The UN Resident Coordinator System

In Tanzania, the Resident Representative of UNDP also serves as the UN Resident Coordinator. The Resident Coordinator’s function facilitates and coordinates United Nations operational activities and provides leadership and guidance to the United Nations system in the country. The UN System is represented both by resident and nonresident agencies; 16 resident agencies are based in Dar es Salaam. These agencies operate together as a United Nations System, with a common purpose, pursuing common approaches to partnership, country networking, guided by core shared values and principles.

United Nations Development Assistance Framework (2007-2010)

Launched on the 5th July 2006 the UNDAF is firmly based on the two home-grown national development strategies, MKUKUTA on the mainland and MKUZA in Zanzibar. The UNDAF for the United Republic of Tanzania represents the Business Plan of 17 UN Agencies. It is a strategic results-based and upstream policy framework, which seeks to support Tanzania’s development aspirations and priorities as articulated through MKUKUTA and MKUZA, through the MDGs and through Vision 2020 and Vision 2025. The UN response aims at promoting a rights-based approach to economic growth and poverty reduction by giving particular attention to the most vulnerable groups to ensure that they participate in, and fully benefit from, the growth and development process. 

Aligned to the three outcome-oriented pillars of Tanzania’s second generation MKUKUTA and MKUZA --- i.e. growth and reduction of income poverty; quality of life and social well being/social services and social well being; good governance and accountability/ good governance and national unity --- the UNDAF also focuses on six crosscutting themes, i.e. gender, youth, children, HIV/AIDS, employment, and the environment. It addresses both the humanitarian and development concerns of the country, including the transition from humanitarian to development support in the refugee hosting areas of North Western Tanzania. The total resource package of the UNDAF is an estimated US$ 100 million a year – that is, US$ 400 million for the four-year period.

Underpinning the second generation UNDAF is a transition to more progressive development partnership practices and instruments as articulated in the Joint Assistance Strategy (JAS), the UNDG Follow up Plan of Action post-Paris and the Global Task Team recommendations to support the harmonization of the AIDS response among UNAIDS Co-sponsors at country level. The commitment of the UN to initiate through the UNDAF a transition to more progressive sector-wide programming and aid delivery modalities (i.e. basket funding and aligned project modalities) using national systems and procedures, where applicable, is borne out of the priority to reduce high transaction costs on Government and partners involved with the current project portfolio; and facilitate greater national ownership, leadership and capacity to effectively inform policies and manage the development process. 

The UNDAF further provides for greater inter-action, dialogue and joint interventions with Civil Society, including the establishment of an Advisory Committee to guide the Civil Society and UN partnership. Additionally, the UNDAF makes provision for support to strengthen the capacity of non-state actors to effectively participate in national policy processes, and thus maintain a high level of transparency and accountability with regard to their activities and financial resources. 

Under the strong leadership of Government, Tanzania has made great strides in aid effectiveness over the last few years and is moving rapidly to a more streamlined and aligned system of aid delivery --- and hence more effective support to growth and poverty reduction and attainment of the MDGs more broadly. National ownership is a key success factor in fighting poverty in Tanzania and the UNDAF enforces that link between Tanzania’s national priorities and those of the UN.