Outcome ESA_O_5

Products, Services and Processes

Preliminary data for implementation rate for regular resources as of 31st Dec indicated a rate of 60% with the finalization of the year-end closures processes and payroll. This will include the absorption of overspending on the core at the CO level. Funding Source Delivery Utilization Sum of Total Budget $ Sum of Expenditure $ Sum of Obligations $ Sum of Advances $ Sum of Total Expenditure $ Sum of Budget Balance $ UN Women Funds 80% 90% 7,524,448.25 6,051,356.17 719,083.85 36,205.92 6,806,645.94 717,802.31 Non Core Funds 60% 69% 1,458,365.56 880,979.70 80,175.45 45,867.20 1,007,022.35 451,343.21 Total 77% 87% 8,982,813.81 6,932,335.87 799,259.30 82,073.12 7,813,668.29 1,169,145.52

Products, Services and Processes

UNBOA recently completed the RO field audit exercise from November 6-26, 2024. The audit focused on Program and Partners Management. During the exercise, the UNBOA team reviewed Project Documents, ICF/DOA Letters for all regions, and 66 Partner Agreements. The RO performed satisfactorily in the audit exercise. There is one recommendation for the RO: to enhance the RO's M&E/Oversight roles as the second line of defense. Some of the key lessons that will be applied across the region include the following: Misalignment Between RBCA and Office Risk Register: The audit highlighted a misalignment between the Country Office's RBCA and the risk register, where partner assessments were rated as low, while the Program and Partners Management risk category was rated very high. This discrepancy indicates a need for better alignment between risk assessments and actual field-level risk profiles. the RO will to re-evaluate and enhance the RBCA process, ensuring that it is more reflective of the actual risks identified in the office's risk register. Adjustments will be made to ensure consistency and accuracy in risk assessment. With PSMU, a more in-depth session on RBCA will be included during the next programme management refresher training for the ESAR. Utilization of Standardized Templates: The audit noted that field offices were not consistently adhering to the standardized templates specified in partner selection procedures. The RO shall revise the training and monitoring processes to ensure uniform use of the required templates across all offices. We plan to have a short-term consultant to conduct a full assessment to identify the gaps. Strengthening Monitoring Plans: The need to improve monitoring plans for better risk mitigation was identified. All partners are required to have monitoring plans with clear risk mitigation strategies. This will also be applied to all Strategic notes considering the requirement to align as per the UN Women Planning, Monitoring and Reporting (PMR) policy. The RO will include reporting on risk mitigation in the quarterly report both in RMS and QBR at CO level. During the quarterly review meetings, all COs and the RO will be required to present updates. Maintaining Audit Trails for Capacity-Building Initiatives: Offices were advised to maintain a detailed audit trail of capacity-building initiatives to ensure alignment with partner development plans. Follow-up will be made to ensure proper documenting and tracking of capacity-building efforts to ensure that they are effective and aligned with partner needs. The regional office will support country offices to establish well-documented partner capacity building processes. The short-term consultant will also fully assess this alignment to ensure the relevance to the capacity building plans. Timely Submission of Partner Reports : Delays in the submission of partners' narrative and financial reports were noted. Future actions will focus on improving systems for timely report submissions, including better tracking and clearer deadlines for partners with consequences for non-compliance. With PSMU, a system for ensuring that funds are released to partners only after reports have been reviewed and approved will be developed for application by all offices engaging partners. Delayed Implementation of IAS Audit Recommendations: The RO will IAS updates as a fixed agenda item in monthly/quarterly meetings and ensuring continuity during personnel changes to address this gap.

Products, Services and Processes

The ESA Regional Office developed the Host Country Services Application portal to automate the process of submission of documents relating to work permits, local driving licenses, diplomatic id cards and Duty Exemptions for importation of goods and vehicles. The app (embedded into the Global Service Tracker) was targeted for use by a. Regional Office for East and Southern Africa b. Kenya Country Office c. Global Office personnel moving from HQ to Nairobi, Kenya All the three offices are currently using the new app (innovation).