USERS GUIDE UNCT PERFORMANCE INDICATORS FOR GENDER EQUALITY. Draft 3 24 May Prepared by. Tony Beck & Dharitri Patnaik. For

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1 Draft May 24, 2007; Version 3 USERS GUIDE UNCT PERFORMANCE INDICATORS FOR GENDER EQUALITY Draft 3 24 May 2007 Prepared by Tony Beck & Dharitri Patnaik For UNDG Task Team on Gender Equality

2 Content 1. INTRODUCTION PURPOSE OF SCORECARD PURPOSE OF THE USERS GUIDE DIMENSIONS HOW TO RATE THE DIMENSIONS ANALYSIS OF DATA USE OF THE REPORT CARD: SCORES AND RECOMMENDATIONS PROCESS AND METHODOLOGY FOR IMPLEMENTING THE SCORECARD. 4 CONTACT INFORMATION:... 7 ANNEX:

3 1. Introduction The UNCT Performance Indicators for Gender Equality (Scorecard) establishes a framework for assessing the extent to which the UN Country Team (UNCT) is implementing a gender mainstreaming strategy in support of gender equality and women s empowerment. It should help the UNCT to understand how to strengthen its gender mainstreaming strategy to support improved performance and results. The purpose of the Scorecard is: To develop a common understanding of the minimum level of performance needed to support gender equality and women s empowerment programming by the UNCT. To assist UNCTs to identify areas in which they are exceeding or meeting minimum standards and where they can strengthen actions to enhance performance. The Scorecard was developed after a background literature review of accountability mechanisms in UN organizations and based on consultations with UN Development Group (UNDG) agencies. Development and use of the Scorecard is being coordinated by UNIFEM and UNFPA, as one of the activities of the UNDG Task Team on Gender Equality. Its development was endorsed by the UNDG Principals in July For further background information, see Annex Background to the Scorecard UN Member States have made visionary commitments to achieve gender equality and women s empowerment at the national level, with commitments ranging from agreement on the Beijing Platform for Action, to the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), including Goal 3: Achieve Gender Equality and Women s Empowerment. The majority of UN organizations have policies or strategies to enhance their contributions to and support of gender equality. In the context of UN reform, enhancing overall performance of the UNCT on gender equality becomes even more important. As such, the Scorecard is focused on the performance of the UNCT, rather than the performance of any one UN organization. The performance indicators included are not meant to supersede individual UN organization commitments or indicators. Rather, the Scorecard was developed based on a review of what exists and consolidates indicators used by many different UN organizations to encourage improved performance by the UNCT as a whole. The enquiries undertaken by the UNDG Task Team on Gender Equality in 2006 affirmed that there has been notable progress in the extent to which gender equality is reflected in planning documents and that innovative programming is being spearheaded by many UN organizations. However, there are inadequate means to measure progress against stated goals, and as yet too few examples of holistic, rights-based programming undertaken in a 3

4 coordinated manner by UNCTs in support of national priorities for achieving gender equality. The Scorecard is intended to assist UNCTs to fill this gap. 3. Purpose of the Users Guide The Scorecard can be either self-administered, or could be administered by external consultants. This Users Guide describes how the Scorecard should be used to assess the UNCT s gender equality programming, aggregate scores, and determine future action. 3.1 Dimensions The Scorecard has eight dimensions that need to be rated to gauge UNCT performance. It encompasses: 1: Planning 2: Programming 3: Partnerships 4: Policies and capacities 5: Decision-making 6: Budgeting 7: Monitoring and evaluation 8: Quality control and accountability Included under each dimension are indicators and corresponding ratings. The definitions of each indicator and criteria for rating are detailed in the Scorecard. The dimensions and indicators chosen all have their basis in either guidelines previously issued by the UNDG or in inter-governmental resolutions and decisions on the responsibilities that UN organizations should fulfill in relation to supporting gender equality and women s empowerment. These are indicated in boldface in each dimension. 3.2 Process and methodology for implementing the Scorecard The Scorecard should be completed annually. This can become a part of the UNCT Annual Review process and feed into the RC Annual Report. The following illustrates the data sources required to complete the Scorecard. Dimension 1: Review of background material such as CCA/UNDAF and other UNCT planning and programming documents Dimension 2: Review of UNCT joint programmes, interviews with Resident Coordinator, Gender Theme Group, Heads of Agencies Dimension 3: Interviews with counterparts and partners such as Women s Ministry, Civil Society Organizations and Government focal point for the UN Dimension 4: Interviews with Gender Theme Groups, review of Gender Theme Group documents Dimension 5: Agenda and minutes of Heads of Agencies meetings, or interviews Dimension 6: UNCT budgets Dimension 7: Audits, evaluations and annual reviews Dimension 8: Readers Group comments and 180 degree assessment materials 4

5 It is key that the Scorecard is used in a participatory way, with involvement of the Resident Coordinator, Heads of Agencies, gender theme group members, and relevant UNCT staff. The completion of and review of Scorecard results should stimulate a constructive dialogue within the UNCT about the current status of gender mainstreaming and how it can be improved. The results should be particularly pertinent for the Resident Coordinator, the UNCT Heads of Agencies and the Gender Theme Group (if one exists). Whether used for self-assessment or administered by a consultant, the process of determining ratings in each dimension should be facilitated in a way that allows for different views on the ratings to be expressed, consensus to be reached, and a report produced that outlines strengths, weaknesses and actions to be taken by different members of the UNCT. 3.2 How to rate the dimensions There are six possible ratings: Exceeds minimum standard: This category should be used when UNCTs have gone beyond the minimum standards, in other words where excellent work on gender mainstreaming is taking place. Meets minimum standard: This is the minimum that a UNCT is expected to achieve on gender mainstreaming, following UN institutional mandates. Sources for the institutional mandate (e.g. TCPR 2005, ECOSOC Resolutions) are included in the first column of the Scorecard. Needs improvement: This rating applies to a situation where the UNCT is close to meeting the minimum standard, and is likely to reach this standard over the period of a year, if remedial action is taken. Inadequate: This rating is for dimensions that fall well below the adequate standards and where significant improvement is required. Missing: This rating should be applied where the dimension is not included, for example if no sex-disaggregated data is included or there have been no consultations with women s NGOs and networks. Not applicable: This rating should be applied when the dimension is not relevant, for example where there is no Gender Theme Group or Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper or its equivalent. 5

6 The following Table presents an example of rating. Dimensions Definition 1. Planning (CCA/UNDAFs) 1.a Adequate analysis related to gender equality and women s empowerment Source: UNDAF Guidelines Exceeds minimum standards Includes an in-depth analysis of the ways in which gender inequality is reproduced, including the influence of gender relations, roles, status, inequalities and discrimination in access to and control of resources. The analysis includes reference to CEDAW reports and concluding comments. All data is sex-disaggregated, or there is a specific reason noted for not disaggregating by sex. Critical capacity gaps are identified in the area of the promotion of gender equality. Meets minimum standards Includes an in-depth analysis of the ways in which gender inequality is reproduced, including the influence of gender relations, roles, status, inequalities and discrimination in access to and control of resources. The analysis includes reference to CEDAW reports and concluding comments. All data is sex-disaggregated, or there is a specific reason noted for not disaggregating by sex. Needs improvement Two of the above three areas (under Meets minimum standards) are met. UNCT comments and evidence base Meets Minimum standards (Score: 4) The UNCT has made serious attempts to mainstream gender in its key planning documents, and the CCA/UNDAF provides an important framework for gender equality programming. Analysis includes : Detailed assessment of gender relations and roles Entitlement to property and resources Use of sex disaggregated data Reference to CEDAW reports and concluding comments in UNDAF Critical gender-related capacity gaps were not identified in the CCA/UNDAF, so an exceeds minimum standards rating was not given. Evidence base: CCA/ UNDAF Inadequate One of the above three areas (under meets minimum standards) is met. Missing or Not applicable 3.3 How to analyze the data Once UNCT members and other stakeholders have agreed on the ratings and comments, transfer these into a sheet for analysis. There are 8 dimensions and a total of 22 questions. The analysis can take into account both the dimensions as well as the individual questions. The chart that follows can be used to transfer the overall ratings for each dimension and for the group involved to determine the steps that the UNCT needs to take to address the results of the assessment. 6

7 Dimension Overall rating Steps to be taken 1 (Planning) 2 (Programming) 3 (Partnerships) Etc. Where a dimension: Exceeds minimum standards: the UNCT may consider writing up its process and products as a good practice and sharing it more widely through UNDG electronic communities of practice and in other venues. Meets minimum standards: The UNCT should consider steps for continuing to improve and exceed these. Needs improvement: Determine concrete steps for putting in place systems, capacities or other remedial actions so that the UNCT can meet, at least, minimum standards. Inadequate: Ensure that this is an agenda item at UNCT meetings and that concrete steps are put in place to address this. Close monitoring by the RC to ensure that this component improves is very important. Missing: This, again, needs close review and consultation by the RC to better understand why this component is totally missing from the work of the UNCT. 3.4 Contributing to UN system-wide knowledge on UNCT performance on gender equality Ultimately, the performance indicators are also intended to assist the UN system to understand across countries and regions how UNCTs performance on gender equality and women s empowerment is changing. The UNDG Task Team suggests that this process is undergone at the same time each year by all UNCTs and that scores are transmitted to the Task Team (ingrid.arno@unifem.org) for aggregation. This is not intended to single out specific teams, but rather to identify good practices and areas in which the system as whole needs stronger capacity and support. Contact Information: Please send your views, comments, and requests for assistance in completing the scorecard, to Ingrid Arnò of UNIFEM at ingrid.arno@unifem.org 7

8 Annex:1 Background Information: Development of the Indicators for UNCT Performance on Gender Equality follows from the 59 th Session of the UN General Assembly, where Member States, in adopting the Triennial Comprehensive Policy Review (TCPR) of Operational Activities for Development of the UN System (UN 2005c: 13) called on all UN organizations to: Mainstream gender and to pursue gender equality in their country programmes, planning instruments and sector-wide programmes and to articulate specific country-level goals and targets in this field in accordance with the national development strategies. Further, ECOSOC Resolution 2004/4 - Review of Economic and Social Council agreed conclusions 1997/2 on mainstreaming the gender perspective into all policies and programmes in the United Nations system requested: the Secretary-General to ensure that all United Nations entities develop action plans with time lines for implementing the agreed conclusions 1997/2, which address the gap between policy and practice identified in the Secretary-General s report, with a view to strengthening commitment and accountability at the highest levels within the United Nations system as well as to establishing mechanisms to ensure accountability, systematic monitoring and reporting on progress in implementation. As a direct follow-up to the TCPR, and to ensure a comprehensive response to many of its recommendations, the UN Development Group (UNDG) created a Task Team on Gender Equality as a sub-group of the UNDG Programme Group. The goals of the Task Team are: to support more consistent and coherent action among UNDG member agencies to mainstream gender equality and promote women s empowerment at the country level; and to ensure that gender equality and women s empowerment are mainstreamed into the wide range of tools and processes that emerge from the UNDG for use by UN Country Teams (UNCTs). This guide accompanies a set of performance indicators that are intended to be used by UNCTs so that they can better gauge the extent to which they are fulfilling commitments to support countries to achieve gender equality and women s empowerment. In 2006 the UNDG Task Team on Gender Equality commissioned a background paper on accountability mechanisms in UNDG agencies. This paper 1 reviewed accountability for programming in support of gender equality in ILO, UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF, and WFP 2 and found that: The four ExCom agencies were chosen along with ILO because of their well-recognized work on gender audits. 8

9 A common understanding of how to apply gender mainstreaming in UN operational activities is needed. This is because if there is no agreement on what constitutes a minimum level of actions to support gender equality, how will it be possible to hold agencies and UN Country Teams accountable for this? Reaching agreement across agencies on what constitutes a minimally acceptable performance to support gender equality, through an agreed set of indicators, would contribute to stronger guidance and accountability. Subsequently this background paper was endorsed at the UNDG Principals meeting in July 2006, where agreement was reached on development of a UNCT-level Accounting for Gender Equality scorecard that sets minimum standards for UNCTs to assess their performance, and to identify gaps and progress across the system. General background to scorecards: The use of scorecards for strategic planning originated with the concept of the Balanced Scorecard in the early 1990s - planned to enable businesses to turn their vision and strategies into action (Arveson 1998), and currently considered one of the most important business planning tools. Instead of measuring performance by financial outcomes alone, the Balanced Scorecard incorporates four perspectives: financial; business process; learning and growth; and customer perspective. The intention of moving beyond financial information was to provide managers with richer and more relevant information about activities they are managing. Over time the design of Balanced Scorecards evolved to include causal links between an organization s strategic goals and the four perspectives; causal links between strategic objectives within the different perspectives; and the inclusion of a Destination Statement, which acts as a final check on objectives, measures, and targets chosen in the development of a scorecard (Cobbold and Lawrie 2002). However, these authors argue that since the initial task of designing a scorecard is challenging: many management teams are persuaded to use less demanding design processes, with the result that perhaps a majority of Balanced Scorecards fail. (ibid: p.5). Some of the challenges of developing a scorecard are the process of choosing specific measures to report, and clustering deciding how to group measures into perspectives. Scorecards in the public sector: Like many evaluation and strategic planning tools, the scorecard concept has been picked up on by the public sector. In the public sector, including the UN, management consultants are increasingly brought in to rationalize agency performance and improve strategic planning. The UNDP Balanced Scorecard for example uses many of the techniques introduced in the original scorecard concept, including destination statements. However, in the public sector, at least among development agencies, scorecards appear to have been used more for monitoring and evaluation than for planning that is for keeping score in the organization, rather than for planning and attempting to maintain a balance between different organizational functions. Because of this, public sector scorecards often resemble a revised Logical Framework Analysis format. Below are three recent examples of gender scorecards. 9

10 The UNDP Gender Mainstreaming Scorecard (UNDP 2006) is to be completed by all Headquarters Bureaux, Regional Centres and Country Offices every six months. The Scorecard covers six areas: corporate commitments; implementation mechanisms; internal capacities; gender mainstreaming in the project cycle; accountability; and culture. In the scoring system for the Scorecard, UNDP uses a six-point scale, and has taken a mainly quantitative approach, with cut off points at 25, 50 and 75 per cent. The UNDP s Rwanda Gender Audit Project (UNDP 2006a) used a Balanced Scorecard to better understand the extent to which policies on gender equality were being incorporated into programmes and interventions, and to see if internal policies reflected the agency s commitment to gender equality. An anonymous questionnaire of all project staff was generated, and the Scorecard considered four perspectives: accountability to heaquarters; internal operations and competences; innovation and learning; and reputation with partners, clients and constituencies. UNESCO s Scorecard on Gender Equality and Girls Education in Asia (UNESCO 2004) faced complex conceptual and data issues, particularly related to conceptualization, measurement, quality and accessibility of data. The scorecard was built around four measures that are considered indicators of girls access to and retention in schooling: girls net attendance rate at primary school; girls survival rate over 5 years in primary schooling; girls secondary net enrolment rate; and the country gender development index. Despite the methodological constraints, it was concluded that the Scorecards generated some useful insights with regards to the MDG achievements. 10