Workstream 4 on reduced duplication and management costs: UN/NGO Partnership agreements - November 2020 update

In order to increase efficiency in managing partnership agreements, UNHCR has further refined its risk-based approach whereby NGO partners are grouped into 3 categories - A (high-capacity/low-risk), B (medium), C (low-capacity/high-risk).  For existing partners, the categorization is based on previous audits and assessments of internal controls. If a partner has been assessed by UNICEF, UNFPA, UNDP (the Harmonized Approach to Cash Transfers/HACT agencies) or by OCHA Country Based Pooled Fund (CBPF), then UNHCR Representatives have the discretion to take that rating into account.  This categorization is combined with the risk associated with the financial size of the project and the operating context.  The combined results help determine the number of financial instalments, the size of first instalments and the number and types of periodic reporting amongst other flexibilities introduced. This approach will be applied for agreements signed for 2021 and onwards.