As part of United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) efforts to align its work with partners and accelerate sustainable development, we have organized the Assurance and Risk Management Workshop for our sub partners under the Young Africa Innovates programme.

UNDP's approach to a risk-informed development (RID) approach is guided by the UNDP Strategic Plan 2022-2025 and aims to forge internal and external partnerships for risk-proofing the future of development. The approach highlights the importance of UNDP's Global Policy Network (GPN) in supporting UNDP Country Offices and programme countries through existing and innovative services and tools.

The workshop organized by UNDP and Mastercard Foundation aimed to align newly onboarded sub-partners with UNDP's assurance processes and procedures to improve collaboration and capacity-building to achieve the core objectives of the Young Africa Innovates (YAI) programme.

Kate Odzawo, Operations Analyst, UNDP Ghana led the participants through a series of engaging and informative sessions. Her dynamic approach not only clarified the UNDP assurance standards and procedures but also empowered the newly onboarded partners with the knowledge and tools necessary to meet these standards effectively. “This workshop has been transformative”, remarked Kate. “Seeing our partners gain confidence and competence in implementing the YAI program is truly rewarding”, she added. 

On his part, the YAI Programme Chief Technical Advisor, Allen Anie, emphasized the importance of this collaborative effort in his opening remarks. “To achieve the transformative change we envision, it's crucial that we break down siloed ways of working and enhance our programming through a portfolio approach. By leveraging strategic partnerships with government agencies, and the private sector, we can accelerate the attainment of the SDGs and the YAI project outcomes”, he noted.

One of the highlights of the workshop was a session on budget reporting guidelines, which educated participants on behavior expectations, reporting procedures, and support mechanisms to ensure the safety and well-being of all involved in YAI. This session, along with targeted training on resource allocation and management, aimed to enhance the capacity and effectiveness of the partners, aligning with the institutional strengthening component of the work plan.

Participants left the workshop with a deeper understanding of the UNDP assurance processes. Antwi Forson, Head of Finance at Fastnetlinks Innovations Hub, shared his feedback, highlighting the impact of the training: “UNDP’s assurance training has made me more proactive and intentional about documentation. It has improved my knowledge on internal controls and how to reduce operational risk”.

The workshop also included case study discussions, allowing participants to collaboratively identify and address potential risks and compliance issues. Overall, the workshop aimed at contributing to the strategic alignment of partners with UNDP Assurance standards, fostering sustainable and impactful project execution.