PAGE Operational Manual (DRAFT June2016)

1 IntroductionThis section provides a brief introduction to the partnership and the purpose of the manual.

The purpose of this manual is to have a comprehensive and detailed internal document that describes processes and systems used by PAGE during implementation of the program.

1.1 Background on PAGE

The landmark United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) took place in 2012, 20 years following the Rio Conference on Environment and Development in 1992. PAGE is a direct response to the Rio+20 Declaration, The Future We Want, which called upon the United Nations System and international community to provide assistance to interested countries in developing, adapting and implementing green economy policies and strategies to achieve sustainable development and poverty reduction. Bringing together the expertise and broad convening power of 5 UN Agencies and working closely with national governments, private sector and civil society, PAGE offers a comprehensive, coordinated and cost effective package of analytical support, technical assistance and capacity building services to countries and regions to transform their economies into drivers of sustainability and social equity. PAGE is also aligned with 2030 for Sustainable Development especially to SDGs related to economy, jobs, environment, climate change.

The PAGE is a multi-year programme, planned to run from 2014 to 2020, that progressively assists a total of 20 countries in their efforts to embark on green economy pathways.

Beyond the five agencies, PAGE engages with a wider range of partners, which is described in more detail in the PAGE Operational Strategy 2016-2020.

Putting emphasis on national ownership, PAGE supports countries to build consensus and create collective commitment to plan and implement reforms that advance IGE and contribute to achieving the SDGs.

This manual provides guidance on operational aspects under the Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) considered of direct relevance to the five PAGE partner agencies. It therefore targets UN staff and consultants working on PAGE at global, regional and national levels, including National PAGE Coordinators. While the document may be publically available, it includes detailed information on administrative, finance and planning procedures that are mainly relevant for staff in the five PAGE partner agencies. Information for national governments and stakeholders participating or interested in PAGE is included in the ‘Guidance Note for PAGE Partner Countries: Planning and Implementing a National PAGE Partnership’, which is complementary to the present manual.

In order to achieve:

Outcome 1 - Policy proposals must take into account social, environmental and economic considerations and need to be evidence based. PAGE works with and through key national government ministries and supports IGE diagnostics, assessments and policy analyses for sound policymaking. PAGE also catalyzes public, private and civil society engagement in prioritizing key sectors and themes, targets, and investment options to ensure collective ownership and sustainability of IGE policies.

Outcome 2 - PAGE supports Governments in multidisciplinary research and scenario development to identify opportunities and to design policies, strategies and plans for sectorial and thematic reform, which will result in accomplishing this outcome. With its partners, PAGE develops tools and measurement frameworks to support analysis and monitor progress. PAGE also supports engagement of the finance sector to bring funding behind agreed IGE priorities.

Outcome 3 - Tailored training programmes to strengthen national institutional capacities for coordination, stakeholder participation, and implementation at the country level are main tools for realizing this outcome.

Outcome 4 - PAGE generates and shares IGE knowledge through South-South and North-South collaboration. Learning accumulated by the countries and PAGE partners is used to inspire change at global level through regional and global academies for policy makers, e-learning courses, international events and conferences, and online presence through the PAGE newsletter, website (www.un-page.org) and social media engagement.

The information above and many other aspects of PAGE are clearly reflected and explained in detail in “PAGE Operational Strategy 2016-2020”.

1.2 PAGE Partners

As mentioned the added value of PAGE is the integration of the five UN agencies’ expertise in a package of services provided to countries in a coordinated and complementary way.

The role of each UN partner and expectations are highlighted in detail in PAGE Programme Document and is as follows.

UNEP - the lead organization on the global environment in the UN system, plays a central role in facilitating the PAGE programme and, at a substantive level, focus not only on the use of economics but also on ensuring environmental sustainability in policy advice under PAGE. The roles of UNEP are the following:

- To bring to the PAGE its original thinking on the concept of a green economy and its experience in producing a number of significant reports on green economy, including one at the UN interagency level, and one on trade opportunities arising from the transition to a green economy;

- to bring to PAGE the experience of engaging with over 20 countries at different stages of green economy policy making;

- to use existing partnerships such as the Green Growth Knowledge Platform involving the World Bank, OECD, GGGI, and UNEP, and the Green Economy Coalition – a network of civil society organizations plus international agencies (including ILO and UNEP) devoted to facilitating a participatory approach to green economy worldwide.

UNEP is also the main administrative role on PAGE by leading the PAGE Secretariat explained in detail in 2.1.4

ILO - the specialized UN agency on social and labour issues and its responsibility under PAGE includes:

- to bring to PAGE its knowledge and experience on employment, the greening of enterprises, green jobs, gender equality and skill building. ILO in its Green Jobs Programme has developed and is applying analytical tools to assess the employment and income implications of promoting a greener economy;

- experience on an extensive network of UN agencies and other partners, such as business/employers’ organizations and trade unions, which are core ILO constituents. This unique relationship greatly facilitates the organization of social dialogue and consultation, which in turn creates national ownership and contributes to capacity building;

- within PAGE, ILO leads on methodologies for green jobs and skills assessment at the enterprise and sector levels, feeding into national level assessments. ILO also contributes to the development of national actions plans on employment and labour

market related policies and measures, covering productive work, sustainable enterprises, just transitions, and social protection;

- it helps to target labour market instruments to youth and vulnerable groups. In high-level dialogues, ILO can mobilize and lead discussion with its constituencies;

- for capacity building ILO hosts global training programmes (ILO training center in Turin) with technical inputs from other PAGE partners and leads on national level trainings on green jobs assessment.

UNIDO - is the specialized agency of the United Nations that promotes industrial development for poverty reduction, inclusive globalization and environmental sustainability. UNIDO’s roles on PAGE are as follows:

- provides expertise in evidence-based industrial policy advice to both Governments and to industry from developing countries and economies in transition. More specifically, UNIDO contributes to reviewing national environmental assessments, industrial and sectorial baselines and targets and the evaluation of inter-sectorial implications of policy options.

- alongside its PAGE partners, UNIDO provides its technical knowhow to support policy implementation, South-South cooperation and public-private partnerships and ensure industry engagement in policy consultations and related sectorial strategies and action plans;

- through the Green Industry Platform which brings together businesses, governments, international and civil society organizations to introduce and strengthen sustainability practices throughout the global manufacturing process, UNIDO contributes at a global level to knowledge creation, sharing and dissemination.

UNITAR - as a dedicated training service provided in the UN System, is a strategic partner specifically as it relates to the training component, by developing and delivering capacity building tools and training programmes under PAGE, in close collaboration with its partners. Therefore, UNITAR’s contribution to PAGE is the following:

- development of international training programmes and leading on national training programmes that focus on green economy policy and action plans, with substantive inputs from other partner agencies.

- also contributes to logistical and methodological aspects of specialized trainings on green economy and green job assessment led by ILO and UNEP;

- finally, UNITAR is a partner for the high-level dialogues in partner countries, specifically for capacity building related aspects.

UNDP helps countries eradicate poverty and reduce inequalities and exclusion by finding global and national solutions for: 1) adopting economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable development pathways, 2) strengthening inclusive and effective democratic

governance and advancing gender equality, and 3) building resilience, through on-the-ground policy, programming, capacity development, South-South cooperation, and coordination across the United Nations system and with partners in more than 170 countries and territories. The roles of UNDP under PAGE are as follows:

- expand cross-sectorial and multi-disciplinary expertise;

- create synergies with complimentary programming;

- enhance longer-term programmatic mainstreaming and capacity development approaches;

- increase regional and country presence, expand engagement with key government, private and civil society stakeholders;

- expand options for in-country support including through joint programmes and national implementation modalities, as well as leveraging additional financial resources at all levels.

To provide a legal basis for cooperation, the five managing partners have signed a Letter of Agreement (LOA), which spells out the objectives and main areas of cooperation. UNDP joined PAGE in 2014 through an Amendment to the LOA.

1.3 Purpose of the Operational Manual

Operational manual particularly aims to:

- describe in a short and clear way current operational procedures agreed by all partners;

- minimize bureaucratic burden as much as possible during implementation;

- give an overview of global level coordination, programming, and implementation and monitoring.

The manual builds on some relevant UN policies, in particular UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), Post 2015 Development Agenda, SOPs for Countries adopting “Delivering as One” approach

During initiation stage and 2 years implementation period several documents of operational nature have been already created, edited, and modified. The current Manual is based on the following documents and activities:

a. Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) Programme Document;b. Draft operational guidelines of 2014;c. Planning and Implementing a National PAGE Partnershipd. PAGE Operational Strategy 2016-2020;e. Bilateral discussions with partners.

The Operational Manual at this stage is a living document and it is work in progress. The manual is an internal reference document for the Project and a subject to regular review and change based on collaborative decisions of all partners and operational circumstances.

2 PAGE Governance StructuresThis section gives a brief overview of the governance bodies involved in PAGE and describes their main functions and mode of operation.

2.1 PAGE Governance at the Global Level

In its first two years, PAGE has set up a governance structure (with a Secretariat, Management Board, Technical team and Donor Steering Committee) and centered the five agency partnership in a jointly developed results framework, with the overall objective to support countries’ efforts to transform their economies to be greener and more inclusive. The expertise and delivery models of each agency are brought together under a joint commitment to deliver on agreed outcomes and outputs at the national and global level. Building on this joint agreement on results, PAGE partners have developed a business model that provides an integrated offer to interested countries, taking into account each agency’s strengths and the specific country demand.

The role of each body is well described in programme document and provided below.

2.1.1 Management Board

The Management Board includes one director-level representative from each PAGE partner and is chaired and coordinated by UNEP.

Specific roles include:

- Approve the overall work programme for PAGE;- Related deployment of resources, taking into account donor preferences where

possible;

- Approve PAGE budgets and annual work plans;- Approve new partner countries;- Approve global and national operating plans;-

The Management Board usually convenes two or three times a year at major milestones in programme planning which require management decision. In addition to that face-to-face meetings, phone calls are tools to discuss urgent PAGE issues between official meetings.

2.1.2 Donor Steering Committee

The Donor Steering Committee (DSC) is a group of governments and institutions that provide financial support to PAGE, follow the development and implementation of PAGE and provide overall strategic guidance to the programme direction.

The DSC specific responsibilities include:

- providing recommendations to help guide the Management Board and the Project Team on strategic aspects of implementation;

- provide feedback on Global Work Plans and associated budget frameworks and providing advice in the selection of new PAGE countries;

- in relation to the monitoring and evaluation of PAGE, the DSC works closely with the Management Board to ensure that rigorous and independent evaluations are carried out and that related findings and recommendations are addressed.

2.1.3 Technical Team

The Technical Team consists of staff members from all five PAGE partners. The committee meets on a quarterly basis – or more often as needed.

Specific responsibilities include:

- to plan and share progress on the implementation of activities;

- develop the work plan for PAGE under the lead of the PAGE Secretariat and ensure consistency in country and global activities;

- it also makes proposals to the Management Board for strategic decisions, such as country selection.

The Technical Team has established different working groups to discuss, plan and monitor in more detail the implementation of specific activities under the work plan. A lead agency focal point coordinates activities, initiates discussions in the working group and monitoring progress. The participation of the agencies in the thematic working group is more flexible and subject to the contribution that an agency can make to a specific work stream. For example, support of results-based planning, work plan development and implementation, including objectives, activities, planning, and reporting.

2.1.4 PAGE Secretariat

The PAGE Secretariat serves as the central liaison point between the PAGE partners, and provides services to the Technical Team, the Management Board and the Donor Steering Committee and assists with the coordination of the programme, under the direction of the technical team. The Secretariat takes a lead role in initiating related processes, compiles inputs from PAGE partners, and develops draft documents for discussion and approval.

In general Secretariat is involved in all area of PAGE, i.e. communication, fund management, programme planning, coordination and monitoring

More specifically the Secretariat provides the following services, in cooperation with PAGE agencies:

o Coordination of the Technical Team’s work and support to preparation of Technical Meetings;

o Coordination of Management Board Meetings and development of related documents;

o Coordination of Donor Steering Committee Meetings and development of related documents;

o Development of global communication tools, such as website and brochures; communication through social media channels; and support to national or regional communication efforts;

o Initiation and coordination of PAGE Global Conferences with host country;

o Monitoring of overall programme implementation and coordination of programme reviews/evaluations;

o Development of annual work plans and coordination of medium-term planning;

o Compilation of expressions of interest received from countries and coordination of country selection process;

o Development of consolidated annual progress and financial report as well as other specific reports, as requested by donors;

o Development of UN-to-UN Agency Agreements for transfer of funds to PAGE agencies;

o Liaison with donors, development of proposals and agreements with interested governments;

o Management of PAGE Trust Fund, recording of incoming contributions and monitoring of expenditures;

o Management of internal processes to ensure programme is embedded and operational within UN partner agencies’ Programme of Work (development of internal project documents and related revisions).

The PAGE Secretariat led by UNEP, with UNEP staff members and consultants providing the above services. In addition, PAGE partners provide support to the Secretariat by supporting specific services. As part of the medium-term plan the PAGE Secretariat will evolve into a structurally more clearly defined unit which separates UNEP’s role in providing the Secretariat from UNEP’s role in the implementation of activities under the four outputs of the programme.

Below is the graphic illustration of the global structure.

PAGE Technical Team (One Program Officer and Supervisor of each partner agency)

GLOBAL-LEVEL IMPLEMENTATION STRUCTURE

Management Board One Director from each partner agency

Donor Steering committee

PAGE Trust Fund

Network of experts

Recipient Countries

PAGE Secretariat

Regional Offices of partner agencies

2.2 PAGE Governance to Support PAGE at the Country Level

2.2.1 National Governance, Coordination and Stakeholder Engagement[Summary, with details provided in country guidance]

The main entities involved into programme at the country level are National Steering Committee, Country lead agency, Country interagency group, National PAGE Coordinator. Their area of work and roles are explained in section 2.2.2 below.

Due to different requirements and conditions of PAGE countries, there is no uniform model for the national-level implementation structure, and frameworks are likely to differ between countries. In principle, each PAGE country has the following elements in its implementation framework:

At the government-level, primary counterparts are public officials from a government agency that takes the lead on PAGE. These can be located at different levels in the government, not only in the ministries of environment but also in the finance and economic planning ministries. If the lead agencies are not directly linked to a central coordination body, such as the Prime Minister’s Office or a Central Planning Commission, at minimum two ministries need to take a lead role and ensure inter-ministerial coordination.

Selected National Institutions (NIs) are responsible for carrying out the planned studies or other work streams.

Other coordination mechanisms may be established depending on country needs, such as a Consultative Committee (CC) to provide strategic orientation and guidelines to the NSC/IMC, or a Technical Advisory Group (TAG) which provides feedback to studies, participates in events, capacity building activities, implementation of demonstration projects and planning meetings.

2.2.2 National PAGE Coordination

National Steering Committee

The main oversight and directive body at the national level is a National Steering Committee (NSC), specific to PAGE, or an Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC), with a larger mandate covering areas supported by PAGE. This is depending on the country’s specific circumstances. The Committees typically consist of high-level representatives of key local ministries and UN representatives in the country, directing and supervising the PAGE country work. It may also include, as appropriate, representatives of the private sector and civil society. The roles of NSC/IMC are:

- endorsement and providing strategic oversight for the country project documents, work plans and associated budgetary frameworks and directs the management of funds ensuring that funding gaps and evolving programme priorities are addressed.

- Endorsement of country programme evaluation.

Interested countries should indicate early on during the partnership the foreseen coordinating arrangements.

Country Lead AgencyFor each of the country teams, there is a lead agency, and designated staff members from the other agencies (at least one per agency). The staff member representing the lead agency has the following roles and responsibilities:

- to organize the discussion in the country team and to coordinate inputs and activities;- develop the work plan for the country and related budget allocations - based on the

consultations with the governments, in coordination with national focal points and with inputs from the other agencies.

- acts as a liaison between the key actors in the country, such as the National Coordinator, the UN Resident Coordinator, and the global level, principally with the Technical Team;

- Depending on the activities in the work plan, all five agencies can take a lead role in the implementation of specific work stream in the country programme, while the lead agency remains responsible for the overall coordination.

The lead agency is designated among the UN partners, taking into consideration their current country presence, activities and other relevant factors. The lead agency’s focal point can be based either at the regional or headquarters level and can receive additional support from an agency representative based at national level in a country office. All PAGE partners nominate a country focal point who works closely with the lead PAGE agency focal point and the National PAGE Coordinator and the National PAGE focal point in Government to prepare, discuss and coordinate operational matters, such as budget preparation, work plan development, etc.

Country Interagency Group

It is a group of Agency officials (at least one from each Agency) that regularly meets (at least once a 2 months) via phone conference or face-to-face to:

- Discuss and coordinate work planning, budgeting, latest development in a particular country;

- Organize joint events, including preparation and implementation;- Address any issues/problems encountered;- Provide recommendations to sustainability strategy beyond 4-years implementation process

- Analyze reasons of weak, late or no implementation of some activities in the work plan and provide feedback

National PAGE Coordinator

The National Coordinator is a consultant usually hired by the PAGE lead agency and is based in a PAGE country to coordinate all activities on behalf of all PAGE agencies with national and local-level partners and respective lead UN agency, and to support the work of the National Institutions. The Coordinator is responsible for facilitating the implementation of the agreed work plan, for organizing workshops and establishing relations with key stakeholders. He/she reports to the lead UN agency’s focal point, based either in the country or headquarters level. The Coordinator is also responsible for providing the first drafts of key documentation, such as the inception report, the country programme document, and the annual progress report.

Sample TOR for National Coordinator is attached as Annex to the current manual.

The graphic below describes below describes the implementation on national level.

3 Selection of PAGE CountriesThis section describes the process of selecting PAGE partner countries.

Below we provide main elements of country selection. More comprehensive information is provided in the PAGE Application Form and Guidance Note on PAGE website.

3.1 Criteria for Selection

The criteria for selecting countries for PAGE engagement are the following:

1. Demonstrated high-level support and commitment of key ministries, evidence of inter-ministerial coordination, a written expression of interest, and a clear demand for technical assistance;

2. Identified linkages between potential national activities to be carried out through PAGE and relevant national planning processes, as well as United Nations Development Assistance Frameworks (UNDAFs);

3. Presence and/or existing activities of the five PAGE agencies in the country and agencies’ capacity to respond, including through complementary programming such as PEI;

4. Regional balance and inclusion of both larger and smaller economies.5. Positive results of the survey of capacity of national counterparts to join the

programme;6. Availability of some legal and financial and financial mechanisms essential for

successful programme implementation

Given that a limited number of countries can be selected in any given application cycle, not all countries meeting the minimum criteria may be accepted. These countries will be considered for selection in the next application cycle without needing to reapply unless country circumstances change significantly.

3.2 Application Process

The application form (included in the website) comprises four sections to be completed by the applicant countries taking into account their national situation and governance structure. Supporting letters and documents must be enclosed in the application dossier.

The PAGE Secretariat with support of Agencies and Technical Team provides necessary advice and recommendations to relevant Government bodies to go through application process from the beginning till the official submission of the application documents for review and approval.

3.3 Country Selection

Based on the country selection criteria, all the country applications will be reviewed by the PAGE Management Board biannually. The process comprises the following steps:

1. Interested countries contact the PAGE Secretariat to express initial interest and seek guidance on the preparation of their application;

2. Interested countries submit their application;3. The application is screened by the Secretariat to determine if it meets the selection

criteria;4. The PAGE Technical Team reviews the application and seeks formal advice from the

UN Resident Coordinator, as well as relevant regional and country offices. It seeks the advice of the PAGE Donor Steering Committee. It then makes a recommendation to the PAGE Management Board.

5. The PAGE Management Board reviews the application and makes a final decision;6. The final decision is communicated to the applicant country by the Secretariat.

4 Planning and Budgeting This section describes the different planning and budgeting processes and tools that are used under PAGE and gives practical guidance on how to apply them.

4.1 Global Planning and Budgeting

4.1.1 Global Results Framework for PAGE

The central document outlining the PAGE results-based framework at the global level is the PAGE programme document. It provides the basis for overall PAGE programme planning and monitoring. The generic PAGE programme document is translated into concrete activities through the annual PAGE work plans and related budgets. Planning is done in consideration of the activities of other complimentary initiatives and programmes. The Operational Strategy 2016-2020 provides further details on this cooperation.

PAGE has created the documents below in support of results framework.

1. PAGE Global Logical FrameworkAs an Annex to Operational Strategy the purpose of the document is to list in a structured way the impact, overall outcome, four main outcomes, outputs, indicators, sources and factors of PAGE.

2. Indicators reference sheet

The purpose of the reference sheet is to:

- develop specific indicators for the outcomes and outputs that were agreed for the PAGE programme

- provide descriptions, unit measures for each indicators etc., and progress notes

- establish a baseline for the indicators for 2 years

- record the target that will be achieved by end of 2-year period

- develop the targets for the future period.

4.1.2 PAGE Operational Strategy 2016-2020

This Strategy has been created by partner agencies in 2015 to reflect a “shared vision of how PAGE will evolve and grow to serve more countries. The Strategy builds on the original 2013 programme document, the recommendations provided in the PAGE Inception Review, and the lessons learned from the two years of PAGE operations”.

The Operational Strategy presents the PAGE approach to engaging with countries nationally and globally, an outline of PAGE objectives and principles, the process of change to which PAGE contributes, and the link to the global sustainability agenda. It also describes the PAGE strategy for 2016-2020 and beyond, including plans for growing the Partnership and extending the PAGE offer to more countries. The Strategy then presents plans for global services and for strengthening the PAGE Secretariat, as well as the resource requirements for supporting PAGE operations during the period. PAGE exit plan explains arrangements for ensuring continuation of IGE work beyond the period of direct support by PAGE Trust Fund. The major elements of this “sustainability strategy” are building local multistakeholder partnerships, individual and institutional capacity, and domestic resource mobilization around IGE and 2030 Agenda.

Finally, it provides an overview of PAGE financing, partnerships and communications plans, as well as efforts to evaluate impact and incorporate lessons learned into future plans for more robust and results-oriented actions.

4.1.3 Global Annual PAGE Budget

In Operational Strategy for 2016-2020 It is estimated that annual budget for 20 countries will be USD 500,000. It is based on initial experience from first countries and may vary from country to country based on their preparedness level and other relevant elements.

The provisional plan for global activities is to be prepared and it includes the following elements:

- Global activities for each outcome with the name of Agency responsible for implementation;

- Description of the activity;- Estimated budget

It is to be noted that budget may be divided into several parts covering from 6 months to one year as this is estimation and may change based on actual allocation from donors.

4.1.4 Global Operating Plans

The Operating Plans are prepared based on Operational Strategy 2016-2020 and global annual PAGE budget. The following steps below to be followed in this process:

- Management board meeting to agree on allocations for the year;- All agencies send inputs for proposed inputs and allocation for country budgets and global

activities;- PAGE Secretariat compiles first draft Operating Plan and circulate to technical team for

feedback and update based on feedback;- Management Board considers the updated plan with overall allocations to countries and

activities;- Agencies works on detailed budgets for global activities and implementation modalities,

share and discuss with PAGE Secretariat;- Inter-agency agreements developed for allocation of new funding.

4.2 National Planning and Budgeting

4.2.1 Inception Phase Planning

• Country level planning starts with an inception phase, including a scoping mission conducted by the PAGE partner agencies in the country. The purpose of the inception phase is to plan, in consultation with the national authorities and partners, the technical support to be provided under PAGE. Key elements of the inception phase are stock-taking and initial analysis. It also includes a review of activities that the five PAGE partners already have implemented or are currently implementing in the country. Particular emphasis is placed on thorough planning and organization of the inception phase with sufficient resources dedicated to the field-level work, as the exercise creates the basis for all upcoming PAGE activities for several years.

• Following the scoping mission, the respective UN lead agency coordinates the development of an initial country work plan, with specific work streams defined with related budgets and lead agencies. The shape and depth of the document depends on the specific circumstances in each country. This first work plan can include activities which provide additional policy analysis but can also include activities related to capacity building or start-up activities for specific sectorial work.

• Based on the initial work plan, the lead agency together with national PAGE Agency focal points and the National Coordinator and other country actors develop a results-based framework, including outputs and performance indicators with baselines, targets, means of verification and frequency of reporting, providing the basic reference for monitoring of results in the future. This is done in coordination with existing UN programmes through the UNRC and UN Country Teams.

• Based on the results of the inception phase, a National PAGE Inception Report/Project Document is released, providing a framework for future country-level work. The document will specify if a country already moves to specific policy design and implementation activities (PAGE Output 2) or if it focuses on stakeholder mobilization and macro-economic analysis (PAGE Output 1) or a combination of the two. The timeframes covered by these planning documents are flexible according to the country context and are aligned with PAGE funding sources and the national planning cycle, usually covering a period of 3-5 years, outlining the higher level medium-term outcomes.

• The results-based framework will be included in a National PAGE Inception Report/Project Document which is the framework for the country level work, but the shape and depths of the document also depend on the specific situation of a country. In some countries there is a need to develop a reference document for all actors from the very beginning; in other countries, partners can take the work plan as the main reference. However, regardless of its type and shape, as a minimum requirement, a results-based framework and a medium-term work plan should provide the basis for periodic monitoring.

• In certain cases, the country documents and work plans are signed by PAGE partners and the main national government counterparts.

• The Inception Report/Project Document may provide the basis for a more structured Country Programme Document. Such documents are usually linked to Joint National-UN programming.

4.2.2 Multi-year National PAGE Programme Following the completion of inception phase planning PAGE Partner Agency and relevant Government Agency starts discussions on multi-year programme. Ideally it should cover 4-

years period as mentioned in Operational Strategy 2016-2020. This process includes the following steps and topics;

- Lead Agency together with NC, National Focal Point, Government Agency and other relevant actors develops a programmatic results-based framework, which includes outputs and performance indicators, baselines and targets;

- Short document on specific work streams;

- Goal and objectives of programme;

- Division of responsibility of key actors;

- Budgetary and resource mobilization considerations;

- Other elements important to parties.

The proposed structure of national PAGE program can be found in an Annex to Operational Strategy 2016-2020 document.

4.2.3 Annual Country Work Plans and Budgets

The following steps are taken with regard to preparation of annual country work plans and budgets:

- The Management Board provides an initial estimation of funding;- The draft work plan is to be discussed with relevant Government agencies, national

focal points, NSC and UN lead agency to make sure that the plan is coherent with national priorities;

- This is the stage where NC and focal point make sure that plan is incorporated into the plan of Government Agency (Government ownership;

- Following this process Management Board review and approve work plan and budgets;

- Country groups discusses prioritization of activities, seeking for alternative funding, if needed;

- PAGE Partner Agency and Government Agency signs agreement on work plan and budget, including implementation modality (national or direct execution);

- PAGE Secretariat provides funding.

The process above is general and may slightly change based on the multi-year plan agreed during preparation of multi-year plan

5 Financial Management and ReportingThis section provides guidance on the technicalities of how funds are managed within PAGE, from the reception of funds by UNEP to the transfer to PAGE partners. It also explains procedures in terms of financial and narrative reporting.

5.1 Financial Management and Reporting at the Global Level

5.1.1 Global PAGE Trust Fund

A Global PAGE Trust Fund has been established by UNEP to support activities of PAGE. The Fund was approved by the UNEP Governing Council in February 2013. UNEP is responsible for the management of the Trust Fund, including the recording of incoming contributions, as well as correspondence with and reporting to donor governments, with inputs, as required, from other partner agencies. Funds from the Trust Fund will be deployed to meet the deliverables of PAGE. Funds administered in the PAGE Trust Fund are provided to partner agencies for activities to be implemented under their lead following a decision of the Management Board. Incoming contributions are recorded in the UNEP sub-account established for the Trust. Following a specific request by a donor to make a financial contribution to PAGE, which does not go to the PAGE Trust Fund, this contribution can be received by any of the founding partners on a separate account. These contributions will be considered as contributions to PAGE if they fund activities specified in the work plan and are agreed by the Management Board. These supporting resources will be known as “Tier 2” resources.Activities undertaken by one of the founding partners not funded through the Trust Fund nor subject to the decision of the Management Board will not be considered, nor labeled by partners, as PAGE.

5.1.2 UN to UN Interagency AgreementsThese Agreements are usually signed between UNEP as leading PAGE Secretariat and manager PAGE Trust Fund and each partner Agency as leading agency in PAGE countries on an annual basis. These Agreements are legal basis for transferring funds from Trust Fund to the Agency for the implementation of approved activities in PAGE countries during particular year. Each Agreement should reflect purpose, expected outcomes, dates of narrative and financial reporting by agency, budget for each outcome and list of activities. Any changes to the document, including prolongation to the subsequent year, can be done

through Amendment. In case of UNEP no agreement is needed as funds are already in UNEP PAGE subaccount.

Sample Agreement is attached as Annex to manual.

5.1.3 Narrative Agency Reports

Reporting of Global Outputs

For the capacity building activities under the Output 3, the focal points of the lead agencies ILO and UNITAR, are responsible for compiling the information and providing it to the Secretariat. This concern the progress made regarding the Green Economy Academy and the online training courses, for instance. For Output 4, all responsible agencies compile the information relevant for knowledge creation and sharing and communications, and send it to the Secretariat accordingly.

Reporting of National OutputsConcerning the Outputs 1 and 2, i.e. the identification, formulation and implementation of country-level green economy policies, the National Coordinators and lead Agency are responsible for ensuring that annual reporting and monitoring take place in their respective countries. For this reporting exercise they should work closely with the Chairman of the National Steering/Inter-Ministerial Committee. NCs gather progress data on each individual work stream defined in the country work plan, and compile this information into a report on progress with respect to the results-based framework. The coordinators are supported by the respective focal points in the UN lead agency and the agency focal points in country (if available), who should ensure the quality and relevance of the information reported and guide the national counterparts accordingly. The reports from all PAGE countries are ultimately consolidated by the PAGE Secretariat.

Both reports should be prepared based on PAGE Global Logical Framework (LogFrame, Annex to Operational Strategy 2016-2020) referring to relevant indicators.

As the PAGE aims to gradually increase the country ownership of the operations and activities, it is expected that the national actors, especially the Chairpersons of the National Steering or Inter-Ministerial Committees, are eventually able to take over the responsibility of monitoring and reporting national activities on a regular basis.

Sample of reports are attached as an Annex to Manual.

5.1.4 Financial Agency Reports

Partner Agency is to provide UNEP with financial reports on a yearly basis. As per UN to UN Interagency Agreement these are: interim financial report for previous year (March following year), and final financial statements (30 May). Additional reporting during the year might be required depending on the funding source.

The Agency prepares report in accordance with Agency financial regulations, rules, policies and procedures and provides to Secretariat. The report should differentiate allocations and, therefore, expenses for funds provided by different donors,. Reporting should follow the template provided in the original Agreement and include financial information on expenditures in in-kind contributions.

Templates are attached as Annex to Manual.

5.1.5 Annual PAGE Reports to Donors

The overall progress of the national PAGE programme will be monitored by the PAGE Secretariat under the leadership of the PAGE Technical Team. During the first quarter of each year, the Secretariat prepares a consolidated annual report for the previous year depicting technical progress in terms of planned activities and outputs (narrative report). Based on agency-specific report on financial progress, the PAGE Secretariat will then prepare a consolidated financial report for the programme.Templates of reports are attached as Annex to Manual

5.2 Financial Management and Reporting at the Country Level

5.2.1 Execution of Country ActivitiesThe PAGE country is implementing activities in line with agreed and approved workplan. It is done by National Coordinator, NSC and lead partner Agency for this country. Execution modality is to be chosen by lead agency based on local criteria and discussions at the national level.

Direct ExecutionThis modality usually follows rules and regulations of the lead agency and is done by them directly. In general it means that payments are done for each activity by the Agency through their office in PAGE country and, therefore, keeps full control under lead agency. In case of no local presence payment can be done through local UNDP offices taking its worldwide presence.

Sub-contracting of National Institutions

In some countries with strong national institutions and availability of solid financial government financial management system, NI can be subcontracted for the implementation and National Coordinator works directly with them.

5.2.2 Narrative Country ReportsThere are two reports done during the year: progress report (around June) and annual (January). The country reports follow the same rules as agency reports and being prepared in country by National Coordinator and relevant body (NSC) following the template provided.

5.2.3 Financial Country ReportsFinancial reports are also follow the same procedures as narrative reports.

6 Monitoring and Evaluation This section provides guidance on procedures for monitoring and evaluation, including the global mid-term evaluation and evaluation of results at national level.

6.1 Global Level

M&E of activities funded under the PAGE Trust Fund shall be undertaken in accordance with the provisions contained in the PAGE programme document and work plan. M&E should be approved by the PAGE Management Board and be consistent with the respective regulations, rules and procedures of the PAGE partners.

Under the direction of the PAGE Management Board, an M&E system will be developed to monitor and evaluate the PAGE outputs in terms of results and effectiveness. PAGE indicators - as specified in the PAGE programme document and related work plan - will be used to measure results and progress of implementation of PAGE activities.

In addition, the PAGE Management Board may commission periodic independent lesson-learnt and review exercise relating to the programmatic aspects of PAGE in accordance with agreed evaluation guidelines. Periodic evaluations of PAGE, such as mid-term and final reviews, will be carried out independently. The terms of reference of the evaluations will be developed by the management board in close consultation with the donor steering committee. The selection of the independent evaluation team will be undertaken in agreement with both the management board and the donor steering committee. More specific details of the review and evaluation process and follow-up actions will be defined by the Management Board in consultation with the Donor Steering Committee.

A mandatory medium-term evaluation of PAGE is planned for 2016. Outputs 1 and 2 are country level whereas outputs 3 and 4 are global and all of them should be evaluated separately but complimentary manner. Evaluation process must be credible, independent, impartial and transparent and will also assess the relevance, efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of PAGE results and their contribution to achieving national priorities and informed decision-making and knowledge generation.

6.2 National LevelNational activities are monitored against the respective country work plans and the respective results-based frameworks for each country. The progress is assessed against programme outputs, planned milestones, deliverables and associated performance indicators, with means of verification, frequency of data collection and timeframes.

7 Communication and Document ManagementThis section provides practical instructions on how PAGE partners contribute to communication and outreach, as well as on where to store and find key documents.

7.1 Communication at the Global LevelCommunication strategy document has been developed in 2014 to provide the maximum exposure of PAGE and its activities. By having this impact of PAGE can go beyond the countries directly involved in partnership and influence, support and promote action towards a green economy throughout the world. PAGE will achieve this through numerous communications outputs divided into three categories: printed materials, online materials and face-to-face activities

7.1.1 Global PAGE WebsiteA Green Economy Initiative’s website (www.un-page.org) was created to highlight PAGE news and events, partners and progress made. The website is being managed by PAGE secretariat which is responsible to update it regularly by placing regularly relevant information, i.e. newsletters from partners and countries, outreach materials, annual reports, brochures, event information, web stories and any other news. The website also hosts the PAGExchange (online forum for sharing IGE stories) which is currently under development. The PAGExchange is a dynamic, visual presentation of country action and initiatives and also a main forum through which non-PAGE countries can share their initiatives, policies, success stories and lessons related to the advancements of inclusive and green economies within the Partnership. It has been displayed at a numerous events, including PAGE conference, The United Nations Environment Assembly and the Small Island developing states conference.

Partners and NCs are responsible to provide to the PAGE secretariat the documents and information above timely so that website will be kept up-to-date. The website also has public interface where all interested can go and get information on green economy initiative and PAGE. Specific information relevant to PAGE only (technical and financial reports, strategy etc.) can be accessed by PAGE partners, NCs and NSCs only and protected by password. Each country has its space on the website for documents and information, including those translated into local language of the country.

7.1.2 Social Media PAGE’s social media strategy has three objectives.

1 – To create awareness of the green economy concept, the benefits to transitioning to a green economy, actions countries are already taking in the transition to a green economy and actions and activities taking place within the PAGE project.

This means that the PAGE social media accounts will be a location for sharing information about green economy from all sources, not just PAGE. It will share information from non-PAGE countries and organizations with the aim of highlighting the significant amount of activity and action that is occurring around the world. A broad approach to social media will also allow us to support the actions of our partners, organizations and other projects working on green economy.

2 – To communicate with the global public to help collect stories and examples of Green Economy around the world.

On occasion, social media will be used to reach out to the general public for their participation. This may include asking for their perceptions and observations of green economy in their country or requesting assistance in reviewing publications. This use of social media is new to UNEP ETB, and so it may take a while to ensure we have the right platform, reaching the right audience and receiving the contributions that are most helpful, however this aspect of social media is worth pursuing as it can be a very powerful tool to ensure public acceptance of policy change.

3 – To support and consolidate all other communication efforts.

This means that social media will be used to announce PAGE and partner news as well as to publicize PAGE events and publications. It will be written in simple language designed for the non-expert, non-technical audience.

Facebook

UNEP Green Economy Facebook page is used for PAGE information to stimulate interest and conversation. Global and country news, major events, public information and subscription invitation is usually included there and managed by PAGE Secretariat.

Twitter

Twitter is used as the primary output for all PAGE social media news, and commentary, particularly during live events. PAGE Twitter account: @PAGEXchange. At present PAGE is using the UNEP Green Economy Initiative’s Facebook account, however if there is a evident need, a PAGE account will be created.

Initially, PAGE has a Twitter account and a Facebook account, however other social media platforms may be used in the future depending on demand and need.

7.1.3 Document ManagementDuring last two years the PAGE has developed many documents, such as Brochure presenting the PAGE offer and translated into languages of PAGE countries, annual reports, press releases, different guidance manuals and research reports, donor pack and many others. Therefore, it is very important to have proper website management to have a simple and user-friendly system for target audience. PAGE Secretariat as website manager is responsible to upload relevant documents.

7.2 Communication at the National Level

7.2.1 National Press Releases and In Focus StoriesNational Press Releases are to be prepared by NCs every month, discussed with lead agency and submitted to PAGE Secretariat to be placed on the website. The document should be a summary of all activities of PAGE in the country during the months, such as:

- Events that took place with description, photos, results if any;

– Government news related to green economy initiative, including information in media

7.2.2 National WebpagesI suggest to delete that since as I understood it is now in Peru only and nobody mentioned that it is really needed to have them