United Nations Office of Funds and Programmes

1
United Nations Office of Funds and Programmes
Cape Verde
2
Why develop a Joint Office ?

• Funding realities demand a tighter UN field
  presence
  
• Efficiency gains from economies of scale
• One programme based on national priorities may
  deliver increased development effectiveness
  
• Government partners benefit from reduced costs
  and lighter administration
  
• General Assembly in the TCPR requested UN to
  develop joint offices deadline 2007

3
What does a Joint Office look like ?
..Some guiding principles

• One programme
• One leader
• One team
• Some degree of shared services
• Each Joint Office initiative will be designed
  by the country office to fit with national
  circumstances and nature of UN support

4
The 1st Joint Office Cape Verde

• Formally launched on 1 January 2006
• The Cape Verde Joint Office has ONE
• Common country programme for the 4 ExCom
  agencies
  
• Common operations service for the 4 ExCom
  agencies
  
• Representative for the 4 ExCom agencies also
  the RC
  
• Budget
• UN House
• Support agency (agreed to be UNDP for Cape
  Verde)
  
• - ATLAS for all its programme and finance
  transactions
  
• - HACT for cash transfer to implementing
  partners

5
JO issues to be addressed

• What happens to savings from the support budget
  to go to country programme or to return to core
  ?
  
• Clarity needed over the accountability of RC as
  leader of the team
  
• Greater harmonization of business processes at
  country, regional and HQ levels
  
• Hard data needed on results of joint office pilot
  - but too early to measure concrete gains from
  Cape Verde
  
• How to balance One UN with retention of agency
  brands, identities, and fundraising capacities
  

6

• Cape Verde Common Programme
• Shifting from low income country
• Country Prog designed through participatory
  approach
  
• Linked to MDG,DRSP,UNDAF
• Key components
• Strengthening of democratic governance
• Promotion of growth and economic opportunities
  for the most vulnerable groups
  
• Managing environment, preventing and response to
  disaster
  
• Human capital development and reform of social
  sector
  

7

• Differences in Programme configuration
• UNDP emphasis on policy dialogue, capacity
  building, strategic planning
  
• UNICEF WFP emphasis on support activities for
  vulnerable people
  
• Differences in types of partnership
• Different systems of negotiation and
  implementation of activities
  
• Different ME requirements for each of the
  agencies
  
• Development of technical tools becomes difficult

8

• Monitoring and Evaluation
• 4 agencies, 4 mandates
• Challenge
• 4 ExCom Agencies with different mandates,
  programmes, funding sources and mechanisms
  
• Overall integration into one more coherent and
  efficient programme
  
• How to develop a RBM approach incorporating the
  needs of the 4 agencies
  
• What is common and what is specific to the 4
  agencies
  

9

• Monitoring and Evaluation - continued
• What works well so far
• Outcome and Output Indicators identified for
  Programm components and adequately monitored with
  key partners
  
• Coordination mechanisms through regular meetings
  with technical Ministries and Implementing NGOs,
  
• Monthly meetings with DGCI (M of F Affairs) and
  DGP
  
• Concentration of activities for greater results
  and visibility Ex schools canteens used as entry
  point to address other needs (child protection,
  education quality improvement, nutrition
  including deworming clean water sanitation)
• Savings in terms of time to carry out
  transactions
  
• Better ownership by the government

10

• Monitoring and Evaluation - continued
• Annual report - a difficult exercise
• The annual reports of each agency are based on
  the nature of programme and operations and
  accounting systems
  
• Each agency has different reporting requirements
  and formats
  
• Each agency has different donor requirements
• ATLAS does not capture yet all the programme and
  operational aspects of UNICEF and WFP
  

11

• Monitoring and Evaluation - continued
• Issues to be adressed
• Implementation of a Monitoring and Evaluation
  system Involving all the stakeholders (
  methodology, tools)
  
• Identification of limited number of indicators
  for the evaluation of the Country Programme
  
• Establish and collect information on baseline
  for the Country programme evaluation
  
• Strengthening field monitoring visits and ME
  culture among programme staff
  
• Resources for the country Programme ME

12

• Steps forward
• Cape Verde JO review 11 to 20 December 2006
• Validation of the Programme annual work plan
  with the main the stakeholders during this
  workshop
  
• A team will be designated to prepare the ME
  system and the evaluation plan will be
  established
  

13

• Recommendations
• UN reform is a reality advance thinking about
  ME
  
• Consultation should start at UNDG to avoid
  conflicting requirements for ME
  
• Build on what is common and what is specific to
  the 4 agencies
  
• Establishment of inter-agency ME at UNDG level
  to coordinate establishment of appropriate tools
  for JOs.
  

14
Thank You !