Outcome NPL_O_5

Effective normative, programmatic and coordination products, services and processes

This output is on track and significant progress has been made in 2023. The UN Women NCO’s programming efforts were further strengthened through the use of results-based management (RBM) standards and evaluation findings and recommendations. UN Women NCO’s implementing partners have enhanced their RBM capacity as evidenced by the RBM compliant performance monitoring frameworks (PMF) and results reports submitted by them. To this end, UN Women NCO conducted a refresher training on RBM focusing on its key principles and standards to be integrated throughout the project cycle. The post-test survey result indicated that 74% of participants demonstrated increased capacity in integrating RBM into programming. Further, six implementing partners of UN Women NCO developed PMFs of their respective projects ensuring its clear alignment with UN Women’s NCO’s Strategic Note results. The Endline Perception Study on Norms and Practices of Communities towards Women’s Economic Empowerment and Leadership was completed in the first quarter of 2023. The study explored and analyzed discriminatory social norms and harmful practices and associated perceptions that influence women’s economic empowerment and leadership. Findings of this study is expected to inform the design of NCO’s upcoming initiatives related to women’s economic empowerment and leadership. Further, key findings of the baseline study of measuring social norms through storytelling, generated insights and analysis on patterns of behaviour for a range of social norms, affirming discriminatory practices amongst women and girls. This has contributed to reassessment of the approach, leading to the redesign of the programme and training manual. The updated training manual now specifically addresses the most prevalent harmful norms identified by the research, emphasizing group reflections and actions aimed at fostering positive norm changes within the project locations. The findings and lessons learned from evaluations were used to strengthen UN Women NCO’s proactive engagement and coordination with UN partners through joint programmes. In line with recommendation of the 2022 country portfolio evaluation and global end-term evaluation of the Joint Programme on Accelerating Progress towards the Economic Empowerment of Rural Women (JP RWEE) – Phase I, UN Women has taken several efforts to ensure greater synergies amongst participating UN organizations (PUNO) as well as the implementing partners in the ground for JP RWEE – Phase II. These include organizing regular follow up meetings among PUNO, joint monitoring visits, joint review and reflection meeting amongst implementing partners and delivering a joint induction package to all implementing partners. The targeting exercise to select geographic area and project participants was also jointly conducted by PUNOs under the leadership of UN Women. Further, a total of 19 out of 25 action points have been initiated/implemented in response to recommendations of the Country Portfolio Evaluation conducted in 2022.

Effective normative, programmatic and coordination products, services and processes

Significant progress towards this output was made. The business process in UN Women Nepal was further strengthened to deliver its mandate through enhanced capacities on application of results-based management (RBM) standards and use of evaluations. Enhanced RBM capacity of UN Women personnel was evidenced by timely submission of five high quality reports to respective donors. Further, 14 programme partners strengthened their capacity on RBM as indicated by the post training report. These were further evidenced in the improved quality progress report submitted by them. This was facilitated through implementation of a dedicated sessions on RBM among others delivered as part of the capacity building initiative – Hamro Sahayatra. Lessons from both Country Portfolio Evaluation 2022 and the global Feminist Collaborative Evaluation on UN Women’s Approach to Social Norms were integrated in the new programme “Hamro Sahas: Feminist Movement Building for Social Norm Change”. In response to the lesson on the need to engage grassroot women’s rights organizations (WROs) in social norm change efforts, the Hamro Sahas programme, designed in 2024 aims to establish a funding modality for diverse feminist organizations/WROs led and representing marginalized identities, providing flexible grants for programmes addressing discriminatory social norms, paired with capacity strengthening to support collectivization, movement building, and cultures of care.

Effective normative, programmatic and coordination products, services and processes

This output is on track with significant progress. In 2025, UN Women Nepal Country Office (NCO) strengthened the efficiency and effectiveness of its business processes through enhanced Results-Based Management (RBM) capacities of its personnel and programme partners, and systemic use of evaluation findings to inform adaptive programme management. RBM capacity of UN Women personnel was strengthened through focused learning and application of RBM tools, resulting in the timely submission of nine high-quality donor reports. In parallel, 31 programme partners improved RBM knowledge and reporting skills, as evidenced by post-training results and improved quality of partner progress reports. This was supported through dedicated RBM capacity-building sessions delivered under Hamro Sahayatra, which strengthened partners’ ability to apply results chains, change language, evidence-based reporting, and use of indicators. UN Women strengthened institutional learning by integrating recommendations from internal and external evaluations into programme design and planning. These include the Country Portfolio Evaluation (CPE) 2022, the Global Feminist Collaborative Evaluation (FCE) on Social Norms Change 2024, and two 2025 assessments: the Mid-Term Review (MTR) of the Joint Programme on Rural Women’s Economic Empowerment (JP RWEE) and the Results-Oriented Monitoring (ROM) of Empowered Women, Prosperous Nepal (EWPN). CPE lessons on advancing federalism through layered, intersectional approaches informed a Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) assessment under the Government-led Provincial and Local Governance Strengthening Programme, strengthening evidence for gender-responsive planning and accountability. Based on FCE findings, UN Women expanded support to grassroots women’s rights organizations (WROs), including through the Hamro Sahas capacity-building component and Community of Practice focused on resilience, digital safety, and advocacy to boost collective action and local governance influence. Lessons from JP RWEE MTR and EWPN ROM informed programme adjustments and the 2026 workplan. Both assessments underscored the need to address structural drivers of inequality, including gender norms and undervalued unpaid care work. In response, UN Women strengthened the economic framing of care in policy engagement, linking reforms to governance, legal frameworks, and national planning. The JP RWEE review also emphasized shifting from policy drafting to supporting implementation of existing GESI and Gender-Responsive Budgeting (GRB) commitments; UN Women responded with technical assistance on GRB coding and accountability support to local governments. Collectively, strengthened RBM capacities and the systematic use of evaluation evidence enhanced operational effectiveness, adaptive management, and results-based delivery, reinforcing UN Women NCO’s ability to deliver integrated programming at scale and in alignment with fiduciary and accountability standards.