APF provides strategic planning support to the Ombudsman’s Office of Turkmenistan

The APF has provided technical support to the Office of the Ombudsman of Turkmenistan to develop its five-year strategic plan, as part of the Global Tripartite Partnership to Support National Human Rights Institutions, comprised of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

Developing a five-year strategic plan for the Ombudsman’s Office was one of the key recommendations of a Capacity Assessment of the Office undertaken by the APF, UNDP and OHCHR in 2022. The strategic planning support involved an in-depth document review, stakeholder consultations and a participatory workshop with the staff of the Ombudsman’s Office. 

A team of APF experts including Dr Jill Chrisp, APF NHRI Expert Consultant and Dr Ahmed Shahid, Acting APF Manager of Capacity Development, visited Turkmenistan from 16-20 October 2023 and held consultations with the Ombudsman’s Office, representatives of civil society organisations, and the UN country team in Turkmenistan. 

Based on the inputs from stakeholders, a four-day strategic planning workshop was held with the Ombudsman’s Office which identified areas of strategic priorities for the Office, relevant activities, outcomes and indicators. The strategic planning exercise also incorporated all relevant recommendations from the CA to strengthen the institutional capacity of the Ombudsman’s Office. The strategic plan covers strategic priorities, goals, activities, and the results framework for five years from 2024 to 2028.

The draft strategic plan, which is currently being reviewed by the Ombudsman’s Office, will be finalised in November after incorporating inputs from relevant stakeholders. 

Date: 25 October 2023