UNICEF and UN Coherence

UNICEF 101, 8 October 2015

Mandeep O’Brien, Senior Adviser

Public Partnerships Division

Presentation outline

1. UN Coherence context

2. Delivering as One

3. Big picture

1-- UN Coherence – Why?

Working together and jointly with other UN Partners

• More effectiveness

• More efficiency

• More relevance

• Maximize impact and results for children.

1– UN coherence priorities: where do they

come from?

• General Assembly: Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy

Review (QCPR) resolution and humanitarian reform

• The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)

• UNICEF Executive Board

• Chief Executives Board (CEB) and its 3 pillars:

UN Development Group (UNDG)

High-Level Committee on Management (HLCM)

High-Level Committee on Programme (HLCP)

1 – QCPR (2013-2016)

• QCPR is important for us. It charts the future direction for

UN coherence.

• QCPR is a legally binding General Assembly resolution for

23 UN entit ies (of 37).

• QCPR contains 177 mandates.

• QCPR calls for enhancing relevance, effectiveness and

eff iciency of operational activit ies.

1-- QCPR

Funding

Development Effectiveness

Functioning of the UN system

System-wide evaluation

Improved funding for development activities: balance core versus non-core, predictability, cost recovery

National capacity development; poverty eradication; south south cooperation; gender equality; transition

UNDAF; RC system; DaO; regional dimensions; simplification and harmonization of business practices; RBM

System-wide evaluation; consolidated SP+QCPR reporting; single monitoring framework.

I. Background

8 DaO Pilot countries +

many selfstarters

High Level Panel on System Wide

Coherence

Independent Evaluation of DaO (2012)

Country Led Evaluations

(2010 –2011)

High Level Intergovern.

conferences (Viet Nam, Rwanda,

Uruguay, Albania)

QCPR 2012

20

06

20

07

20

08

20

09

20

10

20

11

20

12

20

13

20

14

SOPs

Implementation SOPs

Pilotphase2013-16: +100 countries rolling out UNDAF

Source: UN DOCO

2-- Delivering as One

• The QCPR recognizes DaO as a

model going forward on a

voluntary basis• The QCPR requests “ the UN system to […]

formulate standard operational

procedures as guidelines for DaO

countries […]”

2 --Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for DaO

8

(i) Standard Operating

Procedures (SOPs) tell

us what and how to

implement the 5 pillars

of DaO

(iii) SOPs are

supported by a HQ

plan of action on

systemic bottlenecks

(ii) SOPs cannot be

uniformly applied.

Adapted to country

context and

typology

(iv) SOPs offer some

good principles of

coherence that can

be widely applied

2 --UN Coherence principles at the core of

UNICEF

(i) a light and strategic UNDAF;

(ii) joint programming w ith

other UN agencies using a

coordinated approach to

deliver results and remove

duplication of efforts;

(iii) harmonized planning,

monitoring and report ing

instruments w ith clear

agency accountability;

(iv) full implementation of the

management and

accountability system,

including the functional

f irew all;

(v) an empowered RC and UN

Country Team (UNCT): one

voice: use of common

messages on key issues w here

the UN is active in the

country;

(vi) a common budgetary

framework that transparently

ref lects the UN available and

expected resources for

achieving results;

(vii) investment in common

services if it demonstrates

cost-savings and reduces

transaction costs.

2 -- Applying UN coherence principles through

SOPs

One Programme

Common

Budgetary

Framework &

One Fund

One Leader

Operating as One

Communicating

as One

A light and strategic UNDAF at outcome level.

UNCT develops a common budgetary framework. One Fund is

optional.

RC alone is not one leader. Both the RC and UNCT constitute

one leadership.

Invest in common services where it is cost-efficient and cost-

effective.

RC is not the one voice. Best placed UNCT agency speaks on

relevant issue/s, according to mandate.

2 -- Examples of UN Coherence in practice

• Viet Nam - first ever national equity analysis

on health

• Swaziland – national campaign: Eliminating

new HIV infections

• Philippines - joining efforts to promote

Mother and Newborn Health

Message from UNICEF’s Executive Director

3-- Big picture of Post-2015 Process: Key

Interdependent Tracks

Adoption of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda (September)

Financing for Development (Addis Ababa Conference – July)

Climate Change/UN Climate Change Conference (COP 21 - Dec)

UN Reform/Fit for Purpose – 2015/2016

World Humanitarian Summit (WHS) – May 2016

3-- UNICEF key messages on Fit for Purpose

“Purpose”: Results for children!

6. Adapt business models and joint funding

modalit ies, w here they make sense in terms of

eff iciency gains and effective results;

7. Agile workforce equipped to operate in

humanitarian-development continuum contexts

and skilled on risk management and resilience

approaches;

8. Women, including from the south, in senior

leadership positions in UN country teams;

9. Forge multi-country, multi-stakeholder,

multi-sector partnerships on specif ic issues of

common concern w here w e must see change.

10. Implement the SOPs and apply good

coherence principles of w orking together.

1. Support SDG-based national

implementation and budget frameworks;

2. Develop SDG-based UNDAFs that are

poised to deliver on key SDGs;

3. Pursue more strategic partnerships

frameworks in UMIC and HIC contexts;

4. Facilitate a global SDG monitoring (and

acceleration) framework that can be

adapted to country contexts;

5. No dark spots in the availability of

disaggregated data for national planning,

implementation and monitoring

framew orks;

3 -- Moving to the next QCPR

Embed the Sustainable Development Goals as the overarching framework for coherence in the UN development system

Strategic and high-level – giving UNCTs space and flexibility at country level

Ensure a focus on results – ‘fit for purpose’ means ‘fit for results’. Build on the successes so far.

Bringing together humanitarian, development and peace-building

QCPR matters

for UNICEF.

We are

accountable to

member states

for QCPR

implementation.

Delivering as

One is

important for

UNICEF

provided the

focus shifts

from process to

results.

SOPs offer

coherence

principles that

can lighten

process, shift

focus to results

but application

remains flexible.

The

Sustainable

Development

goals offer an

overarching

framework for

coherence.

Summary: UN Coherence & UNICEF

Thank you