UNDP Gender Equality Seal

BRC Gender Team Webinar13 December 2012

Koh MiyaoiGender Practice Leader for Europe and CIS

Gender Equality Seal

• A corporate certification programme that incentivizes and recognizes good performance of UNDP offices/units to deliver transformational gender equality results;

• A tool that allows offices/units to better link institutional development for gender mainstreaming to development results;

• A learning platform that will help offices/units to establish a baseline, fine-tune strategies, identify and address gaps and challenges, document innovations and showcase the impact of interventions for gender equality.

Gender Equality Seal

• An standardized assessment tool will be used to measure progress of offices/units.

• Indicators and benchmarks correspond to standards on gender mainstreaming derived from UN standards, international norms and UNDP's own mandates and guidelines.

• The Seal is designed to connect interventions and create synergies in different domains of a gender mainstreaming strategy and assess the overall impact of gender mainstreaming on development results.

Gender Equality Seal

• A holistic appraisal of the gender equality contribution of the institutional arrangements, going beyond individual projects

• Objective assessment of the existing institutional arrangements with external reviewers, adding external credibility

• Vigorous review process with the engagement of the entire office/unit

• Time given to prove & improve before the final scoring

Seven areas of performance:

Indicators for Appraisal

• Management system for gender equality results

• In house capacities• Enabling policy environment• Knowledge and communication• Programming• Partnerships• Gender equality result/Impacts

Gender Equality SealFeedback from the three pilot countries of the Seal, Global Workshop June 2012

• “Innovative methodology – not just ticking the box, it encourages COs to take ownership.”• “More for less – can promote both quality assurance and on-going learning.”• “More useful than gender audit - engaging and participatory, generates more practical

recommendations.”• “Successful in shifting the focus from inputs to impacts.”• “Shows links between workplace policies and development results.”• “Provides concrete evidence of results – makes innovations visible.”• “High quality of appraisals and reliability of results – this is what makes it different from

other tools that rely on self-appraisal.” • “Appraisal process encouraged strategic thinking, helped to identify key possibilities for

action.” • “The process was like team-building for the entire office – increased general awareness

and understanding of gender issues.”• “A good reality-check for HQ gender unit and Regional Centres – an opportunity to build

two-way relationships with country offices.”

Gender Equality Seal - History

• The First Pilot Phase (Argentina, Bhutan & Kyrgyzstan) (2011)

• Global Validation Workshop (June 2012)• Award Ceremony (November 2012)• The Operations Programme Group, chaired

by the Associate Administrator, full endorsment (November 2012)

• The extended pilot phase (March 2013)

The extended pilot phase• Purpose: test and refine the tools and methodology to

ensure their organization-wide applicability.• Applying for certification will be open and voluntary.• A tailored package of services to support COs/units will be

developed.• Stages of the process of certification:

Step 1. Online pre-screening to identify gender gaps of the office/unit Step 2. Action Plan design and implementation Step 3. Final assessment to identify level of certificationStep 4. Certification and award.

Thanks and join us in Teamworks!

https://undp.unteamworks.org/node/171196/

UNDP KGZ participation at Gender Equality Seal

Pilot Initiative : added value and results

Bratislava Regional Center 2012

Kyrgyzstan’s development results:

• Constitutional Reform – moving to Parliamentary Republic;• Strong improvement of electoral process towards

transparency ; • Court system reform;• National mechanisms for human rights and public

monitoring; • Anticorruption actions (moving from 164 in 2010 to 154 in

2011 in Transparency International rating);• Active and vibrant civil society.

Gender Equality Results:

• Well developed National gender legislation and policy;

• Women’s movement is active, united and involved in development and discussion of key national policies and reforms and peace building;

• Women’s representation in decision making; • Gender expertise institutionalized in the Parliament;• There is a next generation of “feminists” – young

women and men.

UNDP’s contribution to country GE Goals:

• Gender Task Force lead by DRR, Gender Mainstreaming coordinator at projects level;

• CO Gender Mainstreaming Strategy, Annual Action plan and joint Gender Mainstreaming Action Plan;

• Mandatory gender screening of all concept notes, ProDocs, AWPs, TORs, M&E reports;

• Gender briefing for all newcomers, training course on Gender mainstreaming in UNDP for all programme staff.

What were our expectations about the pilot?

• Assessment of our gender mainstreaming activity compared to other COs, in sub-region and globally. If we are on the right path?

• To get recommendations on improving gender programming and building enabling environment;

• To find solution between bureaucracy and qualitative mainstreaming.

What has our Country Office gained from this experience?

• Accelerate the implementation of the UNDP Global Gender equality and CO Gender Mainstreaming strategies (Gender marker), CPD and CPAP;

• Better understanding and articulation of institutional development issues (RBM);

• New ideas for projects and resource mobilization;• Develop an internal self-reflexion and self-assessment;• Recognition and motivation, ownership of GE results (Gold Seal);• Excellent and useful recommendations on all stages of programme cycle –

from planning till M&E, learning and in-house gender expertise (list of indicators and benchmarks);

UNDP KGZ follow up actions:

• Gender Task Force composition improved and includes Programme and Operation Unit representatives;

• Improved comparatively low score on the Atlas Gender Marker;• The UNDP budget for gender mainstreaming increased from

118,000 USD in 2007 till more than 5 mln. USD in 2012 (25% of the total budget of CO).

• Evaluation of implementation of GM strategy and development of new Strategy.

• Three-step procedure for gender review of projects;• Increased level of in-house technical expertise on gender.

Thank you! nurgul.asylbekova@undp.org

For more information please visit : http://europeandcis.undp.org/ourwork/gender

Join: https://undp.unteamworks.org/node/171196 Contact :

Koh.Miyaoi@undp.orgnurgul.asylbekova@undp.org