UNDP Rwanda has actively supported the Government and people of Rwanda towards realising national objectives and targets as articulated in the National Strategy for Transformation (NST1) and the Vision 2050. The programme of support is anchored in the Rwanda United Nations Development Assistance Plan (UNDAP II 2018-2023) which was developed alongside NST1 and is aligned to both national priorities and the SDGs. Further, UNDP’s support efforts respond to specific sector and subsector strategic plans.

Before the COVID-19 crisis engulfed the whole world in 2020, Rwanda had been enjoying one of the highest rates of economic growth, with notable progress against a variety of SDG and Human Development indicators. In the decade prior to the COVID-19 crisis, Rwanda had registered an average growth rate of around 7.5%. COVID-19 changed all this, with a fall in GDP growth rate from 9.4% in 2019 to -0.2% in 2020. GDP growth was at the lowest point in the second quarter of 2020, dropping to -12.5% compared to the same period the previous year. It is expected that GDP growth will rebound in 2021 and 2022 but may not reach 2019 levels until well beyond 2025 (Rwanda authorities and IMF staff estimates 2021).

Context of changed development finance landscape, deceleration of progress against SDGs, changing landscape for UNDP’s funding and role within Rwanda development cooperation context, decline in ODA.

UNDP is focussing on supporting the Government to return to pre-COVID-19 levels of growth and regain momentum in consolidating economic transformation with an emphasis on green and inclusive growth. This will be supported through the following areas of work: Poverty reduction, Inclusive Green growth and Sustainable Human Development, and Transformative Governance. 

At the regional level, the Strategy and Policy Units (SPUs) has been an integral part of UNDP Country Offices responsible for research, development and application of the principles and theories of development to the formulation of strategies and plans for solution of economic problems. The IGEU analyses economic and social trends and provides advisory services to the Government, UNDP and the UN Country Team on development issues and policies as well as enhances the policy impact of UNDP programmes and projects.

IGEU will provide thought leadership on UNDP-led components of the UN Results Group 1 which focusses on strategic priority 1 in the UNDAP II – Economic Transformation, Outcomes 1 and 2. This will also interface with the recently established United Nations Rwanda Economists Group (UNREG) whose aim is to analyse socio-economic challenges and other emerging issues that may have significant economic and social implications on Rwanda. Additionally the IGEU will contribute to making proposals and recommendations necessary to curb these issues, and address the type of economic transformation that will be needed in the light of the 2030 Agenda and supporting Rwanda’s economic transformation process.

IGEU will  develop project ideas and draft proposals for activities related to strategic green economic development initiatives in Rwanda. This will include the drafting of projects to be financed by both core and non-core resources as well as resources mobilised through partnerships.

At the country level, the IGEU is expected to lead strategic think-tank function within the Country Office in terms of research programmes, capacity building activities, advocacy and partnerships, as well as translate UNDP’s corporate priorities and UNDP RBA’s strategic direction for development results on the ground. The IGEU is also expected to interpret the impacts of evolving regional and global events and initiate strategic projects that respond to emerging corporate priorities and strategic positioning of UNDP-Rwanda on emerging issues. Considering the emerging challenge of supporting Rwanda’s recovery from COVID-19, and the UNDP’s corporate notion that the next phase of COVID-19 response should help decision-makers look beyond recovery (UNDP Ver 2.0), IGEU will support the UN’s socioeconomic response effort in the four key areas identified: governance, social protection, green economy, and digital disruption. These loop back to address the Secretary General’s 5 mutually reinforcing priority response areas: Health First, Social Cohesion, Macroeconomics, Economic Response and recovery, and Protecting People.

UNDP is also leading the support related to COVID-19 National Economic Recovery Plan within the One-UN Rwanda Joint Programme of support and further championing support to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning. As an important component of the recovery effort, Rwanda is among the initial selected countries developing the Integrated National Financing Framework for the SDGs (INFF) based at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (MINECOFIN). This support is carried out through the Innovative Development Policy and Finance for Impact Project (IDPFI). IGEU is leading the achievement of Output 1 of this Project: “Strengthened national capacities for evidence-based planning, innovative policy analysis and M&E to inform the implementation of NST1 and the SDGs”.

STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES:

1. Position UNDP’s offer vis-à-vis the Government and partners and forge strategic partnerships to mobilize resources for activities of strategic relevance to UNDP Country Office & GoR.
2. Provide policy advisory services to the Government of Rwanda particularly MINECOFIN on planning, budgeting, and financing strategies for pro-poor, inclusive, green growth and the attainment of the SDGs.
3. Articulate alternative paradigms and normative frameworks relevant to inclusive, green economic transformations.  
4. Facilitate capacity development and knowledge building including through the development of knowledge products and tools to provide sources of good practice for practitioners.
5. Provide strategic support to the UNDP CO’s outreach and communication functions and participate in policy symposiums and other substantive meetings of relevance to human development concerns.
6. Facilitate integrated programming across all UNDP/Rwanda units and models for connecting SDG impact areas in UNDP’s work.
7. Support the RBA Strategic Advisory Unit for high-level engagement with the RBA Network of Economists Provide high quality and innovative policy advisory and technical backstopping support to the Resident Representative on all strategic matters in the delivery of UNDP’s mandate, support UNDP’s role in the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) at both strategic and technical levels, and Provide high quality substantive inputs into UNDP/UNCT programme areas of UNDP and ensure that all programme interventions align to the overall objectives of the Country Office stipulated in the CPD, and the UNDAP II, and are in line with national priorities.

KEY RESULTS and ACTIVITIES:

1. Top quality and innovative policy advisory advice to the Resident Representative on all strategic matters in the delivery of UNDP’s mandate Provided. UNDP’s strategic engagement with the Government, partners and stakeholders supported.

1. Compilation, analysis and interpretation of economic and statistical data relevant to country’s development, opportunities and constraints, and preparation of top quality relevant socio-economic briefs/reports.
2. monitor economic policy developments and advises RR, UNCT and other members of the UNDP team and its partners on policy issues and contribute to UNDP’s policy dialogue with Government and donors.
3. Provide high-quality development advice to RR/RC in policy dialogue with the Government of Rwanda, UN System and other strategic partners on economic issues, most notably in relation to inclusive, green economic growth and SDG planning and financing .
4. Keep abreast of regional and global economic trends and issues and analyse their implications for the realization of the SDGs in Rwanda

2. Provide high quality economic and strategic input into UNDP/UNCT programme areas of UNDP and ensure that programme interventions align to the overall objectives of the Country Office stipulated in the CPD, and the UNDAP II, and are in line with national priorities.
   1. Collect, analyse and synthesise macro-economic and SDG-related information and best practices, paying attention to cross cutting areas of gender, youth, governance, and environment aspects, and propose policy options to relevant government departments.
   2. Provide advice on formulation and adjustments of UN/UNDP programmes and projects (including UNDAFs, CPDs, and CPAPs) based on sound economic analysis resulting from emerging situations such as COVID-19.
   3. Identify and conceptualize new areas of support and interventions, taking into consideration emerging corporate priorities and strategies (e.g., UNDP ver. 2.0) etc.   

3. Forge strategic partnerships and develop new ideas to create a new project under IGEU to mobilize resources for activities that are of strategic relevance to UNDP Country Office.
   1. Mobilize funds from inter alia UN MDTFs and Develop partnerships with the UN Agencies, IFI’s, government institutions, bi-lateral and multi-lateral donors, private sector, and civil society based on strategic goals of UNDP, country needs, particularly in relation to IGE themes.
   2. Analysis and research of information on donors, preparation of substantive briefs on possible areas of cooperation through the Integrated National Financing Framework (INFF).
   3. Keep track of changes in development cooperation and external resource matters through close engagement with the INFF and other innovative financing frameworks.

4. Provide innovative policy advisory services to the Government of Rwanda (MINECOFIN) and facilitate of capacity development and knowledge building and management in support of inclusive, green pro-poor growth and the attainment of the SDGs.
   1. Provide strategic advice on the opportunities that the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCTA) present for accelerated green economic growth and poverty eradication.
   2. Policy and planning decision making guidelines and tools including Green Economy Modelling, Input-Output Tables and Social Accounting Matrices.
   3. Support the preparation of critical policy studies for the realisation of the economic and social transformation agenda such as National Human Development Reports.
   4. Support high-level policy dialogue for integrating innovative policy options into decision making processes.
   5. Develop impact matrixes and inventories relevant to decent, green job creation

1. 6. Support MINECOFIN and the NISR in the development of models and other instruments to sharpen decision-making processes in Rwanda focussing on Integrated Green Economy approaches.