Final Review of the 2007-2011 UNDAF
An Assessment of UNDAF Outcomes
May 2012
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List of Acronyms
AfDB:
AIDS
ANR:
APR:
BAFROW
CAADP
CBEMP
CBO
CBOs:
CCA
CCA
CFCs:
CILSS
CLTS
CPAP
CPD:
CRC
CSO
DfID:
EC/EU:
ECOWAS:
EMNCH
ENNSA:
EXCOM
FAO
FGM/C
GAMJOBS:
GAMWORKS:
GBoS
GCCI:
GDP:
GEAP:
GEF:
GETFUND:
GFATM
GOTG
GPU:
GTTI
HACT:
HIPC
HIV
HIV/AIDS:
HWT
ICAM:
ICT/IT
IEC:
IFAD
IFMIS:
African Development Bank
Acquired Immuno-Deficiency Syndrome
Agriculture and Natural Resources
Annual Poverty Review
Foundation for Research on Women’s Health, Productivity and Environment
Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme
Capacity Building for Economic Management Project
Community-Based Organization
Community Based Organisations
Common Country Assessment
Common Country Assessment
Chloro-fluoro Carbons
Permanent Interstate Committee for drought control in the Sahel (CILSS)
Community-Led Total Sanitation
Country Programme Action Plan
Country Programme Document
Convention on the Rights of Children
Civil Society Organization
Department for International Development of the United Kingdom
European Commission/European Union
Economic Community of West African States
Emergency Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health
Employment Network of Non-State Actors
Executive Committee Member
Food and Agricultural Organization
Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting
Gambia Priority Employment Programme
Gambia Agency for Management of Public Works
Gambia Bureau of Statistics
Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Gross Domestic Product
Gambia Environment Action Plan
Global Environment Fund
Gambia Employment and Training Fund
Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
Government of The Gambia
Gambia Press Union
Gambia Technical Training Institute
Harmonised Approach to Cash Transfers
Highly Indebted Poor Country
Human Immuno-deficiency Virus
Human Immuno-deficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
Household Water Treatment
Integrated Coastal Areas Management
Information Communication Technologies/Information Technology
Independent Electoral Commission
International Fund for Agricultural Development
Integrated Financial Management Information System
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IMF:
IMR
IPs:
ISFP
ISPEFG:
ITNs:
IYCF
LIFDC
LMIS:
M&E:
MDGs:
MDI:
MEPID:
MMR
MOE:
MOFEA:
MOFEN:
MOTIE:
MOU:
MTEF:
MTR:
NACP
NAIMS:
NaNA
NAS
NAWEC:
NEA:
NEAP:
NEDI:
NEPAD
NEX:
NGOs:
NPC
NSF
NSS
NTA:
NVSC:
NYC
NYSS:
OP/PAU:
PAGE:
PENDA:
PFM:
PIA
PLHIV:
PLWA:
PLWHA
PMUs:
PRER:
PRSP
International Monetary Fund
Infant Mortality Rate
Implementing Partners
Initiative for Soaring Food Prices
Institutional Support Project for Economic and Financial Governance
Insecticide Treated Nets
Infant and Young Child Feeding
Low Income Food Deficiency Country
Labour Market Information System
Monitoring and Evaluation
Millennium Development Goals
Management Development Institute
Ministry of Economic Planning and Industrial Development
Maternal Mortality Rate
Ministry of Energy
Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs
Ministry of Forestry and Environment
Ministry of Trade, Industry and Employment
Memorandum of Understanding
Medium Term Expenditure Framework
Mid Term Review
National AIDS Control Programme
National Aid Information Management System
National Nutrition Agency
National AIDS Secretariat
National Water and Electricity Company
National Environment Agency
National Employment Action Plan
National Enterprise Development Initiative
New Partnership for African Development
National Execution
Non-Governmental Organisations
National Planning Commission
National HIV/AIDS Strategic Framework
National Statistics Service
National Training Authority
National Volunteer Service Centre
National Youth Council
National Youth Service Scheme
Office of the President/Policy Analysis Unit
Programme for Accelerated Growth and Employment
Platform for Employment Networking Dialogue and Action
Public Financial Management
President’s International Award
People Living With HIV
People Living With AIDS
People Living with HIV/AIDS
Programme Management Units
Poverty Reduction Expenditure Report
Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper
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PSC:
PSRICD:
PURA:
RACDF:
RTC:
SANE:
SOE:
TRAC:
UN:
UNAIDS:
UNCT
UNDAF
UNDEF:
UNDG
UNDP
UNDP/CO:
UNECA:
UNEP:
UNFPA:
UNHCR
UNICEF:
UNVs:
VIOs:
WB:
WFP
WHO
WWF:
Project Steering Committee
Public Service Reform and Institutional Capacity Development project
Public Utilities Regulatory Authority
Rapid Advisory and Capacity Development Fund
Round Table Conference
State Actors Network on Employment
State of the Environment report
Total Resource Allocation from the Core
United Nations
United Nations Programme on AIDS
United Nations Country Team
United Nations Development Assistance Framework
United Nations Democracy Fund
United Nations Development Group
United Nations Development Programme
United Nations Development Programme/Country Office
United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
United Nations Environment Programme
United Nations Population Fund
United Nations High Commission for Refugees
United Nations Children’s Fund
United Nations Volunteers
Volunteer Involving Organisations
World Bank
World Food Programme
World Health Organization
World Wildlife Fund
Table of Contents
Executive Summary .......................................................................................................................... 6
1.
Introduction/Background ................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
4
1.2.
Overview of UNDAF 2007-2011....................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
2.
Achievements and Challenges .......................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
2.1.
Poverty Reduction and Social Protection ....................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
2.2.
Basic Social Services ......................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
2.3.
Governance and Human Rights....................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
3.
Lessons learnt/ Recommendations /Way Forward ....................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
3.1.
Lessons learned from the 2007-2011 UNDAF ................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.
3.2.
Recommendations ............................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
3.2.1. General recommendations; .............................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.
3.2.2. Specific recommendations:............................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
Annex 1. Results matrix for UNDAF Outcomes 2007-2011 ...................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
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Executive Summary
The UNDAF Country Programme 2007-2011 was developed out of broad-based consultations with all
relevant stakeholders and reflects the development priorities of the country. The Programme has two main
pillars: (i) Poverty Reduction and Achieving the MDGs; and (ii) Governance and Human Rights. The
UNDAF has undergone a mid-term review in 2009. This final review therefore builds on this earlier midterm review in order to ascertain the achievements, gaps and challenges toward the achievement of the
UNDAF outcomes.
Following the formulation of the UNDAF, the country context changed as the world experienced a
financial and economic crises which threatened to reverse the economic gains registered over the years.
The resulting economic meltdown had diverse impact on the Gambian economy leading to a decline of
tourism receipts, exports, remittances, manufacturing production, wholesale and retail trade, transport and
telecom output. The Gambia has however maintained sustained macro-economic stability and the
economy performed better in 2009 and 2010 than was previously projected. A second consecutive year of
strong growth in agriculture, largely because of good rains and the successful expansion of rice farming,
has helped to offset the negative impact of the global financial crisis, particularly on the rural poor.
The 2007-2011 UNDAF has experienced both successes and challenges during its implementation.
Amongst the successes of the UN Agency programs were:
A Draft Mid-Term Review Report of the PRSP II have been produced. DevInfo was launched as the
national statistical database for the measurement of progress in achieving the MDGs and the
implementation of PRSP II. National Planning Commission was established, and fully operational.
Support was provided to develop an MDG-based PRSP II, and subsequently a Round Table Conference
was January 2008. A National Disaster Management Program in The Gambia was instituted as well as
90% birth registration rate for Under-5s nationwide.
Policies and guidelines on sexual harassment in schools, corporal punishment, “Almudos” (children
working or living on the streets) and a child sex tourism code of conduct was also implemented.
Nutritional surveys were undertaken to ensure that adequate nutritional levels of refugees was ensured
Contraceptives were provided by the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare for the past two years
including Condoms for HIV/AIDS prevention.
Development and printing of Referral registers, Maternity Care Guidelines, and Referral Protocols was
undertaken as well as a situational Analysis of Reproductive Health Commodity Security conducted.
Health care workers were trained and under 5 mortality decreased from 131/1000 to 112/1000 from 2006
to 2010
Increased access to IPT services nationally (IPT uptake by pregnant women increased from 32.5 in
2005/2006 to 67.7 in 2010, MICS III/IV) and regular national wide deworming of primary school
children carried out to ensure improved nutrition.
Food support from was provided from 2006 until end 2010 for Casamance Refugees.
Department of Fisheries was assisted to fund the signed TCP for the Preparation of The Gambia Fisheries
Development Strategy and Action Plan 2009-2018 as well as NaNA to build a solid educational basis for
nutrition education in schools
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A Food Security and Vulnerability Assessment and Mapping Group was set up and undertook a national
Comprehensive Food Security and Vulnerability Assessment Survey and analysis. Education authorities
were assisted to develop school gardens in all primary schools
A National Policy exists for HIV/AIDS with an overall objective “to stabilize and reverse the trends in
prevalence of HIV/AIDS in The Gambia and provide treatment, care and support for people living with or
are affected by HIV/AIDS” and PMTCT has been scaled up to 23 health facilities with 36% of HIV
positive pregnant women and 23% of the new born having access to ARV prophylaxis). Now 10-19 year
old children have access to information on HIV/AIDS prevention through the availability of the life skills
curriculum in supported schools.
The Challenges of implementing the UNDAF centred around but were not limited to:
•
Capacity constraints as a formidable barrier to progress. A good number of capacity building and
capacity enhancement activities have been implemented since the beginning of the UNDAF
cycle, and others are still underway, and yet there is a general concern that strategic institutions of
the state are hampered by acute scarcity of trained manpower.
•
The effectiveness of monitoring progress with respect to the both the UN System and government
depends on the maintenance of a strong statistics database that permits the tracking of its
statistically measurable indicators.
•
Coordination at both UNCT and government levels is weak.
The Final Review has found that the UN System enhanced its relations with Government, donors, and the
media. Despite a number of challenges/issues require further attention. The overall results of the 20072011 have been judged positive and this final review of the UNDAF has identified a number of areas for
improvements and made recommendations to address some of the constraints.
The main recommendations are for UNCT to undertake more joint programming as they move to deliver
as one and there is an urgent need for a concerted effort by the UNCT to initiate a collaborative effort
with GOTG leadership in conceptualizing, designing and implementing a capacity building strategy that
is sustainable to tackle capacity constraints facing institutions. Inadequate capacity has been the most
significant factor constraining progress in the implementation of the UNDAF. Weak coordination for
both UNCT and GOTG levels need to be improved for effective implementation
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Section 1: Introduction/Background
The United Nations Development Assistance Framework 2007-2011 was developed out of broad-based
consultations with all relevant stakeholders (Government, Civil Society, Development Partners, Private
Sector and United Nations organizations). The programme reflects the development priorities of the
country; it takes into account the long-term strategy and Vision “2020” of The Gambia, and draws upon
the CCA. The UNDAF is fully synchronized with The Gambia’s Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper 20072011 (PRSP II), which is the first phase of a nine-year MDG-based integrated national development
planning framework aimed at ensuring that The Gambia is on the path to achieving the MDGs by 2015.
The UNDAF has undergone a mid-term review in 2010. This final review therefore builds on the earlier
review in order to ascertain the achievements, gaps and challenges toward the achievement of the
UNDAF outcomes. The final review also revisits the issues of programme design, programme
management, financial disbursement, partnerships and programme funding.
The methodology of the final review included: meetings, interviews review of relevant material. The
consultations included the UNCT and the PCG. The final review also drew upon the findings and
conclusions of the final evaluations of Agency programmes during this UNDAF period.
1. Overview of UNDAF 2007-2011
The 2007-2011 UNDAF has three main pillars: (i) Poverty Reduction and Social Protection; (ii) Basic
Social Services and (iii) Governance and Human Rights. These were further developed in the Country
Programme Outcomes into the following ten outcomes:
 Establishment and capacity building of national institutions responsible for development and
implementation of strategies to promote economic growth and reduce poverty supported.
 National systems to increase employment (formal and informal) and productive capacity with a
particular focus on women and youth enhanced.
 Establishment of effective social and civil protection mechanisms to protect the most vulnerable
supported and timely emergency response strengthened, taking into account of environmental
sustainability.
 National systems to improve household food security enhanced.
 Improved quality of services in reproductive health, child health, nutrition, water and
environmental sanitation for targeted groups
 National capacity to respond to HIV/AIDS strengthened
 Increased enrolment of girls and boys in affordable, quality basic education services in focused
geographic areas
 Strengthened local authorities’ capacity in Local Government areas to effectively deliver basic
social services for the poor
 Increased people’s participation in decision-making processes at national and decentralized
levels.
 Enhanced capacities of state and non-state actors to address legal and human rights
Section II: Achievements and Challenges
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This section below presents a detailed review of progress in implementing the UNDAF outcomes. A
Results matrix detailing the summary of individual agencies’ achievements, and overall assessment
progress towards outcomes is contained in Annex 1.
4. Poverty Reduction and Social Protection
4.1.1. Establishment and capacity building of national institutions responsible for development and
implementation of strategies to promote economic growth and reduce poverty supported;
The main outputs envisaged under this outcome are the following:


Establishment and strengthening of National Planning Commission supported
Implementation and monitoring of Medium Term Plan/PRSP II supported
The main achievements of this outcome were the following:
National Planning Commission established and operational; Aid coordination and management
strengthened
The National Planning Commission was established and operationalised with staff recruited to coordinate
and monitor national/regional planning processes re-MDGs and PRSPs. The Aid Management Database
and Poverty MDG Monitoring System were established and an assessment of national/regional planning
capacities was undertaken. The UNDP Country Programme has been instrumental in setting up the NPC
and remained its primary supporter. Through the support of the project, the NPC had established a strong
relationship with all the sectors, regions and particularly UN Agencies. The National Planning
Commission worked closely with all the stakeholders to effectively carry out its mandate of planning and
coordination.
The development of an on-line National Aid Information Management System (NAIMS) has reached an
advanced stage. Through the assistance of the project, NAIMS equipment and software has been
procured, the infrastructure developed and data on aid coordination collected. However, given that the
Aid Coordination working Group has not been formed, the Information Management System is yet to be
operational as a result of inadequate capacity.
NPC supported the assessment of Local Government Capacity in 2008 to enhance the implementation of
the decentralisation process. The assessment took stock of the existing capacities in the designed
decentralisation structure of local governance, and identified the gaps, norms and standards required in
sectors such as Agriculture, Health, and Education etc. The assessment resulted in the identification of the
capacity, norms and standards required in all the sectors at the decentralised level to successfully
implement a decentralisation programme.
Moreover, during the course of the project, NPC was supported to develop a 3-year strategic plan which
was completed in 2009. However, as the strategic plan was being implemented, the NPC Act was
repealed and its functions subsumed under the new Ministry of Economic Planning and Industrial
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Development. Given the new structure in place, only part of the strategic plan is being implemented by
MEPID.
MDG-based 2007-2011Poverty Reduction and Growth Strategy produced and MDGs integrated
into sector and local level development plans
The MDG-based PRSP II was formulated and subsequently the Round Table Conference was
successfully held, technical advice provided and related follow up activities to mobilize resources for the
implementation of the MDG-based PRSP were undertaken. MDG/PRSP status reports were produced and
circulated and several agencies( provided technical assistance for the review of the PRSP II. One of the
significant results of the RTC was the adoption of the Gambia Aid Effectiveness Action Plan which will
have many positive impacts on donor coordination and harmonization when fully implemented. Overall,
the Gambia has recorded progress against many MDGs targets but significant challenges remain in the
reduction of poverty and hunger.
Poverty MDG Monitoring System has been established. A reporting framework/format for the MDG
based PRSP II at the macro level has been created. Annual poverty reducing expenditure reports
(PRER),and annual poverty reviews (APR) are generated to monitor or track annual macroeconomic
performance targets, specific budgetary targets for both government resource allocation and programme
implementation for the priority sectors including Nutrition and HIV/AID. However, a monitoring system
is yet to be designed to monitor the level of poverty at the micro or household level.
The National Statistical system was strengthened with support from UNICEF, UNFPA and UNDP
through the launching of DevInfo at GBOS as a national database for the measuring progress towards the
MDGs and PRSPII.
Independent Think Tank and Research Advisory Services established:
Following the recommendation of the Mid-Term Review for UNDP and partners to look at other ways of
promoting policy dialogue outside the establishment of an independent think tank—the Development
Forum has been revived and two have already taken place; one on capacity and the other on the MDGs.
Through the Rapid Advisory Capacity Development Fund (RACDF) project, a number of capacity gaps
were addressed and technical assistance and policy support was provided to Government institutions,
including Ministries of Finance, Communication, Justice, Youth, Energy and the Management
Development Institute. Furthermore, five pilot CBOs working on MDGs at the grassroots were also
supported.
4.1.2. National systems to increase employment (formal and informal) and productive capacity with a
particular focus on women and youth enhanced;
The main outputs envisaged under this outcome are the following:



Public and private sectors strengthened to implement the national employment and Small and
Medium Enterprise (SME) policies and plan of action and other relevant policies and
programmes.
Effective capacity building programmes for employment (formal and informal) creation with
specific focus on women and youths in place (based on market demand)
Viable enterprise activities for women and youths promoted and increased.
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The main achievements of this outcome were the following:
Capacity Enhanced to implement the National Employment Action Plan (NEAP):
The Gambia has as its priority employment creation; especially, for youths and women. In this context
UNDP supported NVSC and GAMJOBS with the following results:
The legal and regulatory framework on volunteerism and a study on its socio-economic impact in The
Gambia have been accomplished. In addition, a National Volunteers Service Centre and 2 Regional
Centres have also been established and operational. The registration of the Volunteers Network-The
Gambia (Volnet) has been accomplished while a database for profiling of VIOs and website for voluntary
services in The Gambia has been created and VIOs mapping conducted. Sensitisation about the Mission
and Objectives of the NVSC at both the national and regional levels (Radio Stations and TV) are also
ongoing. Volunteers have been recruited both nationally and internationally to strengthen capacity and
provide employment opportunities.
The Gambia Priority Employment Programme (GAMJOBs) is The Gambia Government’s attempt to
operationalise the National Employment Policy and NEAP. The overall objective of GAMJOBS is to
create an enabling environment for employment creation particularly among women and youths in order
to develop a skilled, versatile, dynamic and efficient workforce, thereby creating opportunities for wage
and self employment in both the formal and informal economy, within the context of Vision 2020 and the
Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP). Below are the project’s achievements in the implementation
of its programmes.
A national framework for continuous assessment of impact of policies on employment in line with
MDGs, PRSP II, Vision 2020 and National Employment Policy and NEAP was established. As a result, a
state actors network (SANE) and a non state actors network (ENNSA) have been established and the
latter legally registered. The National Framework provides for the establishment of a Platform for
Employment Networking, Development and Advocacy (PENDA) with a view to foster permanent
dialogue on employment mainstreaming between State and Non-State Actors Networks.
Different studies were carried out under the GAMJOBS project: A study on the impact of
macroeconomic sector and social policies on employment and poverty was published in 2008. An Impact
Assessment and tracer study at the request of National Youth Service Scheme (NYSS) was conducted in
2009 to assess the NYSS training program with the objective to aligning the training with the
requirements of the labour market. Another study on Capacity Assessment for Employment Policy
formulation and programming of key Government Institutions was conducted in 2009 with a view to
identify existing capacities and capacity gaps in mainstreaming employment in policy development. The
outcome is intended to provide a strategic plan for capacity building of key government institutions in
policy formulation taking employment into consideration to be supported by GAMJOBS. A study on the
Capacity Assessment of the Labour Department and Employment Unit of the Ministry of Trade, Industry
and Employment (MOTIE) was conducted in October 2009 to identifying capacity gaps for the two
critical units of the ministry. Following the outcome of the assessment and subsequent request of the
Ministry, GAMJOBS provided support to the two critical units of the ministry for the purchase of
equipment and furniture. Local and overseas training was also provided to the staff of the units to enhance
the development of their capacities.
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A Labour Market Information Systems (LMIS) framework was produced and validated with a view to
enhance the planning process for the development and utilisation of human resources to meet the present
and future demand for skills in all sectors of the economy and a new National Employment Policy and
Action Plan (2010-2014) were validated and approved by Cabinet and a Youth Profile Study was
conducted and a report produced with a view to address the lack of adequate disaggregated data on youth
and the difficulty to develop targeted programmes for supporting the development of young people.
A Study of Micro-finance Institutions and Facilities to learn lessons for further development of the
Gambia Enterprise and Skills Development and Training Fund (GETFUND) was commissioned while the
operational framework including procedures and management system has been developed. The project
has supported various initiatives including Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) for the
establishment of a Business Incubation Centre, Supported National Training Authority (NTA) for an
Apprenticeship Program, National Enterprise Development Initiative (NEDI) for entrepreneurship
training and loan disbursement to youth, Unique Solutions Company for ICT and Mobile Phone Repairs,
as well as partnering with other private institutions in training programmes.
Prior to the establishment of the GETFUND, the PMU developed preliminary guidelines to overcome the
stalemate in providing funding to partners and beneficiaries. As a result GAMJOBs provided support to
NYSS to the tune of D890, 500 to on-lend to twenty-two graduates of the scheme as business start-up
capital for self-employment initiatives. The project also provided a grant to the tune of two hundred and
eighty-five thousand Dalasis (285,000.00) to President’s International Award for completion of classroom
structures and procurement of tools and equipment for the various workshops with the view to improving
the intake of student and quality of training for employability.
GAMJOBs and GAMWORKS signed an MOU to facilitate the implementation of activities within public
works using labour intensive technologies in infrastructure and waste management and social services
schemes. Furthermore, the project provided support GAMWORKS Agency for the training of 60 youths
in Waste Management and production & laying of pavement blocks with a view to creating sustainable
employment. The partnership would go a long way in improving the livelihoods and income generation
capacities of Youth Entrepreneurs.
4.1.3. Establishment of effective social and civil protection mechanisms to protect the most vulnerable
supported and timely emergency response strengthened, taking into account environmental
sustainability;
The main outputs envisaged under this outcome are the following:




Appropriate research to the introduction of micro health insurance (TA, research findings,
feasibility studies) to assist effective implementation supported.
Establishment of quality services and policy relevant to child protection supported.
Establishment of a national Early Warning system, national Emergency preparedness and relief
plans development and implementation supported.
Development of framework and strategies for environmental sustainability supported.
The main achievements of this outcome were the following:
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Child Protection: A mechanism is in place to protect children against abuse, exploitation and violence
through the collaboration of UNICEF, The Gambia Government and key None State actors with the
development of policies and guidelines on sexual harassment in schools, corporal punishment “Almudos”
(children working or living) and a child sex tourism code of conduct. At grassroots level, twenty
Community Child Protection Committees (CCPCs) have been established and functional to protect
children’s rights at the community level. In addition, 400 Orphan and Vulnerable Children (OVCs) where
reached with basic social services by UNICEF and CADO. Significant gains have also been made in the
area of Birth Registration (BR) where an innovative approach of integrating BR into RCH had resulted in
19,600 children registered although the objective of reaching a 90% of birth registration rates for underfives nationwide is far from being achieved. This is anchored on the innovative idea of integrating birth
registration into the RCH programme.
Regarding women’s right and the issue of harmful traditional practices, thanks to the partnership between
UNICEF and TOSTAN The Gambia, notable achievements have been gained especially at the Upper
River Region were over thirty three communities signed an MOU publicly abandoning FGM/C and early
marriage. Furthermore, 80 direct reached villages and 34 villages reached through diffusion have made
declarations to abandon FGM/C
Pressing environment issues in the Gambia include, land degradation, coastal degradation, global
climatic changes, sea level rise and waste management. Attempts have been made to address these
issues, policies formulated, action plans derived from these policies and institutions strengthened to
implement these plans. The UNDAF (2007-2011) aims to address the environmental situation in the
country through implementing partners with a lot of emphasis on natural resource management against a
backdrop of global climatic changes of which the Gambia is no exception. The low lying nature of the
country makes it susceptible to sea level rise. The Gambia is ranked by UNEP as one of the top ten
countries in the world affected by the phenomena. The expected outcome of the environmental projects
administered under the UNDAF 2007-2011 is to ensure that Environmental and disaster prevention
and mitigation concerns are mainstreamed into national and local development policies and
strategies.
Achievements under this outcome include:
The printing and launching of 1200 copies of Gambia Environmental Action Plan II and 400 copies of
the State of the Environment (SOE) report. The environmental concerns outlined in these documents
should be used in the planning process by policy makers; however the documents are yet to be thoroughly
disseminated and have therefore minimal impact as of now on decision making at the policy level.
Forest Management capacities have been enhanced and local communities empowered to sustainably
manage and use forestry resources for improved food security and the protection of the forest cover.
Training of forest communities on fire fighting techniques is a worthy intervention against the spread of
bushfires but intensified sensitisation campaigns on avoiding bush fires is essential.
Participatory Forest Management provides a source of livelihood for communities with sustainable
management of the resource base. Fruit trees in forest parks provide a fruit market for women, thereby
sustaining their livelihoods.
The establishment of two pilot Medicinal plantations in Mandinaba, Western Coast Region could
provide a cheap source of medicine to locals but more publicity of the project through the Ministry of
Health and Social Welfare could also encourage pharmaceutical interventions in this area.
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In the area of Biodiversity Conservation the Dept of Parks and Wildlife has made significant progress.
Lack of accurate scientific data hampers the work of policy makers which eventually filter to the
grassroots level. Efforts made in this endeavour are the procurement of field equipment and establishment
of a database. This houses a habitat species inventory, a much needed measure to account for existing
species and endangered species for conservation purposes as well as identifying various types of habitat.
The production of digital maps of the protected areas, home to various plant and animal species, would
help in quantifying existing species as well as discourage encroachment which is common in a country
with a booming construction industry like the Gambia. The ecological value of these protected areas
cannot be overemphasised with very critical roles in ecosystem functioning.
The Wildlife Dept could liaise with communities engaged in the development process and trained in
protected areas management. Women with male counterparts have now started participating in managing
protected areas and are trained for this purpose.
Energy Efficiency and Conservation: Logging activities provide the bulk of fuel wood used for
domestic purposes in the Gambia. The Ministry of Energy (MOE) through its line agencies has developed
alternative sources of energy to reduce fuel wood consumption. National exhibitions with various energy
devices on display have proven to be an efficient marketing strategy. These products however need to be
subsidised to reach the rural poor who utilise the bulk of the fuel wood. The impact made on target
populations remains unknown due to improper monitoring and evaluation strategies. The introduction of
energy saving bulbs proved useful, surveys by the MOE show that they are widely used in public
institutions, an assessment is yet to be done for private institutions.
Climate Change / Adaptation to Coastal & Climate Changes (ACCC) project
The impact of climate change on the environment is a global phenomenon. Gambia is affected by sea
level rise estimated at 2mm per annum .This impacts on a low lying coast aggravating an already severe
erosion problem. The coastal region provides a lot of employment opportunities for a significant number
of people; it supports a Tourism Industry contributing a significant percentage of 12% to the GDP of the
country.
Current UNDAF implementation fails to address climate change issues in the Gambia in a holistic
manner. The ACCC project which is not a core UNDAF project is worth mentioning. The project has
several Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) initiatives. The establishment of ecotourism camps
would ease pressures from an already congested coastline as Ecotourism shifts Tourism activities inland
away from the Coast.
The strengthening of local communities to promote sustainable environmental management largely
depends on sustainable livelihoods while protecting the environment as attested by the socioeconomic
benefits of coastal zone management. The coastal zone of the Gambia is lined with acres of mangrove
belts, harbouring oysters which provide delicious meals for locals as well as a viable oyster market. The
mangroves also serve as spawning grounds for fish stocks and a habitat for juvenile fish species.
However the harvesting of oysters involves the uprooting of mangroves thus resulting in systematic
deforestation of the mangrove populations. The ACCC project trained oyster harvesters on sustainable
oyster collection techniques in order to save the mangrove habitats thereby maintaining the oyster
populations. This is a strategy for the rational use and sustainable management of the oyster populations.
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The above outcomes of the UNDAF are in line with the PRSP and the UNDAF outcomes on poverty and
the Environment. Both the PRSP and UNDAF lay emphasis on devising poverty reduction strategies
whilst enhancing economic growth and reducing social exclusion of the poor especially women. A replica
of the ACCC project with a wider coverage nationwide that puts more emphasis on pressing climate
change issues in the Gambia such as coastal erosion/sea level rise would be worth pursuing.
Disaster Mitigation Measures
The UNDAF (2007 -2011) implementation has placed Disaster Management in the forefront in the
political arena. The project outcomes led to the establishment of an institutional and policy framework
which led to the creation of the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA). Mainstreaming disaster
management and risk reduction into policies and plans proves to be a challenge, a policy and strategy has
been developed but awareness creation mechanisms need to be created to raise awareness at all levels to
facilitate integration.
Overall, major achievements have been registered under this outcome.
WFP, as the chair of the UN Disaster Management Group has been taking the lead in coordinating UN
support to the Government in emergency response and preparedness. The UN was successful in
mobilizing resources (CERF funds) to provide critical support to vulnerable population groups affected
by the floods disasters in 2009 and 2010 at the request of the Government.
Institutional and technical capacities have been built in NDMA which was able to develop a decentralized
structure for effective emergency response and disaster management at the regional level. The UN (in
particular WFP) has been providing the NDMA with continuous support to boost the agency’s operational
and technical capacities particularly in emergency assessments, contingency planning, vulnerability and
risk analysis, logistics and food distributions, monitoring and reporting. These initiatives were geared
towards helping key stakeholders ( NDMA and communities) at both central and regional levels to clearly
understand and be able to identify their roles and responsibilities in addition to applying them more
efficiently throughout the life span of the project. Training on food distribution in particular helped IREMOP Key stakeholders understand food management at storage, handling and distribution levels.
Furthermore, In 2010, WFP provided 7 computers, 6 printers, 2 scanners, with total cost of D355,000
including pallets and tarpaulins to NDMA and the RDMCs. In March 2011, WFP provided the following
items to the Department of Agriculture through the office of the Vice president: 3 laptops, 15 desktop
computers, 3 internet data cards (without subscription) and 1 scanner in support of the assessments, data
collection and analysis efforts at the Regional Agriculture Offices. Two hundred pallets were also
provided to the NDMA for use in the storage of food commodities required for emergency response.
The Environment and Energy program component of the UNDAF has positive outcomes and impacts.
One of the key issues is still ownership (owned by UNDP/MOFEA) rather than stakeholders. Support to
Energy and Environment sector, it is observed that several IPs are involved (MOE, Parks and Wildlife,
MOFEN) and uncertainty between MOFEN and NEA in terms of who is in charge. The problem needs to
be resolved as the projects lack of strategic vision results in weak outputs.
UNDP should streamline and focus environment projects because of its scattered nature, given that the
portfolio is GEF driven and not conceived locally. There are several projects in the GEF ---HPNP,
ACCC, JPPMP, CCF and they are not coherently linked to the UNDAF outcomes and outputs.
15
4.1.4. National systems to improve household food security enhanced.
The main outputs envisaged under this outcome are the following:


Food production, information/distribution systems to support effective food marketing in selected
food insecure areas enhanced
Institutional structures and policies to reflect emerging priorities in the agricultural and nutrition
sector supported.
The main achievements of this outcome were the following:
The FAO through its country programme sourced FSCA facility to improve food security through
improvements in “Agricultural productivity, marketed output and incomes of project beneficiary, farmerbased organizations and small scale agro-processors increased on a sustainable basis, resulting in
improved livelihoods and national food security”.1
FAO assisted key government institutions such as the Department of Fisheries in formulating and
implementing TCPs on Fisheries Development Strategy and Action Plan 2009-2018 for the sustainable
development of The Gambia’s fisheries sector and a framework for aquaculture subsector development in
the country for diversification of livelihoods in the rural areas; improve the nutritional status; increase
income generating capacity as well as provide additional off-season activities through enhanced land and
water resources utilization;
The building of a solid educational basis for nutrition education has been facilitated by the provision of
technical assistance for the inclusion of nutrition in the school curriculum, teacher training and material
and the strengthening of the education sector to effectively implement nutrition education. This was
accompanied with implementation of the school garden project in ten piloted schools with the aim of
promoting nutrition education in basic schools.
The legal and policy framework of the National Forest Programme was reviewed and a permanent
functional database built. This will ensure sustainable management of the Gambia forest resources and
thus contribute to improved livelihoods of the rural population.
In the aftermath of the global food price crisis in 2008, WFP was asked by the Government to provide
support in social safety nets and food security to mitigate the adverse effects of soaring food prices on
household food insecurity in the short and longer term. In response, WFP expanded the School Feeding
Programme (SFP) covering rural areas to targeted urban areas as part of a nationwide food based safety
net.
In addition, WFP started to provide technical assistance in a more systematic way with the aim to set up a
comprehensive VAM (Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping) approach for an enhanced understanding of
1
Food Security through Commercialization of Agriculture (FSCA) Project, FAO Trust Fund for Food Security, 2009
16
food insecurity and vulnerability in the country and prioritization of donor and Government interventions.
A VAM Strategy was developed after consulting key national food security stakeholders including the
Government and partners to guide the overall process.
The overall objective of the Strategy is to strengthen vulnerability analysis systems and support regular
and timely monitoring of food insecurity in the Gambia in order to inform policies and responses to future
crises. Specific objectives are to:
-
improve sectoral coordination at the institutional level;
build technical capacities of national counterpart and partners to undertake food security and
vulnerability analysis; and
support efforts to set up a food security monitoring system (FSMS) which builds on existing
systems and is complemented with user friendly VAM tools adapted to the Gambian context.
Key achievements under this Strategy include the following:
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
WFP contributed to the formulation of the Gambia National Agricultural Investment Plan
(GNAIP) as part of the African Union’s Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development
Programme (CAADP) process (July 2010)
A total of 19 Government and NGO staff have been trained on the basic analytical framework of
food security and food security indicators during a technical consultation workshop on food
security indicators (September 2010).
A total of 8 staff from the Department of Planning, Ministry of Agriculture have been direct
beneficiaries of the enumerator training for the 2011 CFSVA where they were trained on
standardized data collection methodologies and tools (January 2011).
A total of 15 Government, NGO and UN partner staff have been trained in market analysis (April
2011).
A multi-sectoral Rapid Joint Assessment (RJA) was carried out jointly with the Government,
NGO and UN partners to assess the magnitude of the impact of the heavy rains and floods that hit
The Gambia during the months of July-September 2010. WFP, as the incumbent chair of the UN
Disaster Management Group, coordinated the entire process and co-led the food security and
agriculture sector with FAO. Based on the findings of the RJA, the UNCT submitted a CERF
proposal and was able to mobilize a total amount of approx. $564,000 out of which WFP received
approx. $300,000 to launch an IR-EMOP to assist the flood victims (September 2010)
In April 2011, WFP completed a Comprehensive Food Security and Vulnerability Analysis
(CFSVA) to examine the immediate and underlying causes of food insecurity and vulnerability in
The Gambia. The first nationwide survey of its kind, the CFSVA was conducted on the basis of a
participatory and consultative approach involving Government, UN, NGOs and community
representatives in order to encourage productive partnerships (i.e. for data collection, analysis,
reporting), build synergies and avoid duplication in assessment and analysis activities.
In August 2011, WFP launched a food security and market information bulletin which provides
an up-to-date analysis of food security synthesizing data on agricultural production, climate
forecast, food trade and price trends and household vulnerability. Daa Nyeeno is a joint effort by
government institutions, NGOs and UN agencies: a multi-disciplinary Working Group
coordinated by WFP brings together the different stakeholders who participate in the process by
providing data or contributing to the analysis.
WFP supported the formulation of a UNDP-led proposal under the MDG Acceleration
Framework. The objective of the proposal is for The Gambia to apply for multilateral grants in
view of accelerating effort towards the achievement of one specific MDG goal by 2015. The
Gambia has chosen to accelerate effort on MDG Goal One, Target 1(C): halving between 1990
17
and 2015 the proportion of people who suffer from hunger, specifically through targeted support
to agriculture and food security.
In addressing household level food security, a strategic framework that will provide the basis for planning
for government in meeting its agriculture and natural resources, food security and rural development
priorities was developed. The MOA was assisted to improve on issues of post harvest losses due to poor
storage facilities. Furthermore ten small scale community projects geared to enhance group empowerment
to generate income, improve nutritional status of stakeholders, reduce malnutrition and poverty especially
among the poor beneficiaries.
Despite the fact that agriculture is the primary livelihood source for the majority of Gambians, most
households are net buyers of food. There is also a growing urban population whose livelihoods is much
more varied and relies on the purchase of imported commodities for food consumption. Thus promoting
agricultural development to achieve food self sufficiency alone will not ensure food security at the
household level. A wider range of food security policies and interventions should be pursued that aim at
supporting different livelihoods and removing some of the structural bottlenecks that negatively impact
household income.
Overall Assessment:
The changes in both economic and social contexts have required changes in the strategic focus of
partners, and so it has been for WFP and to a lesser degree FAO. The changes may need to be
incorporated, and given prominence in the next Framework in order to design mechanism to confront
such changes in the future. Partners have performed with distinction in confronting the repercussions of
the external shocks that included the global economic slowdown, the soaring food and fuel prices and the
decline in domestic and global agricultural output.
However, partners may need to strengthen their abilities to rally other UNCT partners through
information sharing and joint monitoring in support of the common UN mission of “Delivering as one
UN”. Some partners were frankly unaware of the changes that have occurred in the strategic focus of
other partners
4.2. Basic Social Services
4.2.1. Improved quality of services in reproductive health, child health, nutrition, water and
environmental sanitation for targeted groups
The main outputs envisaged under this outcome are the following:
 Strengthened capacity for service delivery in reproductive health, child health, adolescent health,
family planning, water, hygiene and sanitation
 Improved access to essential nutrition services and caring practices for mothers, infants and
young children
 Increased access to water and sanitation services
 Increased availability of quality disaggregated data for programme planning and management.
The main achievements of this outcome were the following:
Through the implementation of UNFPA funded RHCS project of US$650,000, the National Reproductive
Health Policy (2007-2014) has been revised to incorporate emerging issues. During the period, the project
ensured the continuous provision of contraceptives for the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. Series
18
of human resource and institutional capacity building measures were carried out with the view to improve
quality of services in reproductive health. These include the training of health workers in contraceptive
technology and the training of health service providers including TBAs on Emergency Maternal Newborn
and Child Health in collaboration with the WHO. With regards to institutional capacity strengthening for
delivery of quality reproductive health services, referral registers, maternity care guidelines and referral
protocols were developed and distributed within the entire health care delivery chain. Through the
UNFPA Global Reproductive Health Programme a situational analysis of reproductive health commodity
was carried out and the report has been validated and adopted by Government. Furthermore, a Logistics
Management System tool for Reproductive Health Commodity Security has been introduced to help
enhance better forecasting of RH commodities.
Through the WHO country office programme for the period, Emergency Maternal and Neonatal
Healthcare (EMNCH) courses run in collaboration with Maternal and Childhealth Advocacy International
(MCAI) and Advanced Life Support Group (ALSG-UK), continue to be supported resulting in 51
Midwives and Nurses, 56 Village Health Workers, and 58 Traditional Birth Attendants from the six
health regions being trained on EMNCH in February 2011. Preliminary results from the first pilot Major
Health Centre indicate improvements in service delivery, referral of emergencies and availability of
essential medicines and supplies. Technical assistance was also provided to help the MOH conduct data
quality self assessment in order to strengthen capacity for proper generation and management of EPI data,
particularly routine immunization data.
In the area of child health, a UNICEF contribution enabled a comprehensive response to the food crisis
through prevention and management of acute and severe malnutrition, micro- nutrient deficiency control
and Vitamin A Supplementation. Other results achieved in this area include the support from UNICEF to
the improvement of the infant and maternal health, leading to 87.3% of under-fives being vaccinated
against all 6 antigens, and 75.6% of women being protected against Tetanus, 98.1% of pregnant women
making at least one antenatal care visit, 56.7%2 of all the births assisted by a skilled attendant and
increase the provision of Intermittent Preventive Treatment for Malaria until it reached to the 66.2% of
pregnant women (all figures extracted from preliminary MICS 2010 data set).
With support from UNICEF, WHO, and UNFPA during the during the UNDAF cycle, there has
noticeable decline of under-five mortality from 131/1000 to 110/1000. Preliminary data from MICS 2010
show the following decline by LGAs:
LGA*
2005/2006
2009/2010
Banjul and Kanifing
122
Banjul
62
Kanifing
102
Brikama
100
99
Mansakonko
154
98
Kerewan
126
101
Kuntaur
195
119
Janjanburay
165
115
Basse
188
146
Regarding water and sanitation the support provided by UNICEF to the Department of Water Resources
made possible to develop a Sanitation policy and to reach a 85.8% of the population using improved
water sources and 49.5% using improved sanitation facilities (all figures extracted from preliminary
MICS 2010 data set).
2
The MDG Status Report,2009 updates this estimate to be 64.5%
19
Overall Assessment:
The overall assessment of the contributions of UN agencies on this outcome is good. While it is
impractical to recount all the contributions made since the inception of UNDAF, it is evident from this list
that UN agencies are intricately engaged in building the necessary capacity for delivery of quality basic
social services in The Gambia. These efforts are bound to have positive impact on some of the baseline
indicators. While the PRSP MTR (2010) acknowledges that some of the indicators are difficult to
measure, even modest declines could mean considerable improvements in the lives of poor, vulnerable
citizens of The Gambia. However, UN agencies will need to have more joint programming and joint
execution of programmes and projects in order to amplify the benefits through the synergistic effects from
joint execution.
4.2.2. National capacity to respond to HIV/AIDS strengthened
The main outputs envisaged under this outcome are the following:
 HIV/AIDS related services provided including communication and VCT
 National laws, revised national policy and sectoral policies in place and operational
 Access to basic social services improved for OVC and youth, and nutritional support provided for
PLHIV
 Capacity to coordinate, monitor and evaluate HIV/AIDS interventions strengthened
 PLHIV networks established
 Enhanced institutional capacity of the National Aids Secretariat (NAS) to coordinate national
response to HIV/AIDS and strengthen the network of PLWHA;
 Capacity of the country coordination mechanism strengthened to effectively utilize resources of
the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; and
 Formulation of the HIV/AIDS workplace code of ethics supported.
Under this outcome, the following were achieved:
In collaboration with UNAIDS, 3 PAF projects were implemented which provided support to two
Networks of PLHIV and 9 support groups. Support groups were fully supported to continue their
advocacy and community outreach activities. Therefore there is increased participation of PLHIV
Networks and their support societies in HIV/AIDS interventions. The setting up of secretariats for three
Networks (GAMNASS, MUTOPULA and NASO) and nine support centres located in all regions was
also supported. Areas of support included institutional strengthening, governance, access to proper and
adequate treatment and care. Specific tailor-made trainings in areas of financial management, home based
care and treatment literacy were conducted. Assistance was provided for the establishment of a functional
secretariat for the BUCAHA.
Various advocacy and training activities were conducted targeting policy makers, public and private
sectors, Women Kafos, youth organizations and NGOs.
The capacity of the National Aids Secretariat was enhanced to coordinate and monitor HIV/AIDS
interventions in the country in accordance with the “three ones” principle. Support was provided to
develop and enrich the national strategic plan. An empirical study on High Risk groups to inform the
development of the strategic plan and other policy and programmatic interventions was developed and
validated by all key stakeholders. Support was received from BDP HIV/AIDs Group to integrate
HIV/AIDS in the MDG-based PRSPII which has been done successfully and the formulation of the
Round Eight Global Fund proposal by the Country Coordinating Mechanism and the National Aids
20
Secretariat as Principal Recipient was facilitated. This led to resource mobilization of an unprecedented
amount of 35 million Euros for the country.
There is now a joint UN project on HIV/AIDS which will focus on institutional strengthening of NAS, a
component of their work not funded by the global fund. In addition, another UN joint project is being
implemented by UNICEF, UNAIDS and UNDP to build the capacity and improve the material resources
of the support societies of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Bwiam, Farafenni, Bansang and Basse.
At the level of improved service delivery VCT uptake is made accessible to the general population
resulting in the establishment of a total of 34 VCT centres throughout the country.
Support from UNCIEF made possible to develop PMTCT guidelines and extend PMTCT service delivery
to pregnant women as part of the Global Campaign on children and AIDS, and paediatric care for HIVpositive children has been scaled up to 23 health facilities with 36% of HIV positive pregnant women and
23% of the new born having access to ARV prophylaxis). Nationally, 76% of HIV positive pregnant
women receive ARVs through the expansion of PMTCT services in health facilities and RCH services
(NAS routine monitoring 2010). There is increased access to information on HIV/AIDS prevention for
10-19 year old children through the availability of the life skills curriculum in schools supported by
UNICEF.
Overall Assessment:
However, UN partners have done well in its response to HIV/AIDS. In the midst of uncertainty, they
continued to support and guided the treatment and care of patients through NGOs, private medical clinics,
and civil society organizations. They went further to support both financially and technically, the
establishment of a National HIV/AIDS Monitoring and Evaluation Plan. The hope was, and still is, that
the knowledge and expertise gets utilized sooner before the recipients of these skills emigrate to other
countries, and certainly before the disease progresses to high-density epidemic proportions in The Gambia
4.2.3. Increased enrolment of girls and boys in affordable, quality basic education services in focused
geographic areas
The main outputs envisaged under this outcome are the following:
 Conducive school environment for increased enrolment, retention, teaching and learning
 Children and teachers adequately prepared for learning and teaching
.
Community participation enhanced for school management
 Relevant and up-to-date curriculum for basic education, with quality and adequate quantity of
teaching and learning materials in place
The main achievements of this outcome were the following:
NER increased from 70% to 75% nationally, and from 42% to 55% in the Upper River Region identified
among the most disadvantaged areas of the country and consequently became the focus of UNICEF
interventions during the period under review. Gender parity in terms of enrolment achieved at basic
education level (grades 1 to 9).
In 2009, through the in-country donor mechanism UNICEF helped the sector to mobilize EFA FTI
catalytic funding amounting to US$28 million.; ii) Contributed to school construction in response to acute
shortage of classrooms (total contribution US750, 000); iii) supported school retention and advocacy with
21
Mothers’ Club; iv) supported Parental Education to reach 13,500 parents and religious leaders in 25
Baby-Friendly communities in URR; v) supported the ECD unit at Ministry of Education. With WFP’s
School Feeding intervention in 463 schools (including ECDs, LBS/BCS & Madrassas) in six regions of
the country, school meals were provided to all school children for all operational school days to enable
them actively participate in learning during their stay at school, which obviously boosted enrolment and
maintained attendance.
National capacities developed on monitoring and measuring learning achievement through the
implementation of an M&E and a Quality Assurance Framework within the education sector. Enrolment
rates at ECD level increased from 26% to 42% nationally. UNICEF contributed with the development of
an ECD policy framework, parental education programmes and ECD school readiness interventions. The
UNGEI (United Nations Girls Education Initiative) network and CFSIs (Child Friendly Schools
Initiatives) was established during the period under review. WFP has been working with the Ministry of
Basic & Secondary Education in fine tuning the Education Management Information System to better
respond to the needs of stakeholders in terms of information. Under joint programming, UNICEF,
UNFPA and WFP collaborated to assist in the implementation of HIV/AIDS prevention activities in
schools through life skills programmes.
Furthermore UNICEF supported the development of national monitoring capacities in the education
sector through the implementation of an M&E and a quality assurance framework.
In the area of tertiary education, the University of The Gambia and the Management Development
Institute were strengthened through expansion refurbishment of the Faculties of Law and Business
Administration.
Overall Assessment
The Gambia surpassed gender parity in primary education in 2005, and maintained a stable ratio of pupils
starting 1st grade who reach the 5th grade at 96.6%. Net enrolment rate in primary school increased by
approx. 30 percentage points from 2006-2007, with this increase often attributed to the integration of
Madrassah into regular schooling. With an MDG target of 100 %, approximately 70% of this outcome is
accomplished.
However, a number of challenges still remain:
 Improvements in educational facilities for the disabled (visually, physically, and the mentally
impaired).
 With increased enrolment in Madrassah, there is the need to ensure that quality education is
provided in such facilities to ensure relevance and high standards.
 Retention of girls in school beyond primary level.
 Improvements in overall quality of teaching and learning in primary schools.
While considerable challenges remain with regard to achieving high enrolment rates and gender parity in
enrolment in senior secondary schools and tertiary institutions, it is clear that great strides have been
made on this outcome (MDG2, MDG3), and it may be the outcome that has registered the highest success
rate by end of the UNDAF cycle (2007-2011).
4.3. Governance and Human Rights
22
4.3.1. Strengthened local authorities’ capacity in Local Government areas to effectively deliver basic
social services for the poor
The main outputs envisaged under this outcome are the following:



Capacity of state actors to promote increased transparency in decision making processes and
financial operations of local and key national government structures strengthened
Revenue generation and administration systems at national and local government levels are
established/ strengthened.
Development planning systems at local Government level are established and/or strengthened
The main achievements of this outcome were the following:
Under the CAP 2015 Project, capacities of local Government Authorities were strengthened for the
development and monitoring of Community Action Plans. In addition, the Disaster Management Project
provided technical assistance to central, regional and local Disaster Management Committees.
The Gambia MDGs/PRSP 2008 National Progress Report was produced whilst regional and local level
sensitization on the MDGs and PRSP were conducted.
With respect to the Public service reform project, significant delays were incurred in start up but the
project is now fully functional and several achievements have been realized:
Human and institutional capacities including economic governance, policy formulation, implementation
of development programmes, delivery of quality public services and strategic management remain a
primary challenge in the Gambian civil service. The project outcome is to have a comprehensively
reformed civil service that is efficient, transparent, accountable and able to design policies, implement
programmes and deliver services to the citizens at national and decentralized levels.
The project was able to establish a cabinet mandated Board on Capacity Development and Institutional
Strengthening co-chaired by the Head of the Civil Service and the UNDP Resident Representative.
Government has begun to show strategic leadership and ownership in the coordination of all capacity
development initiatives in the Gambia. In addition through the development of Strategic Plans, key
government agencies were assisted to identify appropriate structures, human resources and systems that
will enable them to carry out their mandates effectively. A major result is that Ministry of Finance has
now insisted on all government agencies to develop strategic plans before annual budgetary allocations
are made.
A Resource mobilisation strategy has been developed which will be followed by a roundtable meeting.
The public Sector reform program is doing well in terms of achieving key outputs. However, more
support needs to be given since the reform is a long term process and always ongoing. A strong public
sector review office that will be in charge of coordinating all programmes, planning and managing funds
should be encouraged by UNDP in the next UNDAF cycle.
Through UNICEF support Community and Ward action plans were developed in intervention regions of
Upper River Region and selected wards in KMC.
4.3.2. Increased people’s participation in decision-making processes at national and decentralized
levels.
23
The main outputs envisaged under this outcome are the following:



Capacity of non-state actors to promote increased transparency in financial operations of local
and national government structures strengthened.
Effective civic education programme supported and operational at national and decentralized
levels.
Increased capacity and effective representation of women and young people in decision-making
processes promoted at national and decentralized levels
The main achievements of this outcome were the following:
National Women’s Policy being reviewed and gender issues mainstreamed in the MDG-based PRSP. As a
result, Gender issues have been given priority in many policy dialogues. This is particularly evident with
policy discussions on the PRSP focused donor’s Round-Table conference. It triggered the development of
a strategy paper for the Empowerment of Gambian women and it was selected as one of the ten key
documents circulated at the 2008 RTC.
Support was also provided for the attainment of MDG 3- Gender Empowerment and the Advancement of
Women by addressing the under representation of women in decision making positions highlighted in
both the Poverty Reduction Strategy 2007-2011 and the Women’s Policy 1999-2011. Interventions were
aimed at increasing the level of women represented in parliament and other political bodies and in tandem
the number of women in decision making positions.
A successful nation-wide sensitization campaign on the social benefits of having women in leadership
positions and to break cultural barriers was conducted. Different media outlets were used and training in
advocacy, leadership and confidence building were conducted. The campaign created a conducive
environment for all political parties and CSOs to access information, training and engage in policy
dialogue. The campaign resulted in an increased percentage of elected female councillors in the Local
Government elections. For example, in the 2002 Local Government elections, only nine women contested
and out of this six were elected, while in 2008, 20 women contested and 15 were elected. In addition, five
women councillors were nominated. What is also significant is that out of the fifteen elected women
councillors, for the first time, four were elected as Deputy Chairpersons of their councils.
The capacity assessment of women in decision-making exercise was conducted and nationally validated
by all key stakeholders. A follow-up project was recommended and approved to address the key
recommendations of this exercise. Women have an increased representation on National,
Regional/Municipal and local disaster management committees, and guaranteed their active involvement
in disaster management issues. Under the employment programme, 50% of the beneficiaries targeted in
the youth centres were female, and three out of five of the community based organizations implementing
the MDGs at grassroots level were women’s groups. The local government structures supported
guaranteed the involvement of women in the planning and implementation of community action plans.
Strategic partnerships were formed with National Council for Civic education, CSOs, UN sister agencies
(UNICEF and UNFPA).
For the first time in The Gambia, a Women's Act was enacted with UNDP/UNICEF/Action Aid serving
as the lead in the provision of technical and financial resources. The Women’s Act was enacted by the
National Assembly and launched nationwide. Series of sensitisation were conducted on the content of the
Women’s Act. This has created new impetus for gender equality and integration of gender into national
development policy frameworks. Following on the sensitisation on the Women’s Act, the Personnel
24
Management Office and the Chamber of Commerce have now formally requested all stakeholders to
honour the six months maternity leave.
Following the end of the Women's Policy, UNDP coordinated and funded the consultative process with
various stakeholders, drafting, validation and publication of the first ever Gender Policy. Several
advocacy and training workshops were conducted for various stakeholders to sensitize them and great
awareness on the Women’s Act and the Gender Policy.
UNDP, UNFPA and UNICEF's assistance in institutional strengthening and capacity development of the
Women's Bureau and its Gender machinery was highly catalytic in the formation of the National
Women's Federation of Gambian Women which has now chapters launched in all the seven regions of the
Gambia.
Excellent progress has been made on this outcome. In its current UNDAF cycle, the UN System has
adequately supported the Women’s Bureau to achieve major results in terms of policy and laws, a new
gender policy 2012-2022 to Empower women and ensure their full participation in public life; The
Women’s Act which harmonises all the laws, treaties and conventions signed by the Gambia on gender;
sensitisation programmes on FGM and Leadership and the hosting of Beijing +15 the Africa meeting.
On regard of the young people participation in decision making processes, UNICEF provided technical
and financial support for the development of the National Youth Policy 2009-2018. Furthermore thanks to
the UNICEF support young people are actively involved in dialogue with duty bearers through social
space such as ICDB, DAC and National Youth Conference for improved participation and youth
representatives are involved at the level of Technical Advisory Committees in all administrative regions.
4.3.3. Enhanced capacities of state and non-state actors to address legal and human rights
The main outputs envisaged under this outcome are the following:



Establishment of a national independent Human Rights commission supported.
Establishment of Legal Aid and Human Rights clinics supported at decentralised levels.
Capacity of state and non-state actors to promote and protect the rights of women and children
enhanced
The main achievements of this outcome were the following:
The training programmes for selected media houses and CSOs were completed in 2009. The CO provided
Technical Assistance to the Gambia Press Union (GPU) to develop a Strategic Plan of Action and a
Resource Mobilisation Strategy. With the validation of governance instruments; financial manual and
operational manuals, the GPU is better placed to be considered a professional and credible organisation.
UNDEF supported the capacity enhancement of media houses and CSOs, capacity assessments of 3
media houses and 3 CSOs were conducted focusing on four essential dimensions (management capacity,
operational/organisational capacity, adaptive capacity and financial/reporting capacity). Based on these
assessments, training programmes and action plans were developed. Training for the CSOs gave them the
required knowledge on development issues to dialogue with Government partners and private sector on
economic and political issues, with a view to ensuring that national policies and programmes reflect the
views of civil society.
25
Professional standards and economic viability of Media Houses were strengthened to advocate for human
development. Several training programmes were carried out for three media houses and three CSOs.
These included training on management, ICT, Rights –based approach to development, communication
and advocacy, resource mobilisation, journalism (Ethics and Code of Conduct) in order to effectively
carry out or publish stories and disseminate information from a human development perspective. A
consultancy on the development of governance instruments for the Gambia Press Union, also helped
make them a more credible and viable union. Sensitisation seminars on international human rights norms,
rights based approach, gender issues, MDGs and PRSP II was conducted for local govt authorities, media
and CSOs, security services and National Assembly members. The project also provided selected media
houses with hardware/software to enable them produce and disseminate information in a professional
manner. The project also equipped and supported CSOs to build effective partnerships to advocate for
efficient service delivery and greater participation of the citizenry in national political and socioeconomic issues.
Policy and legal environment has been enhanced for protection of Human Rights and greater civic
participation in the economic and political decision-making process. A comprehensive report on mediarelated and human rights laws has been prepared under this outcome. Pertinent issues from the report are
being studied with a view to engaging Government on policy and legal reforms. The policy and legal
environment for the mass media and CSOs is somewhat improved, however, for the Government, CSOs
and Media Houses to discuss these issues still needs some more work.
The Children’s Court is instituted.
Training in different areas such as, management and leadership skills for Magistrates and Court Registrars
and Administrative staff have been enhanced. The ICT skills of 30 Magistrates have been strengthened
and computers and accessories were procured for magistrates and judicial staff. An Operational Manual
for the Sheriff’s Division of the High Court of the Gambia has also been developed.
High Court Rules were amended in 2009 to ensure the expeditious and efficient disposal of cases. Rules
of Procedure for the Children’s Court and the Cadi Courts have drafted, gazetted and now fully
operational; and Cadi Court officials have been trained on administration of justice. For the first time, the
Judiciary now has a functional website, with up-to-date information including judgments, papers
delivered at judicial lectures and trainings and profiles of judges to name a few.
The entirety of the National Assembly, LGAs, TACs, Multi-Disciplinary Facilitation Teams, Youth
Representatives and the National Women’s Council were trained on gender mainstreaming and as a result
a gender focal point network established.
The Legal Aid programme and the Alternative Dispute Resolution programme (ADRS) have been set up
and functional.
The Human Rights Commission has been established, and government is committed to the idea.
However, the Access to justice programme has made major inroads in the human rights arena.
Section III Lessons learnt/ Recommendations /Way Forward
From both a programmatic/substantive perspective, as well as in terms of delivery modalities, the issues
and lessons learned should be factored into the 2012-2015 country programme.
LESSONS FROM THE 2007-2011 UNDAF
26
A Mid Term Review if the UNDAF 2007-2011 conducted in 2009, and additional reflection within the
UNCT, suggested the following lessons that have been part of the considerations for the elaboration of
this current UNDAF 2012-2016. These include:
 UNDAF Management and Implementation: The UNCT should move toward harmonising
programmes and encouraging the diverse agencies to move toward delivering as one,
especially in the context of a small country like the Gambia. The implementation
mechanisms should include working closely with the Government in the implementation of
the PAGE to ensure that overlap is minimal, especially in the funding of Programmes.
 Capacity Constraints and National Execution: There is an urgent need for a concerted
effort by the UNCT to initiate a collaborative effort with GOTG leadership in
conceptualizing, designing and implementing a capacity building strategy that is sustainable
to tackle this endemic constraint facing institutions, especially strategic institutions.
Inadequate capacity is the most significant factor constraining progress in many of the
UNDAF strategies.
 Monitoring and Evaluation Relative to UNDAF: The monitoring and evaluation of
programmes and projects in the context of the UNDAF were not carried out regularly. The
monitoring activities that took place were not based on the UNDAF evaluation framework,
and there were few instances of joint monitoring.
 Thematic Groups: The Thematic Groups offer a good opportunity for harmonization and
effective joint programming and therefore should be revived for the successful
implementation of the UNDAF 2012-2016.
The main areas that need to be included in the next UNDAF cycle are as follows:
General recommendations;
Enhanced coordination: The UNCT will need to work systematically to enhance coordination,
coherence, and integration of the UN mission and mandate. Coordination and coherence must be linked
to, and integrated in, programme areas consistently. Harmonization of issues surrounding differing
programme cycles of the UNCT members needs to be coordinated.
Monitoring and Evaluation: Monitoring and Evaluation should be an integral part of UNDAF
implementation
Encouraging joint programming: Joint Programming is the cornerstone of the UN coherence at the
country level, and in operationalizing “Delivering as One” effectively. The UNCT and the UNRC may
need to hold strategic planning meetings, to discuss and encourage vigorously joint programming in a
coherent and meaningful manner. Additionally, joint programming issues may need to be linked to the
clarity of roles and responsibilities of UNCT members, and work efficiently towards aligning the entire
UNCT with the “Delivering as One” mandate in all of the UNDAF’s priority areas.
Specific recommendations:
Gender: The Women’s Act and the policy will have far reaching effects for Gambian Women. Based on
these successes, the UN System should now look joint programming to fund research to generate gender
disaggregated data which will then be used by the Bureau for its Advocacy programme, using the focal
points network, the Ministry of Women affairs as well as the newly formed Gambia Women’s Federation;
27
to fund women’s groups and civil society organizations to support the work of the Bureau at local level,
especially in the area of participation, leadership and decision-making.
Environment: Waste Management programs need to be formulated and implemented. Improper solid
waste management pose a greater threat to the environment than ozone depleting substances. Waste
management lies within the mandate of Municipalities (BCC, KMC, and BAC) and private interventions
are hard to come by due to large capital investments involved. These needs should be incorporated into
the next phase of UNDAF implementation.
The sustainable management and rational use of natural resources is the only solution to land degradation.
In the country the forest cover is cleared for farming purposes, land is used for animal grazing, logging
activities continue to meet a demanding supply of fuel wood and support to a booming construction
industry. Encroachment on the forest cover is on the rise and studies show a significant increase from
1980 - 1988 (SOE, 2010).
UN programs must encourage community participation in land resources management at all times for
sustainable land resources management. Aforementioned success stories during current UNDAF
implementation all engage active community participation especially where livelihoods are generated.
Coordination and Monitoring: There is generally a weak monitoring system resulting from weak
capacity among implementing partners. The monitoring system is also weak because there are no
baselines and benchmarks by which to measure progress. This is the result of a weak statistical base, an
important element of planning and priority setting.
Implementation has been weak as a result of weak capacity among implementing partners. Agency
coordination has been weak, as agencies implemented projects and programmes according to their
mandates, leaving no room for synergies that only result from joint programming.
The coordination of the UNDAF at Governmental level is even weaker, as much of the implementing
responsibilities are situated in offices that are the least functional. For most of the programmes under the
UNDAF, the coordinating centre is the Office of the President. The Aid Coordination Unit of the
Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs (MoFEA) is not apprised of project fund disbursements. Thus,
UN agency contributions are not captured by the annual national budget.
It is strongly recommended that coordination both at UNCT and government level be improved for
effective implementation of the UNDAF
28
Annex 1. Results matrix for UNDAF Outcomes 2007-2011
UNDAF OUTCOME #1: POVERTY REDUCTION & SOCIAL PROTECTION
COUNTRY
PROGRAMME
OUTCOMES
1.1
Establishment and
capacity building of
national institutions
responsible for
development and
implementation of
strategies to promote
economic growth and
reduce poverty
supported
INDICATORS &
BASELINE
AGENCY CONTRIBUTIONS
OVERALL ASSESSMENT
 Establishment of a
functional social and
civil protection
mechanisms
 Successful establishment
of fully operational
National Planning
Commission
 Regular and effective
monitoring of
MTP/PRSPII
UNDP
 National Planning Commission
established, and fully operational; with
respect to Aid Coordination partnerships were harnessed for aid
coordination and monitoring, and Aid
Coordination meetings are held and cochaired by the Minister of Finance and
Economic Planning and the UN
Resident Coordinator.
 Support provided to develop an MDGbased PRSP II, and subsequently to
organize the Round Table Conference
in January 2008. Annual PRSP II
Progress Reports and biannual MDG
Reports were produced.
 A Mid-term review of the PRSP II was
conducted in March 2010 and enabled
the NPC to review its interventions to
reduce poverty and publish a revised
PRSP II.
 A good number of capacity
building/enhancing activities have
taken place since the beginning of this
UNDAF cycle, and some are still
underway and yet there is a general
concern that institutions such as NPC
and GBoS and many others are
plagued by inadequate capacities.

The Gambia Aid Effectiveness Action
Plan 2007-2011for the implementation
of Paris Declaration was developed and
disseminated. A study tour of the Aid
 The Gambia has recorded increases in
acreage of areas of agricultural
products cultivation and recently
registered projects have collectively
begun to implement policies towards
improving production and reducing
poverty.
 A recent agreement also signed with
donors, NGOs, and farmer
organization with the view to raising
agricultural productivity, and to reduce
poverty.
 However, a monitoring system is yet to
be designed to monitor the level of
poverty at the micro or household
29



Coordination Unit in MOFEA has
allowed technical staff to discuss the
implementation of successful Aid
Coordination mechanisms and
software.
Poverty MDG Monitoring System has
been established. A reporting
framework/format for the MDG based
PRSP II at the macro level has been
created. Financial Accounting Software
was developed and launched in 8
LGAs.
The Public Service Reform and
Institutional Capacity Development
Project supported 11 Government
Ministries and institutions to assess
capacity needs, produce strategic plans
and develop training plans. Urgent
capacity gaps were filled via UNVs.
Prior to this intervention, the Rapid
Advisory and Capacity Development
Facility addressed emerging capacity
concerns of the Government, private
sector and civil society.
Capacity of other national institutions
strengthened through country
programme interventions. Specific
capacity and institutional support was
provided to the National Planning
Commission, Office of the President,
National Audit Office, GBoS, NAS,
level.
 However, challenges remain in the
reduction of maternal and infant
mortality as well as the reduction in
poverty and hunger.
 The National Planning Commission
has been established, and so it the
launching of DevInfo. Other things
remaining the same, its customized
version GamInfo, is expected to be
launched in March 2010. This is
accomplished through one of the rare
collaborative efforts between three (3)
UN agencies.
 The challenge facing both the NPC
and GBoS is how to overcome weak
capacity, exacerbated by high attrition
rate, and the resultant losses in
institutional memory.
 Gambia Aid Effectiveness Action Plan
2007-2011 has still not been adopted.
 The NVSC Evaluation Report should
be revisited by the MOFEA,
Department of Central Planning,
MOLGL, UNDP and other partners.
Recommendations of the report should
be pursued and lessons learned
30





COUNTRY
PROGRAMME
OUTCOMES
INDICATORS &
BASELINE
Women’s Bureau, National Disaster
Agency, National Environmental
agency three media houses and three
CSOs.
UNDP supported the piloting of a
National Volunteer Service Programme
in The Gambia, with a national centre
in Banjul and two pilot regional centres
in Basse and Mansakonko. An
evaluation of the Initiation Plan was
conducted after the first year and the
strategies and approach will be revised
before the NVSC Programme is fully
launched.
In 2007, UNDP, UNFPA and UNICEF
launched DevInfo as a national
statistical database for the measurement
of progress in achieving MDGs and
implementation of PRSP II.
NSS and GBoS benefited from the
MICS III’s Capacity Building for
Economic Management Project
(CBEMP) supported by World Bank
National ownership and NEX
implementation were the foundations
for all interventions.
UNICEF provided technical assistance
for the review of the PRSP II
AGENCY CONTRIBUTIONS
incorporated.

The recommendation here is that partners,
particularly UNCT partners, should
explore the prospects for more joint
programming in the successor UNDAF,
from design through budgeting to
implementation. The perceived synergies
from such joint programming clearly make
the latter the approach of choice when the
objective is to maximize programme
benefits for fixed amounts of resources.
OVERALL ASSESSMENT
31
1.2
National systems to
increase employment
(formal and informal)
and productive
capacity with a
particular focus on
women and youth
enhanced.
 Evidence of enhanced
national systems and
policies to increase
employment (formal and
informal).
 Increased employment
rate among marginalized
groups (especially youth
and women).
 Evidence of increased
implementation by
private and public sector
of national employment
and SME policies and
plan of action and other
relevant policies and
programmes.
 Number of targeted
individuals/ groups with
access to affordable
finance.
UNDP
 With support from UNDP and
Government of The Gambia,
GAMJOBS was institutionalized in July
2007, and became fully operational in
January 2008.
 A capacity needs assessment of both the
Employment Unit of DOSTIE and
Labour Department were undertaken,
with the view to strengthening the
capacities of both institutions.
 A national framework of state and nonstate actors was established for the
continuous assessment of the impact of
policies on employment, in line with the
MDGs, PRSP II, and Vision 2020.
 The National Employment Action Plan
(NEAP) was developed and GAMJOBS
interventions are geared to the
implementation of the NEAP. The
National Employment Policy and
Action Plan (2010-2014) were validated
and approved by Cabinet.
 A study on the impact of
macroeconomic and social policies on
employment and poverty was
commissioned in 2007.
 A consultant was engaged to study
micro-finance institutions and facilities
with the view to learning lessons for the
The evidence is clear that GAMJOBS is up
and running to boost employment creation,
in both the formal and informal economies,
for the youth, women, and perhaps
refugees. However, it is unlikely that the
target objectives outlined above can be met
by the end of this UNDAF cycle.
According to the PRSP II MTR 2010, the
National Labour policies are currently
under review by consultants with the view
to updating these policies. This suggests
that progress in this indicator is far behind
schedule, although the Programme
Management Unit has been doing a
marvellous job in laying structures for
partnerships and operational effectiveness.
The slowness of action may also be
attributed to the unmet funding
expectations. While GAMJOBS may not
reach desired goals by the end of this
UNDAF cycle, the outcome expectations
could be revisited, given what is known
now about the pace of implementation, the
finances, and the unresolved bottlenecks.
In principle, the idea is a laudable one, and
it needs all the support it requires to make
an impact in the lives of the target
beneficiaries. The programme has the
potential to create a corps of new
generational entrepreneurs who no longer
32





development of GETFUND as the
micro-finance institution to back
GAMJOBS.
Support to National Youth Service
(NYSS) for on lending to twenty-two
Ex-Corps graduates as start-up capital
for self-employment enterprises. Total
amount of lending was D890, 500.
GAMJOBS also funded a consultancy
on behalf of NYSS to conduct the
Impact Assessment and Tracer Study of
NYSS graduates.
A total of 260 women trained on
entrepreneurship and 522 women on
trained on income generating. US $154,
128 loan amount disbursed for them.
Support to President’s International
Award (PIA) valued at D 285,000 to
acquire tools for a skills training centre
in North Bank Region.
Support to National Youth Council
(NYC) valued at D 164,325 to fund
National Youth Conference and Festival
at Farafenni in the North Bank Region.
Up to date, GAMJOBS has helped 68
youth and women with entrepreneurial
training and loans to start up new
enterprises.
 A Platform for Employment
networking, Dialogue and Action
(PENDA) comprising a State
have to depend on the labour market for
their livelihoods.
33
Actors Network (SANE) and NonState Actors Network (INSANE)
was launched.





Labour market policies and
institutions strengthened and Gambia
Enterprise and Skills Development
Training Fund (GETFUND)
established and operational
framework including procedures and
management systems developed.
Improved livelihoods and income
generation capacities of youths ,
entrepreneur , labour intensive
technologies in public works
programme to create employment and
sustainable livelihoods
A Youth Profile report was produced
and validated by key stakeholders.
Labour Market Information Systems
(LMIS) framework was produced and
validated by key stakeholders.
The Gambia Chamber of Commerce and
Industry (GCCI) was supported to
establish a Business Incubation Centre.
Supported the National Training
Authority (NTA) for an Apprenticeship
Program, the, National Enterprise
Development Initiative (NEDI) for
entrepreneurship training and loan
34
disbursement to youth, Unique
Solutions Company for ICT and Mobile
Phone Repairs for the training of
unemployed youth, as well as partnering
with other private institutions on
training programmes.
COUNTRY
PROGRAMME
OUTCOMES
1.3
Establishment
of
effective social and
civil
protection
mechanisms
to
protect the most
vulnerable supported
and timely emergency
response
strengthened, taking
into
account
of
environmental
sustainability.
INDICATORS &
BASELINE
 Adoption
of
early
warning and national
contingency
and
preparedness relief plans
 Establishment
of
a
national health account
and financing policy
 Assessment of possible
communities and CBOs
to
apply
for
establishment of micro
health insurance
AGENCY CONTRIBUTIONS
OVERALL ASSESSMENT
 With UNDP funding, the State of the
UNDP
 The Disaster Management Act and
Environment report and the Gambia
Policy were formulated and the Disaster
Environment Action Plan were revised
Management Agency was established.
with the full participation of all
In addition, the Disaster Management
relevant institutions which will be
Council was set up and is functional.
used as the basis for environment
 Establishment of National Disaster
policy development and improved
Management Program in The Gambia
decision-making
 Formulation of Avian and Human
 UNDP financed the SEA training of
Influenza Plan for the Gambia.
key personnel from environment
 The Gambia Environmental Action plan
related institutions which informed the
(GEAP)
and
the
National
revision of the Gambia Agriculture and
Environmental
Management
Act
Natural resources policy as well as the
(NEMA) were formulated and enacted
Gambia National Agriculture and
 Revision and dissemination of GEAP 11
Natural
Resources
Investment
and SOER11, which are instrumental
Programme
for decision and policy makers.
 Senior government officials trained in  The UNDP financed NAMs
(as
Strategic Environment Assessment
decision
makers)
capacity
and NAMS sensitized on climate
development for
climate change
change and its impact on sectors of
35
represent the initial steps of a national
our socio-economic development
advocacy and awareness creation
 Support provided to government
campaign and has led to the
officials to participate in MEA
recognition of climate change as a
processes
 UNDP supported the development of a
development issue
comprehensive habitat and species map
for all protected Areas and ecologically  With the development of the national
disaster management policy, strategic
sensitive hotspots. This is the first such
action plan & legal framework, a
map in the history of The Gambia.
national hazard profile was developed
 A database management system on
which identified 11 natural disasters
birds, trees and animals in the Protected
and 18 man-made hazards as well as
Areas designed and staff trained
their regional distribution. The profile
 Support for Adaptation of Climate
made recommendations to mitigate the
Change-Responding to Coastline change
impacts of these hazards.
in West Africa through Integrated
Coastal Area Management to maintain
 The bill was enacted by the National
or strengthen ecosystem resiliency to
Assembly and provided the legal
climate change along the canary
framework for disaster management
coastline
and risk reduction. National and local
 Support to the Environment and Energy
structures legally established to
Sectors to attain the MDGs and PRSP
institutionalize disaster management
targets.
and risk reduction.
 Establishment of Resource Centres and
retrofitting centres in 4 regions to  National
Disaster
Management
ensure thorough phasing out of CFCs in
Agency (NDMA) established by an act
company operations
of National Assembly to provide
effective coordination, facilitation and
resources mobilization functions in
UNICEF
collaboration with other partners
 Mechanisms established to protect
especially UN Agencies.
children against abuse, exploitation and
36






violence.
52.5% birth registration rate for Under5s nationwide.
An innovative approach of integrating
BR into RCH had resulted in 19,600
children being registered and provided
access to remote villages (As a result of
the 2010 campaign in North Bank River
Region after the MICS IV data
collection).
Access for basic social services ensured
for OVCs in the form of communitybased care and protection at drop-in
centre for children working and living
on the streets in URR and KMC.
The OVC programme in URR continued
and was further expanded to reach
100% of OVCs (400) under the care of
CaDO with basic social services
(education, nutrition, and psychological
support).
With UNFPA and UNDP-an operational
national information system on the
situation of children and women, with
quality, disaggregated data available for
policy analysis and advocacy.
UNICEF-Tostan-GOTG
community
empowerment project for reduced
incidence of harmful traditional
practices such as early marriage and
FGM/C. In early 2009, 33 communities

The municipal, regional disaster
management
committees
were
established and restructured with clear
TORs for coordination and resources
mobilization for disaster management
activities at decentralized levels.
 About
30
Disaster
Technical
committees in all the regions were
formed to provide first responders in
disaster response, disaster impact
assessment and to provide technical
advisory support to the regional
committees
 Regional disaster funds established in
all Regions and Municipalities to
enhance resource mobilization.
 197 people from multi sect oral
stakeholders were trained to acquire
Basic skills and knowledge in disaster
management and risk reduction
techniques
A comprehensive and simulated National
Action Plan for AHI was finalized and
endorsed, this led to the formation of a
multi-sectoral National Task force on AHI
to
develop
and
implement
the
Comprehensive Emergency Preparedness
and Response Plan on AHI as an emerging
37
signed an MOU publicly abandoning
FGM/C and early marriage.
 .
 Since then 80 TOSTAN CEP villages
have made declarations to abandon
FGM/C and early marriage. Through
the diffusion method, an additional 34
villages have also made declarations.
 Policies and guidelines on sexual
harassment in schools, corporal
punishment,
“Almudos”
(children
working or living on the streets) and a
child sex tourism code of conduct in
place and implemented.
 20 CCPCs established and functioning
to protect children’s rights at the
community level.
 NSGA/UNICEF financed a Mine Risk
Education and Awareness campaign in
43 Villages and 15 lower basic schools
in Foni bordering the Southern
Senegalese region of Cassamance.
 Five staff from DSW were trained up to
diploma level at the University of The
Gambia in Social Work.
WFP

Serving on the Steering Committee
of the Nutrition Education Project.

Annual Crop Assessment with FAO
issue of global concern. Based on partner
activities in the last three years of the
UNDAF cycle, this outcome is about 60%
within reach. Much work needs to be
done on such important areas such as a
National Policy on Children, a strong
statistical database on the situation of
children and women for advocacy
purposes; Advocacy on reduced incidence
of early marriages and FGM/C.
UN Partners may need to accelerate the
enhancement of the capacity of CSOs to
become effective advocates and deliverers
of goods and services to the poor and the
vulnerable. It is also a widely held view
that UN agencies will need to engage
CSOs and other CBOs more intensively in
working towards achieving the MDGs that
deal with social protections for the poor
and the vulnerable.
The economic and social contexts of The
Gambia have changed considerably, and so
have the strategic focus of some partners,
notably WFP, which has now been
transformed from a Food Aid agency to a
Food Assistance agency. It now provides
complementary services as well as other
non-traditional technical services such as
Vulnerability Assessments (VA) and
38
and CILSS

WFP contributed to the formulation
of the Gambia National Agricultural
Investment Plan (GNAIP) as part of
the African Union’s Comprehensive
Africa Agriculture Development
Programme (CAADP) process (July
2010)

A total of 19 Government and NGO
staff have been trained on the basic
analytical framework of food
security and food security indicators
during a technical consultation
workshop on food security
indicators (September 2010).

A total of 8 staff from the
Department of Planning, Ministry of
Agriculture have been direct
beneficiaries of the enumerator
training for the 2011 CFSVA where
they were trained on standardized
data collection methodologies and
tools (January 2011).

A total of 15 Government, NGO and
UN partner staff have been trained
Mapping.
WFP may need to communicate this
change in focus repeatedly to both UN and
non-UN partners for the latter to note its
new
focus
and
appreciate
their
contributions to joint efforts such as
UNDAF. While communicating this may
cost considerable time, effort and energy, it
may be the better of the two evils when
compared to the cost of other partners’
ignorance on WFP’s new focus, and the
repercussions on its image in relation to
UNDAF.
39
in market analysis (April 2011).

A multi-sectoral Rapid Joint
Assessment (RJA) was carried out
jointly with the Government, NGO
and UN partners to assess the
magnitude of the impact of the
heavy rains and floods that hit The
Gambia during the months of JulySeptember 2010. WFP, as the
incumbent chair of the UN Disaster
Management Group, coordinated the
entire process and co-led the food
security and agriculture sector with
FAO. Based on the findings of the
RJA, the UNCT submitted a CERF
proposal and was able to mobilize a
total amount of approx. $564,000
out of which WFP received approx.
$300,000 to launch an IR-EMOP to
assist the flood victims (September
2010)

In April 2011, WFP completed a
Comprehensive Food Security and
Vulnerability Analysis (CFSVA) to
examine the immediate and
underlying causes of food insecurity
and vulnerability in The Gambia.
40
The first nationwide survey of its
kind, the CFSVA was conducted on
the basis of a participatory and
consultative approach involving
Government, UN, NGOs and
community representatives in order
to encourage productive
partnerships (i.e. for data collection,
analysis, reporting), build synergies
and avoid duplication in assessment
and analysis activities.

In August 2011, WFP launched a
food security and market
information bulletin which provides
an up-to-date analysis of food
security synthesizing data on
agricultural production, climate
forecast, food trade and price trends
and household vulnerability. Daa
Nyeeno is a joint effort by
government institutions, NGOs and
UN agencies: a multi-disciplinary
Working Group coordinated by
WFP brings together the different
stakeholders who participate in the
process by providing data or
contributing to the analysis.
41

WFP supported the formulation of a
UNDP-led proposal under the MDG
Acceleration Framework . The
objective of the proposal is for The
Gambia to apply for multilateral
grants in view of accelerating effort
towards the achievement of one
specific MDG goal by 2015. The
Gambia has chosen to accelerate
effort on MDG Goal One, Target
1(C): halving between 1990 and
2015 the proportion of people who
suffer hunger, specifically through
targeted support to agriculture and
food security.

Supported 20 schools in six regions in
The Gambia. The project provided
garden seeds and tools including
training in basic garden management
and use of garden produce.
WFP/UNHCR

Conducted a Joint Assessment
Mission to assess the food and
non-food needs of refugees with
a view to finding a ‘durable
solution’ by December 2010 to
increase self reliance and
42
improve livelihood conditions of
the refugees; and identify
possibilities to collaborate with
the Government of The Gambia
and partners to devise a
sustainable phasing out strategy
UNFPA
 Procured medical equipment s worth
over $50,000.00 to enhance better
delivery of reproductive services and
also to aid flood disaster victims.
UNFPA also procured” Dignity Kits”
for women affected by the recent floods.
 In collaboration with BAFROW and
GAMCOTRAP is implementing a
programme on FGM/C aimed at
empowering communities to abandon
the practice and other harmful
traditional practices.
COUNTRY
PROGRAMME
OUTCOMES
1.4
INDICATORS &
BASELINE
AGENCY CONTRIBUTIONS
 Evidence of enhanced FAO
national systems to  Sourced FSCA facility to improve food
National systems to
improve household food
security through improvements in
security
improve household
“Agricultural productivity, marketed
of
food
security  Proportion
output and incomes of project
population/households
enhanced.
beneficiary, farmer-based organizations
below minimum level of
and small scale agro-processors
dietary
energy
OVERALL ASSESSMENT
The changes in both economic and social
contexts have required changes in the
strategic focus of partners, and so it has
been for WFP and to a lesser degree FAO.
The changes may need to incorporated,
and given prominence in the next
Framework in order to design mechanism
43
consumption




1
increased on a sustainable basis, to confront such changes in the future.
resulting in improved livelihoods and Partners have performed with distinction in
national food security”.1
confronting the repercussions of the
external shocks that included the global
Undertook Annual Crop Assessment economic slowdown, the soaring food and
with WFP and CILSS.
fuel prices and the decline in domestic and
global agricultural output.
Serves on the Steering Committee of
the Nutritional Education Project, along However, partners may need to strengthen
with UNICEF, WFP, & WHO.
their abilities to rally other UNCT partners
Serves on the National Technical through information sharing and joint
Advisory Body for the Sustainable monitoring in support of the common UN
Management of Endemic Ruminant mission of “Delivering as one UN”. Some
partners were frankly unaware of the
Livestock.
changes that have occurred in the strategic
Assisted the Department of Fisheries to focus of other partners.
fund the signed TCP for the Preparation
of The Gambia Fisheries Development
Strategy and Action Plan 2009-2018.
Its primary objective is to prepare a
fisheries development strategy and
action plan for the sustainable
development of The Gambia’s fisheries
Food Security through Commercialization of Agriculture (FSCA) Project, FAO Trust Fund for Food Security, 2009
44
sector.

Assisted NaNA to build a solid
educational
basis
for
nutrition
education in schools by providing
technical assistance in curriculum
development, teacher training and
material
preparation
and
by
strengthening the education sector’s
capacity to implement effective
nutrition education in the years to come

Assisted the Fisheries Department to
formulate and implement a TCP on
Sustainable Agriculture Systems to
build a framework for aquaculture
subsector development in the country
for diversification of livelihoods in the
rural areas; improve the nutritional
status; increase income generating
capacity as well as provide additional
off-season activities through enhanced
land and water resources utilization;

supported
the
National
Forest
Programme to build a permanent and
functional database; to review the
legislative frameworks that would
ensure a sustainable management of
The Gambian forests and thus
contribute to improved livelihoods of
45
the rural populations;

Assist the MoA to address the issue of
harvest storage losses due to poor
storage facilities particularly at
household level;

Assisted the establishment of a strategic
framework that will provide the basis
for planning and assist the Government
of the Gambia in meeting its agriculture
and natural resources, food security and
rural development priorities.

Supported 10 small scale community
projects geared to enhanced group
empowerment to generate income;
improved
nutritional
status
of
stakeholders; reduced malnutrition and
poverty especially amongst the poor
beneficiaries;

Sponsored 10 schools in the Garden
Pilot Project which will promote
nutrition education in basic schools. In
connection with this FAO prepared a
manual on school gardening which is
being finalized.

Coordinated the responses of other
collaborating UN agencies during the
2007/2008 soaring food prices and food
46
insecurity.
WFP

Serving on the Steering Committee of
the Nutrition Education Project.EU
2.64 million Expansion to School
Feeding Program

Annual Crop Assessment with FAO
and CILSS

Planning to sponsor 20 schools in the
Garden Pilot Project which will
promote nutrition education in basic
schools
WFP/UNHCR

Joint Assessment Mission to assess the
current food and future food and nonfood needs of refugees with a view to
finding a ‘durable solution’ by
December
2010;
and
identify
possibilities to collaborate with the
Government of The Gambia and
partners to devise a sustainable phasing
out strategy.
UNDP
 Funded the Sustainable Management of
Endemic Ruminant Livestock.
UNDAF OUTCOME #2: BASIC SOCIAL SERVICES
47
COUNTRY
PROGRAMME
OUTCOMES
2.1
Improved quality of
services
in
reproductive health,
child
health,
nutrition, water and
environmental
sanitation
for
targeted groups
2
3
INDICATORS &
BASELINE
 Maternal mortality ratio
= 7302 (2001)
 Prop of births attended
by skilled personnel =
57 (2006)
=
64.53(2008)
 Under 5 mortality rate=
131
 Infant mortality rate =
93 (MICS 2005/06);
 Prop of 1 yr olds
immunized
against
measles=92.4 % (2006);
91% (2008)
 Prevalence
of
underweight
children
among Under 5 year
olds= 20.9 (2005);
 Prop of under 5 year
olds sleeping under
ITNs=49.0
 Prop of pregnant women
sleeping under ITNs =
(81.7% for WR (NMCP;
AGENCY CONTRIBUTIONS
UNFPA

Has been the sole agent providing
contraceptives for the Ministry of
Health and Social Welfare for the past
two years including Condoms for
HIV/AIDS prevention.

Funded series of training on
contraceptive technology for different
cadres form MOH and other partners.

Funded the revision of The National
RH Policy 2007-2014 to incorporate
emerging issues

Procured medical equipment to
replicate EMNCH intervention in Basse
Health Centre in URR.

In 2009, UNFPA funded the training of
service providers, TBAs and Village
Health Workers on Emergency
OVERALL ASSESSMENT
The overall assessment of the contributions
of UN agencies on this outcome is good.
While it is impractical to recount all the
contributions made since the inception of
UNDAF, it is evident from this list that
UN agencies are intricately engaged in
building the necessary capacity for
delivery of quality basic social services in
The Gambia. These efforts and others that
are yet to come are bound to have positive
impact on some of the baseline indicators.
While
the
PRSP
MTR
(2010)
acknowledges that some of the indicators
are difficult to measure, even modest
declines
could
mean
considerable
improvements in the lives of poor,
vulnerable citizens of The Gambia.
However, UN agencies will need to have
more joint programming and joint
execution of programmes and projects in
order to amplify the benefits through the
synergistic effects from joint execution.
Baseline estimates from MICS 2005/2006 Report (The World Bank/GBoS/ UNICEF).However, the Fistula Study of 2006 arrived at an estimate of 556.
MDG Status Report, 2009
48
MIS III, 2009)
 Prop of pop with
sustainable access to
improved
water
in 
urban/rural
areas
=91.2/81.3.
 Proportion of pop. With
access to improved
sanitation
in

urban/rural=93/78

Maternal Newborn & Child Health/ With the collaboration of UNFPA, UNDP,
Emergency Child Trauma & Health WFP, UNAIDS, and WHO, UNICEF
(EMNCH/ECTH)
projected that the Child Survival and
Development (CSD) programme could
Procure medical equipments worth lead to some 29% decline in Under-5
$22,000 to facilitate the functioning of mortality; and a 37.5 % decline in MMR.
maternity ward at Basse Health Centre UNICEF now acknowledges that achieving
to facilitate EMoC.
these targets may be impractical based on
but these targets
Implementation of $650,000 RHCS the historical record,
cannot be achieved partly because the
Project
collaboration expected from other partner
Funded the development and printing agencies did not materialize.
of the following: Referral registers,
Maternity Care Guidelines, and
Referral Protocols.

With funding from UNFPA Global
Reproductive
Health
Programme
conducted a situational Analysis of
Reproductive
Health
Commodity
Security.

Report validated and shared with
government and other partners.

Development and introduction of
Logistics Management System tools for
Reproductive
Health
Commodity
Security. This has facilitated the
generation of consumption data for RH
Commodities thereby enhancing better
49
forecasting for RH Commodities.
UNFPA/WHO

In collaboration with CAI-UK, and
DOSHSW trained 48 doctors, nurses,
and midwives in EMNCH care in 2008.

In 2009, UNFPA and WHO supported
EMNCH services in Basse Health
Centre.
UNICEF

A US$350,000 (UNICEF) contribution
enabled a comprehensive response to
the food crisis through prevention and
management of acute and severe
malnutrition, micro- nutrient deficiency
control
and
Vitamin
A
Supplementation.
Other
results
achieved in this area include the
support from UNICEF: , 87.3% of
under-fives being vaccinated against all
6 antigens, and 7875.6% of women
having received TT2being protected
against Tetanus, 8998.1% of pregnant
women making at least one antenatal
care visit, 5756.7% of all the births
assisted by a skilled attendant and
increase the provision of Intermittent
Preventive Treatment for Malaria until
50
it reached to the 66.2% of pregnant
women (all figures extracted from
preliminary MICS 2010 data set)..

UNICEF funded Child Survival and
Development from 2007-09 totalling
US$2,812,916, (36%) out of its total
Country Programme Spending over the
UNDAF cycle up to this point.

Under five mortality declined from
131/1000 to 110/1000. Preliminary
data from MICS 2010 show the
following decline by LGAs:
LGA*
2005/ 2009/2010
2006
Banjul
and 122
Banjul 62
Kanifing
Kanifin 10
g
2
Brikama
100
99
Mansakonko
154
98
Kerewan
126
101
Kuntaur
195
119
Janjanburay
165
115
Basse
188
146


Routine high immunization coverage
attained for DPT3 (93.2%), measles
(94.8%), VAS for under-fives (42.5%).
Anaemia among under five children
decrease from 2,22% (2008) to 1,5%
(2009) (Source: Health Management
51




Information System 2008-2009)
Sanitation policy available and in use.
Iodized salt consumption has improved
nationally from 6.6 (2005/2006) to
22.1 (2009/2010) MICS III/IV.
92% of the population used improved
water source and 67% used basic
sanitation, supply (WHO&UNICEF,
JMP 2010 update).
Increased access to IPT services
nationally (IPT uptake by pregnant
women increased from 32.5% in
2005/2006 to 66.2% in 2010, MICS
III/IV)
WHO
 WCO provided technical and material
support to the MOHSW for the
development of a National Maternity
Care Service Delivery guidelines and
standards. During March 2010, the
WHO generic documents were
reviewed, adapted and adopted to The
Gambian situation



Trained health workers on the revised
malaria treatment manual
Train 20 doctors, nurses, midwives in
the provision of emergency maternal,
child and newborn care and 21 others
trained on Emergency Child Health
and Trauma management.
Advocacy meetings were held with
stakeholders to encourage more local
52
funding on
activities.
COUNTRY
PROGRAMME
OUTCOMES
2.2
earmarked

Technical assistance provided to help
the MOH conduct data quality self
assessment in order to strengthen
capacity for proper generation and
management of EPI data, particularly
routine immunization data.

Emergency Maternal and Neonatal
Healthcare (EMNCH) courses run in
collaboration
with
MCAI
and
Advanced Life Support Group (ALSGUK), continue to be supported
resulting in 51 Midwives and Nurses,
56 Village Health Workers, and 58
Traditional Birth Attendants from the
six health regions being trained on
EMNCH
in
February
2011.
Preliminary results from the first pilot
Major
Health
Centre
indicate
improvements in service delivery,
referral of emergencies and availability
of essential medicines and supplies.
INDICATORS &
BASELINE
 Existence of national
policy on HIV/AIDS
EMNCH
National capacity to

respond to HIV/AIDS  HIV Prevalence among
pregnant women aged
AGENCY CONTRIBUTIONS
OVERALL ASSESSMENT
Despite these efforts on the part of some
UN agencies, there seems to be an
WHO and other partners provided apparent lack of interest on the part of
technical support to NAS and NACP in UNCT to accord HIV/AIDS the urgency it
developing successful proposal to the deserves, and to give it priority
53
strengthened
15-24 years HIV-1=2.8
(2007);
HIV-II=0.9
(2007)
 Condom use at last highrisk sex =54.3 (2007)
 % Population aged 1524 with comprehensive
knowledge
of
HIV/AIDS
=39.1 (2007)
 Contraceptive
Prevalence
=13.4%(2001)
rate
 Ratio
of
school
attendance of orphans to
school attendance of
non-orphans 10-14 years
=0.87 (2006)
Global Fund for funds to make VCT
uptake accessible
to the general
population. It was previously offered
through Reproductive and Child Health
clinics at public health facilities. Funds
were made available for VCT training
in order to expand services. A total of
34 VCT centres have been established
throughout the country.
consideration in programming. On the
surface, the lack of urgency with respect to
HIV/AIDS hard to explain, as it runs
contrary to the experience of many other
countries with similar prevalence status.
However, a deeper reflection recalls the
‘temporary’ derailment of the National
Response to HIV/AIDS from January
2007, during which all decentralized
offices were closed, and the National
 A National Policy exists for HIV/AIDS AIDS Secretariat lost almost its entire core
with an overall objective “to stabilize staff. During this period, HIV/AIDS
and reverse the trends in prevalence of became somewhat invisible on the
HIV/AIDS in The Gambia and provide Government’s radar screen.
treatment, care and support for people
living with or are affected by Under
these
circumstances,
the
HIV/AIDS”
requirement for support that there must be
a
“continued
strong
Government
UNICEF
commitment to prevention and reversal of
the spread” left much to be desired.
 UNICEF contributed to the scaling-up
of quality PMTCT service delivery to However, UN partners have so far earned
pregnant women as part of the Global an “A” grade in their capacity building
Campaign on children and AIDS, and aspect of the response to HIV/AIDS. In the
paediatric care for HIV-positive midst of uncertainty, they continued
children. As a result PMTCT has been support and guided the treatment and care
scaled up to 23 health facilities with of patients through NGOs, private medical
36% of HIV positive pregnant women clinics, and civil society organizations.
and 23% of the new born having access They went further to support both
to ARV prophylaxis)
financially
and
technically,
the
establishment of a National HIV/AIDS
54



PMTCT guidelines available and in use
Monitoring and Evaluation Plan. The hope
was, and still is, that the knowledge and
Nationally, 76% of HIV positive expertise gets utilized sooner before the
pregnant women receive ARVs through recipients of these skills emigrate to other
the expansion of PMTCT services in countries, and certainly before the disease
health facilities and RCH services progresses to high-density epidemic
(NAS routine monitoring 2010).
proportions in The Gambia.
10-19 year old children have access to
information on HIV/AIDS prevention
through the availability of the life skills
curriculum in schools supported by
UNICEF.
UNDP

UNDP supported the enhancement of
national capacity to mainstream and
sustain national HIV/AIDS policies
and interventions:
a. Support was received from BDP
HIV/AIDS Group (US$80,000) to
integrate HIV/AIDS into the MDGbased PRSP.
b. The capacity of the National AIDS
Secretariat was enhanced to coordinate
and monitor HIV/AIDS interventions in
the country in accordance with the
“three-ones” principle.
55
UNAIDS

UNAIDS /Global Fund (GFATM)
GFATM provided the funding for
establishment of a National HIV/AIDS
Monitoring and Evaluation Plan, and
technical support was provided by
UNAIDS.

Global Fund Round 6 (Malaria) and
Round 8 (HIV/AIDS) have paved the
way for Accelerated Child Survival and
Development interventions.
UNAIDS and UNDP supported the
Global Fund Round 8 Proposal
Development process leading to the
grant approval of a $35.2 million 5year grant for HIV/AIDS response in
The Gambia.
Support was provided for institutional
and capacity development of 10 support
groups to effectively participate in the
National response.



Support was provided for the
development of National Strategic Plan
(2009-2014)

UNAIDS, UNDP and UNICEF are
jointly supporting 9 PLWHIV groups
and 3 networks to raise awareness,
access and provide home care to HIV
patients and their families.
56
UNFPA
 UNFPA procure 1,400,000 male
condoms and 1000 pieces of female
condoms for both family planning and
HIV/AIDS prevention
 Provided financial support for capacity
building training on HIV/AIDS for
youths.
COUNTRY
PROGRAMME
OUTCOMES
2.3
Increased enrolment
of girls and boys in
affordable,
quality
basic
education
services in focused
geographic areas
INDICATORS &
BASELINE
 Net enrolment rate in
primary
education
=29.9%
(2005/2006
MICS); 64% (2007
MDGs
Rep.);77%
(MDG Rep. 2009)
 Proportion of pupils
starting grade 1 who
reach grade 5 by sex
=96.6% (2006);
 Ratio of girls to boys in
primary education
=1.06 (2006);
L/ Secondary =1.00
(2006) S/Secondary
0.83 (2006)
AGENCY CONTRIBUTIONS
OVERALL ASSESSMENT
 The Gambia surpassed gender parity in
UNICEF
 NER stands at 63% (date of our MRT)
primary education in 2005, and
for LBS, 35% for UBS, and 21% for
maintained a stable ratio of pupils
senior secondary school in 2007/2008.
starting 1st grade who reach the 5th
 Has been leading the EFA-FTI donor
grade at 96.6%. Net enrolment rate in
coordination since 2002, and helped to
primary school increased by approx.
raise US$5.4 million in 2007 for the
30 percentage points from 2006-2007,
Education sector.
with this increase often attributed to
 In 2009, through the in-country donor
the integration of Madrassah into
mechanism UNICEF helped the sector
regular schooling. With an MDG
to mobilize EFA FTI catalytic funding
target of 100 %, approximately 70% of
amounting to US$28 million.; ii)
this outcome is accomplished.
Contributed to school construction in
However, a number of challenges still
response to acute shortage of
remain:
classrooms (total contribution US750,
000); iii) supported school retention
 Improvements in educational
and advocacy with Mothers’ Club; iv)
facilities for the disabled
supported Parental Education to reach
57






13,500 parents and religious leaders in
25 Baby-Friendly communities in
URR; v) supported the ECD unit at
Ministry of Education.
Contributed to achievement of gender
parity through the Child Friendly
School Initiative, also adopted by the
Ministry in areas not covered by
UNICEF.
Supported the SQAD to set up the
Quality Assurance Framework for
education.
NER increased from 70% to 75%
nationally, and from 42% to 55% in the
UNICEF intervention region of Upper
River Region.
41.4 million dollars leveraged for the
education sector from the EFA-FTI
Catalytic Fund through UNICEF
leadership
of
the
in-country
development partners and donors
group.
Enrolment rates at ECD level increased
from 26% to 42% nationally. UNICEF
contributed with the development of an
ECD policy framework, parental
education programmes and ECD school
readiness interventions.
Gender parity in terms of enrolment
achieved at basic education level
(grades 1 to 9).
(visually, physically, and the
mentally impaired).

With increased enrolment in
Madrassah, there is the need to
ensure that quality education is
provided in such facilities to
ensure relevance and high
standards.

Retention of girls in school
beyond primary level.

Improvements in overall quality
of teaching and learning in
primary schools.
 UNICEF
has
disbursed
over
US$1,640,330 on basic education,
representing 21% of its country
programme budget in the last 3 years
of the UNDAF cycle.
While considerable challenges remain with
regard to achieving high levels of
enrolment and gender parity in senior
secondary schools and tertiary institutions,
it is clear that great strides have been made
on this outcome (MDG2, MDG3), and it
may be the only outcome that has
registered the highest success rate by midterm of the current UNDAF cycle.
58

UNICEF established the UNGEI
(United Nations Girls Education
Initiative) network, and CFSIs (Child
Friendly Schools Initiatives).
 National capacities developed on
monitoring and measuring learning
achievement
through
the
implementation of an M&E and a
Quality Assurance Framework.
 UNFPA and UNICEF collaborated
closely in HIV/AIDS prevention
activities (Life skills);
 WFP and UNICEF jointly supported
the School feeding programme in URR
and KMC supported.
UNDP
 UNDP contributed to strengthening
tertiary education, by supporting the
University of The Gambia and the
Management Development Institute to
expand and refurbish their Faculties of
Law and Business Administration.
Overcoming the challenges mentioned
above may require adjustments in cultural
attitudes; and that will be a relatively long
term process. Meanwhile, modest gains
can be achieved as UN partners join forces
with GOTG to mount sustained campaign
to change attitudes about higher education
particularly for girls.
59
UNDAF OUTCOME #3: GOVERNANCE AND HUMAN RIGHTS
COUNTRY
PROGRAMME
OUTCOMES
INDICATORS &
BASELINE
AGENCY CONTRIBUTIONS
OVERALL ASSESSMENT
60
3.1
Strengthened local
authorities’
capacity in Local
Government areas
to
effectively
deliver basic social
services for the
poor
 The capacities of three UNDP :
Limited progress has been made on this
local
authorities
 Support to LGAs as well as outcome. An estimated 20-30% of
(Brikama,
communities
to
improve activities have been supported by
Mansakonko,
and
planning capacities and to UNDP. Major responsibilities on this
Basse Area Councils)
outcome lie with the Government. The
respond to emerging needs;
to
have
been
 Funded a number of grassroots underlying assumption is that the
strengthened
in
Planning,
Financial
development/poverty reduction Central Government would institute
operations,
revenue
initiatives, including five (5) adequate measures and incentives for
generation
and
new wells dug; two (2) recruitment and retention of technically
administration.
rehabilitated and one (1) competent staff for local government.
 The
three
local
borehole drilled in the three This is a challenge of a tall order, given
government
regions in the last year to the high attrition rate even in the
authorities
have
provide clean drinking water for central government offices. However,
transparent financial
system in place;
humans and livestock; Provided UNDP cannot do it all alone. It has the
 The capacity of staff at
resource centre materials and leverage to mobilize local and external
local areas to plan,
training for thirty (30) Resource partners in order to help to move
monitor and evaluate
Centre Attendants (RCAs) and progress forward on this outcome.
the delivery of basic
local government authorities in
social services
five (5) regional/municipal local
 The
three
local
government areas (LGAs);
government
The public Sector reform program is
authorities to have
Provided capacity enhancement
doing well in terms of achieving key
allocated staff and
activities to LGAs to develop and
outputs. However, more support needs
budgets
for
implement their own Community
to be given since the reform is a long
operationalising
Action Plans (CAPs)
development planning
term process and always ongoing. A
 Support
to
operationalise
systems.
strong public sector review office that
Alternative Dispute Resolution
will be in charge of coordinating all
Secretariat and decentralization
programmes, planning and managing
of ADR centres in other regions
funds should be encouraged by UNDP
61





Fostered advocacy and policy in the next CPAP cycle.
dialogue in support of civil
service reform, translating into
development, financing, and
implementation of long-term
strategy for public service
reform and institutional capacity
development under strengthened
government leadership.
Establishment of a cabinet
mandated Board on Capacity
development and Institutional
strengthening
Capacity gaps assessment for 11
government institutions and
capacity gap filling through
national and international UNVs
in key institutions.
Update civil service regulations
(GO, FI & )
Development of strategic plans
for 10 government institutions to
identify appropriate structures,
human resources and systems
that will enable them carry out
their mandates effectively. A
major result is that Ministry of
Finance has now insisted all
62





govt agencies must develop
strategic plans before annual
budgetary allocations are made.
Feasibility study for the
implementation of a Health
Insurance Scheme for civil
servants submitted to Cabinet;
A cross section of civil servants
trained and skills upgraded
Communication
and
sensitization strategy developed
and implemented.
UNDP undertook a Study on the
Creation of a Human Resources
and
Institutional
Capacity
Development
Authority,
Capacity Development Mapping
Exercise, reviewed the Legal
and Regulatory Framework of
the Civil Service, and a
structural analysis of the Civil
Service Reform Strategy.
UNDP supported the launching
of the first web-portal in The
Gambia and the ICT Training
Centre at the ministry; both of
which are up and running. 22
ministries
now
have
Government email accounts and
63

COUNTRY
PROGRAMME
OUTCOMES
3.2
Increased people’s
participation in
decision-making
processes at
national and
decentralized
INDICATORS &
BASELINE
web pages.
An Electronic visa recording system
was installed in the Ministry Foreign
Affairs.
UNICEF
 . Community and Ward action
plans developed in intervention
regions of Upper River Region
and selected wards in KMC.
AGENCY CONTRIBUTIONS
 Increase in the number UNDP :
of women and youth
 Support is provided for the review of
candidates for
National Women’s policy and
decision-making
enactment of the Women’s Act.
positions in selected
local government area.  Support was provided to Gender
Empowerment and the Advancement
 Increased involvement
of Women by addressing
of CSOs in budgetary
allocation processes at
underrepresentation of women in
central and local
decision-making positions. Specific
OVERALL ASSESSMENT
Good overall progress was made on
this outcome, and the consolidation of
benefits requires a longer term
programme support from UN
development partners.
Strategic partnership is already formed
64
levels.




government al level.
A number of civic
education programmes
Increased number of
consultations held on
budgetary allocation
processes at the
central and local
governmental levels.
Increase in the number
of beneficiaries of
civic education

programmes.
The existence of
information and
communication
campaigns to increase 
people’s participation
in planning processes.



interventions were aimed at
strengthening the position,
capacitate, and increase the number
of women in decision-making
positions. As a result, in 2008, 20
women contested for offices, and 15
(75%) got elected. A quota of 30%
has been stipulated in the Women’s
Bill, and ready for adoption by the
National Assembly.
Capacity assessment of women in
decision-making was conducted and
nationally validated by all key
stakeholders.
Enactment of the Women’s Act and
development, adoption and launch
off the Gender Policy at national and
regional levels and training on
theWomen's Act and gender policy
UNDP supported the discussions
around and the development of the
Gender-based Violence (GBV) Bill
and study on GBV was conducted.
A study on socioeconomic situation
of Gambian Women and Assessment
of NGOs working on Gender issues
conducted.
Gender equality was also promoted
with National Council of Civic
Education, CSOs, and UNFPA and
UNICEF. More joint programming by
UN partners may be a direction that
UN can assert its influence and
programme synergies on gender -based
outcomes.
65
in the employment sector through a
UNDP /Spanish collaboration
(GAMJOBS) by ensuring that 50%
of the beneficiaries targeted for
youth entrepreneurship and
marketable skills were women.
UNICEF
 Technical and financial support was
given to the development of the
cabinet approved National Youth
Policy 2009 – 2018 and the
Women’s Act2010.
 Young people are actively involved
in dialogue with duty bearers
through social space such as ICDB,
DAC and National Youth
Conference for improved
participation.
 Youth representatives are involved
at the level of Technical Advisory
Committees in all administrative
regions.
UNICEF/UNDP/UNFPA
 Joint programming on GamInfo
is finally operational and
available online at
www.Devinfo.info/gaminfo
UNFPA
66


COUNTRY
PROGRAMME
OUTCOMES
3.3
Enhanced
capacities of state
and non-state
actors to address
legal and human
rights
Provided financial support for
the development of the first
National Gender Policy.
A women’s Act adopted as a
result of Women’s Bill in the
development and finalization of
which technical support was
provided.
INDICATORS &
BASELINE
AGENCY CONTRIBUTIONS
OVERALL ASSESSMENT
 Evidence of
functioning legal aid
clinics at decentralized
level.
 Number of people
accessing and
benefiting from
services provided by
functioning legal aid
clinics.
 Resource allocations
spent at central and
district level
 Status of
implementation of
recommendations
made by CEDAW and
CRC committee.
UNDP:
 Supported the Strengthening of
professional standards and economic
viability of Media Houses to
advocate for human development
 Provided Technical Assistance to the
Gambia Press Union (GPU) to
develop a Strategic Plan of Action
 Support to Strengthen CSOs to
monitor and respond to economic
and political decisions taken at
national and local levels.
 A comprehensive report on mediarelated and human rights laws has
been prepared and issues from the
report are being studied with a view
to engaging Government on policy
and legal reforms
 No progress has been registered
with regards to the establishment of
the Human Rights Commission.
Like many African countries, there
are many challenges pertaining to
addressing Human Rights issues,
and all resident and non-resident
partners, particularly the UNCT
may need to exert greater effort in
dialogue with the appropriate
authorities to move forward on this.
 A recommendation has been made
elsewhere to consider setting up the
Human Right Commission and the
Administration of Justice under one
umbrella to permit a framework that
is acceptable to all partners.
67








Supported the policy and legal
environment for protection and
Human Rights, and greater civic
participation in the economic and
political decision-making process
Support for development of the
capacity of the National Assembly
(2009-2011).
Support for Enhanced Access to
Justice through implementation of
short-term measures in support of
administration of Justice.
Establishment of ADR pilot centres
in Basse and Farafenni
Operationalisation of the Legal Aid
and ADR mechanism
High court rules amended to ensure
the expeditious and efficient
dispensation of cases Trainings
conducted for Magistrates, Registry
clerks on IT and on leadership and
management
Rules of procedure for the children’s
court, the industrial tribunal, cadi
courts drafted and fully operational.
An operational manual for the
Sherriff’s Division of the High court
developed
 The policy and legal environment
for the mass media and CSOs is
somewhat improved, however, for
the Government, CSOs and Media
Houses to discuss these issues still
needs some more work..
 The Office of the Ombudsman was
established, and has since
elaborated on a “Rights and Civic
Education syllabus developed for
schools.
 The existence of the Child Act in
The Gambia offers for more Child
Rights and Children Protection
Issues.
 The Judiciary and the ADRS need
to sit together and merge some of
their programmes whilst
streamlining others.
 Newly elected and appointed
Assembly Members could use some
training in Child-Friendly
Budgeting.
Overall, some grounds are prepared
for progress to be made, but very little
68



The Independent Electoral
Commission was supported to hold
technically sound elections which
have been held between 2006 and
2008 and a Strategic Plan for
strengthening the electoral process
was prepared
UNDP has also assisted the
Assembly to develop a strategic plan
and organise a roundtable for
resource mobilisation for
sustainability.
UNDP
supported a series of
capacity
building
training
programmes for the Police, Nurses,
and Social Workers on Child Rights
and Protection in 2007 and 2008,
progress has been made. A National
Human Rights Commission is needed
urgently to provide oversight functions
and to exercise jurisdiction on all
matters relating to human rights.
UNICEF:
Through UNICEF’s consultations with
Government, and backed by the support
of other UNCT members, various
mechanisms have been established to
protect children against abuse,
exploitation and neglect.
 Parity has been achieved in primary
school enrolment, A Juvenile court
has been opened in Kanifing
Municipality,
69






A guideline to prevent sexual
harassment of children in school has
been developed and introduced into
schools.
Alternative discipline booklet has
been developed promoting positive
non-violent discipline techniques to
address violence against children in
schools.
A Child Sex Tourism Code of
Conduct agreement was signed with
several major hotels.
A Child Protection Alliance (CPA)
comprising of 63 member NGOs had
been in existence before UNDAF.
A Rights and Civic Education
System has been developed for
schools, and also introduced into
Teacher Training course at Gambia
College of Education.
Community Child protection
committees have been set up in
KMC and URR in a bid to take child
protection to community level and
foster the referral linkage between
community members and the
professional protectors at regional
and central levels.
70



Adolescent neighbourhoods watch
groups have been set up and trained
in the Tourism Development Area to
foster the participation of young
people in the fight against child sex
tourism.
In collaboration with Child Fund and
Department of Social Welfare, a
drop-in centre for children living and
working on the streets have been setup at Talinding Buffer zone and
provided recreation, medical
screening and family tracing and
mediation.
500 copies of the Children’s Act
have been printed and distributed to
all Police stations and police posts in
the Country.
The entirety of the National
Assembly, LGAs, TACs, MultiDisciplinary Facilitation Teams,
Youth Representatives, and the
National Women’s Council were
trained on gender mainstreaming
and as a result a gender focal point
network established.
71
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1. Common Country Assessment, The Gambia (2005)
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Statistics, United Nations Children’s Fund, and The World Bank
4. The Gambia Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper II (PRSP II) DRAFT Mid-Term Report (2009)
5. The Gambia Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper II (PRSP II) Annual Progress Report Jan.-Dec
2008
6. The Gambia Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper II (PRSP II) Annual Progress Report, Jan –Dec
2007
7. The Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Status Report, 2009. National Planning
Commission, Republic of The Gambia.
8. United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Country Programme Action Plan –Mid Term Review
2009
9. United Nations Children’s Fund Country Programme Action Plan Mid-Term Review 2009
10. United Nations Development Programme Country Programme Action Plan Mid-Term Review
2009.
11. World Health Organization Country Cooperation Strategy 2008-2013, The Gambia.
12. World Food Programme Strategic Plan 2008-2011.
13. Republic of The Gambia, Constitution of the Republic of The Gambia, 1997.
14. The Association of Non-Governmental Organizations, NGO Shadow/Alternative Report on
Gambia.
15. Gambia Priority Employment Programme (GAMJOBS) Annual Report 2008.
16. FAO/Republic of The Gambia, Initiative on Soaring Food Prices (ISFP)
17. Draft report on the impact assessment of the initiative on soaring food prices project
.
18. UNAIDS Country Office Work Plan and Budget 2008-2009
19. National HIV/AIDS Monitoring and Evaluation Plan for The Gambia 2009-2014, (Sept 2009.).
20. National AIDS Secretariat (NAS)/ Joint United Nations Programme on AIDS (UNAIDS),
National AIDS Spending Assessment 2007-2008 (Nov 2009).
21. National AIDS Secretariat, National HIV/AIDS Strategic Framework (NSF) for The Gambia
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25. Republic of The Gambia, Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs, Estimates of Revenue and
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