AGD Learning Journal - English - Module 2 Ver 10 - 8 June 2015

UNHCR/J.
Tanner
AGD Learning Journal (Englsih) Module 2 ver 10 (changes accepted)
- 8 June 2015.docx 2 http://learn.unhcr.org
Table of contents
1. How to use this journal ........................................................................................................... 4

2. What is in this learning journal? ............................................................................................. 5
3. What we do to integrate the AGD approach? ........................................................................ 6
4. Collecting disaggregated data ................................................................................................. 7
5. Using a participatory approach ............................................................................................... 8
6. Putting persons of concern at the heart of operational planning ........................................ 11
Applying the AGD lens ........................................................................................................... 11
Applying the community-based approach ............................................................................ 15
7. Identifying targeted actions .................................................................................................. 18
8. Promoting a multifunctional team approach........................................................................ 23
9. Accountability for AGD .......................................................................................................... 25
What is the AGD accountability framework?........................................................................ 25
How does the reporting help? .............................................................................................. 27
10. The Operational Management Cycle ................................................................................. 29
11. Key points ........................................................................................................................... 33

1. How to use this journal
This learning journal has been written to form part of the Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD)
approach e-learning course.
You can use it in different ways:
 Work through the e-learning course and study the sections here that relate to the activities
in the e-learning.
 Read this journal then try the activities in the e-learning.
 Complete the e-learning then study this journal.
It does not matter how you do it – choose the method that suits you best.
The value of working with others

Do not think you have to do this on your own. In fact, you will get the most out of this course if
you talk about it with colleagues. This learning journal asks you to make notes about AGD issues
that you see in your working life. Discuss these questions with your colleagues and make a note
of what you talk about.
This is actually the best way to learn!
Taking notes
There are spaces in this journal for you to make notes about your own experiences. Please do
take the time to do these activities – they will really help you to learn more about the AGD
approach.

2. What is in this learning journal?
This module looks at practical things we can do to integrate age, gender and diversity issues
into all our work.
After working through the e-learning module and this journal, you will be able to:
 analyse your work setting in an AGD-sensitive way
 identify where you should take targeted actions
 integrate an AGD approach into your own work.

3. What we do to integrate the AGD approach?
We have six main ways in which we can integrate the AGD approach into our programming. We
need to:
1. Collect disaggregated data
2. Use a participatory approach to collect and analyse information
3. Put persons of concern at the heart of operational planning
4. Identify where we need targeted actions to address specific protection gaps
5. Promote a multifunctional team (MFT) approach
6. Hold staff accountable for mainstreaming and targeted actions.
The AGD approach applies to all persons of concern: asylum-seekers, refugees, returnees,
stateless and internally displaced persons.

4. Collecting disaggregated data
Disaggregated data means data that is broken down by age groups, sex and diversity. This
includes both statistics and information on protection gaps.
We need to have AGD disaggregated data to ensure that we have a more realistic overview of
the protection situation. Collecting and analysing disaggregated data helps us to understand
more clearly the needs and resources of persons of concern.
There are a number of different ways to obtain disaggregated data:
 You can analyse existing data, collected through registration, household surveys, or
censuses, studies conducted by others such as Government, universities, other
organisations, or our own FOCUS indicators.
 You may also wish to commission research on specific topics that may come out of
participatory, or other, assessments.
An example in Senegal
Participatory assessments have made updated sex and other disaggregated data available.
This has improved our analysis of protection gaps and helped us to implement targeted actions
for groups with specific needs. Better data has supported:
 the design of targeted actions to support those with specific needs through livelihoods
support and health insurance schemes
 carrying out advocacy activities that have led to an agreement helping urban refugees with
specific needs to access local social welfare services.
What disaggregated data do you use in your duty station? What gaps do you think there might
be? What could you do to address these gaps? Make a note of your thoughts here.

5. Using a participatory approach
Using a participatory approach and undertaking regular participatory assessments with women,
girls, boys and men of all ages and backgrounds ensures that we develop a comprehensive and
sustainable protection response.
Instead of making decisions on behalf of persons of concern, when we follow a participatory
approach, we:
 listen to what they tell us
 facilitate discussions so that they themselves can identify their priorities and contributions
 draw on their knowledge and skills
 give feedback on what the outcomes of these discussions are in terms of changes to
practices, actual results and on-going processes.
To use a participatory approach effectively, you must:
 follow a participatory approach from the very beginning of a programme or an emergency
 carry out regular assessments with women, girls, boys and men of all ages and backgrounds
 systematically evaluate the outcomes of discussions in partnership with them.
Here are some examples of how we have used the participatory approach in different settings.
Nepal
We facilitate discussions so that persons of concern themselves can identify their priorities
and contributions
A participatory assessment was carried in Nepal in preparation for the development of the
Country Operation Plan.
The initial participatory assessments identified substance abuse as an ongoing problem. As a
result, a further 42 participatory assessments on this topic were carried out with 600 persons of
concern. These involved seven groups from various backgrounds (minors, adults, elderly, police
force, camp management, and the host community). This was followed by three days of
analysis with partners.
We listen to what persons of concern tell us

The participatory assessments explored the perceptions of the community on substance abuse,
impact on the community and potential solutions, including rehabilitation facilities.

Issues for men and women were similar, but substance abuse differed by age, with younger
children sniffing glue, young adults using cannabis, and adults using alcohol.
Substance abuse was found to cause domestic violence, neglect of children, dropping out of
school and an unsafe environment in the camp.
We draw on persons of concern's knowledge and skills

Participatory assessment groups suggested developing an Action Plan. This led to the formation
of a Substance Abuse Task Force with 63 members, of which 45 % are women. The Task Force
defines some of its duties as being to:
 observe and monitor any suspected substance abuse happening in the camps
 offer counselling to abusers and their families
 refer complex cases to professionals
 help schools form support groups
 report progress and developments to UNHCR and other interested bodies.
As insiders, the Task Force finds it much easier to achieve results and help people abusing to
pull back and reclaim their previous lives.
Zambia
We give feedback on the outcomes of discussions. UNHCR organised feedback sessions with
refugees to share participatory assessment findings and to inform them about measures to be
taken immediately.
UNHCR then held monthly information sessions on registration, resettlement, voluntary
repatriation and assistance in each of the four outreach centres in the urban area to get more
information.
These sessions gave a better understanding of:
 the urban refugees’ situation
 what protection challenges they faced
 who was at heightened risk.
Gabon
As a result of a participatory assessment, a ‘comité de quartier’ or neighbourhood committee
was established. This helped to:
 improve relationships between refugees and host communities, including local authorities
 reduce harassments by law enforcement authorities
 improve access for refugees to livelihood opportunities.

The participatory assessment also helped refugees to get actively involved in programme
design and monitoring and improved the identification of individuals at risk. This direct
involvement also helped to target assistance, especially to young mothers, and reduced the
rate of forced prostitution.
The Participatory Assessment Tool

UNHCR’s Participatory Assessment Tool explains how to work with groups and communities to
carry out meaningful participatory assessments.
UNHCR has also developed a related manual for conducting participatory assessment with
children and adolescents. This helps UNHCR branch and field offices and partners carry out
participatory assessments with children and adolescents.
For more information, take a look at:

UNHCR Tool for Participatory Assessment in Operations
Listen and Learn: Participatory Assessment with Children and Adolescents
The Heightened Risk Identification Tool

To help identify individuals whose protections risks are possibly higher, UNHCR has developed
the Heightened Risk Identification Tool. This has a set of questions that we can ask in order to
find out more about a person’s situation. These questions highlight AGD-related concerns and
protection risks.

Heightened Risk Identification Tool

6. Putting persons of concern at the heart of
operational planning
If we take the age, gender and diversity of the persons of concern population into account, and
plan, implement and monitor our activities on that basis, we are putting these people at the
heart of our operational planning.
The better we are at analysing a situation, a segment of a population, a group or an individual
from an age, gender and diversity perspective, the better we can develop results based
programming.
Apply the AGD

lens
Implement Design inclusive

protection and accessible
solutions responses
There are three elements to putting persons of concern at the centre of operational planning:
 Applying the AGD lens to all that we do.
 Designing responses to be inclusive and accessible.
 Working with communities to implement protection solutions.
Before you move on here, it would be useful to watch the video in the e-learning course about
Kurdish people arriving in Turkey. This video and the exercises that follow it will help you
understand more about these three elements.
Applying the AGD lens

The first module in this course introduced the idea of the AGD lens: a way of looking at things
so that we can better analyse the different parts of the protection environment and be more
responsive to our persons of concern. This will make what we do inclusive, accessible and
appropriately targeted. This in turn ensures that our work has a greater and more sustainable
impact.

An example in Mozambique
After looking at the situation through an AGD lens in a participatory assessment, the following
protection responses were taken to fill identified gaps:
 Emergency services at the health centre were established and medicines that were not
available at the government health centre were procured.
 Coverage of secondary school students was increased and transport allowances provided
(leading to 100% school enrolment).
 Three additional classrooms at the primary school were constructed and additional units at
the vocational training centre were built.
 An office for refugee leaders were built and a kindergarten was rehabilitated.
 Two additional boreholes and 100 family latrines were built.
 The full ration food basket was increased from 10kg to 11kg.
 Problems for women obtaining birth certificates were solved, the government now issues
birth certificates in the camp once a month.
An example in Montenegro
After using the AGD lens in participatory assessments:
 funds were increased for families and individuals at risk and who could not obtain essential
documents
 insulation of houses in one settlement was improved
 a project to upgrade the entire settlement was presented to a possible donor.
The e-learning asks you to watch a video and analyse what you see from an age, gender and
diversity perspective
Watch the film and then answer these questions.
1. Who is constructing the shelters?

2. What are the potential implications of this?
3. Who is taking care of older persons, persons with disabilities and children?
4. Who has access to the food?
6. Who is accessing services provided?

How has the AGD lens been used in your duty station? What actions to improve things have
been taken as a result?
Or do you think the lens has not been used? If so, why not?
What could you do to ensure that findings are used?
Whatever you think, make a note of it here.
Again think about your own operation and experience. Do you see systems operating that are
only accessible to a part of the population due to their age, gender and/or diversity? If so, make
a note of this here.
What was the system?
Who is or was excluded?
What could have been different?

Applying the community-based approach
When looking for sustainable solutions to protection gaps, it is essential to work with the
persons of concern’s communities.
In urban, camp, non-advocacy and advocacy-based operations, using a community-based
approach means that we work in partnership with persons of concern during all stages of
UNHCR’s programme cycle. We recognize people’s resilience, capacities, skills and resources,
and see ourselves as temporary, external facilitators who will eventually pull out and leave.
We look to help persons of concern to work with each other and partners, government and
other relevant people or groups to share ideas, skills, strengths and resources.
This will improve community-based protection and advocacy and recognises the limits of
UNHCR support.

A Community Based Approach in UNHCR’s Operations
An example in Costa Rica

After protection gaps for older persons were identified, the ‘Amigos de Oro’ (the golden
friends) group was created to provide an inclusive and friendly forum for older refugees to
share their feelings, ideas and experiences regarding their displacement.
The group identified a lack of social support networks and other obstacles to achieving self-
sufficiency. Employment opportunities were also scarce.
The group now plans to create micro-enterprises including handicrafts, sewing and dressmaking
and a basic computer skills course. Funds from the enterprise will go to those members in
urgent need. The group has also organized activities to support older persons’ integration into
their host society.
Amigos de Oro is acquiring legal status as an autonomous group so that it is better placed to
lobby for support and participate with other organizations.
An example in Yemen
Here UNHCR uses a community-based approach with the refugee community living in urban
areas.
Committees, which ensure 50% women’s representation, were created to address problems
using mechanisms such as community mobilisers and outreach workers. Women also
established their own small projects through loans provided by local partners, and take literacy
classes to increase their chances of obtaining employment and respect within their society.

In addition, an early intervention program for children with disabilities was set up in which
outreach workers train mothers and teach them how to help their children. Persons with
disabilities have also established their own committee in Aden and the camp in order to
identify persons with disabilities, disseminate information, conduct awareness campaigns and
refer individuals to relevant services.
What examples have you seen of a community-based approach in action? Describe them here.
Can you think of how the idea could be used more effectively in your operation?
Observing the rights-based approach

We are also putting people at the heart of what we do by following the Rights-Based Approach
(RBA). This approach is based on two principles:
 Women, men, girls and boys of concern are rights-holders with legal rights to protection
and assistance as opposed to having to rely on the goodwill of those who may or may not
wish to offer humanitarian, or other, assistance.
 The state is the primary duty-bearer, with a responsibility to do what is necessary to allow
individuals to exercise their rights.
This gives UNHCR staff three key obligations:
 We need to shift our attitudes so that we see persons of concern as rights-holders with
legal entitlements, not as our beneficiaries.
 We need to strengthen the capacities of persons of concern as rights-holders to claim their
rights.
 We need to strengthen the capacities of the duty-bearers to be able to satisfy those claims.

What examples have you seen of a rights-based approach in action? Describe them here.
Can you think of how the idea could be used more effectively in your operation?

7. Identifying targeted actions
An age, gender and diversity analysis will help us identify where we need to take targeted
actions to address inequality and discrimination, and improve protection of people with specific
needs.
Regular assessments allow us to see who within a community is particularly discriminated
against or is being stopped from exercising their rights. We can then analyse the factors causing
this and take appropriate action. If we do this regularly, we can take changes in the situation
into consideration and adapt our planning and programming.
Adopt a twin-track approach to addressing the needs of specific groups:
 Design all responses to be inclusive and accessible by everybody
 Within the broader operational plan include targeted actions to address the specific needs
Below we consider certain groups of persons of concern and explore some targeted actions
that may be appropriate. But remember that within each group there will be diversity and that
not everybody in a particular group faces the same protection risks.
Older persons
When displaced, older people have the same basic needs as others, but may also need targeted
support. Older women and men are less mobile; their mental capacities may diminish; they
may have chronic health problems and specific nutritional needs. They may be at heightened
risk of violence, exploitation by family members, and discrimination. Older people are often
excluded from assistance because humanitarian actors do not register their presence.
We need to:
 Consult and involve older women and men in decision-making and leadership structures.
Give them opportunities to voice their opinion and participate in the design, assessment,
monitoring and evaluation of activities in order to meet their needs.
 Assist staff to understand, recognize and support the capacities of older people and the
contributions they make to their families and communities.
 Make sure that the design of shelters, distribution systems and services are age-friendly

Working with Older Persons in Forced Displacement

Persons with disabilities
Persons with disabilities experience difficulty in moving, hearing, seeing, communicating or

learning. They are at heightened risk of violence, including sexual and domestic abuse; exploitation
by family members; discrimination; and exclusion from access to humanitarian assistance,
education, livelihoods, health care, a nationality, and other services.
Targeted actions could include:
 Consult and involve persons with disabilities in decision making, programming, and leadership,
giving them the means to voice their opinion and participate in the design, assessment,
monitoring, and evaluation of activities.
 Include them in educational or health support, livelihood training

 Ensure that offices, outreach services and distributions are accessible and inclusive to
persons with disabilities.
 Provide information and training to persons with disabilities, their families and caregivers
on how to recognise, prevent and report instances of violence, exploitation and abuse.

Working with Persons with Disabilities in Forced Displacement
Children and adolescent boys and girls

The Framework on the Protection of Children defines six goals:
 ensure that girls and boys are safe where they live, learn and play
 ensure children’s participation and capacities in protection
 provide access for girls and boys to child-friendly procedures
 obtain legal documentation for girls and boys
 provide targeted support for girls and boys with specific needs
 achieve durable solutions for girls and boys that reflect their best interests

A Framework for the Protection of Children
Field Handbook for the Implementation of UNHCR BID Guidelines
UNHCR Education Strategy, 2012-2016

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex (LGBTI) people
Targeted actions could include:
 raising awareness of the common protection challenges that LGBTI people face, and the
distinct risks of each group, in countries of origin, in transit, and in host countries
 conducting awareness raising and training to ensure that all staff and partners are aware of
what is, and is not, appropriate behaviour when working with LGBTI people
 raising awareness with local authorities about LGBTI groups
 providing information in different forms and locations about how and where LGBTI people
can seek assistance
 finding and creating confidential and effective referral systems and partnerships by working
with LGBTI-sensitive NGOs and other relevant service providers to map LGBTI needs
 helping service providers to make their programmes inclusive and accessible to LGBTI
people
 providing guidance and counselling to LGBTI refugees and asylum-seekers.

Working with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex persons in Forced Displacement
Women and girls

UNHCR has set minimum required targeted actions for women and girls. These include:
 ensuring individual registration of and the provision of individual documentation by
national governments to all women and girls of concern
 setting up and maintaining mechanisms to ensure that women of concern are equally and
meaningfully represented in management and decision-making structures
 identifying and actively following up on women whose security is at risk
 taking steps to prevent sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), identifying survivors and
ensuring that they are able to access appropriate and effective support, services and justice
systems
 providing sanitary materials to all women and girls of reproductive age according to set
standards.

UNHCR Handbook for the Protection of Women and Girls
Men and boys

Men and boys also face particular protection risks that need to be targeted:
 Preventing recruitment by armed groups.
 Preventing increased substance abuse and domestic violence
 Making SGBV prevention and response programs inclusive of men and boys who might also
be survivors of SGBV. Develop partnerships with male community groups, youth and
children’s clubs, sports associations, schools, vocational institutions, microfinance clubs and
other organisations.

Working with Men and Boy Survivors of Sexual and Gender-based Violence in Forced
Displacement
National or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities and indigenous groups

People from minorities or indigenous groups who are discriminated against, excluded in some
way or who live in remote places may find it difficult to access services that UNHCR or other
agencies provide.
Targeted actions to support persons of concern at heightened risk include:
 improving access to services such as education, health, legal support or livelihoods, as
necessary
 making information more accessible, by providing translations into minority languages or
through work within their communities
 training programmes for minority and indigenous and majority refugees on the cultures,
traditions and values of the other community/ies.

Working with Minorities and Indigenous Peoples in Forced Displacement
In summary
People are diverse and not everybody in a particular group faces the same protection risks.

We need to be constantly talking to people to learn about how they live so that we can be
analysing their situations adequately, identifying specific protection risks and deciding on what
we need to be doing.
Not all persons with specific needs are at heightened risk. For example, a child with a disability
may be well cared for by parents, or an older person may have full family support.
Keep your AGD lens working at all times, even after identifying a group at heightened risk. For
example, after you start working with persons with disabilities you should continue to make
sure that actions you suggest are AGD-sensitive. For example, have you explored the different
risks facing women or men with disabilities, children or older persons with disabilities or
women from an ethnic minority with a disability?
Finding out more

UNHCR and its partners have developed a number of guides to help you develop targeted
actions. We have listed some of them above, but here are some more to help you:
 Watch the film: ‘Building relationships with communities’: you will find this in Learn &
Connect and read the associated guide ‘Building relationships with communities’
 Need to Know Guidance on Communication (expected in 2013)
 Refugee Children: UNHCR’s Guidelines on Protection and Care
 Action against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence: An Updated Strategy
 UNHCR Manual on Security of Persons of Concern, practical guidance on how to look after
the physical security of all persons of concern
You may also be interested in the UNHCR e-learning courses
 “Sexual and gender-based violence”
 “Creating Safe Learning Environments”
 “Determining the Best Interests of the Child – Basic Principles and Procedures”
 Working with socially excluded groups (available in 2013)
They are available through Learn & Connect.
For additional information and guidance, check the Refworld online database
(http://refworld.org). You can search for key words or browse Special Features, Topics or A-Z
Index to find more materials.

8. Promoting a multifunctional team approach
The aim of the multifunctional team (MFT) approach is to bring together people with different
skills, experiences and perspectives to make sure that we analyse the protection environment
in a more complete and AGD-sensitive way.
A typical MFT will be lead by the country Representative, and as a minimum will include
national and international protection, field, programme and community services staff
It is also a good idea to include external partners, who can be very useful in making sure the
AGD approach works throughout the programme cycle and in external practice.
When we use an MFT, we must make sure that:
 there is on-going team work to organise and carry out participatory assessments
 findings are integrated into planning and practice
 there is regular communication and discussion with persons of concern.
This means that an MFT is not a random group of people brought together once a year to carry
out an annual participatory assessment but a team that works together throughout the year.
For further information on the functions of the MFT:

MFT Terms of Reference
Look at these examples of good MFT practice in the field.
Mozambique
The office in Nampula normally conducts three participatory assessments each year. The
assessments are carried out with both refugees in Maratane camp and those living in Nampula
town.
The MFT includes staff from government line ministries and refugees, and regular training is
provided for new members, coming in to replace people who are transferred to other duty
stations, or in the case of the refuges, are resettled, get jobs outside the camp or otherwise
become self-reliant.
Maratane is a mixed camp, so refugee MFT members are drawn from all nationalities so as to
avoid any friction and make it easier for everyone to contribute positively and freely. The actual
assessment takes two days, and this includes focus group discussions with special groups,
including people living with HIV/AIDs, persons with disabilities, unaccompanied and separated
children and beneficiaries of self-reliance programmes implemented in the camp.

On the third day, the systemized data is presented to the line ministries working in the camp,
before a final presentation to the Directors. They can then address protection gaps in line with
their budget.
MFT groups meet twice a month to plan and review their work and discuss challenges they
meet in order to establish a way forward.
Lebanon
The MFT, together with the Representative, meets weekly to monitor implementation of work
plans and deal with implementation challenges.
They keep records of meetings and share their work plans on the common drive.
They also produce quarterly sit reps that measure progress against planning targets and record
obstacles they have found.
How does your operation use multifunctional teams? Who takes part? What improvements do
you think could be made? Make a note of your thoughts here.

9. Accountability for AGD
The AGD approach brings real benefits to our persons of concern but it is important that we
monitor how well we do it to make sure that we do it effectively.
This is why we have the AGD accountability framework.
What is the AGD accountability framework?

The framework has a checklist of minimum standards for different aspects of age, gender and
diversity. Senior managers and their staff must compare performance in the field against these
regularly in order to assess progress in both process and impact.
This helps us respond to internal and external requests for greater accountability and
leadership from senior managers in making sure that we integrate (sometimes described as
mainstreaming) age, gender and diversity concerns throughout everything we do.
What are the standards?

The standards use a simple check box format to help people monitor their progress towards
achieving four main equality objectives:
 Mainstreaming the UNHCR age, gender and diversity approach.
 Enhancing the protection of women and girls of concern to UNHCR.
 Enhancing the protection of children of concern, including adolescents.
 Enhancing the protection of other persons with specific needs, as set out in UNHCR's Age,
Gender and Diversity Policy1.
Some minimum standards look at leadership processes: for example, ‘I have led the annual
participatory assessment’. Others look at results: ‘I can confirm that sanitary materials have
been provided to all women and girls of reproductive age’.
Each senior management role has its own set of standards. Here is an example of one standard
in the framework for representatives.
1
These include women, men, girls and boys with specific needs and in situations of heightened risk; children, including adolescents; LGBTI
persons; older women and men; persons with disabilities and women and men belonging to national or ethnic, religious and linguistic
minorities or indigenous groups.

You can find all the different frameworks on the AGD Individual Accountability Frameworks
page on the intranet.
Who is expected to complete the framework?

All staff are expected to work towards meeting minimum AGD standards.
Heads of offices and sub-offices have to compile reports for their Country and Regional
Representatives.
The following people have to prepare formal reports:
 Country and Regional Representatives
 Regional Bureaux Directors
 Directors of the Divisions of:
o Programme Support and Management
o International Protection
o Emergency, Security and Supply
o External Relations
o Policy Development and Evaluation Service
o Human Resources Management.
 the Inspector General

 the Assistant High Commissioners for Protection and for Operations
 the Deputy High Commissioner
 the High Commissioner.
Senior managers are required to report back to the Standing Committee on progress in meeting
minimum standards once a year, using the simple check box format. This provides an annual
snapshot that enables UNHCR to measure progress over time, across regions and across HQ.
How does the reporting help?

Regular reporting on progress with using the AGD approach brings real benefits. Here are some
examples.
Malawi
The Representative in Malawi ensures that MFTs are not only truly multi-functional, but also
multicultural and gender-balanced. The Representative keeps regular contact with the team,
team leaders, persons of concern and partners through structured and non-structured
meetings as the best way of giving feedback on results.
Mozambique
Every two months, the Representative visits the refugee camp, 2000 km from their office. They
meet refugee leaders and hold separate meetings at different times with multifunctional
teams, women’s groups, persons with disabilities, the SGBV committee, agriculture committee,
etc.
In all these meetings issues are raised and discussed, priorities and realistic solutions are agreed
and progress is reviewed on actions agreed during previous meetings. Refugees are always told
what can and cannot be done, improving transparency and trust.
The Representative obtained an additional 700,000 USD from the One UN fund. This allocation
not only met outstanding needs but strengthened the harmonious relationship between the
refugee and host Mozambican communities.
Eritrea
The Representative has held regular meetings with refugee leaders to discuss actions taken
against their stated priorities.
By cutting operational and administrative costs, UNHCR Eritrea was able to save funds and
address some AGD priorities, such as buying sewing machines for refugee women with specific
needs.

Sierra Leone
Senior management were involved in the planning, implementation and follow-up of the
participatory assessment exercises that took place in all eight refugee settlements and two
urban locations.
This added value to the whole process and actively involved all actors (government, refugee
leaders, and partners etc.). Monthly co-ordination meetings were organised with all
stakeholders (UNHCR, partners, refugees and others). Feedback on the previous year’s
participatory assessments was one issue they talked about.
Australia
The Regional Office Canberra holds regular consultations with key peak agencies and service
providers that work closely with affected refugee communities in both New Zealand and
Australia.
AGD issues are routinely included in those consultations to ensure a maximum 'cascading'
effect into the planning and strategies of these national agencies.
Malta
The Representative led office discussions on AGD strategies, initiated AGD related internal
training and learning activities, included AGD related chapters in relevant policy and strategy
documents and established focal points within the office. An informal ‘self-audit’ in the office
was initiated using the IGO checklist, which includes numerous elements related to AGD.

10. The Operational Management Cycle
We base our operational planning around the Operations Management Cycle (below). We need
to apply the AGD approach at each stage.
ASSESSMENT
EVALUATION DESIGN
OPERATIONS
MANAGEMENT
MONITORING CYCLE
CONTROL RESOURCE
REPORTING ALLOCATION
IMPLEMENTATION
COORDINATION
The following sections explain how we can do this. Note that you will see references
throughout to many of the practices described earlier in this module
Assessment
In the assessment stage, we need to ensure that we are carrying out participatory assessments
and analysing the overall protection situation from an AGD perspective.
We need to understand how formal and informal institutions work to exclude and disadvantage
certain groups or individuals.
Depending on the context, an operation may concentrate on particular risks and how they
apply to certain groups.
It is important at this stage to use some of the methods described earlier, such as:
 organising and using multifunctional teams
 carrying out assessments using a participatory approach
 collecting disaggregated data.

What do you know about how the assessment stage works in your operation?
Make a note here about how your operation integrates the AGD approach into assessments.
Design
Once we have made a proper assessment of the protection environment, linked risks to certain
groups and individuals and identified capacities, resources and key stakeholders within and
outside of the community, we can decide how to design our programmes.
We use the priorities identified by the MFT, working with the persons of concern, to decide
what needs to go into our plans.
Resource allocation
One of the key challenges to the full implementation of the AGD approach is to make sure that
budget allocations reflect the findings from participatory assessments.
The priorities of different persons of concern, particularly those at heightened risk, should
guide resource allocation, where possible. This will be more effective where we give the
persons of concern the information they need so that they can take part effectively in a
participatory prioritisation and ranking process. They should not be asked to produce a wish-list
but should make informed choices based on a clear understanding of both what UNHCR can do
and what they themselves can contribute.
Where we are not able to meet certain priority needs, we need to explain clearly to the persons
of concern why this is the case. Participatory working reduces the risk of raising expectations
and ensures that persons of concern can themselves contribute to meeting their own needs, as
appropriate.
Implementation and coordination

We need to ensure that we implement our projects carefully so that we do not make existing
inequalities worse and further exclude some individuals and groups.
Implementation needs to reduce causes of exclusion and create fair access to protection and
services for all.

We also need to make sure that our partners are equally committed to following the AGD
approach in their programmes. One way to do this is to include the need to use an AGD
approach as a standard in agreements with partners.
This was done in Armenia. The Representative included a requirement to follow an AGD
approach in the project descriptions with all partners. They also organised refresher sessions
for NGOs on participatory assessments to help them meet their obligations.
In the implementation stage, we also need to reflect on our own age, gender and diversity
understanding and how that affects the implementation of programmes.
Think about how programmes are implemented in your operation?
What are its strengths in terms of AGD?
How could it be improved?
Monitoring, control, reporting

We must set up AGD sensitive benchmarks, standards and indicators so that we can measure
our progress.
For example, how much does an indicator measuring the overall rate of school attendance tell
us? We also need to know about the age, gender and diversity of the students so that we can
focus what we do more carefully.
It is equally important to base our reports on age and sex disaggregated data. We need to
reflect successes and challenges from an AGD perspective in reporting tools such as FOCUS.
This gives senior managers information on the AGD sensitivity of an operation so that they can
make better-informed strategic decisions.

Evaluation
We must evaluate all programmes so that we can see if our efforts are helping all persons of
concern, and particularly those at heightened risk.
The AGD lens is a critical component of an effective evaluation. Make sure that Terms of
Reference state that evaluation teams must use an AGD approach throughout their work. This
means they have to carry out an AGD analysis and involve the persons of concern, unless there
is a clear argument as to why these would not be relevant.
The MFT should intervene at critical points in the evaluation process to make sure it takes
account of age, gender and diversity, e.g. at initial meetings, mid-term review and draft report
stages.
Information from evaluations must be disaggregated.
More information
You can learn more about the Operational Management Cycle in the e-learning course
“Introduction to Results-Based Programme Management”, available through Learn & Connect.

11. Key points
Here are the key points from AGD Module 2 learning journal:
 It is essential to collect disaggregated data, which breaks down the persons of concern
population by age, gender and diversity.
 We should always use a participatory approach when collecting information.
 Putting persons of concern at the heart of operational planning is essential.
 We must always identify where we need to take targeted actions to address protection
gaps.
 Using a multifunctional team (MFT) with people from different backgrounds helps us
identify AGD issues in our assessments and programming.
 There is an accountability framework that helps us monitor how well we are applying the
AGD approach.
 AGD analysis and participatory approach shall be used for all stages of the operation
management, from design and resource allocation to monitoring and evaluation.


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1. How to use this journal ........................................................................................................... 4

AGD Learning Journal (Englsih) Module 2 ver 10 (changes accepted)

The value of working with others

AGD Learning Journal (Englsih) Module 2 ver 10 (changes accepted)

AGD Learning Journal (Englsih) Module 2 ver 10 (changes accepted)

AGD Learning Journal (Englsih) Module 2 ver 10 (changes accepted)

AGD Learning Journal (Englsih) Module 2 ver 10 (changes accepted)

We listen to what persons of concern tell us

AGD Learning Journal (Englsih) Module 2 ver 10 (changes accepted)

We draw on persons of concern's knowledge and skills

AGD Learning Journal (Englsih) Module 2 ver 10 (changes accepted)

The Participatory Assessment Tool

For more information, take a look at:

The Heightened Risk Identification Tool

For more information, take a look at:

AGD Learning Journal (Englsih) Module 2 ver 10 (changes accepted)

Apply the AGD

Implement Design inclusive

Applying the AGD lens

AGD Learning Journal (Englsih) Module 2 ver 10 (changes accepted)

AGD Learning Journal (Englsih) Module 2 ver 10 (changes accepted)

4. Who has access to the food?

5. What are the potential implications of this?

6. Who is accessing services provided?

7. What are the potential implications of this?

AGD Learning Journal (Englsih) Module 2 ver 10 (changes accepted)

Who is or was excluded?

What could have been different?

AGD Learning Journal (Englsih) Module 2 ver 10 (changes accepted)

For more information, take a look at:

An example in Costa Rica

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Observing the rights-based approach

AGD Learning Journal (Englsih) Module 2 ver 10 (changes accepted)

AGD Learning Journal (Englsih) Module 2 ver 10 (changes accepted)

For more information, take a look at:

AGD Learning Journal (Englsih) Module 2 ver 10 (changes accepted)

Persons with disabilities experience difficulty in moving, hearing, seeing, communicating or

 Include them in educational or health support, livelihood training

For more information, take a look at:

Children and adolescent boys and girls

For more information, take a look at:

AGD Learning Journal (Englsih) Module 2 ver 10 (changes accepted)

For more information, take a look at:

Women and girls

AGD Learning Journal (Englsih) Module 2 ver 10 (changes accepted)

Men and boys

For more information, take a look at:

National or ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities and indigenous groups

For more information, take a look at:

AGD Learning Journal (Englsih) Module 2 ver 10 (changes accepted)

Finding out more

AGD Learning Journal (Englsih) Module 2 ver 10 (changes accepted)

For further information on the functions of the MFT:

Look at these examples of good MFT practice in the field.

AGD Learning Journal (Englsih) Module 2 ver 10 (changes accepted)

AGD Learning Journal (Englsih) Module 2 ver 10 (changes accepted)

What is the AGD accountability framework?

What are the standards?

AGD Learning Journal (Englsih) Module 2 ver 10 (changes accepted)

Who is expected to complete the framework?

AGD Learning Journal (Englsih) Module 2 ver 10 (changes accepted)