In this context, it appears that BRC has not identified strong efficiency indicators, contrasting the estimated outreach with the costs for developing the products. Considering that some knowledge products were developed for a limited number of end users, indicators of use should have been also defined, especially for products made available on the Internet. Regional Projects The regional projects are generally implemented well and are achieving their targets. Those projects that are decentralized in management and finance, and have addressed subregional and/ or national priorities, generally appeared to have been efficient and with higher ownership by country offices and national stakeholders. During the field visits, the country offices mentioned that the consultation process for the design of regional projects was often more formality than a constructive dialogue. In other cases, project documents were shared with the countries which were simply asked to check if they could fit into the respective regional project, rather than involving them in a proper consultation process. As for the indicators defined for the regional projects, as discussed in Chapter 3, there are significant weaknesses in many of the indicators set for the outcomes.
4.2 PROMOTION OF UN VALUES GENDER MAINSTREAMING BRC has undertaken a number of strategic actions to advance gender equality at the country and regional levels, within the framework of RBEC Gender Equality Strategy 2008-2011 project. The analytical work on key gender issues in the region and the provision of gender disaggregated data to policy makers and practitioners197, highlighting gender dimensions in
economy, poverty, health, education, decision making etc., have all contributed to informed legal reforms, policy developments and measures. In Uzbekistan, a gender perspective was incorporated in the draft law on social partnership. New or reformed laws on gender-based violence have been adopted in Ukraine, Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro. Business training and mentoring for women entrepreneurs was provided in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan together with microfinance support in Kyrgyzstan, Turkey and Tajikistan to increase the economic empowerment of women. The regional programme has also supported the strengthening of gender-mainstreaming capacity among gender practitioners in the region. The regional programme, however, has only partially mainstreamed a gender perspective. According to the RPD, the programme aims to address gender inequality in the region and to support gender-sensitive programming of development activities. It also specifies that the gender component results of the programme will be monitored through the use of the gender marker and gender outcome indicators. However, evaluability of gender mainstreaming is rather low. In the RRF, two of the outcomes are gender -blind (outcomes 2 and 7). Most of the outcome indicators are not gender disaggregated. Gender is absent at the output level. The regional programme has not served as a guiding framework for fostering gender equality in the region and gender-sensitive programming. As far as regional projects are concerned, 2011 ATLAS gender marker exercise indicates that 27 percent of them are scored ‘0’, indicating that they contribute nothing to gender equality and women’s empowerment in the region.198 There are at present 78 percent of regional projects
Such as the online diagnostic study ‘Data on Women in Socio-economic Governance’.
197
For a definition of scoring, see UNDP Bratislava Regional Centre, ‘Gender Mainstreaming Strategy 2011-2013.’ Most of these projects are in the energy and environment area: 43 percent of projects in this area are scored ‘0’, compared to 24 percent in the case of democratic governance and 14 percent in the case of poverty reduction.
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C H A P T E R 4. S T R AT E G I C P O S I T I O N I N G O F U N D P I N T H E R E G I O N