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In consultation with the Government Coordinating Agency, UNDP selects a single
implementing partner for each project. The selection is based on an assessment of the
partner’s capacity to effectively manage the project and deliver the intended outputs.
The implementing partner is accountable to UNDP and the Government Coordinating
Agency. The implementing partner may be a government entity (“national implementation”),
UNDP (“direct implementation”), a United Nations agency, a civil society
organization, or an approved inter-governmental organization that is not part of the UN
system. Direct implementation by UNDP is often the best implementation modality
for livelihood stabilization (Track A) interventions. This can facilitate delivery and
decision-making in crisis and post-crisis situations, where national authorities are often
unable to function or have severely reduced capacity. Direct implementation makes
starting the project faster because such implementation avoids the complications of
selecting an implementing partner and enables UNDP to rapidly recruit staff and initiate
procurement for the project. 26
The implementing partner may enter into agreements with other organizations, known as
“responsible parties,” which provide goods and services to the project, carry out project
activities, and/or produce project outputs. Responsible parties are accountable to the
implementing partner. Agreements with both implementing partners and responsible
parties should be developed with well-defined roles and responsibilities, including those
of UNDP. Experience demonstrates that engaging existing organizations (e.g., government
ministries, financial institutions, and NGOs/CBOs) as responsible parties and building their
capacity, wherever possible, yields more sustainable results than establishing new institutions.
Partnerships with organizations providing both grants and loans are not advised.
At the very least, a microfinance institution providing both grants and loans (e.g., when
a relief partner is not available to manage the grants) should ensure that it has separate
staff and offices for these two functions.
The implementing partner recruits personnel for the project. If UNDP is not the implementing
partner, UNDP can still support this process as a responsible party. The staffing
structure for a self-employment project typically includes a Project Manager; Team
Leaders responsible for day-to-day management; specialists in business development,
market development, and livelihoods; project facilitators to help participants to prepare
proposals for start-up grants or packages; an accountant; and administrative personnel.
Generic staff terms of reference for projects providing start-up assistance will soon be
available on UNDP’s Intranet portal for Signature Products.
To encourage a sense of ownership and commitment among the recipients of start-up
grants or packages, it is often useful to require these recipients to make small contributions
in the form of labour, cash, or in-kind inputs, depending on the local context.
Community-based organizations are often best placed to mobilize such contributions.
3.2.2 (d) Recruitment and procurement
Recruitment of staff and procurement of all necessary inputs must take place in accordance
with UNDP rules and regulations, and this can take considerable time and effort. Early attention
to recruitment and procurement will therefore help to expedite implementation.
The preparation of a quick procurement plan is useful in cases in which UNDP will directly
procure materials for start-up packages. When the start-up assistance includes grants, the
preparation of a quick cash flow plan can help to ensure that the correct amounts of cash
will be available for distribution to grant recipients on schedule. Early procurement is espe-
26 Alternatively, if UNDP is not the implementing
agency, UNDP can serve as a responsible party
for the provision of support services. For all the
possible configurations of implementing partners
and responsible parties, the necessary agreements
among them, and accountabilities, see
POPP, “Defining-a-Project” section.
Livelihoods & Economic Recovery in Crisis Situations