DRAFT
Management Response and Action Plan to Evaluation Report of the Cooperation Agreement
Between UN-Habitat and Sweden 2012-2015
Overall ResponseUN-Habitat Management the welcomes the evaluation report of the cooperation agreement between UN-Habitat and Sweden to support the implementation of the UN-Habitat Institutional and Strategic Plans (2012-2015). The evaluation was conducted from December 2015 through March 2016 by two consultants: Ms. Martha McGuire and Mr. Daniel Biau. The evaluation process was managed by the Evaluation Unit, and a Reference Group, comprising representatives of Sida and UN-Habitat, was responsible for quality assurance of the evaluation report.
The report provides insightful information about the effectiveness and value added of UN-Habitat in key areas of work that are considered of strategic important to theorganization and specifically on the performance of 19 projects funded by Sida under the Cooperation Agreement.
In general, the management finds that the evaluation findings and recommendations are clear and appreciates the format of the report that givesan overall assessment of the cooperation agreement in Part 1 and assessment of each individual project in Part II of the report.
The Management notes that the report records good performance of the cooperation agreement, highlighting achievements of results, relevance of the cooperation agreement, levels of efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability as well asimpact outlook. The lessons learned and eight recommendations given, will further improve the implementation of the new UN-Habitat/Sida cooperation agreement for 2016-2019.
While appreciating the overall findings and recommendations of the report, management also noted that some recommendations are already implemented (recommendation 1), while some set a high bar for achievement. Specifically, recommendation 8 on improving monitoring systems that focus on outcomes and impact, while acknowledging that it is as an issue for improvement, itwill require additional resources beyond the cooperation agreementto be fully implemented.
In the following matrix the Management presents detailed responses to each of the eight recommendations and proposed actions with timeframe and responsible units for the implementation. All eight recommendations of the evaluation are all accepted by the Management and are expected to be implemented by end of the cooperation agreement 2019.
Action Plan and Specific Comments on Each Recommendation
No. / Recommendation / Management Response / Proposed Actions / Time
frame / Responsible Unit(s) / Status of implementation / Comments on progress
1. / The work that is being carried out through the Sida/UN-Habitat agreement is well grounded in the UN-Habitat strategic plan and is also consistent with Sida’s priorities. The work needs to continue. / Accepted / (i) Further funding of Sida through cooperation agreement of 2014-2016
(ii)Key areas of work supported should be prioritized for continuation / 31 March 2016 / Office of Executive Director,
Division of Operations and Management / Implemented / UN-Habitat appreciated Sida’s support which has been on-going through cooperation agreements.
Identify areas continued in new PCA.
2. / Sida should continue to provide soft ear-marked funds. In order for UN-Habitat to do its work it needs core funding for administrative/organizational functions. Sida is one of the few donors that permits this. / Accepted /
- Opportunities for soft-earmarking should be explored with other donors and partners
3. / In order to improve its core funding, UN-Habitat should make every effort to negotiate a higher percentage for administrative costs from other donors so that it can better support projects. / Accepted / (i)Develop a budget template for donor agreements to ensure all direct costs are captured and attributed to earmarked projects
(ii)Explanation to be provided of what is included in the support costs component of the budget in donor proposals / 31 December 2016 / Division of Operations and Management and Resource Mobilization Unit. / In progress / Efforts have been made to negotiate increased percentages for administrative costs but have been difficult to achieve as donors tend to give a similar percentage to all UN agencies.
4. / A model for achieving effective results is evident in the projects that were rated as ‘satisfactory’ or ‘highly satisfactory’:
•Clear measureable goals with a well-defined path of activities to achieve the goal, demonstrated through a theory of change or logic model
•Normative work is carried out at headquarters in consultation with regional offices
•Collaboration among branches, headquarters and other partners
•Regional offices are primarily responsible for developing projects that are based on the normative work and seeking technical expertise from staff at headquarters
•Funding is leveraged through the normative work for projects at a regional or country level
This appears to be a formula for success that should continue to be used. Where it is used it appears to increase the potential for the sustainability of a project / Accepted / (i)All Sida funded projects should have a Logical Framework developed based on Theory of Change.
(ii)Consultations with the Regional Offices and Country Offices to start as early as possible at the project design stage.
(iii)Technical expertise from staff at Headquarters should be easily accessible
(iv)Promote project design formula of normative core that can be up-scaled or replicated for more funding at country or regional levels / December 2016 / Branches and Offices benefiting from Sida Funding &Regional Offices. / In progress
5. / Normative work should continue at all levels from global to regional, national and local, and should aim at providing policy guidance to governments and their partners. In conjunction with Habitat III and with the implementation of the new urban agenda, UN-Habitat should consider devoting more efforts to the global and regional levels, by promoting more energetically sustainable urban and housing policies which are central to its mandate. Sida may support this effort, both financially and politically, as part of the new cooperation agreement. / Accepted /
- Continue funding for the Global Housing Strategy with Housing at the Centre Approach.
- Continue the development of National Urban Policies
- Ensure Sida contribution to existing programme is specified and measurable.
UPDB / In Progress / The Global Housing Strategy project under the PCA 2016-2019 is receiving US$629,403.
The PCA 2016-2019 includes project “Pursuing sustainable urban development through national urban polices” with US$826,972.
6. / The approach of inclusion, gender sensitive and participatory appears to contribute to the success of projects and should be continued.
. / Accepted / (i)Apply gender marker of at least “1” as condition for approval of new projects. / December 2019 / Gender Equality Unit;
PAG;
and all offices / In Progress
7 / In order to support transparency, collaboration and monitoring of the work of UN-Habitat incentives are needed to encourage project managers to upload and share information and data on their projects on a regular basis. / Accepted / (i)Reporting system is being updated to improve the user interface and for better alignment of project and work programme results.
(ii)Training to be undertaken once user interface upgraded to guide staff to complete project monitoring and reporting in PAAS;
(iii)Condition completed project monitoring in PAAS as condition for 2nd trance of Sida funds (25%). / December 2017 / Division of Operations and Management and the Project Office. / In progress / PAAS upgrade has started to ease the monitoring data entry process.
Each Branch and regional director has to take the responsibility of ensuring entry and accuracy of dat entered into PAAS.
8 / Monitoring systems that focus on outcomes and impact should be improved. It is essential that RBM move from a paper based approached to an electronic system that provides hard numbers that allow for improved analysis of benefits and create the possibility of cost-benefit analysis. This could be accomplished through PAAS. Specifically, the performance monitoring system should include:
- Development of measureable indicators, using a specified template
- A performance monitoring framework that includes:
oIndicators for each of the goals/objectives
oBaseline information
oTarget for each indicator with timeline for achieving
oSource of information
oData collection method
- Frequency of reporting
- Collection of baseline data as early in the project as possible
- Clear targets for each of the indicators
- Data stored electronically, using a system that can easily generate reports
(ii)Have PAAS format improved to allow for easy uploading of project logframe (and accessible at HQ, regional and country level);
(iii)Improve project monitoring in PAAS to be completed at least every 6 months;
(iv)Report on project monitoring status communicated and presented to the Management Board on six monthly basis.
(v)Report on evaluation planning status of projects to the Management Board on six monthly basis. / 31 December 2017 / Programme Division, Division of Operations and Management and Evaluation Unit / In progress / Programme Division has started developing a monitoring Guide. Although the Programme Division will have an oversight role in the monitoring of projects and reporting- this will depend of how fast PAAS is upgraded and
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