The United Nations (UN) has many programmes such as UNDP, funds such as UNICEF and specialised organisations such as WHO, FAO, ILO, UNESCO, etc. They have offices largely in mid- and low-income countries delivering financial assistance, technical support, and promoting peace and security as visioned by the United Nations. All these offices are headed by a Representative appointed by these branches of the UN system. There are also Resident Coordinators, Humanitarian Coordinators and Special Representatives of the UN Secretary General (SG) who are appointed by the Secretary General. All these Representatives employed in various branches of the UN system are selected from its 193 UN member countries. These representatives are the eyes, ears and feet of the UN system in the field.
All these representatives come from countries with diverse socio-cultural, economic and political backgrounds. As you can imagine because of their diverse background these Representatives come in different sizes and shapes like non-GMO fruits. Their interactions to a common situation in the field and with the government counterparts can also be amazingly different. But even more interesting is their behaviour in the workplace. Here are a few sentences of some types, certainly not an exhaustive list, you may have come across.
Micromanager type: there are some UN Representatives who find it difficult to internalise the meaning of delegation of authority. They are also oblivious to the concept of priority; all issues have the same priority. For them briefings by their second-in-command or the heads of sections are not enough on any small or big issues. They insist on knowing every detail of what comes in and goes out of the offices. They exist to dot every 'i' and cross every 't' in every official document. Every decision in the office must be done by the Representative. All outgoing documents have to be signed by the Representative. When the internet entered the UN system it was a shock to the micromanager as it opened up a system where anyone can communicate with anyone anywhere, not just within the UN system. There were discussions in some offices in defining some kind of table of authority authorising who can communicate with whom! And yes, the driver must open and close the car door when the Representative leaves or arrives at the office.
No nonsense type: programmatically, this type of the Representative remains flexible in how the work is done and fully supports staff in their work even if it means bending rules now and then with proper justification to the headquarters. This type of Representative also keeps an open-door policy and welcomes all staff for consultation at all times and knows all staff by name even in large offices with far flung field offices. They maintain basic contacts with the government and never yield to any government pressure, a diagonally opposite habit compared to bureaucratic types. They also avoid unnecessary exposure by avoiding too many government functions. They are also good readers. (This is probably the most ideal type of Representative.)
Extreme delegation type: this type is diagonally opposite to the micromanager type. These Representatives believe in delegating everything to their next level of staff, a deputy or whatever designated title according to the organisation. This allows the Representative to be free for his other personal interests such as coming to office after a 9- or 18-hole golf game in the morning or leaving a bit early for the same game in the afternoon; it could be tennis for some. They are not interested in details, briefing by staff in 'their areas of interest' is enough. They also have firm conviction that Representative must be visible internationally, so they get invited to all regional or global consultations including by the World Bank and IMF so that the UN has a 'seat on the table'. We all know how these international institutes and bilateral agencies function and how these institutions see the role of the UN system.
Untrusting type: there are Representatives who seem never to trust any national staff and some level of international staff for reasons only they know. What secrets do we have in the UN system that staff must be kept away from? There is a constant out flow of confidential memos leaving the office to select individuals based in headquarters. Only the principal secretary would know if any of those confidential memos were ever responded to by the headquarter staff. For some programmes meetings are exclusive rights of the international staff only despite the fact that it is the national staff who remains in the country to carry on the mandate of the UN system and implement the UN programme and the Representatives and international staff come and go like seasonal downpour. But there are exceptions. If some local staff happen to have some political connection, they would be the most favourite staff of the Representative.
Social type: life is not all work. The UN itself promotes work-life balance to ensure that staff are well rested and be able to take family responsibilities seriously as required as a mother, father or maybe even grandparents. There are Representatives who take more responsibilities in attending cocktails and social and former dinners than to attend to what is going on in the office. Such Representatives are also the ones whose sole aim is to maintain close relationships with the government and the local diplomatic community. The office operates on automated mode based on the programme team where the Representative is there only to sign a few outgoing documents. They share a lot of commonalities with the extreme delegation type.
Back home type: there are Representatives who try to apply how things are done in their country of origin, forget the UN or the government of the country where they are assigned. 'This is how things are done back home'. And in the process a lot of people are left confused. Such a shift in the programme direction becomes very complicated for staff, especially while preparing mandatory reporting documents. This type is also famous for reorganising office structures fully taking advantage of the authority they enjoy. Well, it is the decree by the King or the Queen. It must be obeyed.
Bureaucratic type: some Representatives go the extra mile to be on the good books of the government of the country where they are assigned. They expect these governments to give them full praise and even feedback to their HQs. Their priority is to make the ministers and the senior government officials happy. Many government representatives are also given opportunities for 'field trips' to foreign countries to learn, which may not be the best model for local situations. They also expect to be invited to all official functions even if they are totally irrelevant. They share some of the characteristics of Social type and Micromanager type too.
A fairly common undertaking
The authority delegated to the UN Representatives are robust, which makes them invincible, sometimes playing God. They all want to leave their mark not so much by assisting staff in programme implementation and by considering welfare of staff whichever way possible but by trying to fix which are not broken. A common scenario task one may find is that with the arrival of a new Representative the office goes through reorganisation in its programme management including changes sometimes in the table of authority just to leave a mark. WHO offices may be exempt from this exercise where the office structure is very hierarchical with the Regional Director playing the role of Emperor. Internationally recruited staff who show resistance may be reassigned or may even be dismissed. Will this culture change as part of the UN reform, whenever it actually happens?
Hilarious but true. What needs to be added is that the Reps are also part of clubs and cliques in UNICEF and owes their first allegiance to them
ReplyDeleteA very true and interesting categorization of Reps
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