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Newsletter from Resident Coordinator's Office in Pakistan
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First Quarter 2007
January
- March Volume
1, Issue 1
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Piloting UN Reform
Pakistan is leading the way
Dear reader,
Welcome to the first issue of “Delivering
as One”, the newsletter of the UN System
Reform in Pakistan.
Pakistan is one of eight UN Member States
selected to pilot the UN reform (Albania, Cape-Verde,
Rwanda, Tanzania, Mozambique, Vietnam, Uruguay are the
others) in 2007-08.
Since the creation of the UN at the end
of the Second World War, the international community
has, over the years, increased the number of UN agencies
and mandates in response to emerging global challenges.
In spite of globally recognised successes and achievements,
over time this has also resulted in fragmented and multifaceted
programmes and projects at the country level. By way
of example, 18 UN agencies are currently present in
Pakistan, working in a range of development, emergency
and environmental areas. Thus, our rich diversity, know-how
and experience accumulated over 60 years need to be
better channeled and maximised for the benefit of our
main constituency: the people of Pakistan. The recently
released report by the High –level Panel on System-wide
Coherence ‘Delivering As One’ responds to
this concern and advocates for deep reform of the United
Nations System.
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United
Nations Country Team, Pakistan |
Along the same lines the ‘Paris
Declaration on Aid Effectiveness’ also endorsed
by the international community states that partners
and donors, UN and Governments alike , shall modify
the ways in which they interact to eliminate unnecessary
competition, duplication and overlap of agendas.
It is imperative that we at the UN work
as ONE and in unison, around clear and well-articulated
national goals. This is the spirit of the UN reform
in Pakistan: better and more efficient delivery of social
services, not just for better co-ordination but for
a more focused and effective UN system to help achieve
the Millennium Development Goals by 2015 in Pakistan,
and worldwide.
The UN Reform is, globally and in Pakistan,
a unique, not-to-be-missed opportunity to work better
together to ‘Deliver as ONE’: with one UN
Country Team, under the leadership of the UN Resident
Coordinator, one harmonised, integrated and focused
UN Programme covering the most pressing developmental
issues facing Pakistan in health, education, poverty,
HIV/AIDS and disaster management; full ownership and
participation by the Government of Pakistan and its
citizens; and one single management and administrative
system, to reduce transaction costs, and maximise agencies’
and donors’ inputs. The UN agencies in Pakistan
are thus determined to transform themselves into a better
system, with a stronger unity of purpose, coherence
and efficiency.
Dear reader, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, H.E.
Mr. Shaukat Aiziz, launched the “One UN “
initiative in Pakistan on 1 March 2007 at the Serena
Hotel. Present were the Minister of State for Economic
Affairs Division, H. E. Ms. Hina Rabbani Khar, the
UN Assistant Secretary-General and Regional Director
for Asia-Pacific, Mr. Hafiz Pasha, and the UN Resident
Coordinator, Mr. Jan Vandemoortele. A High Level Committee
to steer the reform exercise will be set up comprising
of Government officials ,donors, UN agencies and civil
society .A road map will also be developed for periodical
updates on UN reform progress in Pakistan. The future
of UN depends on a successful UN Reform. We count
on your support to help us make it a success. We welcome
your comments, views and suggestions. Let us work
together for better development of Pakistan.
United Nations Communication
Group
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RESIDENT COORDINATOR'S VISION OF THE WAY FORWARD
" In 2005 the governments at the UN asked the
Secretary General to push forward the reform of the
organization. Following that decision by the governments,
he set up a high level panel for the UN reform. It
was highest level Panel ever in the history of the
UN as it included three sitting Prime Ministers including
the PM of Pakistan, Mr Shaukat Aziz. They have come
up with a report that was presented to the SG in November
2006. The key recommendation at the country level
is to deliver as One UN by one leader, one programme,
one budget and one office, the latter where it is
necessary. The report then recommends that a few countries
identified should try it out at the country level
in practice and Pakistan will be one of the few countries
in the world that will be piloting the UN reform."
Jan
Vandemoortele , UN Resident Coordinator Pakistan
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" We will have five joint programmes where all
the UN resources will be programmed together. The
sectors for which we will have five programmes are
the big ones in which we are operating: health and
education, poverty reduction, HIVAIDS and of course
after the earthquake, the disaster management. Those
five areas will include about 60 to 80% of the resources
that the UN has to spend in Pakistan. This means that
every dollar, yen or rupee that the UN will be spending
in Pakistan will be part of the integrated joint programme.
For each joint programme we will have a mechanism
to finance it. We will set up funding scheme for pool
funding where the donors and the government can say
that they like this programme and they’ll put
some of their resources into it. "
" We’ll have a common mechanism for monitoring
and evaluation. There will be a unified monitoring
and evaluation wing for the five programmes. Finally
we will also set up practical business practices so
that these programmes will be implemented together
which means that the procurement for the programmes
will be done jointly according to one specific mechanism.
At present different UN agencies have different procurement
mechanisms. We will adopt one and it will probably
be the one that the government is applying, similarly,
for human resources and financial reporting. All these
business practices will be harmonised. "
“The
purpose of the UN reform is for us to respond
collectively and to really reach the most vulnerable
segments of society and the poorest of the poor.”
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" We are planning to have those 5
joint programmes together by the middle of 2007 so that
by the end of 2008 when our pilot period ends, we have
at least 12 months for the implementation of those programmes."
" We have full support from the Head Quarters.
The new Secretary General that has come in has indicated
that the UN reform is his priority. And during the
first few days at the job, SG nominated the Deputy
SG who is assigned the task to manage the UN reform
in the years to come as SG has a big agenda and he
is a very busy person. Therefore there is a strong
commitment on the part of the UN and also there is
strong commitment from the government of Pakistan
that’s why we are a pilot. The pilots are chosen
on the basis of that criteria and national leadership.
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" At the country level we have invitations
from several of the donor partners that they also want
us to implement the Principles of the Paris Declaration
of integration and harmonization. The purpose of the
UN reform is for us to respond collectively in a stronger
integrated way to reduce our transaction costs and to
really reach the most vulnerable segments of society
and the poorest of the poor. This is what the report
of the High Level Panel wants us to do and we are very
much committed to that. "
Jan Vandemoortele
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DONOR
PERSPECTIVE ON THE UN REFORM PROCESS
Donors attending the retreat expressed support to
the pool funding mechanism for joint programming.
They will inform their Capitals on the pilot experience
in Pakistan, in particular funding and financial mechanisms
and the delegation of authority entrusted to the UN
Resident Coordinator and United Nations Country Team.
Likewise, the Country Team recommended to minimise
as much as possible the transitional period and to
avoid work areas with high administrative costs .
It was also agreed to document the reform process
as well as the collective vision that guides this
agenda and the overall and agency-specific expected
outcomes, in line with mandates of the various agencies.
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UN RETREAT ON UN REFORM PROCESS
IN PAKISTAN
The United Nations Country Team (UNCT) convened to
discuss and develop a shared understanding of the
UN Reform Agenda and its internal and external drivers
in light of the High Level Panel Report on UN reform.
The overall objective of the two-day retreat was to
develop strategic priorities to support the UN Reform
and the country’s pursuit of national development
priorities through the ‘One’ UN Programme.
The UN reform in Pakistan is a country-driven exercise
and thus, will not be delayed by reforms at the global
level. Pakistan being a “pilot country for the
reform”, the UNCT should be empowered to work
effectively towards One UN Model.
The retreat recommended to develop benchmarks and
timeframes to gage the reform progress. The Resident
Coordinator together with the Government of Pakistan,
will assume management and leadership of the UN Reform,
supported by the UN Heads of Agency. Lessons will
be drawn from the successful management of the 2005
earthquake crisis at which occasion several key guiding
principles of the UN reform were tested such as ‘One
Leader’ (Humanitarian Coordinator), ‘
One Programme’ and ‘One Budgetary Framework’
(Flash Appeals and ERRA-UN Early Recovery Plan). The
UN Reform is now setting a precedent for ‘one’
vision on a larger scale - ‘one’ vision
for developmental purposes.
Documentation of the ‘change’ process
at every stage was also recommended at the retreat–
this is particularly necessary as Pakistan will be
serving as a model on which other countries might
build on.
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Piloting
‘One UN’ in Pakistan
In view of Pakistan Government’s determination
to accelerate UN reform at country level, the
UN Country Team (UNCT) agreed on the following
steps towards ‘One UN’ in Pakistan
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Vision:
Our vision is for the UN
to deliver as ‘One’ by overcoming
systemic fragmentation in our efforts to support
human development in Pakistan, especially the
MDGs, as well as delivering humanitarian assistance
where necessary.
Our role is that of an adviser
to Government, an advocate for international
norms and standards, a provider of technical
expertise for operational activities and capacity
building, and a convener of stakeholders.
Our aim is to be an active
partner with relevant and efficient activities
and advice that responds to national priorities
and that yield tangible results. We are determined
to establish ‘One UN’ with one leader,
one programme, one budgetary framework and,
whenever appropriate, one management practice
and one office.
Principles:
One size does not fit all; Agencies will continue
to exist;Reform is urgent and for all ;Form
will follow Function ;Centre of gravity –country
level leadership;Authority and accountability
;Leadership and validation and ownership and
discipline .
Implementation:
One Leadership ;One Programme ;One Management
Practice .
Governance :
Piloting Mode ;Steering Group ;Communications
& History Project
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EMPOWERMENT OF THEMATIC WORKING
GROUPS (TWGs)
TWGs will be articulated around five major areas:
health, education, poverty, HIV & Aids and disaster
management .TWGs will be empowered to formulate ,
manage and implement the upcoming Joint Programme
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TWGs will be chaired and co-chaired by Heads of
Agency. Chairs will periodically rotate but the head
of the relevant substantive lead agency will always
form part of the duo.
A strategic review of the current UN Development
Assistance Framework (UNDAF) will be concluded with
the Government before mid-2007 for aligning the current
UNDAF cycle to match the Government’s planning
cycle (that should end on 2010).
The terms of reference of the TWGs have been revisited
and standardised. Each TWG will have a checklist of
steps to accomplish with clear dates, milestones and
measurable outcomes. Each TWG will also formulate
a clear and inclusive validation strategy with the
Government of Pakistan and the respective line ministries
at its core. A more focused approach to the objectives
set forth in the 5 existing themes will also be adopted.
In short , the TWGs will have a new mandate and
their members empowered for ‘Delivering as One.’
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A Human Rights Based Approach & Results
Based Management Workshop was organised for
the Thematic Working Group members to facilitate
medium term review of United Nations Development
Assistance Framework and the joint programming
in the context of One UN .The workshop is
expected to develop a common understanding
of terminology and analysis using the same
language. The objective is for the Thematic
Working Group members to apply human rights-based
approach (HRBA) and results-based management
(RBM) principles and practices in formulating
joint programmes for Pakistan under the One
UN pilot initiative.
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UNITED
NATIONS
UN House; House 12, Street 17, F-7/2,
Islamabad
Tel: +92(0) 51 8255712
Fax: + 92(0) 51 2655014
Mobile: +92 (0)301 8542442
Comments
and suggestions may be directed to:
raabya.amjad@un.org.pk |
HIGHLIGHTS
OF THE UN REFORM IN PAKISTAN
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One Programme:
UN Country Team will focus on one programme,
formulated around five areas: health, education,
poverty, HIV & Aids and disaster management.
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One Management
Practice: Key management practices
will be unified to support the implementation
of the Joint Programmes.
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One Budgetary Framework.
A unified budgetary framework will be established,
based on pooled funding for the Joint Programmes.
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