UN Volunteer Noora Mäkelä (Finland) has been serving with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Kenya since December 2017. Noora shares her experience supporting the internal monitoring and evaluation tasks of the Migration Management Unit, which implements projects on Border Management, Labour Migration and Counter-Trafficking.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM), is committed to humane and orderly migration to benefit all migrants and society. As an inter-governmental body, IOM acts with its partners to support governments in meeting the operational challenges of migration; advance understanding of migration issues; encourage social and economic development through migration; and uphold the human dignity and well-being of migrants.
I am supporting the Migration Management Unit by performing internal monitoring and evaluation tasks. Our aim is to improve evidence-based responses, to achieve and demonstrate results, accountability and learning.
Particularly, I have enhanced the results-based management of the Unit by improving data collection tools, collecting data in the field, analyzing and reporting the results, and sharing lessons learnt and best practices with different stakeholders.
As an example, in 2018, IOM and UNICEF and their implementing partners for the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) flood response provided 18,639 Non-Food-Item-kits to the most vulnerable flood-displaced households in Tana River, Mandera, Kilifi, Baringo and Isiolo counties. These contained essential life-saving commodities, such as temporary shelter (tarpaulins) and blankets, kitchen sets, soap, water jerrycans, buckets, mats and mosquito nets.
After the distribution of the kits, I planned and led a Joint Post-Distribution Monitoring mission in Tana River county and another in Kilifi county. I analysed and reported the findings, which indicated that the support provided improved the living conditions of the internally displaced persons.
The majority – 84 per cent of the beneficiaries reached during this post-distribution monitoring – were fully satisfied with the items provided. The kits distributed were appreciated, the items were deemed relevant and invaluable by the beneficiaries, and were provided in a timely manner.
We shared the findings and lessons learnt with the shelter and non-food-item sector to improve the future planning of durable solutions and sectoral contingency plans, and to update strategies for 2019-2023.
On 11 September 2018, I participated with the UN CERF team, IOM Kenya staff and partners for the non-food-items cluster, including UNICEF, World Vision and Samaritan Purse, in the mandatory Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) training.
The session brought together 12 participants (eight women and four men) to learn about key concepts on sexual abuse, exploitation and harassment, IOM policies on staff conduct and assistance to victims, and the six core principles and responsibilities of humanitarian workers under the Secretary General’s Bulletin of 2003 on PSEA. We viewed the video of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee PSEA Task Force video titled 'To Serve with Pride', and engaged in practical exercises, case studies and various risk scenarios developed by IOM's Gender Coordination Unit.