F.4: Management
Continuing to improve the management process Other Information:
The issue: The underlying issue is to have a management process that meets the needs of the Organization in the context of
a changing external environment and, specifically, of the Strategic Framework with its renewed emphasis on interdisciplinary
approaches and broadened partnerships. Management imperatives affected by these changes include: the need to realign authority,
responsibility and accountability; the need to be increasingly cost effective and responsive in the light of competition;
the need to provide the management and developmental support required to implement the strategy for enhancing interdisciplinarity;
the need for administrative and management information systems to underpin the overall process; and the need for increased
flexibility to meet the demands of programmes for new skills, particularly in FAO's areas of excellence. It is also important
to recognize FAO's status as a public service organization and as a part of the UN system, as well as its existing staffing
complement and the particular international environment in which it operates: as a public institution, the importance of ensuring
adequate custodianship of public funds is paramount; as a member of the UN Common System of Salaries and Allowances, it has
agreed to adhere to certain standards established by the system at large; as an international civil service, it is enjoined
to give due attention to its advantages of national and cultural diversity, multilingualism and gender diversity both in staffing
and in programme planning; and as an employer, to foster staff commitment and motivation. Human resources are the essence
of any service institution. In the case of FAO they make up 84.5 percent of the Regular Budget, including staff (68.4 percent)
and other human resources (16.1 percent). The fundamental challenge is to optimize the planning, recruitment, management and
development of these resources in order to attract and retain staff of the calibre required. During the coming 15 years, a
staff turnover of 70 percent is projected. While this implies a risk of depletion of capacity and loss of institutional memory,
which must be countered with appropriate measures, it also provides an opportunity to ensure that the Organization acquires
and/or strengthens the skills and competencies required to face the challenges of the future. The strategy: The strategy outlined
below reflects the continuation of efforts to improve the management process and thus is largely under way, although it is
recognized that full implementation may take several biennia. It has two components. To create a management environment that
facilitates the implementation of the Organization's corporate strategies and the achievement of its strategic objectives,
FAO will: a) design all field projects and Regular Programme activities with clearly defined and, where possible, time-bound
objectives, including milestones in the form of outputs to be produced, reinforced by the identification of specific performance
indicators; b) introduce a more comprehensive evaluation regime, including formal auto-evaluation procedures; c) realign authority,
responsibility and accountability to reflect the new environment better, including assigning of primary responsibility for
budgetary management to programme managers; d) develop and implement integrated supporting systems in the areas of financial
accounting and management, human resources management, and programme planning, budget preparation, work planning and implementation
monitoring; this includes creating a data warehouse for validated corporate data as a primary source of management information;
and e) provide appropriate analytical tools, so that users can make best use of available data. To foster staff commitment
and motivation, and reward innovation and excellence, FAO will take specific measures to: a) use entry-level recruitment and
career and staff development to renew staff capacity, with a view to meeting the changing needs of programme priorities better
and supporting language diversity; b) further develop flexible and cost-effective arrangements for acquiring and deploying
human resources to permit flexible responses to programme priorities and requirements; c) continue to build a management culture
that fosters gender equality, promotes initiative and teamwork and clearly defines accountability for human resources management;
this will include performance management systems linked to corporate strategic objectives via the Organization's programme
planning systems; d) keep pace with the UN Common System in human resources management policies, including salaries and entitlements,
gender and geographic distribution, work and family life policies and interagency movement; and e) continue to foster effective
staff-management collaboration through consultation with staff, including with the staff associations on the conditions of
employment.
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