This chapter presents the evaluation conclusions on UNDP performance and contributions to development results in Bolivia, as well as the recommendations and management response.
3.1 Conclusions Conclusion 1. The response to the political crisis and COVID-19 health emergency drove the scale of the UNDP 2018-22 programming cycle, affecting results in other planned areas of work. UNDP promptly and flexibly adjusted its workplan to respond to emerging priorities and support national and subnational stakeholders overcome the crises faced by country. The political crisis of 2019-20 and the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted the UNDP programme, affecting the implementation of activities and achievement of planned results across different areas of work. Numerous projects reported significant disruptions to their original plans, significantly challenging their ability to achieve results in a timely and effective manner. Political polarization, high turnover of national counterpart staff, restrictions on movement for health reasons, or the reallocation of funds and resources to address the pandemic all affected programme implementation and the achievement of results. The reputation of UNDP as a credible and neutral partner allowed it to work in partnership with national and international actors for the response to the political crisis, despite the challenging social environment, and led to the successful and peaceful completion of elections, overcoming a long stalemate and guaranteeing institutional stability. UNDP procurement capacity in the health sector, work experience with departments at subnational level, and mobilization of resources from the private sector, allowed it to respond promptly to requests for medical supplies and equipment to strengthen national diagnostic capacity. UNDP partnerships to channel private sector funds were key to support the scale of the response. Conclusion 2. UNDP maintains a strong value proposition in the area of democratic governance, where its added value in the consolidation of democratic institutions and the autonomy of indigenous, aboriginal and farmer peoples was acknowledged. UNDP support to access justice must be significantly reinforced to produce the desired results. UNDP maintains important positioning as a neutral partner in support of democratic governance, particularly in times of crisis. Its support to election logistics, as well as the promotion of dialogue with political leaders and civil society representatives, were key to overcome the political crisis and promote a culture of peace. UNDP played a leading role in strengthening democratic governance and intercultural democracy in line with the 2009 Constitution, promoting the full exercise of individual and collective rights and respect for the Vivir Bien framework in four AIOCs, although mechanisms for the full empowerment of AIOCs are yet to be fully created. UNDP support to central institutions and the reform of the justice sector, while recognized as important, yielded limited results, and would benefit from more sustained strategic support, in coordination with other actors. Conclusion 3. UNDP is recognised as one of the main contributors to the progressive development of national health capacity for the eradication of malaria and tuberculosis in the most affected areas. UNDP support to local stakeholders was important for sustainability, but challenged by recent reductions in the resources allocated to community monitoring.
Chapter 3. Conclusions, Recommendations and Management Response
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