United Nations Development Group Frequently Asked Questions What is the UNDG? The United Nations Development Group (UNDG) is an instrument for UN reform, created by the Secretary General in 1997, to improve the effectiveness of United Nations development at the country level. The UNDG brings together the operational UN agencies working on development. The Group is chaired by the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on behalf of the Secretary General. The UNDG develops policies and procedures that allow member agencies to work together and analyse country issues, plan support strategies, implement support programmes, monitor results and advocate for change. These initiatives increase UN impact in helping countries achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), including poverty reduction. What is the membership of the UNDG? The full UNDG membership has grown to 25, plus five observers. The group meets at least three times yearly to decide on issues related to country level coordination to achieve the MDGs. Further information on the UNDG can be obtained at www.undg.org What is a Trust Fund? A Trust fund is a mechanism to receive and manage donor funds for a broad thematic purpose as opposed to a specific project. The UNDG Iraq Trust Fund, which was set up as part of the IRFFI at the request of donors, provides funding to the whole range of activities foreseen in the UN Assistance Strategy for Iraq. A Trust Fund is a separate accounting entity with a designated trust fund manager, in this case the Executive Coordinator. What is Joint Programming? Joint programming is the collective effort through which the UN organizations and national partners work together to prepare, implement, monitor and evaluate the activities aimed at effectively and efficiently achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and other international commitments arising from UN conferences, summits, conventions and human rights instruments. Through joint programming, common results and the modalities for supporting programme implementation are identified. Joint programming contributes to making the UN support to reaching the national goals more coherent, effective, and efficient. It is meant to avoid duplication, reduce transaction costs and maximize synergies among the national partners and the differing contributions of UN system organizations – be it in terms of the normative framework and technical expertise, or of expertise in programme areas and strategies. While UN operations in Iraq supported by the UNDG ITF are not strictly speaking an example of joint programming, a joint programming approach was used in drafting the UN Assistance Strategy for Iraq (endorsed at the Abu Dhabi donor committee meeting in February 2004) and through the cluster approach the UN Country team is endeavoring to utilize most elements of joint programming. What are The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)? The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) represent an ambitious agenda for reducing poverty and improving lives set by world leaders at the Millennium Summit in September 2000. For each goal one or more targets have been set, most for 2015, using 1990 as a benchmark. Find a complete list of the goals, targets and indicators at: http://unstats.un.org/unsd/mi/mi_goals.asp
1 - Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
2 - Achieve universal primary education
3 - Promote gender equality and empower women
4 - Reduce child mortality
5 - Improve maternal health
6 - Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
7 - Ensure environmental sustainability
8 - Develop a global partnership for development What does earmarking mean in the context of the UNDG ITF? Pursuant to the UN rules and regulations, the IRFFI TOR and the Letter of Agreement signed with IRFFI donors, the UNDG ITF enables donors to provide contributions either as earmarked or un-earmarked. Donors may earmark contributions by cluster/cross-cutting themes or for a specific Participating UN Organization. Earmarking for specific projects is not permitted. The contributions received will be mingled with other contributions to the UNDG ITF account and will not be separately administered or separately identified for expenditure reporting purposes, except where such a contribution is earmarked for a specific Participating UN Organization. What is a project? A project is a separately identified development undertaking; a time bound intervention that consists of a set of planned, interrelated activities aimed at achieving defined objectives. A project is normally encapsulated in a project document – a legal agreement which binds the signatories to undertake defined activities and to provide specific resources over a fixed period of time in order to reach agreed objectives. In the case of the UNDG ITF approval for the allocation of resources is based on project documents submitted to the UNDG ITF Steering Committee by Participating UN Organizations through the Cluster system being used by the UN Country Team. What is procurement? The process of acquiring inputs for a programme or project. There are set procedures for this in the Rules and Regulations of the Participating UN Organisations – see procurement section. What is the role of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) under the UNDG ITF? UNDP has a dual role - Administrative Agent and Participating UN Organization: As Administrative Agent: Through an MOU signed between the Participating UN Organizations and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), UNDP has been requested to serve as their administrative interface with donors in connection with the UNDG ITF. In this role UNDP , inter alia, negotiates and concludes agreements with donors who wish to provide financial support to the UNDG ITF, receives and administers such contributions received, supports the functioning of the UNDG ITF Steering Committee and the IRFFI Secretariat, disburses funds to Participating UN Organizations for specific project proposals approved by the Trust Fund Steering Committee, and subsequently receives from the Participating UN Organizations six–monthly progress and financial reports which it reviews, compiles and consolidates for reporting to donors. As Participating UN Organisation: UNDP is also an implementing agency just as other Participating UN Organisations. The Executive Coordinator of the UNDG ITF, who reports to the UNDP Assistant Administrator of the Bureau for Resources and Strategic Partnerships (BRSP), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the UNDP Regional Bureau for Arab States responsible for implementing projects in Iraq in the same way as with other Participating UN Organisations. When and how did UNAMI come into being? The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), mandated by UN Security Council Resolution 1500 on August 14, 2003, formally commenced its operations on September 1, 2003. |
