38 . MOPAN 2017-18 ASSESSMENTS . UNITED NATIONS RELIEF AND WORKS AGENCY FOR PALESTINE REFUGEES IN THE NEAR EAST In terms of management results data and analysis, UNRWA has a strong position, particularly in the core programme areas of education and health. These show some areas of strong achievement in terms of quality of service provision, progress towards the Agency’s targeted learning and health outcomes, and results that compare well with other providers in the same operating environments. Moreover, much of this progress has been achieved in a deteriorating, or at best static, context. Evaluations of projects often highlight both challenges and missed opportunities to sustain the benefits of the specific project intervention. Critically, they note that the lack of involvement of beneficiaries, the limitations of the host authority environment and funding shortfalls within UNRWA all reduce the chance that project benefits can be sustained across all fields of operations. The longer-term sustainability of results within the programming areas framed by the strategic outcomes of the MTS 2016-21 is a concern for UNRWA, but its remit as a temporary agency does not include directly addressing this challenge. Continuity of results is also important, immediate and relevant to Palestine refugees; nevertheless, this question is outside the purview of UNRWA management and is therefore not covered by this MOPAN assessment. KPI 9: Development and humanitarian objectives are achieved, and results contribute to normative and crosscutting goals. This KPI examines the nature and scale of the results UNRWA is achieving against the targets it sets and its expectations on making a difference. UNRWA’s reported management results show strong evidence of effective programming that is leading towards improving outcomes, particularly in education and health. Across the diverse conditions of its fields of operations, UNRWA is showing strong performance on education and health indicators that is aligned, respectively, with education learning outcomes and health outcomes. Progress on results includes in Syria, where adapted approaches have been used. UNRWA’s reported management results provide evidence of programming that helps to improve human rights. This evidence includes the Agency’s effective engagement with the international human rights system to advance the protection and human rights of Palestine refugees and the Agency’s record of raising concerns about alleged violations of international law, compliance and related international standards. It does this in writing and sometimes in in-person briefings with five relevant treaty bodies and through UN human rights special procedure processes. Evaluations cite the important role UNRWA plays in supporting Palestine refugees in the Gaza Strip, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the West Bank including East Jerusalem, but these also note its mixed performance in delivering projects. Evaluations indicate that UNRWA has not achieved results in embedding cross-cutting areas. There have been major contributions to addressing gender issues, as documented in the UNRWA gender initiative, but significant barriers remain to effective mainstreaming of gender. Among these barriers are the cultural norms of staff who are predominantly refugees themselves, a lack of resources, the exacerbation of gender inequalities in conflict and the lack of a conducive enabling environment for gender equality.