livelihoods improvement initiatives,27 providing evidence for the need for gender equality and women’s economic empowerment in agriculture. UNDP provided technical and financial support for comprehensive gender analysis and collection of gender equality data for the 2017 Human Development Report for Tanzania. The report provides recommendations on how to promote gender equality and women's empowerment as an end goal, and to reduce poverty and achieve inclusive economic growth.28 Unfortunately, there is no evidence that this has translated into an increase in budgetary commitments or reforms with the potential to support sustained improvements in gender equality.29 The current inclusive growth portfolio consists of several small-scale and loosely related initiatives. Furthermore, some are short-term, and some had funding gaps. This presents a risk that UNDP will lose its strategic focus. Previous efforts were guided by an intention to influence national budget allocations, with some success recorded in this area, but the associated indicator is no longer tracked.30 The emphasis on promoting investment is sensible, but not clearly articulated in terms of the desired role and comparative advantage for UNDP, or how other UNDP interventions support this goal. Using investment guides as a basis, there is a need for UNDP to sharpen its focus on acting as a broker for increased private and public investment in infrastructure and enterprise development, including for climate change adaptation. Finding 2 – As technical lead of the socioeconomic response cluster, UNDP completed a socioeconomic impact assessment of the COVID-19 crisis and a response plan, and has adapted its workplan to help support the crisis response. However, UNDP is not recognized as a key source of economic advice by the Government or donors, and provides only modest targeted support to address the impact of COVID-19. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the UNDP programme and its delivery, including delays to some planned activities and reprogramming some of its programme funds to the response. A key part of the UNDP response was to complete a socioeconomic impact assessment, which contains a useful early summary of evidence on the impact of the crisis, and a response plan. UNDP has also adapted its workplan to implement some activities addressing the impact of the crisis, although these represent a minority of the activities proposed for funding.31 Interviews revealed there is limited awareness of the role of UNDP in leading the socioeconomic recovery cluster, or of the impact assessment and response plan. This assessment is not well publicized32 and interviews revealed that this work has not been visible to donors. Given the dominance of the Bretton Woods institutions as interlocuters on economic management issues, it is important for UNDP to define a clear strategy for an ongoing role in the provision of economic policy advice on the response to COVID-19.
Outcome 2 - Environment sustainability, climate change and resilience Overview of Outcome 2 progress and ratings – UNDP Tanzania’s progress on three outputs addressing aspects of climate change and environmental sustainability is mixed. Despite weaknesses in indicators, UNDP was assessed as on track in implementation and enforcement of environmental and natural resources management, due to significant contributions to forest and watershed management and progress in three of the four indicators. Progress in improving early warning systems is at risk as the established systems have not been fully 27
Results Oriented Annual Report (ROAR) 2017-2019 National Human Development Report 2017: Tanzania (see http://hdr.undp.org/en/content/national-human-development-report2017-tanzania) 29 UNDP (2018) Thematic evaluation of UNDP contribution to Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment at mid-term stage of implementation of the Country Programme Document 2016 – 2021 30 Percentage of national budget allocated to address poverty, environment and gender. 31 UNDP activities were included in a costed framework compiled by the Resident Coordinator office totalling $74 million, 14 percent funded. The UNDP component was $13.6 million, with a funding gap amounting to 70 percent of this total. $1.2 million has been dedicated to a number of activities such as provision of ICT services to support government functioning; socioeconomic impact assessment, procurement of medical equipment, support for food security, nutrition and market systems, and a post-disaster needs assessment from reprogrammed TRAC funds (50 percent), TRAC 2 (30 percent) and the UNDP Rapid Response Facility (30 percent). 32 A rapid assessment report was shared by UNDP to the Government of Tanzania and development partners through the DPG. It is accessible online, but it not profiled in either the Resident Coordinator office website or the website for UNDP Tanzania. The circulation of the report was disrupted due to the Government’s declaration of Tanzania as a COVID-19 Free country. 28
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