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Draft of a Project

Standard Cover Sheet

To promote a strong gender sensitive disaster risk reduction and climate resilient culture in Tajikistan’

Project Document cover page

Project #: ……..UN women Tajikistan

Geographical Coverage: Tajikistan

Department ID:

1. Thematic area:

UN Women Strategic Plan Impact 4: Peace and security and humanitarian action are shaped by women leadership and participation.

Outcome 4.3: Gender equality commitments adopted and implemented in humanitarian action which includes disaster risk reduction and preparedness, response and early recovery

Project title: To promote a strong gender sensitive disaster risk reduction and climate resilient culture in Tajikistan

Project Short title: Gender Sensitive DRR

Expected start date: July 2015Duration: 3 year

Implementation partners: UN Women together with a consortium of potential partners including the Government, other UN agencies and NGOs.

Responsible parties: REACT, CoES & CD

Committee of Emergency Situations and Civil Defense

UN Women, UN organizations, INGOs, NNGOs, CSOs, local communities.

Funds: US$ 2,260,000.00

Non- core funds:

Source: not identified

Amount:

Signature: UN Women implementing partner

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Executive Summary

The Republic of Tajikistan (RT) – is a country that is prone to many natural disasters, including earthquakes, floods, landslides, avalanches, drought and epidemics. Tajikistan is a mountainous country. In this regard, the country is subject to numerous threats leading to disasters of small and medium scale. RT is also characterized as a country with a high mudflow activity, which leads to floods and landslides. Most mudflow activity is usually observed in April and May. Floods, mudslides, landslides, flash floods are among the disasters that bring the largest number of casualties to the RT, do the most damage and, at the same time, are among the most frequent disasters that occur in the RT

In April and May of 2014 a series of natural disasters caused by torrential served as floods and landslides took place in a number of districts of Republican Subordination (RSD), Khatlon and Sughd RT. These disasters have caused considerable damage to households, in particular, agricultural lands, livestock’s, food and fuel savings of the households and others. In accordance with the assessment of the effects of these disasters, conducted by the Team for Coordination and Rapid Emergency Assessment (REACT) , as a result of 19 flash floods and landslides 2 in April and May 2014 killed 20 people, a totally 7400 people were injured, 1,300 cattle died, and 1,200 hectares of agricultural land were affected. In the Republic of Tajikistan a number of strategic and practical measures was undertaken in order to prevent and respond to disasters, to mitigation consequences and to recover,  as well as issues of prevention and response to these types of disasters in Tajikistan are not fully addressed. In addition, a significant drawback of this strategy is the lack of gender mainstreaming and recognition of the special vulnerability of certain groups of the population in the issues of disaster risk assessment, risk management and response, as required by international standards in this sphere. . This lack has a direct impact on the planning and response, mitigation and recovery in the case of natural disasters such as floods, flash floods, landslides and mudflows. For example, reports on the assessment of the effects of flash floods and landslides in April and May 2014 did not contain data, disaggregated by sex of victims, the most vulnerable households, and reports on the assistance provided did not reflect the way of considering the needs of particular groups who may need special assistance (eg, pregnant women, women with babies, the elderly and others.)

In this regard, UN Women- Tajikistan, being one of the members REACT has set a goal to introduce gender mainstreaming into the RT strategy for disaster risk management. 

, Following extensive floods, UN Women Tajikistan conducted a gender Assessment of recent disasters; mapping of DRR related projects/initiatives.During the assessment it has been learning that enabling communities vulnerable to disasters to strengthen their resilience to adverse events needs more special attention to the most vulnerable group of people. It was also observed that the most vulnerable group of people particularly the socially excluded groups including women often remain ‘invisible’ in disaster risk reduction program, neither they get opportunity to become active stakeholders and designers or planners, voicing their own needs and opinions nor adequate attentions are given by the change agents, based on which an action plan was drafted. The assessment also identified major resource constraints and capacity gaps for gender responsive disaster risk reduction (DRR), risk identification, information and knowledge management, emergency response and preparedness, and risk management applications.

After the capacity needs assessment, with support of UN Women, REACT (Rapid Emergency Assessment and Coordination Team) developed a draft Action Plan (AP) for

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stronger integration of gender equality considerations into REACT policies and operations. The AP identifies priority activities to address corresponding capacity gaps. Effective implementation of the AP has become a national priority as reducing risk and increasing community resilience to disasters will help achieve UNDAF 2015-2020 Goals. UN Women, based on its coordination mandate, gender equality expertise and existing partnerships with both gender equality stakeholders from government and civil society as well as its position within the wider UN system, is uniquely placed to support REACT in the implementation of the AP. UN Women is furthermore well positioned to support the national gender equality machinery and women’s organizations to build sustainable, national capacity to provide technical support and advocacy on gender equality and the empowerment of women in the prevention and response to disasters to the National Disaster Management Authority.

Consequently this project focuses on supporting REACT in the implementation of the AP as well as building the capacity of REACT members, the national gender equality machinery and women’s organizations to manage disasters risks in a way that in gender responsive and foster the participation and leadership of women. Specifically, the project will support strengthening of government and civil society capacities for i) Gender Responsive Disaster risk reduction legal and institutional systems’ ii) Gender responsive risk identification & assessments including collection and use of sex and age disaggregated data and gender sensitive informationiii) ; Gender responsive preparedness and emergence response to disasters; and iii) Strengthening the participation and leadership of women in the planning and implementation of disaster risk reduction efforts.

Direct beneficiaries of the project will be disaster management institutions and their counterparts, women’s organizations and the national gender equality machinery. Direct beneficiaries will be local communities, especially women, men, boys and girls, including disabled people and the aged women/single headed households affected by or at risk of disasters. Women’s active participation in this project is paramount as a third of all households in rural Tajikistan are female headed!

In the long term, the project will ensure that gender is mainstreamed in DRR activities including efforts to ensure full participation of women in decision making processes such as during community preparedness planning. This project is in full compliance with UN Women SN and UN Women Humanitarian strategy and it has to contribute to UN Women corporate Impact Area 4’s goals and expected results; it will respond to the national DRR priorities ,formulated within national DRR policy/strategy/law; this project is also will contribute to new UNDAF (2015-2020) DRR related priorities and worth implementation as it is built on UN Women past and current experience and work on addressing rural women’s needs and priorities, taking into account findings and recommendations of the recent gender assessments of DRR in Taj by UN Women, and based on need assessment and ‘Action Plan formulated for further engendering DRR through REACT operations’ and application of innovative practice/s and approach to address urgent needs/priorities for improving gender responsiveness of DRR in Tajikistan.

Total cost of project estimated US$ 2,260,000.00

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Table of Contents

Standard Cover Sheet

Executive Summary

1. Context analysis 2. Problem description3. Justification4. Results and Resources Framework (RRF) – could be provided as Annex 15. Project Strategy6. Partnerships7. Management8. Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting

Annexes:RRFBudget

1. Situation Analysis-

Tajikistan gained independence from the former Soviet Union in 1991, and is ruled by a presidential system.  More than 7 million people belonging to over 80 nationalities and ethnic groups reside in Tajikistan. Tajikistan comprises of Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast, Sughd Oblast, Khatlon Oblast and 11 Districts of Republican Subordination. Tajikistan has borders to Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, China and Afghanistan.

Tajikistan, not only the poorest country in Europe and CIS Region (46.7 percent of the population in 2012 was deemed poor (Human Development Report 2013), but also the 7 million people in Tajikistan face:• Frequent small disasters arising from geophysical and climatologic hazards;• A good likelihood of a catastrophic earthquake in the coming decades, and

Continuation of the compound crisis which, not being effectively addressed in the developmental context, places an additional and unusual burden on humanitarian actors involved in Tajikistan Much is made of Tajikistan being a mountainous country, and it is this geography which gives rise to many of the hazards which lead to small disasters on recurrent basis. At the same time, Tajikistan’s mountainous nature provides little opportunity to live natural hazards. Mountain communities find little space away from rock‐fall or avalanche zones. Even communities in the broader valleys of the country are subject to flooding coming from the mountains and hills of Tajikistan, or neighboring countries. As well, all communities in the country are subject to earthquakes. Further, the physical infrastructure (e.g., roads, power lines, water systems) needed to sustain livelihoods in Tajikistan are under constant threat from hazards, particularly flooding, landslides, mudflows, earthquakes and avalanches. The consequence is that the cost of establishing and maintaining this infrastructure is high, as are the repair or replacement costs when the infrastructure is destroyed or damaged.

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In the Republic of Tajikistan a number of strategic and practical measures was undertaken in order to prevent and respond to disasters, to mitigation consequences and to recover.  the National Strategy of RT on Disaster Management for years 2010-2015 was developed and adopted. Within the frames of the Strategy it is planned to increase the effectiveness of disaster preparedness and response systems by improving disaster risk assessment and management. This strategy includes, among other things, such activities as the first flood risk assessment and the safety of dams (dams) assessment, mapping areas with the threat of landslides, avalanches and mudflows, development of an action plan on the risk management and the development of early warning systems of natural disaster. However, issues of prevention and response to these types of disasters in Tajikistan are not fully addressed. In addition, a significant drawback of this strategy is the lack of gender mainstreaming and recognition of the special vulnerability of certain groups of the population in the issues of disaster risk assessment, risk management and as required by international standards in this sphere. . This lack has a direct impact on the planning and response, mitigation and recovery in the case of natural disasters such as floods, flash floods, landslides and mudflows. For example, reports on the assessment of the effects of flash floods and landslides in April and May 2014 did not contain data, disaggregated by sex of victims, the most vulnerable households, and reports on the assistance provided did not reflect the way of considering the needs of particular groups who may need special assistance (e.g., pregnant women, women with babies, the elderly and others.)In this regard, UN Women, being one of the members REACT has set a goal to introduce gender mainstreaming into the RT strategy for disaster risk management. For this purpose, UN Women initiated a gender prompt assessment of the humanitarian situation in the Republic of Tajikistan on the example of floods that occurred in the Republic of Tajikistan in April-May 2014: the Centre for Sociological Research (CSR) Zerkalo ("The Mirror") was assigned a task of carrying out this assessment. A general purpose of the study was to conduct a gender assessment of humanitarian emergencies and response to disasters in Tajikistan for the analysis of the following aspects in the context of natural disasters that occurred in April and May 2014 in Tajikistan. In the course of conducting this study two approaches were used: 1) a gender perspective and 2) human rights approach. Human rights approach allowed to identify needs of social groups living in areas affected by the floods. Application of gender approach was used for the analysis of the roles of men and women in a particular community/family, affected by the disaster. During the study both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods were used. Data was collected among the population affected by the floods, and among the organizations responsible for protection of population and for the prevention of natural disasters. Targeted areas of research were Rudaki, Vahdat, Hamadoni Muminobod, Kulyab and Ghonchi districts. The results of the study recommended that : .It is important to review existing policies and legislation, as well as practices for the

prevention, disaster response and recovery and reconstruction, and to include aspects such as: age, gender differences, identifying vulnerable groups and determining their specific needs.

.Informational work on preventive measures should be conducted through jamoats, especially paying attention to the target groups such as the elderly, housewives and other categories of non-working citizens.

An early warning mechanism should be developed, taking into account groups such as the elderly, female heads of households without a husband.

When providing assistance the needs of women with infants should be addressed: the following should be included in the package of assistance: infant food, diapers and other hygiene products needed for women and children.

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Psychological support should be included in the rehabilitation period because many people have noted that they experienced a stress (legs were paralyzed, loss of breast milk, blood pressure rose, fear, etc.). None of the respondents mentioned availability of psychological support.

The households where there are no migrant workers and men should be provided a targeted financial support to rebuild housing, livestock, agricultural land, since the presence of the latter two is the main source of income for many people.

The provision of care should include nutrition and food supplies essentials to restore income households of people.

As flooding affecting homes, at the same time, preventive measures to strengthen the banks, dams, clearing the channels are not held. It is recommended to strengthen preventive work to mitigate the impact of flooding in areas where floods occur on a regular basis.

On the other hand, environmental degradation and labor migration to foreign countries increased inequality between female and male. Due to migration of male workers to foreign countries, women are carrying out agricultural activities (traditionally use to be carried out by male) and taking care of children. Migration is one of the reasons of the absolute women’s predominance amongst those employed in agriculture of Tajikistan. This makes women more vulnerable to environmental degradation. At the same time, limited livelihood opportunities, the need in running household activities and care for family members limit their mobility and increase vulnerability to sudden natural disasters. Drought, drop in temperature make them work even harder. Girls stop attending schools so as to help their mothers in the fulfillment of these tasks. This creates endless circle of deprivations, poverty and inequality and undermines the social capital, needed for the effective opposition to the environmental degradation (M-vector, 2012).

UN Women’s global ‘concept of humanitarian action includes Disaster Risk Reduction and preparedness for risk prevention and mitigation, and early recovery. UN Women engages across this space in order to complement and enhance UN efforts to move away from a short-term, service provision model to one that builds on development gains, enhances sustainability and national ownership, strengthens the resilience of communities and countries - and is accountable to the populations affected by crisis. Outcome 4.3 of the same strategy of ‘UN Women Humanitarian Strategy, 2014-2017’ says “Gender equality and women’s empowerment commitments adopted and implemented throughout humanitarian action including preparedness, disaster risk reduction, response and early recovery of the Strategy” . Thus, Disasters Risk Reduction and incorporation of gender issues in DRR & later development and implementation of programmes/projects in Tajikistan sets out the objective of this project.

The consultations for the post-2015 framework for DRR in Almaty in April 2014 strongly challenge the notion of considering women as helpless victims in disasters and voice the need to better recognise women’s skills, capacities and leadership, demanding that the role of women must be acknowledged and inclusion of women must be enhanced in post-2015 framework for disaster risk reduction (HFA2).

On the other hand, the UNDP Tajikistan in the draft DRR guidance proposes to the government of Tajikistan to establish a “Tajikistan’s Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction & Management” drawing on the National Disaster Risk Management Strategy, to consider by the Government of Tajikistan to establish a specific policy on the integrating disaster risk reduction into development projects.

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There are limited specific measures to promote disaster and climate resilient culture in rural Tajikistan so as to increase level of awareness of all members of the communities to the threats and impacts of all hazards, risks and vulnerabilities, and equip the community with the necessary skill to cope with the negative impacts of a disaster and ensure the equal participation of rural women in decision-making processes at the community level.

The Government and REACT are relatively effective in meeting immediate needs following typical small disasters. At the same time, this process can be improved by (1) Better pre disaster planning, (2) Expanded rescue capacities, (3) Linking relief operations more closely to international standards and (4) Considering Early Recovery interventions from the initial days of relief operation.

The snapshot of the disaster proneness of Tajikistan has a positive counterpart. The Government is committed to the rapid response to disasters and recognizes the hazards and risks present in the country. The government has a national disaster risk management coordinating structure (Commission on Situations) involving all key elements of the government. A Committee of Emergency Situations and Civil Defence (CoES) is charged with coordinating and providing disaster preparedness and response. This structure is replicated at the Provincial, District and Jamoat levels. An extensive set of laws, regulations and decrees cover disaster management tasks with duties and responsibilities delegated to different levels of government offices.The international community, through REACT, has made an engagement to help disaster survivors in Tajikistan, as well as work on disaster risk reduction. REACT has proved to be a good forum for coordinating relief and recovery efforts, and the inherent capacities of REACT are slowly expanding.2 Several donors, including the Swiss, the European Community/ECHO, the Swedish, the Germans and the United Kingdom have made investments in disaster preparedness and risk reduction, and a wider range of donors have responded generously to immediate needs following disasters.The United Nations system has been active in both risk reduction and disaster response. UNICEF has led efforts in the areas of WASH and Education (the latter in cooperation with SCF) using its own funds and donor financing. WFP and FAO collaborate in leading the respond to food security issues through the Food Security Cluster and have provided substantial humanitarian support. WHO leads efforts through the Health Cluster and is leading the response to H1N1 and other epidemic and endemic diseases. UNHCR and IFRC collaborate on coordinating shelter issues. UNDP, through the Disaster Risk Management Programme, has been involved in risk reduction, preparedness, response, and is currently expanding to incorporate early recovery capacities at various levels.The NGO community has also been very active in disaster risk management, through involvement in REACT, in disaster response and through risk reduction at the community level (the latter particularly with funding from the European Community, Germany and Switzerland). A number of NGOs are also supporting the functioning of six Regional REACT structures around the country. NGOs have been in the forefront of building warning, preparedness and response capacities at the community level and work closely with CoES offices at the Provincial and District levels. Overall, the private sector has not been a highly visible actor in disaster risk management. Initial steps have been made to include private sector in warning and information dissemination, and the private sector has been called upon to support recovery‐based construction. However, overall the private sector needs involvement in recovery planning and response and warning.

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. While the government and partners have established a disaster management structure and worked considerably to develop preparedness and response capacities, considerable work is yet to be done in gender incorporation in all these areas for improving disaster risk reduction efforts effectively. In this regard, UN women’s efforts are encapsulated in the scope of the “Action Plan for further integrating gender into DRR efforts through REACT operations”.and this project proposal is a specific step towards supporting the REACT operations. .

2. Justification

United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) agreed between the Government of Tajikistan and the United Nations (UN) for the period 2015-2020. It draws on the full range of expertise and resources of the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) to deliver development results. Ten UNDAF outcomes have been selected, in four strategic focus areas that respond to country needs and make use of the UN’s comparative advantages. The proposed project will work towards the fulfillment of # 10 pillar of the said UNDAF “by 2020, the most vulnerable groups, communities, institutions are more resilient to natural and man-made disasters” one of the Indicators (# 10.5) will work so that rural communities with increased capacity may manage shocks and risks by enhancing their awareness of the natural disasters issues and how to build resilience. On the other hand, The Hyogo Framework for Action endorsed by the United Nations set the overall objective for disaster risk reduction, as “substantial reduction of disaster losses, in lives and the social, economic and environmental assets of communities and countries”. In light of this, the Government of Tajikistan has adopted strategies and programs that are under implementation, with the National Disaster Risk Management Strategy as the framework document. The National Platform for DRR was established; this is the major step towards shifting the disaster management focus to reduction of risks. Hence, the Government of Tajikistan, together with other development partners is committed to reduce disaster risks through “systematic efforts to analyze and manage the causal factors of disasters, including through reduced exposure to hazards, lessened vulnerability of people and property, wise management of land and the environment, and improved preparedness for adverse events”.

To contribute to this outcome, UN Women Country office provided support to REACT in formulation of Action Plan for further engendering DRR through REACT operations to increase preparedness of community for natural and man made disasters, minimize adverse development impacts and accelerate rebuilding in the post-disaster period which will mainstream DRR approaches and measures, improve joint response through effective and efficient coordination system; raising awareness at all levels; strengthening DRR and the resilience of people in Tajikistan, especially vulnerable groups; and strengthening DRR management systems. UN will work with other partners to increase awareness among the

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population at large on DRR, concepts and activities in the cases of disasters; electronic and other media and communication tools will be broadly used to ensure that the basic messages reach as much population as possible.

The disaster risk reduction measures in Tajikistan are formulated within the National Disaster Risk Management Strategy (NDRMS) for 2010-2015 based on that, in December 2013 UNDP commissioned an analysis of the national strategy as well as legislation on disaster risk management in compliance with standards and requirements for integration of disaster risk reduction norms and commitments into the national policy framework. The findings of the analysis demonstrated that objectives and tasks of the national policy in general correspond with the Hyogo Framework Action Plan’s priorities. However, issues such as gender mainstreaming, cultural diversity and participation of volunteers and local populations in the national disaster risk reduction efforts are not addressed properly. The national legislation in the area of disaster risk management has very weak linkages with the national legislation on environment protection and management and climate change. In 2015 the Government intends to revise its NDRMS to integrate DRR related priorities more prominently into the Post-2015 national development framework. The country is exposed to natural hazards of all possible sorts, such as, earthquake, floods, river bank erosion, cyclones, droughts, water logging, arsenic contamination, salinity intrusion, tornadoes, heat waves, cold waves, earthquakes, epidemics etc. The occurrence of these natural events are often coupled with and multiplied by the high base vulnerabilities of the individuals, households and communities resulting in disasters that further drive the country towards greater environmental degradation, hunger, poverty, social deprivation and political conflicts, and thereby impeding the socio-economic development of the country.

UN Women is a member of REACT has the technical capacity to support REACT to ensure gender-responsive disaster risk reduction efforts, guided by the UN Women SP for 2014-2017 and the Humanitarian Strategy. In sum, UN Women intends to contribute to decreasing rural women’s vulnerability and support their better preparedness for disasters and other potential crises though improving access to quality services. In this regard, UN Women Tajikistan plans to support REACT and national partners in Tajikistan to integrate gender-related priorities and needs into disaster risk reduction and management interventions and humanitarian response measures through this project as UN Women’s global ‘concept of humanitarian action includes Disaster Risk Reduction and preparedness for risk prevention and mitigation, and early recovery. UN Women engages across this space in order to complement and enhance UN efforts to move away from a short-term, service provision model to one that builds on development gains, enhances sustainability and national ownership, strengthens the resilience of communities and countries - and is accountable to the populations affected by crisis. Outcome 4.3 of the same strategy of ‘UN Women Humanitarian Strategy, 2014-2017’ says “Gender equality and women’s empowerment commitments adopted and implemented throughout humanitarian action including preparedness, disaster risk reduction, response and early recovery of the Strategy” . Thus, Disasters Risk Reduction and incorporation of gender issues in DRR & later development of programmes/projects in Tajikistan sets out one of the objectives of the strategy.

This project is in full compliance with UN Women SN and UN Women Humanitarian strategy and it has to contribute to UN Women corporate Impact Area 4’s goals and expected results; it will respond to the national DRR priorities ,formulated within national DRR policy/strategy/law; this project is also will contribute to new UNDAF (2015-2020) DRR related priorities and worth implementation as it is built on UN Women past and current experience and work on addressing rural women’s needs and priorities, taking into account

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findings and recommendations of the recent gender assessments of DRR in Taj by UN Women, and based on need assessment and ‘Action Plan formulated for further engendering DRR through REACT operations’ and application of innovative practice/s and approach to address urgent needs/priorities for improving gender responsiveness of DRR in Tajikistan.

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3. Results and Resources Framework

Results and Resources Framework of project titled: ‘To promote a strong gender sensitive disaster risk reduction and climate resilient culture in Tajikistan’ Goal of the project – Disaster Preparedness of men, women, boys and girls of all ages to promote a strong gender sensitive disaster risk reduction and climate resilient culture in Tajikistan 1. Linkages with UN Women’s Strategic Plan for 2014-2017:Relevant UN Women priority thematic area as stated in the Strategic Plan for 2014-2017 – UN Women’s global ‘concept of humanitarian action includes Disaster Risk Reduction and preparedness for risk prevention and mitigation, and early recovery. UN Women engages across this space in order to complement and enhance UN efforts to move away from a short-term, service provision model to one that builds on development gains, enhances sustainability and national ownership, strengthens the resilience of communities and countries - and is accountable to the populations affected by crisis. Outcome 4.3 of the same strategy of ‘UN Women Humanitarian Strategy, 2014-2017’ says “Gender equality and women’s empowerment commitments adopted and implemented throughout humanitarian action including preparedness, disaster risk reduction, response and early recovery of the Strategy” .Thus, Disasters Risk Reduction and incorporation of gender issues in DRR& later development of programmes/projects in Tajikistan sets out the objective of this project.2. The consultations for the post-2015 framework for DRR in Almaty in April 2014 strongly challenge the notion of considering women as helpless victims in disasters and voice the need to better recognize women’s skills, capacities and leadership, demanding that the role of women must be acknowledged and inclusion of women must be enhanced in post-2015 framework for disaster risk reduction (HFA2). 3. UNDP Tajikistan in the draft DRR guidance proposes to the government of Tajikistan to establish a “Tajikistan’s Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction& Management” drawing on the National Disaster Risk Management Strategy, to consider by the Government of Tajikistan to establish a specific policy on the integrating disaster risk reduction into development projects.Relevant Outcome as stated in the UN Women Development Results Framework for 2014-2017: 4. Gender-responsive services (transport, utilities, markets, water, energy, etc.) enhance women’s sustainable livelihoodsRelevant Output as stated in the UN Women Development Results Framework for 2014-2017: 4.1 Strengthened skills/ opportunities and enterprise development assistance for women to enhance their sustainable livelihoods and resilience

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Linkages with UNDAF for Tajikistan 20150-2020:Relevant to United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) agreed between the Government of Tajikistan and the United Nations (UN) for the period 2015-2020. It draws on the full range of expertise and resources of the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) to deliver development results. Ten UNDAF outcomes have been selected, in four strategic focus areas that respond to country needs and make use of the UN’s comparative advantages. The proposed project will work towards the fulfillment of # 10 pillar of the said UNDAF “ by 2020, the most vulnerable groups, communities, institutions are more resilient to natural and man-made disasters” one of the Indicators (# 10.5) will work so that rural communities with increased capacity may manage shocks and risks by enhancing their awareness of the natural disasters issues and how to build resilience.Relevant UNDAF’s Output 1.3 - Low-income households and women are provided with access to a broad range of micro-credit/financing, legal, and income generation services. Related to National Strategy of RT on Disaster Management for years 2010-2015 development priorities identified within the :5 main drivers: (i) governments are increasingly taking a multihazard approach to DRR; (ii) gender is coming to be recognized as a decisive factor; (iii) capacity development is recognized as a central element in reducing disaster risk; (iv) the socio-economically vulnerable are the most exposed; and (v) effective disaster risk reduction requires strong community engagement.

Related to ‘Action Plan for further engendering DRR through REACT operations’ formulated by UN Women Tajikistan in 2014 for improving Disaster Preparedness of men, women, boys and girls of all ages objectives of which are To : A. Increase level of awareness of all members of the communities to the threats and impacts of all hazards, risks and vulnerabilities. B. To equip the community with the necessary skill to cope with the negative impacts of a disaster. C. To increase the capacity of institutions. D. To develop and implement comprehensive national and local disaster preparedness policies, plans and system in line with nation policies. E. To strengthen partnership among all key players and stakeholders.

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Outcome (from AP) Outcome indicators Risks and assumptions Indicative Resources, USD

Outcomes:

1. Increased level of awareness and enhanced capacity of the community to the threats and impacts of all hazards

2. Communities are equipped with necessary skills and capability to cope with the impacts of disasters.

3. Increased DRR and CCA capacity of Local DRR committees, Offices and Operation Centers at all levels.

4.. Strengthened partnership and coordination Among all key players, REACT members and stakeholders. from pilot provinces of Tajikistan

Indicators:

Increased level of awareness and enhanced capacity of the community to the threats and impacts of all hazards

Communities are equipped with necessary skills and capability to cope with the impacts of disasters.

Increased DRR and CCA capacity of Local DRR committees, Offices and Operation Centers at all levels

Strengthened partnership and coordination among all key players, REACT members and stakeholders.

Developing advisory group to REACT and GoT on gender‐integration onto DRR and risk management activities. MFV: - Reports on analysis of the impact made by the project to

Assumptions: - Local institutions are responsive to applying existing best practices relating to the protection of women's rights.- Partnerships can be built with existing district offices in the targeted communities.- Information campaigns result in women's empowerment. - Strong partnerships are established with local service delivery organisations

Risks: For the Office of the UN women Taj CO to successfully implement this project, it should be availed with resources to fulfil its responsibilities with full accountability and transparency. Responsibilities must be clearly defined between UN Women MCO and CO in terms of provision of technical and programmatic support.

Best modalities for timely mobilization and delivery of financial and human resources to carry out the project activities as

150,000 

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the trageted households' economic and social status; - Final evaluation report; - Regular UN Women's Taj. monitoring reports.

planned, are required. The activities proposed will also require full support by the National Government as well other stakeholders such as NGOs, other UN agencies and even the private sectors.

Outputs Output indicators Indicative Activities Responsible Party

Indicative Resources, USD

Output 1. Establish and strengthen capacities of men, women, boys and girls and all communities to anticipate, cope and recover from the negative impacts of emergency occurrences and disasters.

Indicator 1 … Number of women ,men, boys and girls undergone training and simulation exercises and enhanced, strengthened so that when any disaster strikes they feel confident and not panicked but withheld disaster and saves their lives, property in targeted disaster prone districts/areas.

Indicator 2 Communities are equipped with necessary skills and capability to cope with the impacts Of disasters

Target – within 3 years of the project period, 12,000 target people in targeted districts have gained capacities, awareness.

Baseline - None MFV: - - pre and post-training assessment of

1.1 Develop DRR and CCA information, education, communication (IEC) materials and advocacy plans and materials dissemination.

UN Women

180,000   

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skills and needs of the project beneficiaries; - quarterly reports by UN Women's responsible parties; - regular UN Women's monitoring reports.

1.2. Development of standard DRR training modules

1.3 Conduct of training and simulation exercises

 

Sub-total Output 1:  

Output 2.Community emergency preparedness strengthened/improved

Indicator - Number of women who gain access to emergency preparedness assistance to protect their rights and lives Baseline - 0 women have access to

2.1Develop enhance ICS coordination and communications systems

INGOs, UN sister organizati

ons

200,000   

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emergency preparedness training and consultations in targeted districts Target - By 2018 12000 women have received free training and 12000 women will have access to consultative and information materials

2.2Development, maintenance and update of partner’s and key stakeholder’s database for DRR.

2.3Formulate coordination mechanism and guidelines in the contingency plan for partnership arrangements

2.4Increased participation of CSOs in preparedness activities

 

2.5 Policy and technical advice, programme implementation support

 

Sub-total Output 2:

Outcome (from SN) Outcome indicators Risks and assumptions Indicative Resources, USD

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MCO SP Outcome: Disaster risk Vulnerable men, women and children from rural Tajikistan enjoy greater equality and empowerment, as a result of locally-driven gender-responsive development planning.

increased information / public awareness of disaster risk reduction including early warning systems;

improved risk management applications at national, district and community levels; and

enhanced capacity for emergency response and preparedness.

At the end of the project:

National resilience to disasters improved and Community emergency preparedness

Indicator: Local development plans in … pilot provinces of Tajikistan adopted and implemented in a participatory, rights-based and gender-responsive manner and address needs of vulnerable women, men & children and abandoned from migrants familiesTarget: Local development plans in two pilot provinces in Tajikistan adopted by 2018Baseline 2014: 0 plans. MFV: - Reports on analysis of the impact made by the project to the trageted households' different status; - documentation of results of integration of needs and priorities of the target audience to local development planning ; - Final evaluation report; - Regular UN Women's monitoring reports

Assumptions: - Beneficiaries are willing and able to particpate in DRR activities. - Local authorities supportive to address needs and priorities of the beneficiaries wiuth the local planning Risks: - weak capacity of local partners to mainsteram perspectives of the vulnerable target population including women into the lcoal development planning - frequent turn-over fo staff in local governance instituions

1,560,000

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strengthened/improved .

Reduced losses (death, displacement, livelihoods) due to disasters and other hazards compared to baseline (Year: 2015).

No. of agencies (UN agencies, government departments and NGOs) using risk and vulnerability assessment outcomes/maps for decision-making in development programming;

Improved livelihoods for high risk communities (Increased financial, human, natural assets) – over time

Number of plans incorporating DRR

Outputs Output indicators Indicative Activities Indicative Resources, USD

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Output 3. Enhanced capacity of REACT member's in emergency preparedness strengthened/improved , NNGOs/ CSOs to engage into a constructive dialogue with the local governments on incorporating gender-specific needs of vulnerable to disasters from rural poor families into local development planning in n.# of pilot districts of Tajikistan.

Indicator: People centred early warning systems are developed and effectively implemented Target – DRR & climate change issues incorporated in school curriculum;Local Development plans in … out of … targeted districts incorporated at least 50% of gender related recommendations made by women activists Baseline - 0% of gender related commitments within local deevelopment plans in .. target districts MFV: - reports from regular consultataive meetings on prioritization for local development planning; - quarterly reports by UN Women's responsible parties; - regular UN Women's monitoring reports.

3.1 Customized and specialized DRR capacity building activities for specific groups.

•

  

 180,000

3.2 Integration of DRR and CCA in school curricula, textbooks, and manuals.

3.3 Selection and accreditation of NGO representatives and volunteer groups

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Monitoring and Evaluation    1. Local travel

150,000

Sub-total M&E: 90,000 

Total programme:      UN Women support costs (7%)

   UN Women  

TOTAL  2,260,000.00

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4. Strategy and Partnerships

Implementation of the project will be in partnership with all government departments, NGOs and UN agencies in Tajikistan. UNFPA, UNICEF, FAO, WFP and UNDP will play a key role in support of the project. REACT is expected to provide technical support to facilitate DRR legal and policy framework, risk identification as well as DRR mainstreaming into development – esp. training UN, and other govt??? staff members to further train stakeholders at national, district and local community levels. UN Women shall also draw technical and other support from Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) where required??? What kind of support? Don’t the agencies need to have the GE/GM related expertise in their respective fields of operations?

The GoT will seek partnership with the International Federation of Red Cross/Red crescent Societies through Tajikistan National Red Cross/ Red Crescent Society for training in preparedness /contingency planning. Private sector, international and local NGOs active in districts will also be consulted for partnerships in implementing both the national strategy - NAP and this project.

UN Women will work with government departments, other UN agencies, Red Cross/Red Crescent Society, local and international NGOs to ensure that district and local communities have skills to develop preparedness & contingency plans and to timely activate and implement the plans. The avalanches and floods contingency /preparedness plans will be tested and post disaster assessment will be conducted for impact evaluation purposes. Support will be provided to districts to cascade training to village levels. Linkages will be made between this project and efforts being made in achieving the Millennium Development Goals, as disasters always draw back gains achieved in development.

Key government departments and NGOs will be allocated lead roles in specific project interventions. For example, the Red Cross/Red crescent will lead in development of contingency/preparedness plans, Preparations of the flood risk reduction policy will be led by a specific ministry supported by FAO for example, and REACT will facilitate development of National DRR policy and legislation. Risk assessment/analysis might be led by the UNDP/OCHA.

The project will benefit from REACT efforts in harmonizing risk identification initiatives. In addition the project will feed knowledge and information about good practices, tools and resources for disaster risk management. The project will also use tools from the UNDP efforts to integrate disaster risk reduction into development planning in other neighbouring countries, if possible. At the government level, the project will ensure that gender & DRR is integrated into the National Development Plan for Tajikistan. Lessons learnt in this exercise can also be fed into UN women/ UNDP Global Mainstreaming Project.

Since the project strategy is also in line with the Regional UN Women CO Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction as well as the Hyogo Framework for Action, UN Women CO & Government of Tajikistan will feed in the results and lessons learnt from this project to both REACT and other relevant Departments and to ISDR where necessary.

Gender Advisor in UNDP will be called upon to input on the gender dimension of the project activities, for example, monitoring consistency on assessing the implications of DRR

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activities on women and children, and ensuring that developed strategies for their involvement and benefit are implemented as per project design. 5. Implementation and Management Arrangements

aA: project results management The project will be implemented over a period of 36 months starting July 01, 2015. Project activities will be executed by the UN Women CO and UN Women MCO Team in Almay. Management arrangements will conform to the stipulations in the new Results Management Guide.

As the Government of Tajikistan will be responsible for the project coordination and management, and monitoring adherence to the work plan which forms the basis of the execution. Coordination among various stakeholders in the government and civil society including UN agencies will be achieved through creation of DRR Project Steering and Advisory Committee. The committee will consist of selected senior officers from key ministries, UN agencies, Technical/Programme Specialist, Private sector and NGOs. This committee will meet quarterly and chaired by the Tajikistan Government’s designated high official/ Secretary or his designate. Its role will be:

To supervise and approve appointment of project staff To supervise project activities that is coordinated by Disaster Management Authority

in the Office of the President through monitoring its progress and analysing reports. To review and approve work plans and financial plans/reports To provide direction for project implementation.

The committee will ensure that the project includes necessary aspects required to deliver the expected outcomes and identifies similar projects within various ministries, NGOs and UN systems that will contribute to realising more benefits and help achieve outcomes. This committee will therefore assume the roles of the National Co-ordination Authority and the Outcome Board.

A Project Execution Group will be formed to undertake project assurance reviews at designated decision points during the running of the project. This group makes executive decisions for the project including approval of project revision, when guidance is required by the Project Manager. The group will consist of UN Women Senior PO, representatives from UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF, and one Tajikistan Red Cross Senior Officer, representing beneficiary perspectives.

As UN women Taj is the implementing partner responsible and accountable for managing project, achieving project outputs and effective use of UN women resources, it will appoint a Project Manager responsible for day to day management and decision making for the project. UN Women will appoint an officer to assume responsibility for project assurance. The Project Assurer will support the Project Execution Group and the PSC, that is, in this case, the DRR Project Management and Advisory Committee by carrying out objective and independent project oversight and monitoring functions. During the running of a project process, this role ensures appropriate project management milestones are managed and completed.

bB: capacity development of UN Women co ???

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Project support will be provided by DRR specialists. Their major role will be capacity development of UN Women CO on disaster risk reduction. At least two DRR training workshops will be conducted for UNwomen CO staff and REACT members. The workshops will cover DRR, recovery, mainstreaming DRR into development, risk assessment/analysis including hazard mapping, and preparedness planning. Training on RBM and project management will also be organised for UN Women staff. In addition, a UNV Project Advisor/Disaster Risk Management Officer will be recruited to provide technical support to UNWomen, the UNCT and the Disaster Management Authority.

Technical support is further requested for the development of legal and institutional frameworks for DRR, risk identification, knowledge and information management, risk management applications and disaster preparedness and response plans especially at national level. It is important to ensure that a project staff is effectively trained and equipped to continue effective DRR implementation beyond the project.

Capacity for financial management is adequate both within UN Women CO. However, the administration and finance staff of UN Women CO will be trained on specific UN Women procedures for financial management.

cC: inputsThe total funding required to support of the above-mentioned activities is $........00. Funding is being sought from …… and partly from Government of Tajikistan. The Government of Taj may contribute $......, while donor will be requested to contribute US$....... and UN Women a sum of $.......00.

Resources transfer from UNWomen CO to the local district office will be done through direct payment for project services at a particular time of request from the local offices. Dushanbe UN Women office will be expected to follow UNWomen rules and regulations on financial management and project expenditures.

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6. Evaluation and Learning Plans

Monitoring and evaluation frame work:

Monitoring and evaluation of the project aims at improving efficiency and effectiveness of programmatic outcomes, outputs and activities through establishing a rigorous assessment process/system to:

a) Establish clear and continuous mechanisms to assess the strength and weaknesses of interventions;

b) Continually identify policies and institutions that need to be improved or developed to prioritize programme intervention for the poorest and most socially disadvantaged groups; and

c) Strengthen the monitoring and evaluation capacities of national partners, will be developed. An overall and detailed M&E framework will be developed as the first step of the implementation process in line with the principles laid down in the One UN Programme Document. The M&E framework is based on a programmatic logical framework, developed by the Thematic Working Group (TWG) with inputs from the Resident Coordinator Office and UN M&E Network under the overall guidance of UN Country Team (UNCT). It consists of programmatic outcomes and outputs, respective indicators, targets, data sources and assumptions etc

Management and Coordination meetings:

Management meetings will be organized regularly, to review work-plans and implementation of the project. All stakeholders to the project will be invited to participate. The timing and agenda of such meetings will be decided jointly by the donor’s Task Manager and UN Women Project Coordinator.

In accordance with the programming policies and procedures outlined in the UNwomen User Guide, the project will be monitored through the following: Within the annual cycle :

On a quarterly basis, a quality assessment shall record progress towards the completion of key results, based on quality criteria and methods captured in the project’s Quality Management table.

An Issues Log shall be activated in Atlas and updated by the Project Coordinator to facilitate tracking and resolution of potential problems or requests for change.

Based on the initial risk analysis submitted, a risk log shall be activated in ATLAS and regularly updated by reviewing the external environment that may affect the project implementation.

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Based on the above information recorded in Atlas, Project Progress Reports (PPR) shall be submitted by the Chief Technical Advisor to the Project Board through Project Assurance, using the standard report format available in the ATLAS ‘Executive Snapshot’.

A project Lessons-learned log shall be activated and regularly updated to ensure ongoing learning and adaptation within the organization, and to facilitate preparation of a Lessons learned Report at the end of the project

A Monitoring Schedule Plan shall be activated in Atlas and updated to track key management actions/events

By the end of the project:

Final Review Report.

A Final Review Report shall be prepared by the Chief Technical Advisor and shared with the UN Women CO. As a minimum requirement, the Final Review Report shall consist of the Atlas standard format for the QPR covering the whole project period with updated information for each above element of the QPR as well as a summary of results achieved against pre-defined project targets at the output level.

Final Project Review.

Based on the above report, a final project review will be conducted, to assess the performance of the project and appraise the Annual Work Plan (AWP) for the following year. In the last year, this review will be a final assessment. This review is driven by the Project Board and may involve other stakeholders as required. It shall focus on the extent to which progress is being made towards outputs, and that these remain aligned to appropriate outcomes. External reporting Quarterly reporting. Financial and brief project implementation reports in a narrative format will be provided to the donor.

Final Reporting.

A Project final report will be provided to donor within three (3) months after completion of the project included in the programme budget. UN-Women require:

All programmes of over $1 million to conduct an evaluation at least once in the programme lifetime.

All programmes of over $3 million to conduct a mid-term evaluation.

Beyond these mandatory evaluations, regional Offices will conduct evaluations on a selective basis taking into consideration the strategic need for learning and validation of results. Detailed procedures for evaluations are set out in Part 5.

Knowledge management and Learning

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UN-Women are committed to strengthening its role in providing key stakeholders with knowledge on progress toward and the ‘how to’ of achieving gender equality in countries worldwide. This section of the programme document indicates the anticipated knowledge that the programme will generate and how that knowledge will be documented and shared among stakeholders and their constituencies. The programme document also briefly outlines plans for communications and knowledge product development and state that more detailed planning for development of knowledge products and communication of the knowledge will be carried out during programme implementation, taking into account the UN-Women Knowledge

Communication and Visibility Communication and visibility are intrinsic components of the project. The Public Awareness component will be widely distributed by TV satellite, internet and DVD. Distance learning modules will be made generally available by TV satellite, internet and DVD. The intention is to further develop all these aspects in future and lessons learned from this project will be made widely available by Government, TV and by UN Women.

Sustainability: It will be ensured that future programmes/projects developed in line with the UN Women objectives and in accordance with national priorities of Government of Tajikistan will contain inbuilt financial mechanisms for sustainability through pilots to become a showcase for reference/replication.

9. Budget US$ 2,260,000.00

A draft budget is prepared for consultation with potential donors.

10. Funding

11. Annexes

Annexture A : UN Women Strategic Plan, 2014 -2017 Updated Development Results Framework

Outcome indicators and target

Output Output indicators & target

Assumption & risk

4.3 Gender equality commitments adopted and implemented in humanitarian action with specific provisions to strengthen targeted action for gender equality and women’s empowerment in humanitarian action Target: 25% (2015) 50% (2017)

4.3.1 Evidence based knowledge including performance measurement and accountability frameworks on genderresponsive humanitarian action, is accessible to policy makers, ractitioners and decision making bodies

4.3.1aNumber of countries supported by UN-Women where there is evidence of the use of the UN Women Accountability to Gender in humanitarian Action Reportto inform high level policy

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Baseline:Baseline from desk review of intergovernmental outcome documents by UN Women HQ (Gender and Huma nitarian Unit) end of 2013

Source: Annual desk review of intergovernmental outcome documents by UN Women HQ (Gender and Humanitarian Unit)

discussionsTarget:16 (2015), 30 (2017)Baseline: 0

Annexture B : Risk and assumptions:Risk: Political crises undermine commitments to include DRR into policies and strategies/ Delays in establishment of the DRR mechanisms at all levels.

Assumptions:Budget and human resource commitments by the national and sub-national governments/ Population in Tajikistan willing to embark on training programs and accepts new practices.

Mitigation strategies???

1. Unstable local security situation: Current level of instability in Tajikistan does not significantly worsen during the project’s life cycle. Political Deterioration of the situation could dramatically affect the project’s start-up and implementation. If this risk occurs, project may not start as planned.

Probability - Medium Creation of contingency plans during proposal drafting period.

Risks concerning the overall security situation cannot be mitigated. 2. Governments of Tajikistan remain committed to Regional Cooperation with neighboring countries. Risks relating to a potential lack of stakeholder commitment can be mitigated through coordination at local and central level.

Donor community does not remain committed to support the Government of Tajikistan in particular and Regional Cooperation in general.

Risks relating to a potential lack of stakeholder commitment can be mitigated through

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coordination at local and central level.

4. Local power brokers do not obstruct the progress of the project. Political Difficulty relating to community involvement Political influence and risks concerning the overall situation can be mitigated to only a limited degree.

5. Difficulties with obtaining visas for travel to Tajikistan Political Impediments to visas procurement for Internationals to Tajikistan may cause delays in implementation.

6. Deficit of qualified human resources at district and community level will present a challenge to capacity development .Political Abilities of local governments to attract human resources will remain limited unless the system of motivation is improved. Basic skills are often UN Women will support national level government in enhancing local government reforms.

7. Availability of inputs. FinancialThis is dependent upon the donors and at present the possibility of such a situation is highly unlikely. Continuation of resource mobilization efforts. 8. Minimal timeframe to initiate, implement and close project cycle. (One year is minimal). Financial Practical implementation of timeframe depends on efficiency of administrative systems, bureaucratic delays and political determination of beneficiary government, as well as other risks outlined in this Risk page.

9. Lack of interest from potential stakeholders to support the project. Financial Occurrence of the risk would confirm failure to mobilize funding. Interest & commitment of potential stakeholders will be thoroughly assessed during proposal

10. Natural Disasters, Infectious diseases. Environmental Quarantine of project region In the event of a large scale natural disaster, impacted communities (regional/national government) will need to focus resources on rebuilding and rehabilitation. In the event of quarantine or natural disaster, there will be an evaluation of when the project can continue and what alternatives exist.

11. Sufficient control measures are put into place to discourage corruption. Operational Project will not be implemented due to excessive corruption by local and national government within procurement mechanisms. Procurement mechanisms will be transparent and there will be broad participation by local suppliers.

12. Mobilizing, recruiting and retaining talented staff is a challenge, resource partners fail to perform and there insufficient local capacity to meet development objectives. Operational Without talented local staff the ability to create and implement an effective project will be at risk. Prior to the projects implementation there is a culture of excellence and high standards to attract “best and brightest”. Use of multiple media and communications channels to recruit candidates in addition to international and local recruitment systems to aid in identifying and fielding the best candidates rapidly. Phased development of the project with mentoring and

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training throughout.

13. Cultural norms prohibit women’s full engagement. Strategic:The need for full engagement of women should be a priority and the project should be planned to include women in many different roles Coordination with local religious authorities to ensure their understanding of and support for project goals. Cultural norms prohibit women’s full engagement.

14. If the security situation deteriorates substantially, the ability to work Risks concerning the overall security situation cannot be mitigated, though constant vigilance Deteriorate substantially. Daily attention to security situation by project manager and UNDP security coordinator. Security professionals may be engaged to provide physical security at project locations. Daily security updates, email and SMS alerts, and regular radio and phone contact with all staff, will allow for a more secure environment. Legal context: The project will be implemented within the framework of UNDAF (2015-2020) which forms the basis of cooperation between the Government of Tajikistan and the United Nations in addition to the memorandum of agreement signed between the GoT and UN Women in 2015.