UNV STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK:

Transcription

1 UNV STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK: Draft Version 1.0, 3 June 2013 Contents I. Introduction 2 II. Global Context 3 III. UNV Strategic Response 5 IV. UNV Strategic Priorities 8 V. UNV Results 10 A. Programme Results 11 B. Organizational Effectiveness and Efficiency 13 VI. Partnerships for Results 13 A. Working with UNDP 13 B. Working with UN System Partners 14 C. Working with Other Key Partners for Volunteerism 14 VII. Implementing and Managing the Strategic Framework 14 A. Implementation Strategies 14 B. Monitoring, Reporting and Evaluation 15 1

2 I. Introduction 1. The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme was established by the UN General Assembly (GA) in December 1970 through resolution 2659 (XXV). It began operations in January 1971, administered by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). UNV was created as the GA acknowledged that, voluntary service in development assistance activities can make a substantial contribution to their success by the provision of an additional source of trained manpower. UNV was to work, within the United Nations System in collaboration with the United Nations agencies concerned and in co-operation with organizations dealing with national and international volunteer service and, where appropriate, with relevant youth organizations. 2. Once primarily a provider of volunteers to the UN System in support of programme countries, UNV has evolved greatly over the past 42 years 1 in terms of the size and spread of its mandate, results and activities, driven by the changing external environment for development and peace, by the wider acknowledgment of the role of volunteerism globally and by intergovernmental legislation 2. Executive Board decision 2006/18 confirmed UNV s business model, leading to it being currently operational in three domains: (i) mobilizing volunteers to enable more people to be directly involved in the humanitarian, peace-building and post-conflict recovery as well as sustainable development and poverty eradication work of the UN; (ii) advocating for volunteerism and civic engagement in peace and development; and (iii) pursuing the integration of volunteerism across policy, legislation and programming as well as delivering on internationally agreed development goals. UNV Facts and Figures -- Current Baseline as of ,807 qualified, experienced and committed UN Volunteers, from 159 nationalities, including 966 UN Volunteers below the age of 29 81% of UN Volunteers are from developing countries, serving with 27 UN entities, in 127 countries 39% of UN Volunteers are female 11,037 UN Online Volunteers contributing through 16,196 assignments UNV s global presence: 260 personnel in 86 Field Units and in headquarters $220 million per annum of UNV activities, of which nearly 10% is considered administrative budget $24 million per annum in contributions received from 32 donor countries and entities 3. At the heart of UNV s work is the commitment to increase the recognition of the catalytic role volunteerism plays to engage people from all walks of life in national and international development efforts and peace. Volunteerism is one of the most basic of expressions of solidarity and societal cohesion often arising out of long-established traditions of sharing and reciprocal exchanges. It is a global phenomenon that transcends boundaries, religions and culture divides; it goes by different names 3 and will find different applications in different contexts. 1 See UNDP / United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) / United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) Executive Board Report DP/2013/35, Report of the Administrator on the evolution of the role and function of UNV since its inception 2 General Assembly resolution 56/38 of 5 December 2001 on recommendations on support for volunteering is key to UNV s evolving mandate. The Assembly recognized the contribution of UNV to supporting volunteering by promoting volunteerism, including by placing volunteers. This resolution broadened the UNV mandate from an exclusive focus on individual volunteer service for development and peace to one which covered all forms of volunteerism. 3 See the 2011 State of the World s Volunteerism Report for in-depth analysis of what volunteerism means in different cultures, e.g. Dugnad in Norway, tatawa a (عوطت) in the Arab world and Ubuntu in southern Africa. 2

3 4. The United Nations, in GA resolution 56/38, defines volunteerism as an activity undertaken out of free will, for the general public good and where monetary reward is not the principal motivating factor. UNV recognises the shared universal values underpinning volunteerism; which are - free will, commitment, equity, engagement, solidarity, compassion, empathy and respect for others - and that these values are deeply ingrained in many communities. 5. Volunteerism is a powerful means of engaging people in tackling development challenges, and it has proven to transform the pace and nature of development. Development actions are more effective and sustainable when people and communities are engaged. 4 II. Global Context 6. There have been many positive results achieved with the global efforts to meet the MDGs. As the HDR 2011 notes, [t]he past decades have seen substantial progress in many aspects of human development. Most people today are healthier, live longer, are more educated and have more access to goods and services. Even in countries facing adverse economic conditions, people s health and education have greatly improved. However, inequalities and uneven access to resources continue to exist at the same time as new challenges are emerging. Although many millions have been lifted out of poverty, it is also true that a large number of people still continue to be marginalized and lack basic social services in their communities. Improved delivery of basic social services such as health, water, sanitation and education continue to require increased efforts in order to achieve sustainability. 7. Economic growth alone will not reduce poverty, improve equality and produce jobs unless it is inclusive. Inclusive growth is therefore essential for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. Policies need to promote both the pace of economic growth and the extent to which poor people participate in this growth. People must be seen as both agents and beneficiaries in achieving sustainable development and poverty eradication. It follows, therefore, that countries focus on: enhancing their communities resilience and people s capacities to adapt to change; strengthening the social fabric based on mutual accountability between Governments and citizens; ensuring equitable growth standards by promoting decent jobs and equal access to opportunities. 8. Greater access to global markets, wider networks, knowledge and information also represents a major opportunity for both economic growth and for people s wellbeing. The past decades have contributed to raising awareness that development can only come from common efforts of all parts of society - from governmental institutions, to civil society at large including academia and the private sector and individual citizens. This has brought to the forefront of development civic responsibility, alongside governance issues. Participation beyond political dialogue translates into a stronger acknowledgement of the informal socio-economic sector and a growing role of society in sustainable and responsible efforts towards equitable growth and wellbeing. 9. Development efforts towards poverty eradication and sustainable development need to build on the momentum of current achievements, in order to safeguard against the risk of reversal of development gains. This also requires focus on the fragility of states and communities. States fragility is of universal concern because many countries are chronically prone to conflict and potential incubators of forms of violence and other illegal activities. When looking at the assets 4 JIU/REP/2003/7 - Evaluation of the United Nations Volunteers Programme by the Joint Inspection Unit, Prepared by Armando Duque Gonzalez; Geneva,

4 that may help minimize this structural fragility, and build up a cohesive and stable country, the international community focuses on two main pillars to enable peaceful coexistence within a society: effective and accountable institutions; and capable and responsible citizens. Human capital plays an important role in the areas of humanitarian assistance, crisis prevention and recovery as well as operational and capacity development support. Local people are the first victims, but also the first responders to any crisis. Strengthening social cohesion, human security and local governance by way of engaging people, regardless of their background, age and gender, can and will lead to enhancing resilience and mitigating the risk of fragility. 10. When the fragility and risk of reversals are due to environmental factors and/or natural disaster, experiences have shown that populations with long traditions and a structured approach in the areas of disaster risk management resist and recover much more easily. Poor and marginalized communities are often hardest hit by climate change disasters and lack of sustainable development. Therefore, attention needs to be given to their resilience by; increased access to renewable energy, improved natural resources and waste management practices, sustainable agriculture practices to increase food security and improved sustainable livelihoods. 11. Around all of these challenges, young people are particularly affected. They represent a sector of society that faces unique challenges and vulnerabilities, while also having unlimited promise and potential. In all countries youth are both a major human resource for development and key agents for social and economic transformation and technological innovation. There are currently more than 1.2 billion people between the ages of 15 and 24 in the world, the largest group of young people in history. 12. At the same time as we see international constraints with regard to development aid, shifting trends in the donor environment are pointing to the emergence of other significant players. At the same time, a multiplicity of aid providers and non-traditional donors provide scope for new thinking on development approaches and arrangements such as South-South and triangular cooperation. 13. Finally, while significant disparities exist between and within countries, the use of new technologies in bringing the world closer together continues to expand and reach also marginalized groups and remote communities. In developing countries, cell phone subscription is estimated at about 60 per cent. An aspect of the rapidly growing range of technology and its expanded availability is that more people can participate in tackling the many global challenges. These range from tracking food insecurity to monitoring violent conflict, and from providing early warning of impending disasters to reporting election fraud. Technological advancement enables people to relate to one another globally, and at much higher speed than ever before, to create relevant development solutions, as well as products with global outreach and influence. 14. Based on the current global context, any theory of change used to pursue sustainable development, poverty eradication and peace in the future must place people at the conception and implementation of every effort to transform society, build resilience and mitigate conflict for future development solutions. In the on-going global development conversations, the post 2015 agenda offers an opportunity for UNV to support anchoring volunteerism, and the values it stands for, into the future global framework; in recognition of the fact that development actions are more effective and sustainable when the contributions that people make in their communities in terms of their knowledge, labour, networks and other resources are properly recognized and factored into policies and programmes. 4

5 III. UNV Strategic Response 15. In the face of the global context and the need to bring people to the centre of development, UNV has developed this Strategic Framework for to further engage its stakeholders; including UN Member States, the UN System and Volunteer Involving Organizations (VIOs). This Framework articulates the scope and dimensions of UNV s strategic direction, results and associated resource requirements for the period This is the first framework of its kind for UNV and it seeks to integrate the most recent developments in the external environment with UNV s long term efforts to meet its expanded mandate. It generates a concrete focus on UNV s efficiency and effectiveness in achieving organizational results, including leveraging and expanding the knowledge base on the role and impact of volunteering in transformational global change, and supporting development results through volunteers assigned with our various partner UN organizations. 17. This Strategic Framework seeks to effectively respond to the expanded mandate entrusted to UNV by the international community by; (i) increasing and improving support to the entire UN System s impact at country level by deploying competent and talented UN Volunteers; (ii) better facilitating the integration of knowledge of volunteerism into development policies and programmes; and (iii) ensuring that UNV remains a results-focused and accountable organization, showing excellence in volunteerism and operations. UNV Vision 18. A world where volunteerism is recognized, within societies, as a way for all people to engage and contribute to sustainable human development, peace and poverty eradication. UNV Mission Statement 19. UNV is the UN organization that supports global peace and sustainable human development through the promotion of volunteerism, including the mobilization of volunteers. UNV enhances opportunities for engagement and action in peace and development by all peoples, including and not limited to, participation in the development and implementation of UN programmes and projects. The UNV Strategic Framework, a. Is developed under the umbrella of the UNDP Strategic Plan , to elaborate results to be delivered by UNV during this period; b. Is grounded in the notion that volunteerism is an expression of human relationships; a conducive channel for people to positively engage in their own development, resulting in more effective and sustainable development actions; c. Takes into account the momentum generated by the International Year of Volunteers (IYV) in 2001, the marking of the tenth anniversary (IYV+10) and the need for further recognition, promotion, facilitation, networking and integration of volunteerism into peace and development in the years ahead; 5

6 d. Is informed by UN GA resolution 67/138, recognizing that volunteerism is an important component of any strategy aimed at [ ] poverty reduction, sustainable development, health, education, youth empowerment, climate change, disaster risk reduction, social integration, social welfare, humanitarian action, peace building and in particular, overcoming social exclusion and discrimination. And that volunteering, particularly at the community level, will help to achieve the development goals and objectives set out in the UN Millennium Declaration and the Millennium Development Goals [ ] ; e. Is consistent with and guided by GA resolution 67/226, the quadrennial comprehensive policy review, which establishes the main inter-governmentally agreed parameters of the operational activities for development of the United Nations System; f. Incorporates UNV s leadership role in developing and promoting a youth volunteer programme, in the context of the UN Secretary-General s Five Year Action Agenda 2012 to 2017, and as mandated by the UN GA through resolution 31/131, which called on UNV to advance the role of youth in development; g. Defines goals and strategies to deliver on the UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board decisions and UN GA resolutions pertaining to its mandate in particular resolution 52/17, which expanded the UNV mandate on raising awareness and promoting volunteerism for development; h. Re-states UNV s commitment to working with the UN System to extend opportunities to the widest possible cross section of people from every region of the world to participate in the work of the UN; i. Includes the thinking from the State of the World s Volunteerism Report launched in 2011 and the recognition of the theme of wellbeing as key to sustainable human development; j. Articulates UNV s vision, mission and guiding principles, as well as the strategic goals the organization will pursue for the next four years, and how to achieve them; and k. Is accompanied by an Integrated Results and Resources Matrix [forthcoming during 2013]. Lessons Learned Informing the Strategic Response 20. UNV s experience in supporting UN entities and implementing its programmes and projects across different programmatic areas underscores that volunteerism is enormously underutilized in poverty eradication. Moving people out of poverty requires fundamental social and economic investments in areas such as social services and protection, inclusive growth and natural resource management. Volunteerism is one way to ensure these are firmly embedded in society, including at subnational and local/community levels. 21. UN Volunteers are mobilised to work with UN system partners in support of efforts of Governments and others to promote peace and development. This is done in a continuous dialogue between UNV and UN partners, in order to be able to assign UN Volunteers with the best skill match and provide other volunteer solutions. For example, in the 2011 evaluation of the collaboration between UNV and DFS, it was noted that this partnership has been very successful in meeting the objectives of DFS/DPKO and has contributed to the achievement of DFS/DPKO peacekeeping mandates in a number of countries, primarily through the rapid 6

7 engagement of highly skilled and motivated volunteers. However, in a recent review of UN Volunteer mobilisation it was recognised that the main factors driving the demands from UN partners for UN Volunteers need to be better understood. As such, UNV s current partnership approach to UN Volunteer mobilisation, with some UN partners, will have to be up scaled and replicated to ensure a strengthened and consistent partnership approach. 22. In the course of 2001, the number of UN Volunteers exceeded 5,000 for the first time. The UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board, in decision 2002/12, expressed appreciation of this growth and reaffirmed its recognition of UNV as a facilitator of South-South exchanges and a window of opportunity for global citizens to engage as volunteers in UN activities for peace and development. During 2005, the number of serving UN Volunteers peaked at 8,000 due to an increased demand in support of peace-keeping operations and more diversified opportunities through new schemes and enhanced national-level initiatives. By 2010, the number of UN Online Volunteers contributing to peace and development had increased to over 10,000 volunteers. 23. Through its focal point role for the International Year of Volunteers (IYV) in 2001 and the marking of its tenth anniversary in 2011, UNV convened stakeholders and provided spaces for the advancement of the global conversation on volunteerism over the last decade. UNV facilitated multi-stakeholder engagement and joint advocacy efforts at national, regional and global levels through supporting national volunteer committees, facilitating networking at all levels, organizing events and conferences and numerous other initiatives. These corporate efforts have enhanced recognition of UNV s role in peace and development among partners and stakeholders, expanding its reach and impact, and facilitating a global dialogue on the importance of volunteerism. The publication of the first State of the World s Volunteerism Report (SWVR) has consolidated and highlighted evidence on the fundamental role volunteerism plays across the globe in peace and development. Together these corporate efforts have established a base from which UNV could further expand its stakeholder engagement, joint advocacy and evidence-based research agenda to enhance inclusion and gender mainstreaming and expand geographic and sectorial diversity. In the decade to come, the ownership of the agenda for advocacy and research on volunteerism for peace and sustainable human development should become truly global with strong capacities at national, regional and global levels. 24. Internally, a comprehensive change management process undertaken by UNV in resulted in a new organizational structure and new ways of conducting business. Specifically, the change process allowed UNV to redefine unit roles, increase specialization and develop mechanisms to deliver as one team. Several new tools were built and processes redesigned to ensure consistent application of UNDP policies and UNV standards for volunteer management. These changes have helped UNV to more effectively focus on the programmatic needs at country level and of UN partners, as well as to increase the impact of UN Volunteers in the field, while ensuring proper allocation and management of resources. There remain some areas identified by the change process that still need to be addressed during this Strategic Framework period; (i) conditions of service for UN Volunteers changing to respond to new generations of volunteers and their life challenges; (ii) the Volunteer Management Cycle a new information technology based tool to facility the efficient and effective global management of volunteers; and (iii) UNV s capacity to provide support at the field level to UN partners and UN Volunteers. 7

8 IV. UNV Strategic Priorities UNV Targets -- By the end of ,000 UN Volunteers, including 3,000 UN Youth Volunteers Maintain the South-South proportions of UN Volunteers 50% of UN Volunteers female Double the UN Online Volunteers to 22,000 $300 million per annum of UNV activities, of which < 8% is considered administrative budget $50 million per annum received in donor funds ($30 million for youth) 25. Based on the global context outlined above and UNV s expanded mandate, track record and expertise; this Strategic Framework intentionally directs UNV efforts and programme resources into five priority areas where volunteerism has a transformational impact on the lives of people: (i) basic social services; (ii) community resilience for environment and disaster risk reduction; (iii) peace building and peace keeping; (iv) youth, and (v) national capacity development through volunteer schemes. During the period covered by this Strategic Framework, UNV will work through global, regional and country programmes to deliver its results across these five areas, in accordance with the individual requirements of programme countries. 26. Basic social services and protection are at the heart of many UN partners mandates and activities. Over time, UNV has developed solid knowledge and has learnt lessons about the role and application of volunteerism in service delivery and local governance particularly in the context of consultative processes to identify community needs and local capacity development, to localize those services and to strengthen community voice for accountability. In 2012, 10% ($860,000) of UNV-administered funds were spent on projects in basic social services and 28% (1,934) of UN Volunteers worked in this priority area. 27. In this Strategic Framework period, UNV will strengthen its knowledge, expertise and experience to enhance the UN System s response in the area of basic social services. More specifically, UNV will focus on primary health care, HIV/AIDS and education (such as literacy and vocational training). UNV will also enhance local governance to promote inclusive participation and engagement of communities in planning, implementing and monitoring local development initiatives. 28. Community resilience for environment and disaster risk reduction - The Hyogo Framework for Action explicitly recognized the added value and contribution of volunteerism to disaster risk management, particularly by bolstering the capacity and resilience of communities to respond to and prevent disasters. Closely linked to disaster risk reduction is the environment, where a number of factors underpin UNV initiatives, including the global recognition of volunteerism s role in environmental protection. UNV s experience in these areas shows that community resilience, which can be enhanced through volunteerism, is the basis of successful programmes. UNV has significant experience in this area, with 21% ($1,880,000) of UNV-administered funds spent on community resilience for environment and/or disaster risk reduction in Building on its lessons learned and responding to growing requests from Member States and UN partners, UNV will continue to contribute to community resilience for local climate change 8

9 mitigation efforts, with a focus on climate change adaptation though people-centred approaches. Likewise, in fragile settings, specifically in countries or regions severely falling short of the threshold of peace and inclusive social and economic development, it has been proven time and time again that volunteerism plays a key role. People are the victims of, and also the first responders to, any crisis. Volunteerism facilitates a strong transition between emergency relief and rebuilding productive lives, leveraging and strengthening capacities in communities faced with situations of chronic fragility. UNV will develop innovative approaches to disaster risk reduction by harnessing the power of volunteerism to build community resilience for inclusive and coherent national disaster prevention and risk reduction strategies. 30. Peace building and peace keeping - In 2012, 69% of UN Volunteer assignments globally were either in peace building and peace-keeping or in emergency and protracted humanitarian assistance. The 2009 Secretary-General s Report on Peace Building in the Immediate Aftermath of Conflict encouraged UNV to continue to support special political and peace building initiatives, in particular with the aim to help strengthen national civilian capacities to impact the sustainability of peace-building initiatives. 31. In response to the needs of UN partners in the humanitarian sector, UN Volunteers will continue to support emergency relief efforts, such as information gathering, coordination, protection, shelter, food, health, water, sanitation and logistics. In protracted situations, they will offer ongoing support for camp management, reintegration, human rights monitoring and livelihoods. 32. In the area of peace building and peace keeping, in response to the recent UNV- DFS evaluation as well as in line with the new paradigm of UN peace-operations - UNV will build on its role in enhancing social cohesion, community dialogue and local capacity-building, to promote a light footprint approach. UNV will continue to play a key role in post-conflict electoral exercises through the mobilization of substantive and technical UN Volunteers expertise. 33. Youth - In 1976, the UNV mandate was expanded to include advancing the role of youth in contributing to economic and social progress and development. In 2012, UNV supported thirteen national youth programmes and schemes, including regional youth programmes in the Arab States and Africa, and deployed thousands of young international UN Volunteers through university and intern schemes. Recognizing the enormous potential of young people to contribute positively to their societies, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, in his Five-Year Action Agenda, announced a specific measure to create a UN youth volunteers programme under the umbrella of UN Volunteers. 34. In response, UNV launched a new Global Youth Volunteering Programme in 2012 to further engage in global advocacy and partnerships for youth volunteerism, and strengthen the capacity of nationally and regionally owned youth volunteer schemes. This flagship programme will: (i) engage in global advocacy and partnerships for youth volunteering; (ii) provide capacity development to nationally- and regionally-owned youth schemes, including policy support to partners; and (iii) establish a UN Youth Volunteering Modality to enhance the role youth play as agents of change in the work of the UN globally, while providing these volunteers opportunities for growth and development. 35. National capacity development through volunteer schemes - UNV has been and continues to be a catalyst and multiplier for volunteerism. Through UN Volunteers and UNV projects, as well as UNV assisted volunteerism schemes, collaborations and networks, hundreds of thousands of volunteers have engaged with communities. To this end, the development of volunteer schemes 9

10 to promote the contribution of volunteerism constitutes an important platform for nationally led and owned multi-sectoral development and peace programmatic interventions. In 2012, 12% ($1,111,000) of UNV-administered funds were spent on national capacity development through volunteer schemes in eight countries. This experience has led to a growing demand from Member States for UNV to support the establishment of national volunteer schemes to address specific development challenges. 36. Governments, civil society and the private sector all have important roles to play in ensuring that the environment supports volunteerism as a strategy for building civic participation and addressing peace and development goals. Three key factors should be taken into account: a favourable policy and regulatory framework; recognition and promotion of volunteerism for peace and development; and committed national leadership. Based on the experience in this area, and as per its mandate, UNV will expand its support to programme countries by enhancing the capacity of local partners to mobilize and manage volunteers more effectively. 37. All of the above strategic priorities will continue to be driven by the principles of volunteerism - inclusion, solidarity, reciprocity, and universality - while leveraging the expertise of volunteers to bring a substantive contribution to national capacity development, as the key tenet of sustainability in development. Cross-cutting considerations will focus on sustainable human development through human rights based approaches and gender equality, recognizing the role of women as a driving force for peace development efforts, and societal transformation across all areas of programme delivery. Through this Strategic Framework UNV will also strive to specifically ensure gender balance in all its operational engagements, especially in UN Volunteers deployed. V. UNV Results UNV Results -- By the end of Two new State of the World s Volunteerism Reports Action Plan to integrate volunteerism in peace and development in the next decade Programme evaluations in UNV s five priority areas Efficient and effective Volunteer Management Cycle Volunteer learning strategy and new learning system accessible for all staff and UN Volunteers 38. The UNV Results contain three interrelated components: (A) programme results, which elaborate UNV s contribution to country-owned peace and development results; (B) organizational effectiveness and efficiency, which outlines the institutional processes, organizational resources and systems which enhance UNV s accountability for results; and (C) partnerships for results, which acknowledges that the achievement of the outcomes of this Strategic Framework will require the full support and close collaboration with relevant partners. 39. This Framework is developed in accordance with UNDG results-based management principles. UNV will be directly and fully accountable for: (i) delivering on outputs of the programme results; (ii) delivering organizational effectiveness and efficiency; (iii) stewardship of the resources with which it is entrusted; and (iv)monitoring, evaluation and reporting on achievements and challenges. 10

11 A. Programme Results Programme Outcome 1: The UN System delivers more sustainable and impactful results by innovatively engaging UN Volunteers in their programmes and projects. 40. Mobilization of UN Volunteers in support of the UN System s country-level activities remains a key outcome for UNV during UNV will ensure a stronger focus on the UN demand side, by more closely engaging UN partners at global, regional and country level. New memoranda of understanding, standard operating procedures and demand forecasts will be developed, to provide effective guidance to both UNV and UN partner field staff to leverage UN Volunteers. Current engagement with the UN System also indicates a need for UNV to expand the scope of volunteer modalities to include youth and short-term volunteers and to generate outreach to cooperate volunteering. 41. UNV will effectively manage a value-driven talent pool of global citizens who want to engage as volunteers in the work of the UN. UNV will strive for excellence in its volunteer management cycle, ensuring a professional approach to delivering, capturing and reporting on the contribution of volunteers to development results. To this end, UNV will also implement a volunteer learning strategy, emphasizing knowledge generation, sharing and learning to promote and enhance the quality and impact of the volunteer experience. Only with empowered and sufficiently resourced UN Volunteers is it possible for UNV to deliver on its mandate. 42. UNV will mobilize resources to deploy UN Volunteers through regional programmes with a focus on the priority areas described in this Strategic Framework. UNV aspires to raise US$50 million per annum of programme funds through the Special Voluntary Fund, Cost Sharing Contributions and for fully funded and youth volunteers through stronger engagement with its traditional donor partners, while also engaging new partners from the emerging economies in the global south. In order to establish rapid deployment mechanisms, funds will be utilized through new thematic regional programmes, fully consulted with and agreed by UN Member States, within UNV s five priority areas. These new programmes will also develop a UNV results base, which can be tracked and monitored independently from UN partners, through the UN Volunteers themselves reporting directly to UNV. These new programmes will be formally evaluated at the end of the Strategic Framework period, for the first time, providing a solid experience foundation for the development of a successor Framework for Regional programmes will create a stronger UNV regional presence, build closer ties with the relevant UN entities in the region and become flagship programmes for the organization, with a UNV specific results base. 43. The innovative engagement of diasporas, UN Online Volunteers, corporate volunteering efforts by the private sector and volunteers from all backgrounds will always focus on the development of national capacities, promotion of South-South collaboration and exchange of relevant knowledge. UNV will also pursue gender equality in a number of assignments, as well as proactively attempt to recruit volunteers according to non-stereotypical gender roles and provide sufficient opportunities for female leadership, including where UNV will expand opportunities for young people to volunteer. 44. UNV will expand the global reach of online volunteering and explore innovative methods to ensure the broadest possible participation by all members of society. To harness this largely 11

12 untapped and vast resource for peace and development, UNV will further pilot, and where possible upscale, diverse forms of online and mobile volunteering. This will entail developing new operational partnerships with other Volunteer Involving Organizations that have started to operate virtually. Programme Outcome 2: UN Member States, the UN System, civil society and communities have integrated volunteerism into peace and development. 45. This outcome focuses on the complementary roles of public institutions and people to contribute to peace and development results. It also links the implementation of and reporting by Member States on their commitments within inter-governmental fora with volunteerism as a means for expanding people s spaces and voices at all levels. 46. UNV will build on its knowledge base and that of its partners from academia and from other Volunteer Involving Organisations and will strengthen the evidence base of the critical role of volunteerism to peace and development. This will include the development of a global research agenda on volunteerism, building collaboration and cultivating research in the South, continuing publications of State of the World s Volunteerism Reports, and increasing measurement of volunteering at national levels, especially in developing contexts. 47. UNV will also examine capacity-development activities for Governments, civil society and other volunteer-involving groups, including the set-up and strengthening of national and regional volunteer schemes, and offer advisory services for the establishment of enabling environments for volunteerism and conducive legal policy frameworks. In addition, UNV will strengthen its joint programming partnerships with the UN System at regional and country level to strategically include volunteer approaches in the priority areas of the organization. 48. Through engagement with Member States, the UN System, volunteer groups and civil society, UNV will contribute to the inclusion of people-centred approaches and volunteerism in various global processes, including the review of achievements against the Millennium Development Goals, the updating of the Hyogo Framework, the convening of the fifth UN World Conference on Women (Beijing+20) and the defining of the new post-2015 and sustainable development goals. National and global outputs will also include follow-up reporting on GA resolution 67/138, including developing a plan of action to integrate volunteering in peace and development in the next decade and beyond, as well as UNV-facilitated inputs to national and global reports of the United Nations, inter-agency or system-wide plans and global development conversations about the contributions of volunteerism. 49. Building innovative volunteer solutions for peace and development can only be done when in partnership with relevant stakeholders from Governments, the UN System and civil society at large. UNV, as a catalyst, knowledge broker or convenor, will seek to develop new and innovative partnerships with UN Member States, private foundations and private sector as part of developing innovative volunteer solutions, in particular where their specific skill-based knowledge and experience can contribute strongly. 12

13 B. Organizational Effectiveness and Efficiency Result Area: UNV is effective and efficient, with empowered staff, managing its resources, systems and business practices to support significant contributions to peace and development. 50. UNV will institutionalize a culture of results-based management, reporting, knowledge management, resource mobilization and accountability. This will be achieved through improved volunteer management business processes to enhance the quality of the volunteer experience. UNV also aims to ensure that it is an organization that delivers quality results for the benefit of UN partners, Member States, civil society and communities through motivated and engaged staff. This will build on the UNV change management exercise in , to build the most effective organizational structure, coupled with requisite staff capacities and will, therefore, place emphasis on enhanced regional and country level outreach. 51. UNV s resource base stems from three different sources: (i) regular core resources, allocated through UNDP; (ii) funds received from UN partners for volunteers mobilized; and (iii) contributions from external partners for programming and joint programmatic partnerships. With respect to the latter, UNV will expand and diversify its resource base by engaging with traditional and non-traditional partners, including Members States and private foundations through the Special Voluntary Fund (SVF), the UN Youth Volunteering Trust Fund, Fully Funded UN Volunteers and other cost-sharing opportunities. New and innovative mechanisms will be developed to mobilize private sector knowledge and resources through corporate volunteering and other possible forms of corporate social responsibility engagement with the UN System and other partners. 52. Improved internal systems and processes will enable UNV to more efficiently manage its work, as well as capture, evaluate and report accurately on results. UNV relies on the support of UNDP to implement effective and efficient business practices. Relevant UNDP central units provide oversight of UNV work (e.g. Office of Finance, Office of Audit and Investigation), while other UNDP units provide services to UNV on a partial cost-recovery basis related to non-undp core funded activities (e.g. Office of Information Systems and Technology, Legal Support Office). This will strengthen a corporate environment that fosters collaboration, knowledge sharing and organizational learning. It will also improve the stewardship of resources entrusted to UNV through enhanced results reporting, compliance to agreed standards and by building on transparent systems of financial management and accountability. 53. As part of its response to GA resolution (67/226), the quadrennial comprehensive policy review of UN operational activities for development, UNV will continue to invest in intra-agency rationalization of business operations as the common services manager of the common premises and services for the UN System in Bonn, Germany. In this capacity, UNV is a leading UN actor in the joint Government of Germany and United Nations initiative of establishing Bonn as a major hub for UN conferences, in relation to UN climate change activities and other UN activities. VI. Partnerships for Results A. Working with UNDP 54. UNV s relationship with UNDP is essential in both programmatic and administrative terms. Programmatically UNDP and UNV have shared values, a common history and share a common 13

14 goal in supporting countries to achieve eradication of extreme poverty and a significant reduction in inequality and exclusion. UNV is seen as a key resource for UNDP and a strong fit with the upstream, policy work of UNDP. UNV will ensure a stronger engagement on a sustained demand forecasting for UN Volunteers through being fully integrated into UNDP organizational development practices. UNV will programmatically add value to key areas of mutual priority areas through its strategic relationship with UNDP, especially in: (i) supporting poverty eradication, through strengthened volunteerism in local level basic social service delivery; (ii) creation of opportunities for youth in volunteering; and (iii) reducing and managing risks of conflict and natural disasters by leveraging volunteering in peace-building, DRR and climate change adaptation. As UNV is administered by UNDP, it is fully aligned to UNDP s governance, reporting and administrative structures. At the country level, the UNDP Resident Representative represents UNV and UNV Field Units are wholly integrated into the operational structure of UNDP Country Offices. B. Working with UN partners 55. UNV is unique within the UN system, as its programme work is implemented not only directly in partnership with, but largely in service for other UN entities, to deliver peace and development results in support of programme countries. At the country level, UNV Field Units interact with UN partners to strategically and meaningfully integrate volunteerism into their areas of delivery. As part of this process, UNV works with UN partners to identify opportunities where volunteers add specific and unique value with a deliberate effort to ensure equality of and equity in opportunities for people to engage. In projects and programmes which align to UNV s programmatic priority areas, UNV will proactively invest its resources with UN partners to demonstrate the potential that integrating volunteerism can have in creating a catalytic impact for development outcomes. Finally, UNV will pursue global agreements with UN partners that strategically leverage volunteer modalities in their business models and support an enabling environment for their effective programmatic inclusion of UN Volunteers. C. Working with Other Key Partners for Volunteerism 56. This Framework envisions a broader role for UNV to enhance capacities and widen opportunities for integrating volunteerism at the country, regional and global levels. This will be done with a multitude of stakeholders and partners, some new and some existing; including programme countries, UN entities, institutional and inter-governmental actors, the private sector, foundations, academia, civil society, youth organizations and other development partners. UNV already engages successfully with many partners in support of its mandate both in programmatic engagement at the country level as well as in regional and global programming, knowledge building and advocacy for the importance of volunteering for peace and development. In order to further leverage these existing, as well as new, partnerships a reinvigorated strategic approach to partnerships will be developed to support the objectives of this Strategic Framework. VII. Implementing and Managing the Strategic Framework A. Implementation Strategies 57. In order to effectively deliver the results elaborated above, and in particular the programme / organisational programmatic priorities, UNV will implement a number of cross-organisational initiatives and approaches. Implementing this Strategic Framework will place pressure on UNV s 14

15 current staff capacity and other limited resources, and as such, global and regional programmes, partnerships and projects will have to enhance UNV s capacity to address innovative approaches and respond to emerging global challenges. 58. UNV also has a number of organizational initiatives already under conceptualisation or implementation, which will be critical to the success of - and define a consistent approach for - this Strategic Framework. These will be reviewed and aligned to this Strategic Framework, accordingly: a. The volunteer knowledge and innovation project provides the basis for UNV to expand on the knowledge base and evidence of the contribution of volunteerism to peace and development. This will create a credible body of knowledge in order to support advocacy, integration and mobilization efforts including through future publications of the State of the World s Volunteerism Report. b. The UN Volunteer learning and support strategy builds relevant understanding of UNV s organizational values with UN Volunteers, as well as providing marketable life skills beyond the volunteer assignment. c. The volunteering and sustainable development: Rio+20, the MDGs and post 2015 agenda project seeks to increase recognition and integration of volunteerism and related concepts in national and global post-2015 policies and discussions. This is a vital component of UNV s advocacy strategy. d. The communications strategy and modern communications project establishes key innovative communications, which include corporate messages and branding, to ensure understanding of UNV s mandate internally and externally. e. Finally, the partnerships strategy will tie together UNV s strategic approach to partnerships for delivering results as well as clearly articulating resource mobilization approaches to adequately resource the activities that will deliver results under the strategic priorities outlined within this Framework. 59. Operational support for the implementation of this Strategic Framework will be provided through organizational initiatives aimed at strengthening UNV s capacity to deliver: (i) effective human resources to ensure that UNV is fit for the purpose of this Strategic Framework; (ii) relevant information and communications technology, ensuring adequate tools to enable empowerment across all levels of UNV with a specific focus on the field level; and (iii) enhanced and decentralised administrative support and financial management. However, central to UNV s operational capacity during this Strategic Framework is the volunteer management cycle project, a key priority for UNV to ensure the requisite levels of staff capacities, resources and effective use of technology to be a tool of excellence for volunteer management. B. Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting 60. Implementation of UNV s Strategic Framework will be monitored in terms of progress made towards achieving results, as measured through outcomes and outputs within the Integrated Results and Resources Matrix (in Annex). 61. UNV will enhance existing mechanisms for collecting data and establish new ones to strengthen its internal reporting, monitoring and evaluation systems. Since much of UNV s contribution to peace and development is performed through UN Volunteers working to support the mandates of other UN entities, the organization will leverage its technology-driven reporting systems for capturing and aggregating related volunteer data, including specific data related to gender. 15

16 Additional tools will be established to record and measure the volunteerism advocacy efforts UNV undertakes directly with other stakeholders. 62. UNV will also develop integrated plans for monitoring, evaluation and reporting activities related to implementation of the Strategic Framework. This will include researching external sources and historic trends to establish baseline data for key results to which UNV plans to contribute. Systematic reporting on results and performance will be provided through UNV annual reports and reports to the UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board. 63. UNV will systematically assess and validate its results and the effectiveness and impact of substantive activities in the Strategic Framework through thematic and country-level evaluations. As UNV is administered by UNDP, evaluations will be in accordance with the UNDP Evaluation Policy and related guidelines. To maximize transparency and accountability, evaluation reports will be available publicly. ANNEXES Annex A: Integrated Results and Resources Matrix [forthcoming in 2013] 16