March 2015 - Evaluation of UNHCR by the Office of Internal Oversight Services

Summary

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was founded in 1950 to lead and coordinate international efforts to protect refugee rights and well-being and find solutions to refugee situations. In 2013, there were 51.2 million displaced persons, of whom 42.9 million fell under the mandate of UNHCR. The rise in the number of refugees in recent years has been fuelled by several large-scale crises, coupled with the fact that durable solutions for those in protracted refugee situations have not been achieved at rates commensurate with previous years. Durable solutions are traditionally defined as voluntary return or repatriation, resettlement to a third country and/or local integration into the host country. Efforts to build resilience and self-reliance are interim solutions measures.

The Office of Internal Oversight Services examined the relevance, effectiveness and impact of UNHCR in achieving its mandate with regard to protection, assistance and solutions, with a focus on durable solutions for those in protracted refugee situations. It used a mix of qualitative and quantitative data-collection methods, including surveys, site visits, interviews, an evaluation synthesis, document reviews and secondary programme data analysis.

UNHCR has responded effectively to the growing number of complex emergency situations and generally fulfilled its protection mandate. It has provided lifesaving assistance and asylum to millions, while continuing to advocate increased protection space. Its results are more mixed in less-visible emergencies where there are funding shortfalls.

UNHCR has had fewer successes in achieving durable solutions for persons of concern in protracted refugee situations. Global returns have been declining, while resettlement, which is resource intensive, provides a solution for less than 1 per cent of refugees. Local integration has largely remained elusive, although UNHCR efforts to build resilience and self-reliance for refugees are slowly expanding.

While political factors beyond its direct control, such as lack of political will, funding restrictions and insecure and unstable environments in countries of origin, often limit the achievement of durable solutions, UNHCR has not fully seized opportunities to address those constraints, such as advocating more strategically with host Governments.

UNHCR has not sufficiently expanded upon its humanitarian imperative to support the achievement of durable solutions, including consideration of development elements. It is largely oriented around an emergency response model and its internal structures, including an annual planning and budgeting process, have hampered solutions programming. It has not fully engaged with development partners on solutions and transition programming.

Recent efforts by UNHCR with regard to solutions have been a step in the right direction and it now has an opportunity to systematize those efforts by engaging in stronger advocacy for solutions options, building greater consensus and more strategic partnerships and refining internal structures, processes and staff skills to meet solutions goals. Greater success in this regard will make the critical difference for the growing number of people suffering in prolonged situations.

OIOS makes the following six important recommendations to UNHCR:

(a) Implement a multi-year planning cycle for solutions-related activities and pursue multi-year funding;

(b) Develop advocacy strategies for solutions at the global, regional and operational levels;

(c) Develop a schedule to ensure the conduct of regular, targeted meetings with development actors around a solutions/transition partnership coordination model;

(d) Develop a staff development strategy to strengthen skills for creating, implementing and assessing solutions strategies;

(e) Review existing internal solutions structures to assess whether restructuring could improve effectiveness in programming;

(f) Create an evidence-based portfolio to be used for strengthening and advocating solutions.