| Overview : The UN Country Team (UNCT) in Malawi, in planning for the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF 2019-2023), proposes to commission a study to assess the comparative advantages of the UN system in Malawi. The assessment will be based on the views of the UN’s main stakeholders, including government, development partners, civil society and the UN itself. In doing so, it is anticipated that a clearer, more focused vision will be developed, ensuring common objectives can achieve their potential for the benefit of the citizens of Malawi. While the UN will continue to strongly support the Government of Malawi in its national priorities and delivery of services, a comparative advantage and stakeholder analysis (CASA) will be a forward-looking projection of UN capacities and its positioning at the country level. By coming together around more strategic objectives that reflect the UN’s comparative advantage, focusing on areas where the UN system can best add value, it is envisioned that the UN will contribute to Malawi’s future while also enhancing the relevance and credibility of the UN in Malawi. Recognizing that the UN is, by no means, the only contributor to Malawi’s development trajectory, a central component of this exercise is to outline what specific areas in Malawi’s development the UN holds a comparative advantage over other stakeholders. A robust CASA will allow the UN to assess its strengths, pulling together responses to the myriad of challenges facing Malawi in a holistic manner. Using a broad lens, the analysis will articulate how the UN in Malawi is placed in ensuring the implementation of international norms and standards; the amplification of voices of the poor; the underprivileged, discriminated and disabled, in the spirit of “leaving no one behind”; a vigorous advocacy role for greater equality, social inclusion, gender empowerment and human rights; an invigorated role as a catalyst for collaborative programmes involving all sectors of society; and a strengthened capacity to coordinate international initiatives while mobilizing expertise currently scattered throughout the public, private and voluntary sectors.
Fundamentally, the analysis should illuminate the potential in the multiple dimensions of the UNs work, especially those found at the interface of humanitarian action and development cooperation. Additionally, the UN’s ability as compared to other actors in the field in improving coherence of public, private actions across sections through norm-setting and collaboration should be discussed. A complete catalogue of areas where the UN does or does not have a comparative advantage should not be the focus. Instead, based on an already finalized Root Cause Analysis, the CASA should, while considering all stakeholder’s activities, outline the areas where the UN adds the most value to development initiatives in Malawi. Finally, it should be noted that the CASA study is not interpreted to mean agency specific mandate; rather, it is a realistic assessment of expertise and value added, and may draw on agency specific assessments in the context of Delivering as One in Malawi. Consequentially, the analysis should seek to show where the One UN in Malawi can bring its unique strengths to bear in advocacy, capacity development, programming, and cutting edge knowledge, innovation and policy advice, among others, for the achievement of internationally agreed standards and development goals. |
