Establish a clear results and accountability framework that supports gender policy. A clear results and accountability framework helps build analytical foundations for policy measures that support a country’s gender and development agenda. Such a framework is important for articulating objectives and desired results, assigning clear responsibility lines, and setting a monitoring and evaluation system to better understand results. The absence of an explicit results framework and the lack of clarity on appropriate outcomes weaken the implementation of any gender policy. For instance, the World Bank was able to effectively mainstream gender into Country Assistance Strategies and country programs in Bangladesh and Ghana through the results framework, with a clear set of monitoring indicators assessing results in client countries.

Also see: Examples of Country Assistance Strategies with satisfactory treatment of gender issues 

Mainstream gender needs at the country level and ensure client-country ownership. To achieve effective results in supporting gender mainstreaming in a country, it is critical to ensure client demand and to align project and policy objectives with that demand, while keeping such objectives realistic. In cases where the country-level strategic approach cannot be implemented, it is important to ensure that the project is designed to benefit both men and women, encourages equal participation of both genders, and mitigates any negative effects that project activities may have on either men or women.

Also see: Securing Client Country Ownership to Address Gender Equality 

Fund incentives for effective gender-related action in client countries. Strengthening the collection, analysis, and dissemination of sex-disaggregated and gender-relevant data is important for designing gender-aware and -equitable policies and projects. The availability of such data leads to the integration of gender-related or sex-disaggregated indicators, which increases increasing opportunities for monitoring gender issues and trends. For instance, the Egypt Country Gender Assessment, produced jointly with the National Council for Women, was anchored in relevant sex-disaggregated data, and its recommendations were mindful of the country-level context. The report became an effective tool in raising gender awareness in Egypt and reportedly influenced country-level policies in several areas.

Also see: Cases of Successful Implementation of Gender-Related Data Gathering 

Establish clear management accountability for gender mainstreaming. Management needs to be accountable for the development and implementation of a system that monitors the extent to which gender-related concerns are adequately addressed in projects and policies, including effective reporting mechanisms. In such an accountability framework, country directors and representatives need to be a focal point. For instance, when the World Bank’s President in 2008 required country directors to report on the status of gender work directly to him, that indicated the need to act more forcefully and systematically to implement the accountability framework called for in the 2001 Gender Strategy.

Also see: World Bank President's call for World Bank gender commitments