Working in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP): New UK and Denmark Performance and Results Framework 2008-11 – Additional information

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Introduction

DFID is considering a new multi-year core commitment to support UNDP. This will be governed by a new Performance and Results Framework (PRF) agreed with UNDP for the period 2008 to 2011. The PRF is being developed jointly with the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

We are commencing a public consultation as part of the process to develop the new PRF. The PRF will follow on from the UK/UNDP Institutional Strategy for 2004 to 2007. We are also developing similar frameworks for the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), the World Health Organisation and UNAIDS, to ensure there is consistency across the agencies.

UNDP Mandate

UNDP works at the heart of the UN development system, and is the leading advocate for the MDGs. It focuses on institutional and capacity development of national partners in four main areas:

Poverty eradication and achievement of the MDGs
Democratic governance
Crisis prevention and recovery
Environment and sustainable development

Throughout all of its activities, UNDP is committed to promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women.

UNDP also has special responsibilities within the UN family, where it has a co-ordinating role in the wider group of UN agencies involved in development, via the UN Development Operations Co-ordination Office. This is an extremely important role in ensuring a coherent and co-ordinated approach by UN country teams. As such, UNDP is integral to UN Reform processes, and supports Developing as One countries, Joint UN offices and strengthens the role of the Resident Co-ordinator.

UK’s Support

The UK is a major supporter of UNDP and its global mandate. We are the largest overall contributor to UNDP, and last year provided some £156 million, including £55 million in core funding. We are currently developing a new multi-year commitment to UNDP to cover the period 2008 to 2011. This investment is a demonstration of the importance we attach to UNDP’s potential contribution to UN Reform and a more effective UN system.

New Performance and Results Framework

The new UNDP PRF is being led by DFID’s United Nations and Commonwealth Department and is being developed jointly with Denmark. It is being developed in close consultation with other parts of DFID, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, UK Missions in New York and Geneva, and other parts of the UN system. The PRF sets out the rational and objectives for UK and Denmark’s support to UNDP to help it:

More effectively support and co-ordinate the UN system’s contribution to development outcomes;
Be fully accountable, ensuring that sustainable results and impact are fully integrated into its business processes and culture;
Adopt more efficient working practices; and
Demonstrate that our support is having an impact on maximising its contribution to the MDGs and UN Reform.

To build ownership and commitment, we have based the PRF on UNDP’s own Strategic Plan (2008-11) and results-based frameworks. Where possible, we are drawing on indicators, targets, and outcomes from these documents or adapting existing indicators to minimise any additional reporting burden on UNDP.

Monitoring

The new PRF should help UNDP to deliver improved performance and to better demonstrate impact. It will be reviewed annually and adapted to changing circumstances. This represents a modification from our previous Institutional Strategy approach that focused on a broader set of objectives. In assessing UNDP’s progress, we will draw on its Annual Reports against the Strategic Plan, Multilateral Development Effectiveness Summaries, Multilateral Organisation Performance Assessment Network, Joint Donor Dialogues, Executive Board discussions and bilateral meetings. We will track performance in the following areas:

A clear separation between UNDP’s operational and UN system-wide co-ordination roles, and a strengthened Resident Co-ordinator function that can enable a more effective contribution by the UN development system.
Improvements in UNDP’s internal efficiency, including alignment with wider UN business practices.
Results-based management systems embedded in management and decision making; consistent reporting against outputs at country level and accountability of senior management.
Progress on gender equality and women’s empowerment.
Programme focus and policies built on evidence of where UNDP can provide the most added-value.
Improved partnership working with the wider UN, the World Bank, national governments, civil society and others.
Strengthening national capacities to prevent, mitigate and recover from conflict and natural disasters.
Strengthening national capacities for effective democratic governance.
Strengthening national capacities to achieve sustainable development through environmental management, climate change adaptation and expansion of access to environmental and energy services for the poor.

Consultation

As part of our consultation process, we are inviting comments and views from those with an interest in UNDP and global development issues. Your views and ideas will be very helpful to us in producing a final version of the PRF. Some specific questions you may wish to consider are set out below:

Do you agree that the UK should support UNDP across the areas outlined above?
How can the UK best work with UNDP to reduce poverty and deliver the MDGs?
How can UNDP work best at the country level alongside other UN and international organisations?
How can we work with UNDP to improve its internal efficiency, human resources and results reporting?
How can we best measure and monitor progress with the PRF and UNDP’s programme of work?

Please send views on these questions, or indeed any other point you may wish to make to: UNDPPRF2008@dfid.gov.uk

The consultation will run until 27th August. We are very grateful for your comments, which will all be considered as we develop this work, although we cannot provide responses to all questions received.

Last updated 2 July 2008