• Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
• Standard Administrative Arrangement (SAA)
• Terms of Reference (TOR)
• PNG UNDAF 2018 - 2022 (31 Dec 2017)

Overview

The UN Development Assistance Framework 2018-2022 was launched in April 2017, and signed by the Minister of National Planning and Monitoring, on behalf of the Government of Papua New Guinea and by the Resident Coordinator, on behalf of the United Nations System.

 The Secretary General’s Reform efforts stress the importance of ensuring that UNCTs are configured and provided with resources tailored to support the needs of partner countries and the achievement of  the 2030 Agenda. The UN Development Assistance Framework 2018-2022 is positioned as the single UN planning tool in the Country. The Framework is closely aligned with national plans, especially on the delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals. Under the Resident Coordinator’s leadership, UN joint annual work planning and progress reporting have minimized duplication of efforts, ensuring the efficient use of resources. These also enable the centralized production and analysis of performance data about UN System results delivery and expenditures.

 The new Framework is grounded in the four Elements of the Sustainable Development Goals which are implementing the Government’s focus on the Goals in the Medium-Term Development Plan 2018-2022. The Outcomes are the following:

1. Outcome 1: People - Inclusive Human Development & Equitable Services
2. Outcome 2: Prosperity - Inclusive & Sustainable Growth
3. Outcome 3: Planet - Sustainable Management of Natural Resources, Biodiversity Conservation, Strengthened Climate & Disaster Resilience
4. Outcome 4: Peace - Promoting Inclusive, Governance, Justice & Peace

With this Framework, the UN Country Team is entering its third Delivering as One programme cycle and it followed a rigorous planning process, that sets out the requisite support to the Government’s strategic objectives, as outlined in the Medium-Term Development Plan 2018-2022.

To initiate strategic thinking about future planning, an Independent Evaluation of the 2012-2017 programme was conducted. The UN System also completed a Gender Score Card exercise. The UN, in partnership with Government, civil society and academia, reviewed its application of Core Principles such as Gender and Human Rights and conducted a Comparative Advantage Exercise to establish its value added vis-à-vis its mandate and those of other development partners. The UN also completed an extensive Common Country Analysis compiling evidence and examining the existing development and humanitarian challenges in Papua New Guinea.  The UN Country Team in Papua New Guinea is unprecedented in having established a Theory of Change at the UN Development Assistance Framework level and the resulting schematics have been shared with other Country Offices as a best-practice tool.

 The management arrangements include four Priority Working Groups for each of the Outcomes comprised of programme staff from participating Agencies. The Priority Working Groups conduct joint annual work planning exercises grounded in the Framework’s Results Matrix, and report on their results in the one Annual Progress Report. To further enable the implementation of the Framework, cross-cutting strategies are being developed and include: mainstreaming Data, Gender, Human Rights and Capacity Building into the Output Results Matrix so that these can be integrated into annual planning and reporting; a Partnership and Resource Mobilization Strategy; as well as the Business Operations and UN Communications Strategies.

 The PNG UN Country Fund is governed by its Terms of Reference, which were revised in November 2017 and establishes that all in-country contributions to the UN be channelled via the Fund. Agency core or regular resources remain outside the PNG UN Country Fund, but are captured by the common budgetary framework. The PNG UN Country Fund is administered by the Multi-Partner Trust Fund Office (MPTF Office) in accordance with its financial regulations and rules.

 Assistance Strategy

The PNG UN Country Fund standardizes the transfer of funds, significantly decreasing transaction costs for contributing donors and the UN. This eliminates multiple contracts, legal clearances, and reporting requirements, enabling donors to receive consolidated analysis on financial as well as result performance.  This enables donors to have one contract with the UN System and make deposits to one source, receiving consolidated updates on progress through the Annual Progress Report, that reports on implementation of the Joint Annual Work Plans. 

To minimize transaction costs for partners, the UN will pursue additional resources through joint resource mobilization. The additional resources mobilized will be allocated on results based criteria. These allocations will follow the priorities as determined by the Joint Programme Steering Committee, and as grounded in the medium and long-term development priorities. This approach demonstrates the UNs adherence to the Paris Declaration Principles and national ownership of the development agenda.

The PNG UN Country Fund offers two funding windows. The first window reflects required and mobilized resources associated with the UN Development Assistance Framework 2018-2022 Priority Working Areas, while the second window focuses on resources associated with the strategic support functions reinforcing the delivery of programmes, such as coordination, operations or communication.

 Governance

The Joint Programme Steering Committee, chaired by the Government and the Resident Coordinator, sets the high-level priority areas at the yearly meetings and has oversight of the PNG UN Country Fund. Resources are allocated under the leadership of the Resident Coordinator on behalf of the Joint Programme Steering Committee, based on recommendations from the Inter-Agency Priority Working Groups and Heads of Participating Agencies. The Administrative Agent transfers resources upon instruction from the Resident Coordinator that are grounded in joint annual work plans for the four Outcomes of the UN Development Assistance Framework 2018-2022.

The Resident Coordinator is responsible for:

• Strategic leadership of the PNG Country Fund based on the UN Development Assistance Framework 2018-2022;
• Engaging in Joint Resource Mobilization for the PNG UN Country Fund in collaboration with Participating Agencies;
• Ensuring the documentation of the allocation process including the rationale for these decisions;
• Holding the Heads of Participating Agencies accountable for the implementation by their Agency of initiatives that are funded through the PNG UN Country Fund;
• Ensuring consolidated PNG UN Country Fund level reporting by the Resident Coordinator’s Office, based on reports from Participating Agencies and support from the Administrative Agent.

 The Joint Programme Steering Committee is responsible for:

• Monitoring of overall delivery and results of the UN Development Assistance Framework 2018-2022;
• Outlining of programmatic priorities and allocation of Outcome resources, in accordance with agreed procedures.

 The UN Country Team is responsible for:

• Monitoring of overall delivery of joint results;
• As part of the Programme Steering Committee, the UN Country Team outlines programmatic priorities and allocating resources at the Outcome level, in accordance with agreed procedures;
• Mediation of disputes in case of disagreements on allocation, utilization or management of funds from the PNG UN Country Fund.

 The Administrative Agent, the Multi-Partner Trust Fund Office, is responsible for:

• Receipt, administration and management of contributions from donors;
• Disbursement of funds to Participating Agencies, in accordance with instructions of the Resident Coordinator, on behalf of the Joint Programme Steering Committee, and in accordance with the approved Joint Annual Work Plans;
• Provision of consolidated narrative and financial reports on the PNG UN Country Fund;