This evaluation assesses Nepal’s efforts to develop gender responsive national and local level policies and plans over the period 1999 to 2003, and to assess UNDP’s contribution to this outcome, in tandem with other actors in the development sector and in civil society. It identifies strengths in UNDP which contributed positively to achievement of the outcome, and outlines areas needing to be addressed to improve performance. The timing of the Outcome Evaluation Mission (OEM) was selected so results could strengthen the focus of UNDP interventions, and contribute to the UNDP programming cycle 2004-2007. It is forward looking, as per the requirements of the TOR ‘to draw lessons from past programmes and build strategies for future programme interventions’, in the 2004 context of Nepal’s current challenges of poverty and conflict.