Multi-Partner Trust Fund Office GATEWAY beta

Overview & Strategies

More than ever, the UN system is stepping up its efforts to enhance coherence and efficiency at the country and global levels and to increase joint UN activities. Against this background and in the context of humanitarian, transition, reconstruction and development programmes, the UN system, national authorities and Contributors/Partners are establishing Multi-Partner Trust Funds (MPTFs) and Joint Programmes (JPs) that use the pass-through fund management model. The increasing use of MPTFs is an application of the Aid Effectiveness Agenda, the UN Reform initiative "Delivering as One" and the need to provide flexible, coordinated and predictable funding to support the achievement of national and global priorities such as the MDGs.

MPTFs and JPs are not one-size-fits-all instruments; they are designed to fit the realities of a specific country or global situations. Nevertheless, they are established on common core principles and strategies such as:

• Involve a broad range of stakeholders, including national authorities, Contributors/Partners, Participating UN Organizations in the decision-making process, as appropriate;
• Build on existing frameworks or plans rather than creating new, parallel structures;
• Strengthen aid effectiveness through coordination and harmonization of interventions to ensure increased coherence, efficiency, reduction of management and reporting burdens and associated transaction costs;
• Ensure that the funding, operations and implementation modalities provide for full transparency and accountability;
• Focus on expedient delivery with concentrated focus on results.

MPTFs are generally established to support specific country and/or global strategic priorities that are defined in national or global strategic plans such as UN Development Assistance Frameworks (UNDAFs), Delivering-as-One (DaO) and similar Strategic Documents/Frameworks. The objective is to ensure that MPTFs and JPs reflect and respond to the needs on the ground as defined by the National Government in consultation with UN Country Teams, Contributors/Partners and other stakeholders. The objectives and scope of an MPTF are defined to ensure government ownership and alignment with established national priorities and plans. Monitoring and evaluation and effective programme delivery modalities are included so that planned results are achieved. The strategic objectives, governance arrangements, allocation criteria, and other parameters are elaborated in the Terms of Reference (ToR) of the particular MPTF/JP using a generic UNDG ToR.

Detailed information on the specific strategies and operations of individual MDTFs and JPs can be found under each MPTFs and JPs administrered by the MPTF Office.

Governance

Multi-Partner Trust Funds (MPTFs) are generally established with a multi-tier governance structure that promotes strong National and UN inter-agency coordination, including peer and technical reviews, and collaboration with national governments and contributors/partners. The UNDG organizations have developed a generic MPTF architecture that permits quick MPTF set-up and operation. The mechanism allows appropriate flexibility in the structure, composition and operations of the MPTF-constituting bodies in response to country or situation-specific contexts. This enables the UN system to quickly deploy available systems for the rapid mobilization of the technical, operational and administrative capacities of the UN and the expeditious approval and implementation of projects and programmes.  

While Participating UN Organizations operate under the governance and accountability framework of their own organization, MPTFs have the following common governance elements:

• A policy body, comprising national authorities, the UN (and the World Bank where it is involved) and contributors/partners, as appropriate, that sets fund policy;
• A Steering Committee or similar entity that makes funding decisions, comprising national authorities, Participating UN Organizations, and usually contributors/partners (usually the two bodies are combined in a single entity);
• A technical secretariat  that reviews programmes and projects submitted for funding, either by using the capacities of Participating UN Organizations grouped by sector or thematic cluster (e.g., employment, education, health, agriculture) or by establishing a stand-alone Steering Committee Support Office (Technical Secretariat) that will service the above two bodies. 

Further information on specific governance arrangements for individual MPTFs and JPs can be found under each MPTF/JP.

Oversight

In order to harmonize and strengthen the fiduciary management oversight of Multi-Partner Trust Funds (MPTFs), an Oversight Framework has been developed by the United Nations Development Group (UNDG). In the context of MPTFs, oversight is defined as ”the supervision of inter-agency MPTF activities of entities participating in MPTFs, with joint authority and responsibility to control, or exercise significant influence over, the inter-agency fiduciary decisions emanating from the operations of the MPTFs”.

The UNDG MPTF Fiduciary Management Oversight Framework consists of:

• A Steering Committee, or similar governance entity, at the national level, which is responsible for providing strategic guidance, oversight and monitoring of country-level MPTFs or JPs. The Steering Committee also makes funding decisions, and responds to queries and issues from the Participating UN Organizations. It is generally chaired by the Resident Coordinator and a Government representative and includes Heads of UN Agencies and may include designated representatives of Contributors/Partners. (See MPTF Steering Committee Generic Terms of Reference);
• A Fiduciary Management Oversight Group (FMOG) at headquarters, which provides oversight and guidance to individual MPTFs and JPs on financial accountability, fund management, and assurance issues of an inter-agency nature. When agreement cannot be reached at the country and/or Steering Committee level, issues may be raised to the FMOG for resolution. The FMOG also reviews deviations from the standard MOU and SAA;
• A UNDG Advisory Group at the Assistant Secretary-General level, which takes high-level policy and operational decisions relating to MPTFs. Fiduciary management matters that cannot be resolved at the FMOG level are referred on an exceptional basis to the Advisory Group. (See MPTF Steering Committee Generic Terms of Reference).

Funding Modalities for MPTFs

Multi-Partner Trust Funds (MPTFs) usually use the pass-through fund-management modality. Under this arrangement, Participating UN Organizations appoint an Administrative Agent (AA) through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) as their administrative interface with donors. The AA subsequently signs a Standard Administrative Arrangement (SAA) with contributors/partners, and receives, administers and transfers the funds to Participating UN Organizations in accordance with the MOU and SAA. Participating UN Organizations assume full programmatic and financial accountability for the funds received from the AA, operating under their own individual financial regulations and rules.

Funding Modalities for Joint Programmes

There are three fund-management options for Joint Programmes:  (a) parallel; (b) pooled; (c) pass-through or (d) combination of options. The MPTF Office, as Administrative Agent (AA), is called on to provide services only under the pass-through modality.

The decision to select one or a combination of fund-management options for a joint programme should be based on how to achieve the most effective, efficient and timely implementation and how to reduce transaction costs for national partners, contributors, and the UN. 

A.  Parallel fund management. This option is likely to be the most effective when the interventions of Participating UN Organizations (PUNOs) are aimed at common results but when there are different national and subnational partners. Under this option, each organization manages its own activities within the common work plan and the related budget. 

B.  Pooled fund management. This option is likely to be the most effective when PUNOs work for common results with a common national or subnational partner. PUNOs pool funds and, in consultation with the national partner, select one UN Organization to be the Managing Agent (MA). The MA is accountable for supporting the national/subnational partner in managing the JP, specifically for the timely disbursement of funds and for the coordination of technical inputs by the PUNOs. 

C.  Pass-through fund management. Under this option, two or more organizations develop a JP, identify funding gaps, submit a JP document to donor(s) and agree to channel the funds through one UN Organization that is referred to as the Administrative Agent (AA). The AA will be selected jointly by all PUNOs in consultation with the Government. The common work plan clearly indicates the activities to be supported by each of the PUNOs.

D.  Combination of options. Joint Programmes may require a combination of fund-management options.

For a fuller descripton of each fund management option, plese refer to the UNDG Guidance Note on Joint Programmes.

UN Framework for auditing Multi-Partner Trust Funds (MPTFs)

UN Framework for Auditing Multi-Partner Trust Funds (MPTFs)

• The Internal Audit Services (IAS) of various UN agencies that are the sole auditing entities of their respective organizations, have agreed on a Framework for auditing of MPTFs. Approved by the UNDG in September 2007, the framework is designed to facilitate periodic summary reporting of the management of risks, the status of internal controls and recommendations made by the IAS of Participating UN Organizations (PUNOs) in MPTFs. 
• Whenever a MPTF under terms of the governing agreements requires summary reporting of audit findings by PUNOs, the IASs of the PUNOs will conduct a coordinated risk assessment, and establish the risk areas to be reported on in the summary reports.  Upon the establishment of a MPTF, the Administrative Agent (AA) is expected to request all PUNOs to advise their internal audit services to liaise with the IAS of the AA, so that risk assessments can be done within an agreed time period.
• The IAS of the AA will summarize the individual risk assessments prepared by the IASs of the PUNOs, and also highlight significant inter-organizational risks.  
• IASs commit themselves to sharing information on issues of common interest pertaining to the MPTF and help one another, inter alia in combating fraud and corruption.
• The final report will be submitted by the IAS of the AA to the AA, the MPTF Steering Committee, the IAS of PUNOs and the Fiduciary Management Oversight Group (FMOG).

UN Framework for Auditing Delivering as One (DaO) Programmes

• The Internal Audit Services (IAS) of PUNOs have also agreed to a Framework for Auditing Delivering as One Programmes. Approved in September 2011, it provides the basis for a unified internal audit approach for auditing DaO Programmes by the IASs of PUNOs. It recognises and is subordinate to the individual mandate of the IAS of the PUNOs.
• The Framework aims at more coherent governance, enhanced management and increased effectiveness of auditing DaO Programmes. It seeks to achieve this by consolidating and pooling the audit resources and efforts of the IAS involved, by eliminating duplication and overlap. The Framework delineates the functions, roles and responsibilities of the participating IAS as well as the process of managing such joint assignments.