Outcome RWA_O_3

High quality of programmes through knowledge, innovation, results-based management and evaluation

In 2024, the Country Office carried out a Country Portfolio Evaluation (CPE) which examined the relevance, strategic positioning, and operational efficiency of UN Women's programs in Rwanda from 2019 to 2024. The evaluation received a high-quality assessment rating of 98.74% (Very Good) under the Global Evaluation Report Assessment and Analysis System (GERAAS) measures, underscoring its credibility and utility. Guided by an inclusive and participatory approach, the process was overseen by an Evaluation Reference Group (ERG), comprising representatives from the government, UN agencies, and civil society organizations (CSOs) who ensured impartiality, enhanced transparency, and fostered accountability. The process generated actionable insights and key lessons that include (i) transformative potential of integrated programming across thematic areas, with women’s economic empowerment identified as a strategic entry point to advance other thematic areas for sustainability and systemic change (ii) leveraging the UN Delivering as One approach to promote coherence in gender programming across the UN Country Team and (iii) Enhanced synergies in programs among UN agencies through better planning, implementation, and monitoring to maximise the potential of Joint Programming. As a result, the lessons informed the development of the new Strategic Note (2025-2029), which puts emphasis on sex-disaggregated data and integrated interventions as strategies to address structural barriers, for long-term transformation. The evaluation serves as valuable learning tool, offering insights that inform UN Women’s strategic direction in Rwanda while contributing to the broader knowledge base for advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment. UN Women Rwanda continued its commitment to delivering high-quality programs through the integration of results-based management (RBM), rigorous evaluations, and knowledge innovation. Annual training sessions in RBM and financial reporting for UN Women staff, implementing partners, and responsible parties ensured effective compliance with UN Women’s regulations. As a result, 43 programme and implementing partner staff enhanced their RBM skills, enabling the CO and its partners to produce evidence-based plans, reports, and human-interest stories that informed the entire programme cycle and decision-making processes. Notably, 100% of donor reports were submitted on time, maintaining a high standard of quality. The integration of RBM principles, alongside robust evaluations such as the Country Portfolio Evaluation (CPE), the final evaluation of the Joint Programme on Gender, and the Joint Programme on Rural Women's Economic Empowerment (JP RWEE) baseline study, provided key insights that are shaping the future direction of UN Women’s interventions. Additionally, market and value chain studies, conducted in partnership with FAO, IFAD, and WFP, identified critical barriers and opportunities in agricultural markets, further informing program design to address gender inequalities and enhance economic empowerment for women. By systematically applying RBM principles, UN Women Rwanda has strengthened programme planning, monitoring, and reporting, ensuring a greater focus on accountability, effectiveness, and the empowerment of women and girls. These efforts were complemented by community feedback mechanisms and strategic stakeholder consultations that fostered enhanced collaboration and alignment with local needs for program effectiveness and sustainability.

High quality of programmes through knowledge, innovation, results-based management and evaluation

UN Women continued to endeavour to implement high quality of programmes. Through annual trainings in RBM and financial reporting for UN Women staff and all implementing and responsible partners has resulted in effective compliance with UN Women regulations. 100% of programme staff and 56 staff from 30 Implementing partners that the CO is working with have increased their skills in Result Based Management (RBM) which helped the CO and partners to produce plans, reports and human-interest stories which are evidence based and inform the entire programme cycle and decision making. In 2022, 100% of donor reports were submitted on time and maintained a high quality.

High quality of programmes through knowledge, innovation, results-based management and evaluation

UN Women continued to endeavour to implement high quality of programmes. Through annual trainings in RBM and financial reporting for UN Women staff and all implementing and responsible partners has resulted in effective compliance with UN Women regulations. 43 UN Women programme and Implementing partner staff the CO is working with have increased their skills in Result Based Management (RBM) which helped the CO and partners to produce plans, reports and human-interest stories which are evidence based and inform the entire programme cycle and decision making. In 2023, 100% of donor reports were submitted on time and maintained a high quality.

High quality of programmes through knowledge, innovation, results-based management and evaluation

UN Women Rwanda has effectively leveraged communication by closely monitoring and investing in its engagement efforts on digital platforms and media partnerships to support position women’s empowerment and gender equality as key issues on the development agenda. Additionally, it has continued to leverage on good relationship and partnership with partners and local media to continue advocating for UN Women’s work on GEWE and visibility. Through its quarterly Gender Cafes (including virtual), UN Women has positioned the platform for dialogue between partners, youth, media and relevant institutions to tackle different topics of importance to women's rights and empowerment and chart way forward. In 2021, three gender cafes were organized on leadership during the women's month, technology and innovation in the lead up to the Generation Equality Forum in Paris and issues of trade and access to affordable financing for women entrepreneurs, to conclude the year. The Gender Cafe's are well attended with 50-100 participants joining physically or virtually. All were well covered by the national media including the New Times and Igihe in Kinyarwanda and English. Similarly, UN Women has worked on an extensive social media outreach on Twitter and has gained 1,254 new followers this year which has increased the number of followers to 2,818 as of today 10 Jan 2022. These are some of the links: 1) NewTimes(https://www.newtimes.co.rw/news/activists-stress-importance-tech-gender-equality#.YNCd8V5-9OI.twitter), 2) https://www.newtimes.co.rw/news/women-be-prioritised-economic-recovery-funds and Igihe in Kinyarwanda 3) https://bit.ly/3hWwt8k) and English 4) https://bit.ly/2UuRdvX, in addition to an extensive social media outreach. You can find photos on Flickr 5) https://bit.ly/3w8Ixbz. The Gender Café have featured in the One UN Turikumwe newsletter 6) https://bit.ly/3hvMhji) In addition, there is an event article on the UN Women regional website 7) https://africa.unwomen.org/en/news-and-events/stories/2021/07/technology-and-innovation-for-gender-equality and https://africa.unwomen.org/en/news-and-events/stories/2021/12/the-road-to-an-inclusive-economic-recovery. The Gender Café has also featured in external media including Smart Africa media 8) https://smartcompany.africa/smart-marketplace-un-women-rwanda-facilitates-a-stakeholders-dialogue-on-leveraging-afcfta-opportunities-for-women-entrepreneurs/