This chapter presents the evaluation conclusions on UNDP performance and contributions to development results in Ecuador, as well as the recommendations and management response.
3.1 Conclusions Conclusion 1. By using its capacity to mobilize resources and its leadership to articulate joint responses with other United Nations agencies and national partners, UNDP has expanded its programme and responded to the emerging priorities and emergencies in the country. However, by broadening its work across different thematic areas, UNDP may be at risk of spreading its efforts too thin, or not being able to ensure the sustainability of results. During the current programme cycle, UNDP Ecuador was able to mobilize significantly more resources than initially planned in its CPD, to almost double the size of the portfolio under the previous programme cycle. This success was made possible by its reputation as an independent and trusted organization and its leadership and capacity to address national crises, whether natural and social, including the response to COVID-19. Moreover, UNDP has also been able to position itself in strategic areas for the State, such as sustainable natural resource management, strengthening democracy and orderly transition of government. This has enabled UNDP to capitalize on a wide range of partnerships with multiple stakeholders relevant to development in Ecuador. Although UNDP interventions have had mixed implementation approaches, those executed under NIM -supported modality stand out for their significant budget and scope, but further efforts are required in terms of ensuring the sustainability of results. The UNDP commitment to promoting the SDGs, and the breadth of its mandate, has enabled multisectoral work. But the diversity of initiatives and the resulting burden on resources have had repercussions both on the internal response capacity and the external perception of UNDP positioning and value as a partner, which has been in decline since 2015. The country context required UNDP to do more in terms of poverty reduction. Conclusion 2. The structure and size of the country office is strained due to the current programme priorities and operational needs. Adjustments are ongoing, but the challenges generated by COVID-19 and the new dynamics of teleworking impacted staff workloads significantly. Responding to multisectoral strategic positioning needs, maintaining the performance of a continuously growing portfolio of projects and corporate requirements, and responding to COVID-19 both in existing projects as well as the design and launch of new initiatives, have been major challenges for the country office. It has met these challenges with great effectiveness, but the workload has placed heavy demands and strain on all office staff, particularly in thematic areas that have not yet transitioned to full NIM. On the outbreak of COVID-19, country office management took the appropriate decision to safeguard lives and health and prioritize teleworking, suspending travel and fieldwork to prevent the spread of the virus and avoid risks. These measures have not stopped the programme from performing effectively since the beginning of the pandemic, and the office is implementing a transformation plan to meet current challenges. In that sense, internal and external actors underline the need for further reinforcement and support measures at both programme and operational levels to avoid staff attrition or work overload detracting from UNDP value and effectiveness.
chapter 3. Conclusions, Recommendations and Management Response
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