that their voices will be heard by municipal government as it relates to GRB. Phase Two should expand the interaction with municipal governments to include decision-makers who can drive increased awareness and also ensure commitment to institutionalization of GRB at a municipal level.
Management Response: In order to strengthen women’s voice, agency and participation, the project will further improve the skills and capacities of socially mobilized rural women in the target regions to engage in local planning and budgeting processes (GRB discussions).
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: National ownership, Capacity development
Organizational Priorities: Normative Support, Partnership, UN Coordination
UNEG Criteria: Sustainability, Gender equality, Relevance
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Work on GRB will be accelerated in WEESC II Phase. UN Women Georgia CO 2024/07 Overdue-Initiated In order to strengthen women’s voice, agency and participation, the project will further improve the skills and capacities of socially mobilized rural women in the target regions to engage in local planning and budgeting processes (GRB discussions). The activities will build upon the results, accomplishments and partnerships under Phase One. The project will also create dialogue platforms between relevant representatives of local and central governments and mobilized women’s groups around issues relevant for women’s economic empowerment locally (in their communities) as well as nationally. The work is expected to be accelerated as relevant information and knowledge has been already shared with the local authorities in the scope of Phase One and results are visible in many of the communities. In parallel, WEESC project will capitalize on the efforts of the sister project on governance funded by the government of Norway to support GRB nationwide and strengthen the capacity of the government and consequently, local municipalities.
Recommendation: Country-specific recommendation Armenia: 1. To strengthen the linkages between the grassroots, law and policy, and institutional levels, allocate additional resources to working with local governments on reforming their bylaws and policies to encourage WEE and GE. Actions to consider: - Identify further capacity-building (training, mentoring, coaching, etc.) and institutional-strengthening needs related to good governance, including e-governance for transparency. - Work with local male leaders and administrators to change their perceptions on women in the public workforce. Identify GEWE champions to change community perceptions as to women’s roles in the economy and the “power of the purse”.
Management Response: The activities relating to the work with the local municipalities (e.g. advocacy, GRB) will build upon the results, accomplishments and partnerships established under Phase One. The project will also create dialogue platforms between relevant representatives of local and central governments and mobilized women’s groups around issues relevant for women’s economic empowerment locally (in their communities) as well as nationally. Important linkages will be established and gender will be further mainstreamed into the work with the local municipalities through establishment of gender focal points within the municipality structures or through allocating resources in the form of community development grants.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Capacity development, National ownership
Organizational Priorities: Partnership, Normative Support
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness, Gender equality, Sustainability
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Introducing “gender focal points” within the structure of selected municipalities. UN Women Georgia CO through UNDP Armenia 2024/07 Overdue-Initiated The function of “gender focal point” will be piloted within the structure of selected enlarged municipalities in order to facilitate gender mainstreaming in local development programmes with a focus on economic opportunities for women.
Introducing small grants scheme to address community development issues. UN Women Georgia CO in partnership with UNDP Armenia 2021/12 Completed As per the WEESC II Phase Project Document, in the second and third year of project implementation, UNDP Armenia will pilot women-led small grants scheme to address community development issues contributing to WEE.
Exploring the possibility of linking the grassroots beneficiaries to the state programmes. UN Women Georgia CO in partnership with UNDP Armenia 2021/07 Completed Following the GIA of employment policies with the MLSA in Armenia, a stand-alone programme and/or the inclusion of the elements of a holistic approach towards WEE can be included in the programme and linking it to grass-roots NGOs and women. UN Women and UNDP will take special notice to determine whether or not there is an opportunity to link the grass-roots beneficiaries to the state programmes in question.
Recommendation: Country-specific recommendation Armenia: 2. Encourage local government to embrace e-governance, especially in times of COVID and beyond the pandemic, so as to enhance transparency around GE and WEE. Actions to consider: Consider developing a radio or TV program in Armenian, which reaches the rural populations as well as to promulgate developments concerning GE & WEE in times of COVID and beyond.
Management Response: UN Women and UNDP will promote digital solutions across various platforms/ outlets with the aim to enhance transparency around GE and WEE. As per development of the radio/ TV program to reach rural populations with messages around GE and WEE, this will be further explored in partnership with UNDP Armenia and other partners on the ground.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Governance and planning (SPs before 2018), Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: National ownership, Knowledge management, Capacity development
Organizational Priorities: Partnership, Operational activities
UNEG Criteria: Sustainability, Effectiveness
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Digital solutions across various platforms / outlets with the aim to enhance transparency around GE and WEE. UN Women Georgia CO in partnership with UNDP Armenia 2024/07 Overdue-Initiated E-governance as a solution, also following COVID-19 related restrictions on mobility, can be encouraged throughout the project work under all three outcomes. Online solutions have already been successfully applied in the scope of the GRB discussions in Q3 of 2020. The good practice can further serve towards intensifying usage of digital solutions across various platforms/ outlets with the aim to enhance transparency around GE and WEE.
Recommendation: Country-specific recommendation Armenia: 3. Raise the awareness of local leaders, private sector companies, and the general public at public events or via online media about best practices and innovative approaches to GE and WEE.
Management Response: Building upon the results of Phase One, the project will continue using social mobilization to engage rural women, as well as other community members in the target regions. Local leaders are always informed about the project activities taking place in the municipalities and they will be further approached in relation to awareness raising activities planned in the scope of Phase Two. In regards to the private sector, the current WEPs signees have shown interest and motivation to learn but also to participate in public events, sharing messages around the issues of GE and WEE. These activities will be enhanced in the Phase Two as the number of WEPs signees and engaged private sector companies will grow and national WEPs networks will be strengthened.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Capacity development, Advocacy
Organizational Priorities: Partnership
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness, Gender equality
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Exchanges of good practices, knowledge and tools among the private sector companies and the WEPs signees across the three countries and nationally. UN Women Georgia in partnership with UNDP Armenia 2024/07 Overdue-Initiated Regular exchanges of good practice, knowledge and tools will be organized across the region to create regional interlinkages, facilitate learning, raise awareness on important issues and enhance the work with the private sector and effective implementation of the WEPs in the registered companies.
Exploring viability of the Center for Creative Technology in Vardenis and the possibility of its replication in other contexts. UN Women Georgia CO in partnership with UNDP Armenia 2024/07 Overdue-Initiated The work and results of the Center for Creative Technology will be assessed and the option of establishing similar centers elsewhere explored.
Organize “Ring the bell for gender equality” public event. UN Women Georgia CO in partnership with UNDP Amrenia 2021/07 Completed On 9 March 2021, the Armenia Securities Exchange rang the bell in support of gender equality. The event was attended by another WEPs signees and engaged privates sector companies active in the area finance. The panel discussion was live-streamed on Facebook with more than 1500 views.
Recommendation: Country-specific recommendation Azerbaijan: 1. During Phase Two, explore the integration of Outcomes 2 and/or 3 in Azerbaijan, using a similar approach to collaboration with UNDP Armenia. Actions to consider: - Recruit a designated UN Women focal point in country to manage these outcome(s), shares its expertise, and works closely with UNDP alongside a network of public sector stakeholders, and outsourced NGOs, local and/or international WEE experts. - Develop gender-responsive entrepreneurship support mechanisms in collaboration with the Ministry of Economy and Industry and National Fund of Assistance for Entrepreneurship. - Partner with the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Azerbaijan, to assess and facilitate gender-responsive social protection programming and early childhood care services, given the high unpaid care responsibilities of women that limit their economic engagement.
Management Response: In order to follow up to this recommendation, UN Women Georgia CO and UNDP Azerbaijan will consult relevant government partners during the design stage of WEESC II Phase to assess their interest and commitment thus, enabling environment, for deployment of approaches related to Outcome 2 and 3 also in Azerbaijan.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Partially Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: National ownership, Capacity development
Organizational Priorities: Partnership, Culture of results/RBM
UNEG Criteria: Sustainability, Relevance
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
In the design stage of Phase Two, explore integration of Outcomes 2 and/or 3 in Azerbaijan, using a similar approach to collaboration with UNDP Armenia UN Women Georgia CO in partnership with UNDP Azerbaijan 2021/07 Completed The consultations held with key government partners in the design stage of WEESC II Phase led to the conclusion that the project will continue its activities in Azerbaijan solely under Outcome 1. Yet, key partnerships with the State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs (SCFWCA) and the Executive Committees of Baku-Khazar, Gusar and Sabirabad regions will be enhanced and strengthened in the scope of Phase Two. The SCFWCA is the principal government body responsible for the formulation, coordination and implementation of women-related policies and, thus, the main government counterpart for the project. These committees will continue to ensure national ownership of the project, facilitate access to the project’s target areas and coordinate certain activities with other government entities. Gender will be further mainstreamed into the micro-grants scheme that is used to provide seed capital for the women beneficiaries as well as other entrepreneurship-related activities.
Recommendation: Country-specific recommendation Azerbaijan: 2. Prioritize support to the Azerbaijani WRCs to build both governance and funding diversification models and options to lay the foundation for long(er) term sustainability. Actions to consider: - Formulate both a capacity building/governance and exit strategy for the existing WRCs in order to develop a financially sustainable model(s) to enable independent operation. - Test a number of alternative models such as contribution of a portion of income generated by women to support the services provided by the WRCs, social enterprise models and cooperative models (of profit sharing), etc.
Management Response: Ensuring the sustainability of WRCs will be at the forefront of the project implementation in Azerbaijan. The transformation of WRCs into independent NGOs is one way of ensuring the sustainability that was considered by UN Women; however, the evaluation report has suggested testing out models such as “common pots” and “contribution of a portion SME profit into the centers” that will be further explored during the second phase of the project.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Capacity development, National ownership
Organizational Priorities: Partnership, Organizational efficiency
UNEG Criteria: Sustainability
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
One-time fee for the grants’ recipients UN Women Georgia CO in partnership with UNDP Azerbaijan 2024/07 Overdue-Initiated Before being awarded with the seed money towards their businesses, one condition will be that women entrepreneurs provide a small one-time fee to the operational funds of the WRCs. This will be institutionalized, and the funds will be included in the network of WRCs, as feasible, to contribute back to their communities by supporting WRCs.
Contribution of a portion of SME profit into the centers/ “common pots”, etc. UN Women Georgia CO in partnership with UNDP Azerbaijan 2024/07 Overdue-Initiated Sustainability alternatives suggested by the evaluation that are to be tested in the scope of Phase Two.
Capacity building/ governance and exit strategy for the existing WRCs UN Women Georgia CO in partnership with UNDP Azerbaijan 2024/07 Overdue-Initiated In the scope of Phase Two, the work on ensuring WRC sustainability will continue and be strengthened as capacity building/governance and exit strategy for the existing WRCs will be formulated in order to develop a financially sustainable model(s) to enable independent operation.
Recommendation: Country-specific recommendation Azerbaijan: 3. Capitalize on the achievements and results of Phase One and deepen/expand activities in Outcomes 2/3 for improved policymaking and legislation for WEE and recommendations to ensure that the legislation harmonizes with international standards. Actions to consider: Engage private sector entities in the implementation of WRC activities, as well as in the design of capacity building and sustainability processes and models.
Management Response: Key partnerships with the State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs (SCFWCA) and the Executive Committees of Baku-Khazar, Gusar and Sabirabad regions will be enhanced and strengthened in the scope of Phase Two. The mentioned partners will continue to ensure national ownership of the project, facilitate access to the project’s target areas and coordinate certain activities with other government entities. Additionally, linkages between the WEPs work and WRCs will be strengthened in the scope of Phase Two.
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Description:
Management Response Category: Accepted
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: National ownership, Capacity development
Organizational Priorities: Partnership, Normative Support
UNEG Criteria: Sustainability
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
WEP’s support to capacity building of the WRCs. UN Women Georgia CO in partnership with UNDP Azerbaijan 2021/07 Completed In the scope of Phase One, a WEPs signee (PWC) became engaged in the capacity building of the WRCs (all 9 WRCs across the country) equipping the WRC coordinators and personnel with important skills and knowledge (management, fundraising, administrative, etc.). This work will be further strengthened and elaborated in the Phase Two as more companies sign the WEPs and the linkages will be more diverse. Eventually, the WRC members will also benefit from these synergies in the form of trainings, inclusion in the value chains or employment opportunities.
Sustainability model created pro bono by a WEPs signee – Deloitte UN Women Georgia CO in partnership with UNDP Azerbaijan 2021/07 Completed Deloitte has developed a sustainability model/report for the WRCs pro bono, as part of the WEPs work.