Simplification

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Simplification Harmonization UN Reform and
SH Overview Background, Rationale and SH Tools
SH Roll Out Countries Pakistan 28 29 July 2003
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Outline of presentation

• Background
• Objectives of simplification and harmonization
• Process
• Status update
• New tools
• Next steps

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Background

• Overall framework General Assembly Resolution
  Nov 2000 TCPR 56/201
• Requests full SH before end 2004
• SG Reform SH is necessary and urgent
• ECOSOC (July 2002) endorses programme of work

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RecommendationsProgramme Prep Approval

• I. Harmonize terminology structure of programme
  documentation introduce terminology and
  practice of RBM
• II. Use of improved UNDAF Programme Framework
  Matrix Joint Strategy Meeting with National
  Partners
• III. Use of common tools for Operational planning
  (CPAP) Annual Work Plan

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RecommendationsImplementation

• IV. Harmonize National Implementation Modalities
• Maintain UN guidelines as overall reference and
  introduce harmonized interpretation and practice
  of National Execution at the country level.
• Introduce Internal Financial Control Assessment
• Prepare Guidance Note on Financial Management
  Modalities
• V. Prepare revised Guidance Note on Joint
  Programming

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RecommendationsMonitoring Evaluation

• VI. Introduce Standard Progress Reports
• VII. Introduce Collaborative Monitoring
  Evaluation Plan, including Outcome Evaluation
• VIII. Provide Access to Evaluative Best
  Practices Information

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Objectives of SH (E/2002/CRP.1)

• Streamline complex rules and procedures to reduce
  transaction costs
• Raise development effectiveness and increase
  impact and sustainability
• Improve accountability--financial and for
  programme results

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Now more than ever...

• Dwindling resources
• Many more players in a competitive market
• World Bank now has 1.2 bn p.a.grant fund
• Relevance of effectiveness of UN in question
• Typically 1 5 grant assistance
• UN influence decreasing in operational terms

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Guiding Principles and Approaches

• Full participation of Government
• Flexible approach from country to country
• Strong focus on national priorities, capacity
  building and stakeholder participation
• Convergence around national processes and systems
• Best agency practices adopted

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Process

• UNDG Ex Com fully support implementation
• SH Task Force from 4 ExCom agencies
• Consultation with OECD/DAC and multi-lateral
  development banks
• Country visits
• Workshops
• October 2002 Nairobi workshop
• April 2003 piloting workshop
• Consultation with Specialised Agencies

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Constant involvement of country teams

• Questionnaire to Country Teams
• opportunities, and constraints in SH at field
  offices
• Ten reference countries
• Visits to six countries
• Nairobi workshop

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Regional involvement

• Leadership at the regional level
• Support for training
• Quality assurance

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SH does not.

• Trespass on mandates.
• Trespass on visibility..
• Trespass on comparative advantages.

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Member states want to lessen the 4 ExCom
agencies myriad tools and mechanisms for
country programme preparation, approval,
implementation and reporting
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• LESS is MORE

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SH tools to assist UNCTs during planning and
prioritization processes

• harmonised RBM terminology (OECD/DAC)
• Improved UNDAF results matrix
• Joint UNDAF ME Plan
• Joint strategy meetings with partners (JSMs)
• Joint programming guidelines

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SH in 2003 and beyond

• Completion of conceptual work
• Phased implementation in 5 countries with new
  programmes in 2004
• (Benin, Ecuador, Kenya, Niger, Pakistan)
• Implementation in 15 countries beginning 2005
• Feedback and refinement based on lessons learned
  and roll out team recommendations
• 45 countries in 2006

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Summary of Progress in the Harmonization of
Programming Processes
Analysis (CCA)
?
?
Linking UN support to national priorities,
including PRSP (UNDAF)
Partners analyse together, agree on roles,
responsibilities (Results Matrix)
?
Country Programme Document (CPD) sets out
strategic results
?
Country Programme Action Plan (CPAP) sets out
more detailed results and management/legal
agreements
?
Joint Strategy Meeting (JSM)
?
UNDAF Monitoring/Evaluation Plan (ME)
?
ANNUAL TOOLS / PROCESSES
Annual Work Plan / Budget (APP)
?
Standard Progress (donor) Report (SPR)
?
WORK IN PROGRESS
Resource Transfer Modalities (RTM)


W-I-P
Joint Programming (JP)
W-I-P
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UN Programming,Results Based Management
andUNDAF Results Matrix
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Agreed Logical Sequence for UN programming
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Target dates for each step
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Strategic Linkages
Advocacy with civil society etc
CCA including MDGs
UNDAF including MDG-related outcomes
UN agency programmes including contributions to
MDG outcomes
MDG Reports/monitoring
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Selecting priorities Basic approach

• Maximizing potential for synergies
• A pragmatic appraisal of where and how the UN
  support is likely to make the most difference
  agreed UNDAF outcomes
• MDGs plus

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Whats the plus ?

• Starting from national development goals, plans,
  strategies, and targets
• And incorporating
• Appropriate goals or measures related to
  international conventions and conferences

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So whats Changed?

• MDGs are moving into the mainstream
• More national participation
• OECD/DAC moving rapidly to harmonise development
  procedures and language at the global level
• UN reform has traction and is gaining momentum
• UNDAF now required for agency country programmes
• Harmonisation and simplification underway
• New CCA/UNDAF guidelines

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A strategic UNDAF should result in

• Greater synergy among UN programmes
• Improved long term impact of UN
• More efficient use of resources and mobilization
  of additional resources
• Integration of crisis prevention, disaster
  management, and peace and security into
  development activities
• Integration of gender and human rights
• A framework/ mechanisms to monitor and evaluate
  effectiveness of UN system support

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UNDAF Results Matrix

• Before
• There was an agreed plan, but each agency
  implemented individually the UNDAF was driven
  by agency mandates and became fragmented
• And now
• There is a single matrix within the UNDAF that
  links the strategic contribution of UN agencies
  country programmes to the common UNDAF outcomes

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What is a Results Matrix?

• A practical definition
• A table.
• It explains how the products and services
  achieved by CPs contribute to long-term, common
  UN development results
• It does this by showing the causal relationships
  between
• Individual Agency programme outcomes and project
  outputs
• AND
• The common UNDAF longer term outcomes and
  impacts

• The core of the UNDAF, an at-a-glance
  expression of UN system support at country level
• Addresses the priority areas selected by the UNCT
  from the CCA
• Shows how the UN system will,collectively, make a
  strategic contribution towards National
  Development Goals and related MDG targets
• Uses principles and terminology of Results Based
  Management (RBM)

A strategic definition
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Simplification in Action UNDAF results matrix
National priority or goals
UNDAF outcome by the end of the programme cycle
Country Programme outcomes CP Outcome (Agency
1) CP Outcome (Agency 2) .. etc
Resource mobilization targets
Role of partners
Country Programme outputs CP Outputs (Agency
1) CP Outputs (Agency 2) .. etc
Coordination and Programme Modalities
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Results Matrix Value Added

• 1. An at-a-glance expression of UN system
  support at country level
• 2. Shows the strategic contribution of the UN
  towards National Development Goals and related
  MDGs
• 3. Links CPDs to the UNDAF
• 4. A common UN programming and management tool
  for ME and the final UNDAF evaluation
  (e.g..guide for thematic groups)
• 5. A resource mobilisation tool

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Results Matrix How it fits
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3. UNDAF ME Plan
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UNDAF ME Plan

• Before
• ME was an agreed priority, but there was no
  structure for how it would be done, by whom and
  when, and most importantly, to what end?
• And now
• The ME plan provides that structure a summary
  of key indicators, sources of information (incl.
  responsibilities) about expected UN system
  results
• It clarifies what the UN system will achieve, and
  how it will know
• It requires a final UNDAF evaluation which will
  inform the subsequent CCA and UNDAF

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Simplification in Action Monitoring and
Evaluation

• UNDAF ME Plan
• UNDAF Final Evaluation Plan

which enable the UNCT to be accountable for
UNDAF results
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1. UNDAF ME Plan

• The UNDAF ME Plan
• Consolidates the ME activities related to the
  results expressed in the matrix
• Improves strategic focus and prioritisation of
  ME activities
• Coordinates the timing of each activity for
  specific users and uses
• Reduces duplication and costs of ME efforts and
  enables greater synergies in ME activities
• Encourages partnerships and continued
  strengthening of national ME capacities.

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The ME Plan has 3 Elements

• 1. Text - Narrative description of how the UNCT
  will monitor the UNDAF including
• coordination mechanisms (theme groups, selection
  of joint field visits, assessments, and
  activities with partners)
• efforts to strengthen national ME capacities a
  description of risks and assumptions affecting
  achievement of UNDAF outcomes
• 2. Table 1 - ME framework
• indicators, baseline data, sources of
  verification, and risks and assumptions for UNDAF
  and CP outcomes (let us not forget sex and
  geographic disaggregation)
• 3. Table 2- ME programme calendar
• At-a-glance management tool, noting
• All ME activities by year
• UNDAF final evaluation milestones, uses and users
  of information, and complementary partner
  activities

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UNDAF ME Plan Value Added

• A summary of key indicators and sources of
  information about UN system results
• This encourages
• Strategic focus
• Prioritisation and coordination of ME activities
  ( and lower costs)
• One-stop communication about what the UN system
  will achieve, and how it will know

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ME Plan How it fits
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4. Joint Strategy Meetings (JSM)
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Joint Strategy Meetings

• Before
• There were separate or even conflicting
  strategies and no common strategy development and
  review process
• And now
• Institutionalised meetings between the UNCT,
  partners and donors will open lines of
  communication, encourage greater collaboration
  and help to keep us focused on the priority areas
  in the UNDAF

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Simplification in ActionJoint Strategy Meetings

• Review and validation of Results Matrix and
  linkage to emerging CPDs
• Ongoing identification of opportunities for
  collaboration in programme planning and
  implementation, ME, resource mobilisation and
  partnerships
• Promote transparency about what each agency will
  do and how theyll do it

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Joint Strategy Meetings Timeline
UNDAF drafted
CPDs drafted
JSM 1
CPDs to ExBs
ExB feedback
CPAPs drafted
ExB approval of CPDs
JSM 2
UNDAF signed
CPAPs signed

• Optional
• An internal meeting to present and share CPAPs
• Check back to results matrix

APPs signed

• Most important!
• Review and validate Results Matrix vis-à-vis
  CPDs change
• Discuss CP strategies and opportunities for
  joint programming

Session 8
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Joint Strategy MeetingsValue Added

• Keep talking Institutionalize open lines of
  communication among UNCT members and partners
• Opportunism! identifying new programming
  opportunities
• Staying focused on the matrix our common
  aspirations
• Preventing programme drift and slippage

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JSMs How they fit
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Simplification in Action Example 2 The Country
Programme Action Plan (CPAP) and Annual Workplan
(AWP)

• Country Programme Action Plans
• Replaces the diverse UN agency coutnry programme
  management documents
• Describes formal agreements between UNDG agencies
  and Government
• on programmes and projects
• on operational and management aspects
• Lays out programme management arrangements and
  respective commitments
• Annual Plans Similar format used by all partners
  - to plan, request funds and review progress

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FYI Other tools forthcoming

• NEW Joint Programming Guidelines
• ECOSOC supports Funds and Programmes (UNFPA,
  UNDP, UNICEF, WFP) to use four other common
  tools
• Country Programme Action Plan (CPAP) A five year
  management plan for each agency
• Annual Work Plans (AWP) A one year workplan for
  each agency
• Resource Transfer Modalities Joint capacity
  assessment resulting in common resource transfer
  modalities
• Standard Progress Reports Common donor reporting
  format