Outcome LAC_O_5

Effective normative, programmatic and coordination products, services and processes

UN Women's ACRO has significantly advanced the standardization of program approaches, knowledge products, and services. This progress is grounded in robust evidence base derived from four independent evaluation exercises, a meta-synthesis of evaluations, and a series of impactful learning and practice exchanges. In strategic planning, 2023 saw three high-level and quality Strategic Notes develop, Brazil, Chile and Haiti. Notably, Brazil and Chile's Strategic Notes piloted an enhanced strategic planning process. Chile achieved a milestone by becoming the first office globally to present an Early Draft, sparking vital discussions on its planning priorities for the next four years. This holds special significance for Chile as it marks its inaugural Strategic Note as a Country Office. The revised process has fostered a deep and meaningful dialogue on Chile's strategic focus, aligning it with the dynamic context of its first Country Office Strategic Note. The newly created Strategic Support Unit and particularly the specific Programme Management team, focused during 2023 in improving and implementing ACROs project and program management policies by enhancing its corporate capacities and extending support to country offices and NPPs in non-core projects and program implementation. Capacity building missions were carried out to Guatemala, Barbados-MCO, Argentina and Uruguay. And online sessions were provided to other offices in the region. A community of practice was created in MS Teams, enabling discussions and knowledge sharing.

Effective normative, programmatic and coordination products, services and processes

In 2025, UN Women ACRO strengthened the effectiveness and quality of its normative, programmatic and coordination products and services by consolidating a robust results-based management ecosystem across the LAC region. Through high-quality, gender-responsive evaluations and strengthened planning, monitoring and reporting processes, ACRO ensured that evidence, standards and coordination mechanisms effectively informed decision-making, accountability and programme delivery. At the normative and evidence level, ACRO reinforced the regional knowledge base by ensuring that decentralized and regional evaluations met high standards of quality, credibility and alignment with UNEG norms. Evaluation evidence was systematically used to inform strategic discussions, programme adjustments and accountability processes at regional and country levels. The evaluation of the ACRO Strategic Note generated critical evidence that directly informed strategic prioritization, resource planning and the design of the next programmatic cycle, demonstrating the operational use of normative standards and evaluative evidence in decision-making. In parallel, ACRO provided technical guidance and quality assurance to multiple UNSDCF evaluations, strengthening the integration of gender-responsive evaluation principles in joint UN processes. This contribution enhanced inter-agency coherence and learning, reinforcing UN Women’s coordination role within the UN system and ensuring that gender equality considerations were consistently embedded in collective results frameworks. At the programmatic level, ACRO ensured that regional and country planning and reporting products met corporate RBM standards and timelines. A multi-year Regional Strategic Note aligned with the new UN Women Strategic Plan was in place, alongside approved and extended Strategic Notes, Work Plans and Biennial Work Plans across Country Offices and NPPs. Timely completion of annual and semi-annual monitoring and reporting processes strengthened performance tracking, transparency and accountability across the region. To sustain these results, Regional and country teams enhanced their competencies in results-based planning, monitoring and reporting through targeted trainings, multilingual knowledge refreshers and hands-on support for the rollout of the PRISM platform. These efforts increased institutional capacity to produce high-quality, compliant and results-oriented products, while supporting smoother transitions to corporate systems. Overall, progress under this strategic output demonstrates how ACRO effectively leveraged normative standards, evidence generation, programmatic planning and UN system coordination to deliver high-quality products, services and processes that strengthened accountability, learning and results for gender equality across Latin America and the Caribbean. Additionally, these efforts directly strengthened programme delivery by enabling more timely, evidence-based decision-making, better strategic prioritization, and more efficient resource allocation. The systematic use of evaluation findings and stronger RBM processes allowed for adaptive programme adjustments, improved coherence within UN joint frameworks, and reduced duplication. As a result, programmes were more focused, responsive, and results-oriented, ultimately enhancing effectiveness and accountability across the region.

Effective normative, programmatic and coordination products, services and processes

In 2024, the Regional Office intensified efforts to enhance evaluation capacity across the region through a series of in-person and hybrid training sessions. These initiatives engaged a total of 195 participants during 2024 and targeted UN Women personnel, government counterparts, and other stakeholders. This reflects a dedication to advancing evaluation capacity and fostering a culture of evidence-based decision-making throughout the LAC region. Through the completion of evaluations and robust training efforts in 2024, ACRO continues to drive evidence-based decision-making and programmatic improvements. These efforts underscore a strong commitment to regional and corporate strategic priorities, ensuring alignment with UN Women’s global mandates and fostering sustainable development across the Americas and the Caribbean. Methodologies were developed for in-person workshops on Results-Based Management and the strategic vision of Country Offices for 2025, alongside technical assistance for annual work plans, biennial plans, and the Strategic Note for Colombia. In El Salvador, 18 team members were trained in Results-Based Management, promoting inter-area exchange and team cohesion. An annual planning workshop in Ecuador involved 13 participants and addressed new procedures. Feedback on Colombia's 2025-2029 Strategic Note was coordinated with HQ divisions. Support was provided for a gender mainstreaming project in Peru, and tools were developed for the 2025 Work Plan. Indicator adjustments were coordinated with Country Offices, and six socialization sessions were held to emphasize Annual Planning and Reporting.