Management Response and Action Plan (MRAP): Evaluation of Women’s and Girls’ Education in Fragile and Conflict-Affected States, 2018-19 to 2022-23
Programmatic Recommendations
Since the Charlevoix Initiative's projects have concluded, the aim of the following recommendations is to apply the findings and lessons learned to other ongoing education projects in fragile and conflict-affected states (FACS).
Recommendation 1
Ensure GAC project leads and implementing partners working on education programming in FCAS are knowledgeable about:
- A Conflict-Sensitive Design
- Triple Nexus Considerations
- Disaster Risk Reduction Practices in Climate Change Affected Regions
- Gender-Based Analysis Plus
Management response and commitment
The Education and Ending Violence Division (YEE) agrees with this recommendation. The following guidance has been developed and will be kept evergreen to ensure GAC project leads and implementing partners are knowledgeable about and better able to integrate best practices into programming:
- GAC Comprehensive Guidance Note: Fundamentals of Education in Emergencies Programming for Children and Youth in Displacement
- Tip Sheet on GAC’s Approach to Education in the Humanitarian-Peace-Development Nexus
- GAC Tip Sheet on Environmental Sustainability and Climate Action for Education in Emergencies
- GAC Tip Sheet on Canada’s Feminist Approach to Education in Emergencies
- GAC Tip Sheet on Inclusive Education in Emergencies
- GAC Tip Sheet on Developing and Measuring Well-Being Outcomes for Education in Emergencies
- GAC Tip Sheet on Education, Technology and Education in Crisis
| Actions | Expected Deliverables / Outcomes | Responsibility Centre (Bureau / Division) | Target Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1 The Education and Ending Violence Division (YEE) will encourage GAC education project leads to take the following Canadian Foreign Service Institute (CFSI) virtual courses: Working in Fragile and Conflict-Affected Settings: An Introduction, and Education and International Assistance. | 1.1 Increased understanding by GAC project leads of delivering education at the intersection of humanitarian efforts, peacebuilding, and development. | 1.1 YEE | 1.1 December 2025 |
| 1.2 The Education and Ending Violence Division (YEE) will convene a learning workshop leveraging existing GAC resources for the GAC Development Education Community of Practice. This internal network of over 150 GAC employees, including education Project Team Leaders (PTLs), will be guided to assess implementing partners proposals and projects with a focus on conflict-sensitive design, triple nexus considerations, disaster risk reduction practices in climate change affected regions and gender-based analysis. | 1.2 GAC’s guidance on conflict-sensitive design, triple nexus considerations, disaster risk reduction practices in climate change affected regions, and Gender-based Analysis Plus is effectively integrated into current and future projects, fostering improvement and continuous learning. | 1.2 YEE | 1.2 March 2025 |
Recommendation 2
Review and establish standard performance indicators for ongoing and future education programming (including in FCAS) that all partners must report on to facilitate calculation and reporting of total programming results.
Management response and commitment
The Education and Ending Violence Division (YEE) agrees with this recommendation and will review and adapt existing standard performance indicators for future education programming (including in FCAS) in line with corporate reporting exercises.
| Actions | Expected Deliverables / Outcomes | Responsibility Centre (Bureau / Division) | Target Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.1 GAC will review and adapt existing standard performance indicators, including those established by key organizations like UNESCO, for future education programming (including in FCAS) in alignment with Corporate Action Area reporting exercises to facilitate calculation and reporting of programming results. | 2.1 Education Action Area reporting of the Feminist International Assistance Policy will facilitate calculation and reporting of total programming impact. | 2.1 YEE with the support of corporate reporting (RVE, YPB) and RBM specialists (YOS) | 2.1 September 2025 |
Corporate Recommendations
The Charlevoix Initiative was the result of a G7 declaration that required GAC to quickly develop and implement a responsive global program across departmental business lines. Considering there are extensive lessons to be learned from this experience, as well as from previous responsive initiative launches, it is recommended that these collective lessons be applied to develop a proactive plan for ensuring factors for success are systematically integrated into future programming launches.
Recommendation 3
Coordinate updating the Authorized Programming Process (APP) Footnote 1 to include guidance from relevant internal policy teams on launching programming in FCAS contexts that integrates:
- A Conflict-Sensitive Design
- Triple Nexus Considerations
- Disaster Risk Reduction Practices in Climate Change Affected Regions
This process should focus on simplicity and speed providing tools and support that reflect the needs of users, including implementing partners.
Management response and commitment
Involved responsibility centres agree with the recommendation.
Ongoing/regular consultation, coordination and collaboration with many internal policy teams and business process owners across the international assistance stream to develop guidelines, advice and tools on funding processes, systems and programming approaches is regular business in the Department. The management response and commitment, along with the actions and deliverables listed below, will ensure that the necessary information is shared with the APP team so that guidance documentation is updated to include guidance in tools, guidelines and best practices for users to consider when developing programming in FCAS context. Those responsibility centres launching programming in FCAS context will be responsible for their integration and for following the relevant guidance.
| Actions | Expected Deliverables / Outcomes | Responsibility Centre (Bureau / Division) | Target Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1 Representatives from relevant internal policy teams update and/or develop guidance for programming in FCAS context. | 3.1 Guidance and information from the relevant Bureaus/Divisions is shared with YOD for inclusion in Modus
| 3.1 YLD (YLP) YRD (YRG, YRA, YRC, YRP) YHD (YHI, YHO) ICD (ICP) | 3.1 March 2025 |
| 3.2 Provide resource materials/guidelines to staff programming in FCAS context as part of the APP. | 3.2 Resource materials are published on Modus/SharePoint. | 3.2 YOD (YOS) | 3.2 May 2025 |
Recommendation 4
In preparation for the launch of new initiatives, review and propose options to ensure robust accountability mechanisms for performance measurement are integrated to support results reporting at the initiative level throughout its lifecycle.
Management response and commitment
The International Assistance Bureau (YOD) agrees with the recommendation.
YOD is currently working with stakeholders across international assistance to improve results reporting to the public and better equip policy-level monitoring and decision-making with policy-level results information. Under the scope of this work, YOD has identified the need to invest in capacity and functions, including in the resourcing of Sector/Thematic Specialists and Performance Management Advisors. YOD will address recommendation 4 above by strengthening guidance on managing for results at the program/portfolio level including on accountability mechanisms to support performance measurement and results reporting. This guidance will be applicable to programs/portfolios, and any future-time bound thematic initiatives, and will take examples of best practice from the Department in similar initiatives.
The development of this guidance will be done in consultation with SRD and their efforts to map performance management capacity and resources in the department; the Grants and Contributions Transformation Initiative (GCTI) which aims to improve systems and processes for performance measurement through the Results Workstream working group which is a collaborative effort with RRD and SRD; and RRD, in the context of their ongoing evaluation trend analysis work on horizontal lessons learned related to performance measurement/monitoring, evaluation and learning.
| Actions | Expected Deliverables / Outcomes | Responsibility Centre (Bureau / Division) | Target Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.1 Conduct a review of existing Results-based Management/Managing for Results guidance at the Program/Portfolio Level and identify areas where it can be enhanced to better support accountability mechanisms for performance measurement and results reporting in International Assistance programming. | 4.1 Comprehensive review highlighting gaps and areas for improvement in guidance and recommendations for enhancing existing guidance | 4.1 YOD (YOS / RBMce) with the support of SXB, SRD | 4.1 March 2025 |
| 4.2 Develop options to better support accountability mechanisms for performance measurement and results reporting in International Assistance programming | 4.2 Options developed to better support accountability mechanisms for performance measurement and results reporting in International Assistance programming. | 4.2 YOD (YOS / RBMce) with the support of SXB, SRD, RRE | 4.2 April 2025 |
| 4.3 Update and refine existing guidelines to provide clear options and strategies for the implementation of robust accountability mechanisms for performance measurement and results reporting in International Assistance programming | 4.3 Enhanced guidelines include options for performance measurement and results reporting. User-friendly tools and templates to support implementation. | 4.3 YOD (YOS / RBMce) with the support of SXB, SRD | 4.3 June 2025 |
| 4.4 Provide awareness sessions within existing forums and networks at GAC on the updated guidance and tools for performance measurement and results reporting at the program/portfolio level to support the implementation of robust accountability mechanisms for performance measurement and results reporting in International Assistance programming. | 4.4 Delivered awareness sessions within existing forums and networks and disseminated resource materials for staff. | 4.4 YOD (YOS / RBMce) with the support of SXB, SRD | 4.4 June 2025 |
| 4.5 Receive feedback and input from staff and stakeholders on the usability of updated guidance (via RBMce inbox gar.rbm@international.gc.ca and during awareness sessions); and share feedback with divisions responsible for developing guidance. | 4.5 Implementation of enhanced guidance and tools; and feedback received shared with responsible divisions. | 4.5 YOD (YOS / RBMce) with the support of SXB, SRD | 4.5 June 2025 |
Recommendation 5
Support projects in fragile and conflict-affected states (FCAS) to remain relevant by streamlining project approval processes and building flexibility in funding agreements to respond to unexpected crises.
Management response and commitment
SGD, SXD and YOD agree with the recommendation.
To incorporate flexibility into funding agreement templates to support timely crisis response actions to protect GAC-funded projects, the Grants and Contributions Center of Expertise (SGD) finalized the immediate crisis response clause in December 2024. This clause was developed in close cooperation with the Grants & Contributions Transformation Bureau (SXD) and in consultation with the International Assistance Operations Bureau (YOD). The clause has been incubated as part of the Grants and Contributions Transformation Initiative and has also been incorporated into the IDA contribution agreement template. The updated template is now in use, ensuring the related flexibility is included in new contribution agreements. In addition, SGD has extended the application of the new tool to cover operational projects.
Several activities have taken place to socialize the new immediate crisis response clause. This has included a launch presentation with Project Team Leads, a joint learning session with the Evaluation Services and Learning division (RRE) on new tools for making grants and contributions more resilient to emergencies, as well as an opportunity to engage with members of the Performance Measurement and Evaluation Committee (PMEC) on the progress and potential impact of the new clause for the department. SGD has also developed and published a guidance note on the web to support internal and external stakeholders’ understanding and effective use in February 2025.
The work to streamline project approval processes is well underway as part of the Grants and Contributions Transformation Initiative, led by SXD. SXD has conducted an extensive review of multiple funding processes across GAC with the view to create one core process for all G&C in the department, and to streamline and optimize G&C management processes across the entire funding cycle, i.e. including the project approval processes. SXD works collaboratively with respective business owners and other affected users to inform its review and optimization. The first iteration of the single core process for all G&C was released in December 2024.
SGD, SXD and YOD will continue to collaborate, including with other relevant stakeholders in the department to address the recommendation as outlined in the proposed actions.
| Actions | Expected Deliverables / Outcomes | Responsibility Centre (Bureau / Division) | Target Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.1 Explore further flexibility to potentially adapt projects, consistent with the transfer payment framework, in light of new realities on the ground, including as part of project approvals. | 5.1 SGD will assess potential further flexibility, in consultation with internal stakeholders, and, if further flexibility is feasible, will develop an approach. | 5.1 SGD | 5.1 March 2027 |
| 5.2 SXD in collaboration with YOS/YPS will build on work underway as part of the work of the Gs&Cs Transformation Initiative to review project approval process and potential streamlining. | 5.2 SXD in collaboration with YOS/YPS will continue the review and optimization of grants and contributions management processes, including those pertaining to project approvals. The review will result in a streamlined and more flexible core process for G&C programming across GAC. | 5.2 SXD in collaboration with YOD (YOS, YPS) | 5.2 March 2027 |
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