Management Response

: Zimbabwe
: 2012 - 2013 , Zimbabwe (CO)
: Zimbabwe Gender Support Programme (GSP) Final Evaluation
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: Zimbabwe
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: Approved
Recommendation: There is need for additional support to consolidate the gains achieved by the Gender Support Programme (GSP) as many of the results are just beginning to show and need additional funding to mature. An opportunity exists with the finalization of the draft constitution. If this is accepted, laws and policies will need to be changed in alignment with the new constitution. However, this will need substantial funding for a sustained campaign.
Management Response: Agreed
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Description:
Management Response Category:
Thematic Area: Governance and planning (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Advocacy
Organizational Priorities: Not applicable
UNEG Criteria: Sustainability, Gender equality
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Mobilise resources so as to provide additional support to consolidate the gains achieved by the GSP. e.g. (i) Finalising a joint program for Gender Equality. This program has a strong component on supporting the alignment of laws and policies to the new Constitution (ii) Finalise a joint program with UNICEF on Elimination of Violence against women and girls. (iii) Finalise funding proposal on women?s participation in political processes mainly focusing on participation pre, during and post elections. UN Women Country Representative (CR) 2013/06 Completed (i) The Joint project between UN Women and UNICEF on Prevention of Gender Based Violence Against Adolescent Girls and Young Women was finalized and has been approved and is being supported by the Government of Denmark / Royal Danish Embassy of Harare. The total budget for the project is US$4,929 054 and UN Women's allocation is US$2,394,699 for three years. (ii) The joint program for Gender Equality is on hold with the donors. (iii) The proposal on women's participation in political processes mainly focusing on participation pre, during and post elections was suspended as the UN in Zimbabwe was not working on elections. UN Women has planned to re-engage EU and discuss funding opportunities for women's participation in political and decision making processes.
Bringing on board or developing cooperation with other UN partners to support programs for sustainability of efforts UN Women CR 2013/12 Completed UN Women has developed joint programs with other UN agencies e.g. (i) The joint program between UN Women and UNICEF on Prevention of Gender Based Violence Against Adolescent Girls and Young Women being supported by DANIDA (ii) The H4+ support to Reproductive, Maternal, New-born and Child Health, which is a Joint program with UNICEF, UNFPA, UNAIDS, WHO and Ministry of Health and Child Welfare. The H4+ project is being funded by the Government of Sweden.
Recommendation: Short grants have proven not to be ideal for changes that take longer to materialize. For these types of changes which include policy and social transformation a future programme should increase the grant period to multi-year.
Management Response: Agreed
More detail
Description:
Management Response Category:
Thematic Area: Governance and planning (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Advocacy
Organizational Priorities: Not applicable
UNEG Criteria: Gender equality, Sustainability
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
To provide funding for long-term programmes rather than one-off projects. UN Women Program Staff 2013/12 Completed UN Women through the H4+ project and the Joint UNICEF and UN Women project will provide funds for long term programs. The time frame for each of the two joint programs is three years.
Recommendation: There is need to test and continue building the capacity of the Women Coalition of Zimbabwe (WCoZ) to be a central fund mobilisation agency and grants manager for women?s organisations. With this approach, coordination of the gender sector will be strengthened.
Management Response: Agreed, however though WCoZ appreciated the role they could play in mobilising resources and being a grant manager, they also highlighted that it should be taken into consideration that WCoZ?s major role is movement building and not grants management. WCoZ indicated that they could start by piloting the idea through forming a grants management pilot unit within the Coalition.
More detail
Description:
Management Response Category:
Thematic Area: Governance and planning (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Capacity development
Organizational Priorities: Not applicable
UNEG Criteria: Sustainability, Gender equality
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Engage in dialogue with WCoZ so as to come up with an action plan to strengthen WCoZ capacity and discuss opportunities for WCoZ as a fund manager. UN Women 2013/05 Completed UN Women held meetings with WCoZ and developed an action plan to strengthen WCoZ capacity and discuss opportunities for WCoZ as a fund manager. UN Women is to continue providing technical support to WCoZ in implementation of the action plan.
Conduct a systems and financial assessment for WCoZ based on the audit report and provide technical support to WCoZ in developing a plan to implement recommendations of the audit report. UN Women 2013/06 Completed UN Women has discussed with WCoZ and the findings are that the institution is facing some challenges both financial and technical capacity. UN Women Zimbabwe will work with WCoZ to provide technical support to build the capacity of the institution.
Recommendation: For similar programmes in the future, M & E should be strengthened by establishing an M & E database to track indicators, beneficiaries and provide a quick access dashboard to monitor programme implementation
Management Response: Agreed
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Description:
Management Response Category:
Thematic Area: Governance and planning (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Not applicable
Organizational Priorities: Operational activities, Culture of results/RBM
UNEG Criteria: Effectiveness, Efficiency
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Develop a standardised data base for the Fund for Gender Equality (FGE), Women?s Property and Inheritance Rights in the Context of HIV/AIDS (WPIR) and Norwegian Funded projects. UN Women M & E Officer and Program staff 2013/07 Completed An excel data base for UN Women projects has been developed and progress in implementation of projects is tracked on a quarterly basis through quarterly reports.
Develop standardised data collection tools and data base at the Responsible parties level UN Women M & E Officer and Responsible Parties (RPs) 2013/07 Completed Data base has been developed with one partner Women and Law in Southern Africa using SPSS as a model.
Train RPs on using data collection tools and standardised data base. UN Women M & E Officer 2013/07 Completed Three Responsible Partners (WLSA, Ntengwe for Community Development and ZUBO/Basiliwzi) were trained on data collection during the Results Based Management Training and technical support was also provided during the quarterly monitoring visits.
Recommendation: A majority of the Responsible Parties (RPs) lack capacity in gender analysis and human rights programming important for work on promoting women?s rights. Capacity in these areas should be built to ensure effectiveness in the promotion of women?s rights.
Management Response: Agreed
More detail
Description:
Management Response Category:
Thematic Area: Governance and planning (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Capacity development
Organizational Priorities: Not applicable
UNEG Criteria: Sustainability, Gender equality
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Train RPs on Human Rights Based approach to programming and gender analysis UN Women Programs Staff 2013/12 No Longer Applicable The training could not be conducted due to unavailability of financial resources.
Recommendation: Government needs to be involved in the planning structures and implementation of a similar programme as it provides the policy direction for the gender sector in Zimbabwe. To be able to fulfill this role effectively it will require technical and organisational capacity strengthening.
Management Response: Agreed
More detail
Description:
Management Response Category:
Thematic Area: Governance and planning (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Capacity development, Not applicable
Organizational Priorities: Partnership, Not applicable
UNEG Criteria: Sustainability
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Develop MOUs with relevant government ministries UN Women CR and Partnerships Consultant 2013/12 No Longer Applicable Draft MOUs have been developed and are at various approval stages with different government ministries. However this action will not be completed this year as the process of developing an MOU with government departments is taking much longer than was anticipated.
Consult government in development of new programs and reviewing of program documents UN Women CR and Program Officers 2013/12 Completed Government has been involved in development of new programs for example: H4+ program is a joint initiative with other UN agencies and Ministry of Health and Child Welfare. In addition UN Women co-chairs Gender Theme Group (GTG) with the Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development and the GTG is leading the development of the Joint Program on Gender Equality.
Recommendation: In influencing policy, a future programme needs to also come up with strategies for the domestication of regional and international gender equality commitments such as CEDAW and the SADC Gender Protocol
Management Response: Agreed
More detail
Description:
Management Response Category:
Thematic Area: Ending violence against women (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Not applicable, Capacity development
Organizational Priorities: Operational activities, Normative Support
UNEG Criteria: Sustainability, Gender equality
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Support government and partners in implementation of the CEDAW and SADC Gender Protocol UN Women Program Officers 2013/12 Completed UN Women is supporting implementation of CEDAW Concluding remarks on GBV through the new joint UN Women and UNICEF project on GBV. Through the Gender, Peace and Security project, UN Women is supporting RPs to implement the SADC Gender Protocol especially Article 28 on Peace Building and Conflict Resolution.
Recommendation: Involvement of men in similar programmes should be intensified to change patriarchal values that undermine fulfilment of the rights of women. As a prerequisite each project that is approved must have a specific training component on gender issues as well as consultations with other men particularly male leadership in the communities.
Management Response: Agreed
More detail
Description:
Management Response Category:
Thematic Area: Ending violence against women (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Promoting inclusiveness/Leaving no one behind
Organizational Priorities: Engaging men and boys
UNEG Criteria: Human Rights, Gender equality
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Develop and implement a strategy on community leadership involvement in EVAW programs. UN Women EVAW Specialist, M & E Officer and Responsible Parties 2013/08 Completed UN Women has developed a strategy on community leadership involvement through two new projects: the H4+ and the Joint program between UN Women and UNICEF all have specific strategies for community engagement especially traditional leaders and men.
Recommendation: The issue of sustainability of efforts to end Violence Against Women (VAW) is not explicitly addressed. The evaluators recommend strategies that transfer ownership of the fight against VAW to the community, as Padare / Men?s Forum on Gender has done in two wards in Zvishavane District, for example.
Management Response: Agreed
More detail
Description:
Management Response Category:
Thematic Area: Ending violence against women (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Not applicable, Promoting inclusiveness/Leaving no one behind
Organizational Priorities: Engaging men and boys
UNEG Criteria: Sustainability
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Improve the proposal writing template used by RPs to include a section that provide explicit evidence on community involvement and how the Human Rights Based Approach will be used throughout the program life cycle especially for the EVAW programs. UN Women Program Officers and M & E Officer 2013/06 Completed A section on Community Involvement and Human Rights Based Approach (RBA) has been included in the proposal writing template to be used by RPs so as to enhance ownership.
Conduct participatory planning, implementation and monitoring exercises with communities to ensure that they are included throughout the projects life cycle to enhance ownership and sustainability. UN Women Program Officers and M & E Officer and Responsible Parties (RPs) 2013/12 Completed Participatory monitoring visits have been conducted with RPs and the direct and indirect beneficiaries as well.
Recommendation: Given that the fund disproportionately benefited Community Based Organisations (CBOs), a future programme could consider dedicated allocations for national Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and CBOs or collaborations between the two. In adopting this approach the programme should still maintain the competitive call for proposals system.
Management Response: Agreed however the challenge is that in some specialised areas e.g. legal aid provision for women there are only a few NGOs that have the specialised experience to provide the specialised support to women.
More detail
Description:
Management Response Category:
Thematic Area: Governance and planning (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Promoting inclusiveness/Leaving no one behind
Organizational Priorities: Partnership
UNEG Criteria: Sustainability, Effectiveness, Impact
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Encourage collaboration and partnerships between CBOs and NGOs when responding to call for proposals. UNWOMEN 2013/12 Completed UN Women has encouraged collaboration between CBOs and NGOs for example: (i) through the Gender Peace and Security program (a) Zimbabwe?s Young Women?s Peace Building Network is conducting a collaborate research with UN Women, Africa Gender Institute ? University of Cape Town. (b) WCoZ is working in partnership with grassroots women and other CBOs.
Recommendation: In economic empowerment projects, an exit strategy should identify key performance indicators where certain minimum standards should be reached by projects as minimum preconditions for sustainability, for example in terms of basic skills in business numeracy, business management, organizational capacity, inputs supply and market linkages etc.
Management Response: Agreed
More detail
Description:
Management Response Category:
Thematic Area: Women economic empowerment (SPs before 2018)
Operating Principles: Not applicable
Organizational Priorities: Culture of results/RBM
UNEG Criteria: Sustainability
Key Actions
Responsible Deadline Status Comments
Include in all proposals a section on exit strategy which should be explicitly addressed by UN Women and RPs. UN Women Program Staff and UN Women M & E. 2013/12 Completed The UN Women Prodoc form now requests partners to clearly describe the exit strategy for their program. The exit strategy will be explained under the strategies section.
Monitor implementation of the phased exit strategy UN Women Program Officers and M & E Officer. 2013/12 Completed Exit strategies have been developed with Gender, Peace and Security supported partners. Community ownership has been strengthened during project implementation and this will ensure continuity of interventions after the project life cycle. For example Community based facilitators were trained on information gathering on women's security issues and they are organizing dialogues within the communities between the security services and communities. This has enhanced community ownership and the security services in the communities e.g. Traditional leaders have shown commitment to continue participating and engaging in dialogue to discuss gender, peace and security issues within the communities.