Reforming for Results in the U. N. System : A Study of UNOPS

by Dijkzeul, Dennis

• ISBN13: 9780312232238
• ISBN10: 0312232233
• Format: Trade Book
• Copyright: 2000-08-19
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan

Summary

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is the only UN organization that is self-financing through fees earned on project management/provision of services in all developmental and humanitarian fields. Following a disruptive merger process its future seemed uncertain. This book describes and analyzes the ensuing reform, its problems and successes, as well as its relevance to other UN organizations and New Public Management theory.

Author Biography

Dennis Dijkzeul is a corresponding member, Institute for International Law of Peace and Armed Conflict at Ruhr-UniversitSt, Bochum, Germany.

Table of Contents

List of Figures	xi
List of Tables	xii
Preface	xiii
List of Abbreviations	xvi
PART 1 INTRODUCTION
Investigating UNOPS	3	(16)
Background	3	(2)
The nature and objectives of the study	5	(1)
Context: global trends and international public management	6	(5)
UNOPS Now	11	(1)
Set-up of study	11	(8)
PART 2 BACKGROUND AND HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
UNDP/OPS: Origins and Issues (1973-1992)	19	(18)
Introduction	19	(1)
The origins	19	(4)
The beginning	23	(8)
The structure of OPS	31	(2)
Conclusion	33	(4)
Cutting the Umbilical Cord? The Merger with DDSMS	37	(12)
Introduction	37	(1)
The UN system in transition: OPS in limbo	38	(2)
Policy issues	40	(4)
Business impact	44	(2)
Conclusion	46	(3)
The Beginnings of a Strategy: The Leaky Boat	49	(17)
Introduction	49	(1)
The first step	49	(2)
A process	51	(3)
Immediate intellectual labor	54	(8)
A follow-up mechanism	62	(1)
Conclusion	63	(3)
OPS on its Own	66	(17)
Introduction	66	(1)
A sea change	66	(2)
A flurry of activities	68	(6)
Consequences for UNOPS	74	(1)
Relationship with other UN organizations	75	(2)
Conclusion	77	(6)
PART 3 A NEW COURSE
Strategic Planning for UNOPS Reform and its Implementation (1994-1996)	83	(13)
Introduction	83	(1)
The Strategy Management Group	83	(3)
The client needs survey	86	(1)
Strategic planning	87	(6)
Planning as learning	93	(1)
Conclusion	93	(3)
The Glen Cove Retreat: A Consensus and a Follow-Up Mechanism (1995)	96	(14)
Introduction	96	(1)
History	97	(2)
False starts	99	(1)
At Glen Cove	100	(7)
The G6	107	(1)
Conclusion	107	(3)
Staff and Management: All Hands on Deck	110	(15)
Introduction	110	(1)
The staff management forum	111	(1)
The G6 at work	112	(5)
The working groups	117	(4)
The end of the year	121	(1)
Conclusion	122	(3)
The Mohonk Retreat: Confirmation and Fine-Tuning (1996)	125	(11)
Introduction	125	(1)
The Executive Board	125	(1)
The reality check	126	(3)
Mohonk	129	(2)
Follow up: refreshing the G6	131	(1)
Vision statement	131	(3)
Conclusion	134	(2)
The Windwatch Retreat: One UNOPS (1997)	136	(17)
Introduction	136	(1)
The 1997 business plan	136	(3)
The strategic leadership team	139	(1)
Divisions among divisions	140	(6)
`One UNOPS' at Windwatch	146	(1)
Windwatch results	147	(3)
Conclusion	150	(3)
Full Synchronization of Business Planning and Budgeting (1998)	153	(15)
Introduction	153	(1)
Risk management	153	(3)
Human resources management	156	(1)
Business planning	157	(7)
Conclusion	164	(4)
Issues and Challenges (1998)	168	(19)
Introduction	168	(1)
Unfinished business within UNOPS	168	(6)
External trends in UN development cooperation	174	(5)
The end of 1998	179	(2)
Conclusion	181	(6)
PART 4 ANALYSIS
Evaluating Reform	187	(26)
Introduction	187	(1)
Reform revisited	187	(3)
Reach versus grasp	190	(15)
Lessons learned	205	(4)
The road ahead	209	(4)
Relevance of UNOPS Reforms	213	(13)
Introduction	213	(1)
Is UNOPS unique?	213	(2)
How does UNOPS reform relate to other public sector reforms?	215	(3)
UN reform	218	(5)
Conclusions	223	(3)
Epilogue	226	(21)
Appendices
A The UN System	227	(1)
B Research Methodology and Data Analysis	228	(2)
C Questionnaires	230	(4)
D Key Persons Interviewed and Focus Groups	234	(2)
E Detailed Index of UNOPS Legislative History	236	(5)
F Summary Index of Main UN Documents	241	(6)
Bibliography	247	(5)
Index	252