A/HRC/23/16 35. The performance monitoring system, which to date has been implemented in 33 field presences and at Headquarters, is proving to be a critical tool not only for transparency and accountability but also in helping OHCHR to gain ready access to a wide range of information, allowing for a clearer and better formulation of results. The Board is of the view that the system, which interlinks the planning, monitoring and the production of reports, greatly facilitates the definition and selection of the Office’s results, as well as their measurement. In the field, the system facilitates monitoring of the implementation and performance of technical cooperation projects, adjusting, if required in real time, to changing environments and the challenges faced. It also facilitates the sharing of experiences and lessons learned, particularly relevant in the area of technical cooperation. 36. The Board strongly recommends that OHCHR and its field presences continue to ensure the wide use of the system, investing in particular in strengthening its financial component. C. Interim OHCHR field manual on technical cooperation 37. The Board was consulted on a preliminary draft of the interim OHCHR field reference manual on technical cooperation, which aims at providing guidance to its field presences and staff on the approach of OHCHR to technical cooperation. The interim manual was designed to bring together, in one single document, OHCHR policies, practices and procedures relating to technical cooperation, and is being developed in the light of recent trends, such as a holistic approach to follow up on recommendations made by international human rights mechanisms. 38. As one of the vehicles of OHCHR to fulfil the mandate of the High Commissioner, technical cooperation is an effective means for overcoming in-country knowledge and capacity gaps, and supporting efforts made by the country to address those gaps. The demands on OHCHR for technical cooperation have increased steadily in this area during the past 10 years, and field presences, either as OHCHR offices or as joint endeavours with other United Nations entities, through partnerships at the national and regional levels, play a crucial role. The interim manual situates technical cooperation as an integral part of the OHCHR programme as defined in the OHCHR programme tools. 39. The interim manual provides useful links and suggestions, as well as practical examples, while ensuring technical cooperation as an inclusive exercise that engages and involves all national stakeholders, including government agencies and civil society in all stages of the process. It also includes references to useful existing OHCHR tools, such as the Universal Human Rights Index, as it can align recommendations made by treaty bodies, the special procedures and during sessions of the universal periodic review, and cluster them by thematic issues and groups of persons affected, thus forming a solid basis for the design of technical cooperation projects. 40. The Board welcomes this effort, which provides guidance for OHCHR staff involved in technical cooperation work and in the management of technical cooperation projects. It encourages OHCHR to complete the interim manual as soon as possible. D. Synergy with other United Nations entities 41. During its field visits to Mauritania and to Tunisia, the Board had the opportunity to meet OHCHR partners within the United Nations system. Particularly relevant in the area of technical cooperation was the joint strategic planning at the country level through the process of preparation of United Nations country analysis and strategic programme frameworks. 9