| Commissioning Unit: | Nepal |
|---|---|
| Evaluation Plan: | 2018-2022 |
| Evaluation Type: | Project |
| Completion Date: | 06/2018 |
| Unit Responsible for providing Management Response: | Nepal
|
| Documents Related to overall Management Response: |
|
Key Action Update History
Stay engaged and support the Election Commission of Nepal (ECN), the Government of Nepal (GON) and civil society organization (CSO) efforts to consolidate the progress made with ESP support and to: further strengthen the ECN through technical assistance and institutional capacity building; support the decentralization of the electoral process and its administration; and support the inclusive and knowledgeable participation of voters, especially women, people living with disability (PLWD) and marginalized groups.
Management Response: [Added: 2019/05/21] [Last Updated: 2020/12/05]
The management agrees with the recommendation. Through the project extension to December 2019, the Electoral Support Project (ESP) will work with ECN in all areas indicated. Continued engagement and support will require a GON request for continued assistance, a needs assessment mission and agreement on the content of future assistance as well as additional funding.
Key Actions:
| Key Action | Responsible | DueDate | Status | Comments | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Implement the project’s work plan for 2018
[Added: 2019/05/21] [Last Updated: 2020/01/06] |
ESP and ECN | 2019/12 | Completed | Project work plan for 2018 and 2019 were successfully implemented. History | |
| Request continued electoral assistance
[Added: 2019/05/21] |
GON | 2018/08 | Completed | The project is extended to December 2019 and the implementation is on going. | |
| Conduct a needs assessment mission
[Added: 2019/05/22] [Last Updated: 2020/09/01] |
United Nations under the leadership of the Electoral Assistance Division | 2020/06 | Completed | Given the context of world-wide Covid-19 crisis and per the consensus and guidelines from EAD, instead of a full-fledged NAM, a desk review was conducted in the lead of UN Electoral Assistance Division (EAD) for which UNDP Nepal Country Office (along with ESP) provided support. The desk review was conducted during 29 June to 14 July and a comprehensive report has been prepared by UN EAD. A summary report with parameters for UN future electoral assistance has been shared to Government of Nepal including – Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Home Affairs, Election Commission and development partners from UNRC office. Now CO is coordinating with EC-UNDP Joint Task Force at Brussels Office for formulation of a new project document for future electoral assistance to Nepal. History | |
| Agree on content and modality of future electoral assistance
[Added: 2019/05/22] [Last Updated: 2020/09/01] |
ECN, UNDP and partners | 2020/06 | Completed | Election Commission is positive towards the parameters presented in the summary desk review report. ECN as well as other government agencies and development partners working in the field of election in Nepal were consulted in the process of desk review. Hence, the content and modality of future electoral assistance is agreed by all party concerned for electoral assistance in Nepal. History | |
| Extend current agreement to cover agreed future content
[Added: 2019/05/22] |
ECN, European Union (EU), Ministry of Finance (MOF), UNDP | 2018/12 | Completed | The project is extended to December 2019. | |
| Mobilize additional resources required
[Added: 2019/05/22] [Last Updated: 2020/12/16] |
ECN, UNDP and partners | 2020/10 | Completed | UNDP mobilized the additional resources to continue activities including ECN's third strategic plan. History |
For the ECN, ensure continued focus on: its strategic planning processes including its different departments and district offices; institutional capacity building done on the basis of an institutional needs assessment and an institutional capacity development plan; reviving the geographic information system (GIS), revitalizing the Electoral Education and Information Centre (EEIC) and strengthening the ECN gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) efforts.
Management Response: [Added: 2019/05/22] [Last Updated: 2020/12/05]
The management agrees with the recommendation. Some of the items are part of the ESP work plan for 2018. ESP can support these efforts if agreed under Key Action 4 under Recommendation 1 above.
Key Actions:
| Key Action | Responsible | DueDate | Status | Comments | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ESP, when implementing its 2018 work plan, to ensure a continued focus on supporting ECN strategic planning, institutional capacity building, revitalizing the EEIC and strengthening the ECN’s GESI efforts.
[Added: 2019/05/22] [Last Updated: 2020/01/06] |
ECN, ESP | 2019/12 | Completed | Technical supports were provided to support ECN strategic planning, institutional capacity building throughout the 2018 and 2019 AWP plan implementation. History | |
| Include a continued focus on strategic planning, institutional capacity-building done on the basis of an institutional needs assessment and an institutional capacity development, reviving the GIS and strengthening the ECN’s GESI efforts when agreeing on the content of future electoral assistance.
[Added: 2019/05/22] [Last Updated: 2020/12/16] |
ECN, UNDP and partners | 2020/10 | Completed | Yes, these activities have been implemented. History |
Adopt a project profile that fits the post-transitional context, is outcome-driven and ensures a more strategic engagement and value added for the institutions supported. Ensure a programmatic approach with follow up for all activities.
Management Response: [Added: 2019/05/22] [Last Updated: 2020/12/05]
The management agrees with the recommendation. It will be taken into account for Key Action 4 under Recommendation 1 above.
Key Actions:
| Key Action | Responsible | DueDate | Status | Comments | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adopt an appropriate project profile and ensure a programmatic approach when agreeing on the content and modality of future electoral assistance.
[Added: 2019/05/22] [Last Updated: 2020/12/16] |
ECN, UNDP and partners | 2020/10 | Completed | This was considered while designing the future electoral assistance. History |
Decentralize project implementation and empower the project’s provincial offices if the concept is retained in the future. Support these offices to develop province specific work plans that tie into the overall project efforts, ECN’s strategic plans and contribute directly to the intended outcomes.
Management Response: [Added: 2019/05/22] [Last Updated: 2020/12/05]
The management partially agrees with the recommendation. The ESP closed it's project field offices in January 2018 and ECN informed ESP that it intends to downgrade its regional offices to district offices and not set up provincial offices. The management agrees that supporting ECN in adapting to the federal context should inform Key Action 4 under Recommendation 1 above. Where appropriate, a successor project operating through decentralized UNDP structures can be envisaged.
Key Actions:
| Key Action | Responsible | DueDate | Status | Comments | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Include support for ECN to operate in the new federal context when agreeing on the content of future electoral assistance.
[Added: 2019/05/22] [Last Updated: 2020/12/16] |
ECN, UNDP and partners | 2020/10 | Completed | Future project design is focusing on ECN's institutional strengthening. History |
Maintain the direct implementation (DIM) mechanism and provide direct support to the range of partners in the electoral processes. Beyond the ECN, this could include the National Identification Card Unit, other ministries and CSOs. Ensure the different components, implementation modalities and roles are clear in the project design to avoid misunderstandings and delays later on.
Management Response: [Added: 2019/05/22] [Last Updated: 2020/12/05]
The management largely agrees with the recommendation. Maintaining the DIM modality, providing direct support to other stakeholders, including other ministries and CSOs, as well as clarifying this in the project design will be part of Key Action 4 under Recommendation 1 above. Whether direct engagement with the National ID Unit is appropriate will need to be determined. While designing the new project, UNDP will share with the government the rationale behind the direct implementation modality of UNDP’s electoral assistance. UNDP will also promote the direct engagement with different partners in addition to ECN while providing the future assistance.
Key Actions:
| Key Action | Responsible | DueDate | Status | Comments | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maintain the DIM modality and clearly include the provision of direct support to other ministries, CSOs and possibly other partners when agreeing on the content and modality of future electoral assistance.
[Added: 2019/05/22] [Last Updated: 2020/12/16] |
ECN, UNDP and partners | 2020/10 | Completed | For the extension up to Dec'20, it has maintained DIM modality. History |
Continue close collaboration with the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) and broaden outreach to other projects working on the sustainable development goals SDG 5 (Gender) and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) to develop programmatic synergies and strengthen project activities and results.
Management Response: [Added: 2019/05/22] [Last Updated: 2020/12/05]
The management agrees with the recommendation. ESP will work in close collaboration with IFES and other projects of UNDP to develop programmatic synergies and strengthen project activities and results.
Key Actions:
| Key Action | Responsible | DueDate | Status | Comments | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continue close collaboration with IFES when implementing the 2018 ESP work plan
[Added: 2019/05/22] [Last Updated: 2020/09/01] |
ESP, IFES | 2020/06 | Completed | The project closely coordinated its work with IFES and International IDEA, including through weekly meetings between the project heads. History | |
| Envisage close collaboration with IFES and other projects when agreeing on the content and modality of future electoral assistance.
[Added: 2019/05/22] [Last Updated: 2020/12/16] |
ECN, IFES, UNDP and partners | 2020/10 | Completed | The project did enough consultation during designing of the new project. History | |
| Develop programmatic synergies for SDG 5 and SDG 16 with other projects in line with its strategic plan.
[Added: 2019/05/22] [Last Updated: 2020/09/01] |
UNDP and partners | 2020/06 | Completed | In terms of synergies for Peace and Justice, ESP had a partnership with UNDP Social Cohesion and Democratic Participation project to work on creating conducive environment for election and leveraged relationships of the UNDP Access to Justice project for its work on electoral justice. ESP will continue to explore scope for the synergies with other projects in 2020 and UNDP is considering a programmatic approach to support for SDG16+ in the formulation of future electoral support History |
Use participatory approaches for project design and implementation. Embed technical experts in the institutions to ensure transfer of knowledge and skills to counterparts and to foster team perspectives. Incorporate counterparts into all product development teams to ensure it meets their needs and increases institutional understanding, ownership and use of the product.
Management Response: [Added: 2019/05/22] [Last Updated: 2020/12/05]
The management agrees with the recommendation. ESP will engage ECN, electoral stakeholders and development partners in the design of future assistance. For ECN further ownership and knowledge transfer, as in the past, UNDP will embed the required technical assistance at ECN to the extent possible. Counterpart will be engaged in different phases of project design and implementation for ownership, usability and sustainability of assistance.
Key Actions:
| Key Action | Responsible | DueDate | Status | Comments | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ensure ECN leadership for all product development when implementing the 2018 ESP work plan
[Added: 2019/05/22] [Last Updated: 2020/01/06] |
ECN, ESP | 2019/12 | Completed | AWP 2019 was revised and implemented as per new ECN leadership request and changing environment. History | |
| Engage ECN, electoral stakeholder and development partners when agreeing on the content and modality of future electoral assistance.
[Added: 2019/05/22] [Last Updated: 2020/09/01] |
ECN, IFES, UNDP and partners | 2020/06 | Completed | ECN, electoral stakeholder and development partners were consulted while agreeing on the content and modality of future electoral assistance during desk review. History | |
| Include participatory approaches, embedding experts and joint development teams when agreeing on the content and modality of future electoral assistance.
[Added: 2019/05/22] [Last Updated: 2020/09/01] |
ECN, IFES, UNDP and partners | 2020/06 | Completed | Participatory approaches, embedding experts and joint development teams were included while agreeing on the content and modality of future electoral assistance. History |
Strengthen the monitoring and evaluation framework, and in particular ensure the collection of baseline data at the start and end of the project. Incorporate knowledge, attitudes and perception (KAP) indicators to be able to measure results beyond the activity output level. Systematically use pre- and post-tests and ensure post-activity follow up. Show targets and actual level of performance over time in reporting.
Management Response: [Added: 2019/05/22] [Last Updated: 2020/12/05]
The management agrees with the recommendation. Conducting a follow-up survey to the baseline study is part of the ESP work plan for 2018. As part of its evaluation of the Building Resources in Democratic Governance and Elections (BRIDGE) capacity-building courses, ESP has developed stronger evaluation methods that will be deployed for the remainder of the project. The final ESP report will show targets and actual level of performance. Other aspects will be included in the design of a successor project as per Key Action 4 under Recommendation.
Key Actions:
| Key Action | Responsible | DueDate | Status | Comments | Documents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Use pre- and post-tests and ensure post-activity follow-up when implementing the 2018 ESP work plan.
[Added: 2019/05/22] [Last Updated: 2020/01/06] |
ECN, ESP | 2019/12 | Completed | Pre and post tests were being designed and implemented in all capacity building training. History | |
| Ensure that the final report of ESP Phase II explicitly shows progress against the targets set for the project.
[Added: 2019/05/22] [Last Updated: 2020/12/16] |
ESP | 2020/10 | Completed | The final completion report was prepared which covers the major achievements against the target set. History | |
| Conduct a follow-up study to the baseline survey when implementing the 2018 ESP work plan and include findings in the final report of ESP Phase II.
[Added: 2019/05/22] [Last Updated: 2019/08/15] |
ECN, ESP | 2019/12 | No Longer Applicable |
[Justification: ECN did not agree to this activity in 2019 so ESP has to take it out from AWP. ] History |