Outcome COL_O_5

UN-Women efficiently and effectively discharges of all business processes that advance integrated delivery of its normative, operational and coordination mandate at HQ, Regional and Country level, including through shared services

The PME team operates as a unique structure within the organization , combining corporate functions and project planning, knowledge management and M&E functions. Moreover, the team leads the implementation of the gender statistics strategy (starting with the Women Count program, and including provision of services to internal and external stakeholders, preparation of analytical documents and publications, management and visualization of information and data). The team also houses the PME team houses a technical secretariat that supports civil society organizations (CSOs) in responding and implementing open calls for proposals, while helping strengthen their capacities. Oriented to service provision, the PME team contributes to greater organizational effectiveness and efficiency. The results of the corporate audit realized in 2024 highlighted several good practices of the office in terms of PME/RBM (including the statistics strategy, technical secretariat, coordination, etc.). Among all recent corporate audits, the one in Colombia received the fewest medium to high-level recommendations. Key specific results and achievements include: Formulation and approval of the Strategic Note 2025-2028 as a result of a strategic planning process that involved the entire office throughout the year. Besides corporate mandatory annexes, the SN also includes additional tailored annexes, like the territorial strategy one and the coordination annex. Positioning UN Women and its statistics strategy in the World Data Forum and Global Mid-Term Review of the Women Count program. Moreover, In 2024, the third edition of “Women and Men: Gender Gaps in Colombia” was launched (during the World Data Forum), along with the subnational gender profiles for the departments of Cauca and Nariño . These publications aim to enhance the availability, accessibility, and use of gender statistics to support public policy processes, monitor progress on national gender equality commitments, and ensure compliance with international conventions. They offer an intersectional analysis of gender gaps, by disaggregating data by sex, territory, ethnicity, urban/rural areas, and age, providing a comprehensive view of gender inequality. The publication, together with the departmental gender profiles include critical indicators across various sectors, highlighting the specific challenges faced by vulnerable groups such as ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, and different age groups. These documents are used by national and local governments as valuable tools for evidence-based policymaking, ensuring that public policies are inclusive, leave no one behind, and help monitor and advance the rights and equality of both women and men in Colombia. Corporate RBM, related systems, donor and UNSDCF reporting up to date. Technical Secretariat for competitive funding for civil society strengthened via the consolidation of the support function for civil society calls for proposals and capacity building for CSOs (5 calls for proposals implemented in 2024 and for the first time an agreement with a donor -France- to provide Technical Secretariat services). Capacity building initiative led by the Technical Secretariat included areas such as financial management, M&E, PSEA, anti-fraud and other relevant programmatic priorities: Development of CSOs Manuals of Administrative/Financial Processes. Planning, M&E tools developed, and support for project formulation and resource mobilization to ensure CSOs sustainability. Programmatic support (gender budgeting, humanitarian, etc.) Development of communication plans and advocacy tools. Improvement of community based CSOs infrastructures and organizational skills. Internal PSEA policies developed by CSOs in compliance with UN Women’s Zero Tolerance Policy. Note that it is mandatory for all CSOs signing agreements with UN Women. Collection of Organizational Capacity Index (ICO for its acronym in Spanish). As a starting point, for each organization an ICO is collected, as a basis for the implementation of an organizational strengthening plan. Once the plan is implemented, an endline ICO is collected to measure the progress. Strong efforts were dedicated to information mgmt and systems (as highlighted by the corporate audit), including Consolidation and innovation in monitoring and collection of information on portfolio projects with a primary focus on the GBV/Migration and economic empowerment/income generation portfolio. In addition, a consultancy was implemented to develop the CO strategy on Artificial Intelligence . On evaluation, In 2024, the CO has continued to use the findings and recommendations of the external evaluation of the of the Sweden’s support to the SN ( GATE link ) and finalized the external evaluation of gender budgeting tracker ( GATE link ). The evaluation has highlighted the importance of the tool and evaluation findings are being shared with key government entities and inform public policies on gender budgeting. Also, the related tool (gender scanner) developed by the evaluator will be used by key public entities. Moreover, in 2024, our office has contributed (also being the subject of a case study with an on-site visit) to several global evaluation exercises (WPHF global evaluation with in-person case study, WPS 2018-2023 with virtual case study, Sustainable Finance global evaluation, MOPAN including “deep dive” on Colombia, etc.).

UN-Women efficiently and effectively discharges of all business processes that advance integrated delivery of its normative, operational and coordination mandate at HQ, Regional and Country level, including through shared services

Corporate RBM, related systems, donor and UNSDCF reporting up to date. Currently, the CO is contributing to the formulation of the new UNSDCF and has co-led the final evaluation of the UNSDCF 2020-2023. Technical Secretariat for competitive funding for civil society strengthened and consolidated (in 2023, leadership/facilitation of over 60 projects). Finalized the evaluations of Prodefensoras and the Sweden support to the SN. More in details: COL_O_5: The Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (PME) function of the CO was enhanced by starting the consolidation of the institutional gender statistics strategy (beyond the Women Count Programme) within the PME team, together with the consolidation of the other PME functions and the strengthening of the Technical Secretariat of competitive funding mechanisms for civil society. In addition, strong efforts were dedicated to information mgmt and systems (broader portfolio and team). Biannual work plan implemented and updated as per corporate guidance and timeline. Corporate systems up to date (dams reporting, risks, rms, etc.), as well as M&E and reporting. . Contributed to the UNSDCF related M&E and reporting, including gender theme group presentations in UNSDCF steering committee. Finalized CCA development. Also, As a part of the strong commitment to interagency efforts towards the new UNSDCF, UN Women has finalized the co-leadership of the final external evaluation of the current UNSDCF , which will be a key input to the new UNSDCF. On decentralized evaluation, in 2023: In 2023 the CO finalized the external evaluation of the of the Sweden’s support to the SN ( GATE link) and external evaluation of the first phase of the programme Prodefensoras (GATE link). The first and common lesson is related to the importance of this exercises to boost and inform future programming . In both cases evaluations’ results were presented and discussed with donors and contributed to successful negotiations of the programmes’ next phases. In addition, both the new non-earmarked agreement with Sweden 2024-2027 and Prodefensoras phase 2 incorporate specific recommendations made by evaluators. Specific lessons from each evaluation: UN Women has continued promoting KM activities as a part of the corporate and in-house knowledge management strategies; the production of knowledge was strengthened. To conclude, the CO has continued consolidating the Technical Secretariat of competitive funding mechanisms for civil society as a structure, led by PME team, to operate resources of large calls for proposals and guarantee projects cycle mgmt., while strengthening CSOs organizational capacities (including via organizational capacities index and capacity building initiative). In particular: Thanks to competitive funding mechanism for civil society (Prodefensoras funded by Norway, WPHF, PBF GYPI and Koica) led by the internal Technical Secretariat together with the programme team , 12,478 women and girls (39% afrocolombians and indigenous) and 115 CSOs (youth, ethnic, rural, 1 LGBTQI+, women with disabilities) have stronger advocacy, political and economic capacities. Capacity building initiative led by the Technical Secretariat of competitive funding mechanisms for CSOs. Capacity strengthening includes areas such as financial management, M&E, PSEA, anti-fraud and other relevant programmatic priorities. Results achieved include: Development of CSOs Manuals of Administrative/Financial Processes. Planning, M&E tools developed, and support for project formulation and resource mobilization to ensure CSOs sustainability. Programmatic support (gender budgeting, humanitarian, etc.) Development of communication plans and advocacy tools. Improvement of community based CSOs infrastructures and organizational skills. Internal PSEA policies developed by CSOs in compliance with UN Women’s Zero Tolerance Policy. Note that it is mandatory for all CSOs signing agreements with UN Women. Collection of Organizational Capacity Index (ICO for its acronym in Spanish). As a starting point, for each organization an ICO is collected, as a basis for the implementation of an organizational strengthening plan. Once the plan is implemented, an endline ICO is collected to measure the progress.

UN-Women efficiently and effectively discharges of all business processes that advance integrated delivery of its normative, operational and coordination mandate at HQ, Regional and Country level, including through shared services

The Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (PME) function of the CO was enhanced by starting the implementation of the institutional gender statistics strategy (beyond the Women Count Programme) within the PME team, together with the consolidation of the other PME functions and the strengthening of the Technical Secretariat of competitive funding mechanisms for civil society (broader portfolio and team). Biannual work plan implemented and updated as per corporate guidance and timeline. Corporate systems up to date (dams reporting, risks, rms, etc.), as well as M&E and reporting. . Contributed to the UNSDCF related M&E and reporting, including gender theme group presentations in UNSDCF steering committee. Ongoing contribution to CCA development. Also, As a part of the strong commitment to interagency efforts towards the new UNSDCF, UN Women has assumed the co-leadership of the final external evaluation of the current UNSDCF , which will be a key input to the new UNSDCF (evaluation ongoing). On decentralized evaluation, in 2022 the CO was able to implement the MERP as per work plan (with some changes to the timeline of U.S. State Department Evaluation): Finalized the systematization and final external evaluation Profensoras Programme ( GATE link ). Key lessons include: Finalized the final evaluation of the non-earmarked Swedish support to the SN (delivered the final revised report by the evaluator). Implemented partnership and capacity building of the National Planning Department on evaluation of public policies with a gender perspective. In this regard, promoted the use of the guidance document of gender mainstreaming in evaluation of public policies and participated in key events. UN Women has continued promoting KM activities as a part of the corporate and in-house knowledge management strategies; the production of knowledge was strengthened, including communities of practices of the Prodefensoras program and the development of key research and knowledge products. Key research and knowledge products were launched such as the second edition of Colombia's Gender Profile –known as "Women and men: gender gaps in Colombia" (2022) . To conclude, the CO has continued consolidating the Technical Secretariat of competitive funding mechanisms for civil society as a structure, led by PME team, to operate resources of large calls for proposals and guarantee projects cycle mgmt., while strengthening CSOs organizational capacities (including via organizational capacities index and capacity building initiative).