• UNIDO and the UN Reforms Process
 
 

UNIDO and the UN Reforms Process

Since the mid-nineties, UNIDO has gone through a thorough reform process to address the same issues that are now being discussed for the United Nations; in several ways, UNIDO is ahead of the discussion and can offer some valuable lessons to achieve system-wide coherence and cost efficiency.

This involves 3 dimensions:

  • Increased integration at the country level and increased cost efficiency -- UNIDO has national and regional offices where there are relatively large programmes and desks in countries with growing programmes (under the UNDP Resident Representative). In all cases, UNIDO uses the administrative and financial services of UNDP.
  • Very clear focus and definition of UNIDO’s key priority programmes -- UNIDO redefined its operational modalities and streamlined its areas of interventions; UNIDO is now ready to play an active “issue leadership” role on its three thematic priorities and is ready to partner with other organizations in areas where it can provide a supporting role.
  • Partnerships in the priority programmes with complementary UN and other organizations -- UNIDO has swiftly moved to operationalize inter-agency partnerships with other UN organizations by developing joint programmes and by jointly carrying out the country level implementation, often with the assistance of additional partners from the public and private sector alike.

UNIDO is committed to strengthening its efforts along these lines , and to continue to improve the support provided to its Member States, the demand for the Organization’s service, and the increasing funding mobilized, prove that UNIDO is on the right way.

Reforming UNIDO

Sharp cuts for effective service delivery -- Before attaining its current level of efficiency, UNIDO had to undergo its own reform: from 1996 to 2000, UNIDO halved its regular staff from about 1,400 to some 700 persons (especially in administration and other support functions). In the process, UNIDO increased its focus on the effective delivery of services to its client countries and generated additional development growth through synergetic undertakings.

Business plan for focused activities -- In 1997, extensive consultations with Member States took place whereby a Business Plan was formulated to focus UNIDO’s technical cooperation activities.

In 1998, UNIDO followed additional recommendations from its Member States and changed its operational modalities from a portfolio of individual projects to integrated packages of services (i.e. "Integrated Programmes"), which are defined in close consultation with local stakeholders and which respond to CCA/UNDAF priority areas.

Focus on three thematic priorities -- Since 2004, UNIDO has further sharply focused its technical cooperation activities on three themes, directly responding to international development priorities: poverty reduction through productive activities; trade capacity building; and energy and environment.

Just recently, DFID of the United Kingdom carried out an assessment of 23 international organizations against a large numbers of criteria. This study assessed UNIDO as 6th best overall and as number one in the group of five specialized agencies ("Standard setting Agencies"). See: www.dfid.gov.uk/pubs/files/meff-results.pdf