Management Response

Recommendation:

The Project Advisory Board contemplated by the Project document should not now be established.

Management Response:

Agreed. Potential revisions to the framework supporting the project are contemplated through the 16 November 2010 grant letter (RFR-10/0060) from the Royal Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kingdom of Norway to UNIFEM-part of UN Women). In this regard, section 2 of the grant letter states, any deviation from the activities, time frame and/or budget specified in the approved project document is to be brought to the MFA?s attention immediately.? The project will submit a formal request to Royal Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kingdom of Norway to not establish a Project Advisory Board (in accordance with the oral agreement by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs that a Project Advisory Board was not necessary).

Key Actions Responsible Deadline Status Comments Seek formal approval by donor CEE SRO 2013/01 Completed Donor agreed that Advisory Board will not be established.

Recommendation:	The new log-frame should be formally incorporated into the Project document.
Management Response:	Accepted. The revised log-frame will be formally incorporated into the project document. The project monitoring function has already been strengthened through a revised log-frame, the only outstanding issue in this regard is the formal incorporation of same into the project document.

Key Actions Responsible Deadline Status Comments Revised log-frame formally incorporated into the project document. Project Manager (cleared through the CSEE Regional Programme Director) 2012/11 Completed

Recommendation:

There should be increased attention to regional dimensions of the Project (Output 3) which might include the development of knowledge products and other regional public goods, a Community of Practice, increased regional networking to provide both NCs and national experts with information about broader regional experiences on UNSCR 1325 implementation.

Management Response:

Accepted although it should be reminded that the project was designed to facilitate results at both the national and the regional level and it has done just that. That said, project management and the SRO agree as to the importance of achieving results on the regional level through the establishment / empowerment of structures to forward the women, peace and security agenda in the Western Balkan sub-region.

Key Actions Responsible Deadline Status Comments Participatory project planning (in 2012 for 2013) reflects a strengthened focus on regional results. CEESRO 2012/09 Completed Group planning meeting held in Bratislava in Oct 2012. The 2013 project work plan reflects an increased regional focus (as measured through strengthened budgetary allocations and national efforts (supported by the 1325 project) that have developed regional dimensions CEESRO 2013/01 Completed Reflected in WP 2013.

Recommendation:

The Project should look to work with partners with more resources ? to build on UN Women?s leading role as women?s champion, at least in UN system, and the intellectual capital it has garnered to build partnerships and promote regional capacity building initiatives with other development partners (not limited to UN agencies) and governments.

Management Response:

Accepted with reservations. The UNSCR 1325 Project has diversified its donor base while strengthening successful partnerships from previous Western Balkan UN Women projects on women, peace and security in Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina (mostly with the CSOs, GEMs, the police and judiciary). The project has also established new civil society and governmental (including with the ministries of defense, security and/or interior, and those in charge of issues related to refugees and IDPs, refugees, and human rights) partnerships. In addition, the Project has strengthened cooperative efforts with the UN (in particular, with a new 2012 UNDP regional gender and security sector reform project in the Western Balkans). The UNSCR 1325 Project is working within an environment that is occupied by a significant number of national and international stakeholders working on peace and security (based on the country and regional levels in the Western Balkans). UN Women will seek an additional partnership opportunity with OSCE. In addition, as not all security actors have mainstreamed gender into their plans, strategies and operations, this is one area where UN Women shows continuing potential for strengthened impact.

Key Actions Responsible Deadline Status Comments The project will make all attempts to elaborate new partnerships (especially where gender mainstreaming objectives can be furthered). These new partnerships will include: (i) the UNDP regional gender and security sector reform project in the Western Balkans (partnership to provide a regional gender and peacekeeping training); (ii) the Ministries of Defence, Security/Interior, and Ministries in charge of human rights and refugees, justice and gender equality (from throughout the Western Balkans) towards the development of regional approaches to women's human security needs; and (iii) the Association Centre for Human Rights and conflict Resolution (towards the development of a network of mainstreaming of gender expertise within the ranks of formal and informal (community) mediators in Macedonia. CEESRO 2013/12 Completed

Recommendation:

The potential for enhancing project objectives through the UPR should be examined in some depth.

Management Response:

This recommendation is accepted. To this end, the 2013 work plan of the UNSCR 1325 Project will be informed by the following United Nations Human Rights Commission, Universal Periodic Review documents: (i) A/HRC/14/16/Add.1 (10 June 2010), Report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review*, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Addendum, Views on Conclusions and/or Recommendations, Voluntary Commitments and Replies Presented by the State Under Review; (ii) A/HRC/12/15/Add.1 (16 September 2009) Report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review*, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Addendum, Views on Conclusions and/or Recommendations, Voluntary Commitments and Replies Presented by the State Under Review; and (iii) A/HRC/10/78/Add.1 18 March 2009, Report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review*, Serbia, Addendum, Views on Conclusions and/or Recommendations, Voluntary Commitments and Replies Presented by the State Under Review.

Key Actions Responsible Deadline Status Comments The project will review the above referenced three reports as part of the process leading to the development of the 2013 annual project work plan. CEESRO 2013/01 Completed

Recommendation:

UN Women should clarify for Project staff and UN Women leadership at the country level its strategy in relation to CSOs and its proposed brokering role between civil society and governments, should train them in its implications and should resource them to undertake this amended role.

Management Response:

This recommendation is not accepted. A wide range of partnerships form the foundation of all aspects of UN Women?s work. UN Women partners include donors, national women?s machineries, the private sector, civil society, national committees and goodwill ambassadors. Having a broad array of partners who make distinct contributions fosters a widely shared commitment to upholding women?s human rights. This translates into stronger capacities for action, including through sustainable coalitions that accelerate progress towards gender equality. Civil society organizations (CSOs) are primary partners of UN Women and serve as valuable links to civil society. CSOs are indispensable partners for UN Women efforts at the country level. They are consulted on UN Women policy and programme matters. The importance of CSOs to UN Women was most recently reflected in 2012 with the establishment of UN Women Civil Society Advisory Groups at the global, regional and national levels. These bodies will play an important consulting role, providing strategic perspectives on advocacy on gender equality and women?s empowerment and on UN Women?s thematic priorities. They will also help strengthen UN Women?s engagement and partnerships with civil society at all levels.

Key Actions Key Action not added.

Recommendation:

UN Women should also develop guidelines to clarify the respective roles and accountabilities of regional and country staff where they overlap at the country level.

Management Response:

This recommendation is not accepted. Through the development of detailed terms of reference, UN Women provides considerable clarity to the respective roles and accountabilities of regional project and country office staff. In addition, any concern as to the potential for overlapping roles/accountabilities is resolved through: (i) internal Country Office management/staff discussions that occur during regular communication and information exchange/updates (staff meetings); and/or (ii) guidance that is provided by the CSEE Regional Programme Director. With due respect, this recommendation seems to be a speculative exercise on the part of the consultant as, when examining same within the UNSCR 1325 Project, the consultant found, The Project reporting lines are clear. However, the ?Head of (Project) Office? in each focus country of the 1325 Project has responsibility and is accountable to UN Women HQ for the general performance of the organisation within the country. In-country partners of the regional project may also work with the ?country office? and there is obvious potential for overlap and disagreement. To date there have been few practical difficulties, largely because both country and regional personnel communicate effectively and issues are openly debated and resolved. On the ground, individuals are working through the issues effectively, challenging though they sometimes are.

Key Actions Key Action not added.