Design and administration: Pooled funds support a clearly defined programmatic purpose and results framework, and rely on contributions from more than one contributor. Financing gets blended, instead of earmarked, prior to being allocated to a specific UN organization or held by a UN fund administrator.

Joint governance and/or fund operations: A UN-led governance mechanism decides on project/programmatic allocations, taking into account a fund's programmatic purpose and results framework.

Fund implementation: Implementation of fund activities is (fully or largely) entrusted to UN organizations that assume programmatic and financial accountability for resources received.

1. Innovation features  

Innovation is a core tenet of MPTF Office processes and functions. Our design experts have pioneered results and performance-based payment tools for humanitarian and development spaces that rely on blended capital and mixed modalities of finance. Feeder-fund modalities help stakeholders align global and country pooled funds and expanded implementation modalities have proven useful for non-United Nations organizations. In most cases, the MPTF Office aligns multiple sources and types of funds to support countries across the humanitarian-development-peace nexus.

2. Clear theory of change  

Theories of change are at the heart of our design support and requirement for all new funds, which is why fund advisors created a design manual full of examples and recommendations on how to institute a clear theory of change. Secretariats can request online support for development and ways of translating certain theory of change components into uncomplicated and engaging visualizations.

1. Results-based management system  

A new results-based management (RBM) system is now available for all funds administered by the MPTF Office. This system allows for real-time monitoring of programmatic and financial performance indicators according to financial data reported in line with United Nations and International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) data standards. Mainstreamed data standards on the SDGs make it easier to link all funded projects or initiatives to the Global Goals, as well as measure the operational performance of each fund (and overall MPTF Office portfolio) against key performance indicators.

4. Well-functioning governance bodies  

Effective governance arrangements in place are imperative for upholding quality fund design and achieving results that can be replicated elsewhere. Governance structures include secretariats, executive boards, steering committees, or fund management units and are consist of stakeholders responsible for programmatic oversight and related management functions. Separating the roles in this way allows for a clear delineation of functions and varying levels of accountability.

5. Supported by effective secretariat  

Secretariats receive support from the MPTF Office through direct service provision and the development of new client-facing digital tools, templates, and platforms. Raising the bar in its role as pooled funding knowledge hub, MPTF Office analysts also guide fund stakeholders on the use of the Partners Gateway to gather lessons learned and share good practices across countries and programmes.

6. United Nations norms and values  

Quality assurance on UN norms and values are enshrined in our standard legal agreements, acting as programmatic safeguards for a range of critical issues. Specific text related to sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment was incorporated into legal agreements in 2019, while the new grant management system (piloted in 2020) tracked contributions for gender equality through mandatory gender equality markers at the project level.

7. Risk management  

Risk management systems and strategies feature prominently in all pooled funds, and the fund management platform includes a universal marker for managing risk. These tools contribute to monitoring and due diligence processes and mitigating risks related to the multi-stakeholder nature of inter-agency pooled funds, particularly in high-risk environments where many pooled funds operate.

8. Operational effectiveness  

Recent investments in operational effectiveness have led to greater efficiency gains we expect will yield system-wide results by 2022, if not sooner. Measures implemented include the updated MPTF Office Design Manual (Designing Funds for Performance), a revised MPTF Office Fund Administration Manual, and the launch of our revamped flagship platform, Gateway.

9. Reporting 

Improved reporting standards benefits everyone: MPTF Office staff, our clients, contributors, and fund beneficiaries. In 2020, we delivered 100% of certified financial reports (sources and uses of funds) on time while an increasing number of United Nations partners submitted quarterly reports, which is above and beyond the required annual statement. Although narrative reporting remains the responsibility of participating organizations, the Partners Gateway has now a module feature for secretariats to report at the project-level, but aggregate results the fund.

10. Visibility 

The MPTF Office 360° approach to visibility raises the profile of fund partners, contributors, participating organizations alongside the issues of focus and progress made. But while the new Partners Gateway is designed to provide greater visibility for all stakeholders, partners are encouraged to use other digital platforms and social media to acknowledge efforts being made to accelerate the SDGs and achieve sustainable humanitarian-development outcomes at the country, regional, and global levels. Governance bodies should adopt visibility guidelines unique to their fund at the country level to better support context relevant advocacy and public outreach campaigns.

11. Transparency

Data availability and access to information is a core tenet of MPTF Office management and administration of blended financing. The second generation of Gateway features additional tools, dashboards, and data visualizations that allow for better access, analysis, and visual representation of financial and narrative content across the entire humanitarian-development nexus of pooled funds we administer.

12. Joint and system wide evaluations

Evaluations promote good practices that ensure sufficient resources are invested in evaluation measures. Members of our office collaborates closely with those from the United Nations Evaluation Group (UNEG) to track and share pooled funds evaluations in the UNEG reports database. Another step up, we share joint work streams with the United Nations Development Coordination Office (UNDCO) and flagship funds to align system-wide evaluations, create a channel for guidelines, and to share best practices on how to evaluate pooled funding, inclusive of budget allocations.

• A Steering Committee to set the fund strategic direction, make resource allocation decisions, and monitor progress toward achieving transformative change. Typically, Steering Committee representatives come from government, central implementing partners (including the United Nations, national entities, civil society), and contributors.

• A Secretariat ('Convening Agency' in a joint programme) provides technical and administrative support to the Steering Committee and handles day-to-day operations of the fund. Members of the Secretariat often appraise funding proposals, and take on coordination, report consolidation, and monitoring and evaluation functions.

• Participating Organizations handle project implementation and cover UN agencies, government entities, and international financial institutions.

• The MPTF Office, as the Administrative Agent (AA), takes on fund design and administration. Primary administrative functions include receiving and administering contributions for transfer to Participating Organizations (as per Steering Committee instructions), as well as financial and performance reporting. The Office uses standard United Nations legal agreements to establish and operationalize pooled funds to increase speed and reduce transaction costs.