Cut-Backs
at
UNDP While
Helen Clark in
Belarus,
Transparency I
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, May 31,
more
here --
For many weeks
there have
been rumblings
about “Helen
Clark's cut
backs” at
UNDP, the UN
Development
Program.
This week the
rumbling
spiked, with
the UNDP staff
union holding
a meeting in
the UN's
basement on
May 29 to
discuss the
loss of up to
30% of UNDP's
jobs in New
York.
So on May 31
when Helen
Clark re-tweeted
praise of her
visit to
Belarus from
her
representative
in the
country, Sri
Lankan
national
Sanaka
Samarasinha,
Inner City
Press replied:
"What about
the UNDP layoffs?"
The response
came not from
Helen Clark --
who rarely if
ever holds
question and
answer press
availabilities
at the UN in
New York --
but from
Samarasinha,
that the UNDP
layoffs "must
always be
transparent
& being
fit for
purpose. We
strive toward
that end."
Inner City
Press thanked
Samarasinha, adding
it will try to
make the
proposed
layoffs transparent.
In that spirit,
we now publish
Helen Clark's
May 19 letter
to staff:
Dear
Colleagues,
Last
year the
Executive
Board approved
a new
Strategic Plan
for UNDP, and
since then the
whole
organization
has been
making the
changes
necessary to
fully
implement that
plan. One of
the three
pillars of
that plan was
improving
institutional
effectiveness.
To that end
the
organization
has conducted
significant
reviews of its
performance
and
we have all
been involved
in planning
and
implementing
changes. At
the country
office level
most of you
are well on
your way to
completing the
financial
sustainability
exercise which
has led to
many changes.
Also, over
recent months
we have been
going through
a structural
change
exercise at
the
headquarters
and regional
levels to
achieve a
number of
efficiency
gains.
We
committed to:
·
Moving more of
our policy and
support
services to
the
regional level
so that we are
closer to our
country
offices.
·
Removing
unnecessary
duplication
between bureau
·
Ensuring our
functions are
properly
aligned
through the
organization
to improve
accountability
and
professional
standards
·
Improving our
span of
control so
that we have
better career
paths for
younger staff.
·
Reducing our
spending on
staff salaries
so that we can
stay
within the
integrated
budget limits
set by the
Board in
September.
·
Ensuring we
free up
resources to
invest in new
areas required
to deliver on
the Strategic
Plan
All
Bureaux have
been working
hard on how to
reorganize
functions and
reduce costs.
This has not
been an easy
exercise and I
must commend
both my
management and
the many staff
involved for
their
commitment
to coming up
with
solutions.
We
are now at the
stage where we
are ready to
release new
organograms
for all
bureau. This
will happen on
Wednesday this
week (NY
time).
These
organograms
will reflect a
much different
UNDP from what
we now
have. Our
services will
be much more
focused in the
regions and we
will be
leaner. We
will have
significantly
fewer D grade
positions
relative to
other
professional
and general
services
grades.
This
means that
many peoples
jobs are
affected, and
we will be
embarking
on a
realignment
process aimed
at being as
fair and
transparent as
possible to
fill the new
positions.
Details
of
the new
organograms
will be
released on
Wednesday 21
May, and
managers in
all bureaux
will be
available to
discuss with
staff what
the
implications
are for their
bureau.
I
understand,
however, that
some staff may
wish to take
the
opportunity
to leave UNDP,
rather than
compete for
new positions.
To facilitate
this we will
be making
available a
limited number
of voluntary
separation
packages. The
details
associated
with this are
attached
to this email,
and if
affected staff
members are
interested in
taking
this option
they should
discuss this
with their
manager.
All
organograms
will be made
available on a
dedicated
intranet site,
and
at that time
all staff at
headquarters
and working at
regional level
centres will
receive formal
notification
that they are
within the
definition of
affected
staff. Bureau
managers will
then work with
individual
staff members
to confirm the
status of
their existing
position.
Information
will also be
available on
the processes
which
will be used
for the
realignment
exercises
which will
have to
follow. Let me
assure you
that these
exercises will
be designed to
be as
fair and
transparent as
possible and
will ensure
that existing
rights
under staff
rules are
respected.
Finally
let
me say to you
all that I
recognize that
this is not an
easy time
for staff. I
also know that
we can be a
stronger more
effective
development
organization
which can make
real
differences in
millions
of peoples’
lives. By
demonstrating
that to the
world, I have
no
doubt that
there are many
exciting
opportunities
out there for
UNDP
to build on .
Helen
Clark
UNDP
Administrator
Another
source
told Inner
City Press
that Clark
wants to
“force people,
many women,
many who are
head of
household, to
be deported
after one
month [when
their G-4
visas would
expire], and
force many
staff who are
just 2, 3, 4
years from
early
retirement age
out, so they
will miss out
on their
after-service
health
insurance. If
they get away
with this at
UNDP, it will
quickly spread
to the rest of
the UN system.
Oh, and by the
way, the men
and women at
D1, D2 and
ASGs are
unaffected.”
This,
Secretariat
staff say, is
similar to
current
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon's
mobility or “5
year rule” -
now imposed on
regular staff,
but seemingly
not applied
Ban's higher
ranking
friends.
UNease is
growing.
Another
description here,
from IPS.
The
connection is
that Helen
Clark wants to
replace Ban
Ki-moon as
Secretary
General,
despite the
the post as
his successor
said to be
reserved for
the Eastern
European group
which has
never held it.
Clark is
banking on
gender
trumping
geography, and
job cutting
seems to be
her campaign
issue for
Western, donor
countries.
A well
placed source
tells Inner
City Press
Clark told
management
currently
employed at
UNDP to “drop
what they are
doing and work
on her
campaign” for
S-G, they
would be
rewarded with
a higher post
in the
Secretariat if
she comes to
replace Ban.
Footnote:
In
the
Secretariat,
the hold-over
staff union
which barely
fought Ban
during its
time in power
now presents
itself as
supporting
UNDP worker,
and as...
still the
staff union,
despite the
December vote
and
controversy
since.
This rift only
benefits those
pushing for
lay-off, just
like the UN's
Censorship
Alliance
getting the
first question
and big room
results in
softball
coverage of
the UN, here.
We'll and the
Free
UN Coalition
for Access
will have more
on this.
, 
