Regional Centre Directors’ Meeting

Meeting Outcomes

October 20-22, 2008 Bratislava, Slovakia

Practice architecture• Practice architecture:

Practice is where knowledge from expertise meets knowledge from experience. Value added by the Regional Centers include:

Cross practiceAdding regional context so important for relevance & implactAggregate feed-back to corporate practice leadership with

Management practice: need to create HQ capacity in BoM to have a similar architecture to other practices and strengthen regional management support areas.

• Gender: Develop a letter similar to the letter on human rights jointly sent from UNIFEM and UNDP. Mobilize resources to put resources behind strategy. Demand aspect:

We need to find a way how to monitor and measure our activities. Currently there are no easily-presentable data for gender and other cross-cutting areas.

Practice Architecture (contd.)•Quality assurance:

Take the quality assurance methodologies to the CO level (not just at regional)

Knowledge product quality assurance process from BDP needs to be complimented with a 7th step: assessment of impact after launch

Quality assurance project can be part of project formulation process

•Service tracking: Global standard tracking should be developed (avoid duplication with other tracking mechanism, such as in the Environment practice.)

RSCs should not wait for global solutions as the business process prioritized cannot wait for efficient packaging.

Knowledge Management•We need this effort. Need to catalyze KM

efforts.

•Business case behind comes 1st: Teamworks addresses one component, but talent management, incentives, etc. that have to do with UNDP culture and business model also need to be covered. (Value proposition, tools, cost, etc.)

•State what Teamworks is NOT (to be more clear what we are trying to achieve).

•Close the gap between BDP and BoM/OIST.

•Discussions need to be inclusive of all Regional Centres.

•High Quality knowledge/content is the goal

•KM (Teamworks) need to bridge the gap in focus between technology tools & knowledge sharing & dissemination, on the one hand and useful relevant & quality knowledge generated on the other.

Knowledge Management (contd.)Suggestions:

•Tie to business processes, such as Advocacy, Project and Programme mgmt., Resource mobilization, HR

•No big bang but evolutionary development.

•Consider existing tools and how they can be integrated. One big system vs. a variety of small systems that work for their entities.

•Internal-external access needs to be further discussed (issues of security, confidentiality)

• $ - (where are the donors?)

•Articulate risks and strategy for mitigation

RDT Service Function

• Accelerate execution of UNDP’s Strategic Plan & focus on development.

• RCM – RDT – we need some guidance how to protect UNDP’s mandate. Clarify the politics & connect it directly to function of Regional Center Directors.

• Focus should be on the UN relationships that works• Consider UNDP Associate Administrator participates

in yearly Regional Commission meetings. • Focus on the role of Country Directors/UNDP DRR to

position UNDP more strongly as UNDP’s driver/representative vis a vis UNCT => RDTs

Operational Issues• Workplanning: detailed annual workplanning in centres

approved by Boards. Overall centre workplanning should be done using existing tools.

Issue: planning against results is disconnected from budget planning.

• Oversight vs. support: conflict of interest. Oversight stays in NY (or clearly separated from support arm), centres focus on support.

• Corporate oversight functions are not subject to any form of market mechanism.

• "RBA decision created sub-regional offices within which RC´s provide support while country operations support the Deputy Regional Director´s oversight function. All other centres should be kept informed on lessons learned".

• Name: “Service” centre doesn’t translate well in other languages; centres do more then service, general reference can be Regional Centre

Operational Issues (contd.)•Financing: some RBx have made the positive decision

to "invest" regional programme resources in the centers to ensure delivery of regional, global and country programmes. (The Global and Regional Programmes must be leveraged as one resource pool (financial and human resources)

• To “prime” the newer centres for adoption of “best practices” and experience of the two established regional centers: need infusion of funds is urgently required. Asking for immediate HQs commitment of $600K/newer centres and $300K/older centres.

• The backbone of the Center’s approach is to merge the ‘soul & themes’ – of both the regional and global programme.

• The RDT role is taking on a new dimension with Regional Commission Meetings & UN thematic working groups – it is consuming and require dedicated resources

• Resource mobilization and donor engagements suggests closer collaboration with Partnership Bureau. Cairo has PB membership of its board.

Model Evolution Merging Soul & Theme of Regional/Global Programme - example from Environment

UNDP/GEF REGIONAL

COORDINATION UNIT

Regional Team Leader

Regional Technical Advisors

REGIONAL PROGRAMME

Regional Practice Manager

Regional Policy Advisors

2004

UNDP/GEF REGIONAL

COORDINATION UNIT

Regional Technical Advisors

REGIONAL PROGRAMME

Regional Policy Advisors

Regional Practice Manager

2005 - 2006

REGIONAL INTEGRATED

ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY PRACTICE

Regional Practice Manager

Reg. Technical Advisors

Reg. Policy Advisors

2007 - 2008

EE Regional Strategy

Integrated Business Plan

Business Plan

Regional programme AWP

Regional programme AWP

Business Plan

UNDP COsUNDP COs UNDP COs

MDG C

•Market Mechanism (agreed elements): Ensure basic service level can be offered from a stable core staffing and resources.

Use fee for cross-regional service provision

CO DSS is underutilized – guidance from OPB should indicate that it can be used for local and regionally-based consultants, Reg.Centre consultants

Charge high-consumers of services – and bring in additional capacity to cover needs, so all offices get a fair share.

Use consistently Travel Equalization Scheme

Charges to stay at Reg.Centres and used for pool of associated (external) consultants to provide basic service level.

No recovery mechanism would allow full implementation short term, so move towards market mechanism should be initially funded by corporate resources

Operational Issues (contd.)

Operational Issues (contd.)•Board: Board is advisory in nature.

Standard emerging: representation from BDP, BCPR, BoM, PB, chaired by RB Director, 4 RRs representing COs.

•Performance management: Regional Centres need specific performance measurement framework (CO indicators and tools currently not fully applicable)Work on developing methodology and indicators with the advice from EO for Regional Centre performance, including:

Common client survey (with client feedback that’s actionable)Balance ScorecardRSC result tracking (scans)

Key Resources

• Click here Presentations on Practice Architecture and you will find really interesting information on:– Practice Architecture:

Global Service Tracker PlansBangkok Service TrackerBratislava Service TrackerBratislava Feedback MechanismBratislava Annual Client SurveyBratislava SOP for Publication and Knowledge Products Bratislava Synopsis for Publications and Knowledge ProductsBratislava Publication Quality Assurance Process Bratislava Expert Exchange Scheme Expert Roster

Additional Resources

• Bangkok Common UN Roster of ExpertsBratislava Annual Report 2007Bangkok Annual Report 2007PPT: Bangkok Service TrackerPPT: UNDP Environment and Energy Practice Architecture

PPT: UNDP Capacity Development Practice Architecture

PPT: Ensuring Credible and Quality Support to National Partners

Additional Resources

• Knowledge Management: Bratislava Tools summaryPPT: KM UpdateKM-Teamworks business case draft

Additional Documents:

Confessions of a Former Bratislava Regional Centre DirectorRBLAC: Report on UNDP Capacity Development SeminarRBLAC: SURF 2008 1 Semester ReportRBLAC: SURF Achievements 2007RBLAC: Cost Recovery MechanismsNTF: Meeting with the Associate Administrator