Informal Briefing to the Executive Board on UNICEF on Restructuring and Downsizing: Shared by Niloufar Pourzand

 

UNICEF Future Focus Initiative: Restructuring

UNICEF
January 14, 2026

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Summary:

UNICEF presented its Future Focus Initiative (FFI) to the Executive Board on January 14, 2026, outlining a comprehensive organizational restructuring in response to projected funding shortfalls. 

The initiative anticipates a 20% reduction in overall income and a 50% decline in regular resources from the public sector. The restructuring encompasses six major workstreams: establishing four global Centers of Excellence in Amman, Bangkok, Nairobi, and Panama; relocating approximately 70% of headquarters staff to lower-cost duty stations; consolidating regional offices (merging ECARO with MENARO in Amman, ROSA with EAPRO in Bangkok, and DAPM with GoRAF into the Office of Strategy and Evidence in Florence); cutting headquarters and regional office core budgets by 25% and country office budgets by 10-15%; transforming technical assistance delivery through the new Centers of Excellence and greater use of AI; and expanding Common Service Centers and shared services.

The staffing impact includes a net reduction of 2,365 full-time posts (14% of total workforce), with International Professional positions facing 33% abolishment and 20% net reduction, National Officer positions seeing 18% abolishment and 9% net reduction, and General Service positions experiencing 24% abolishment and 13% net reduction. The initiative projects total cost reductions of $609 million over the 2026-2029 quadrennium, with $527 million from post reductions and $82 million from non-post costs. Headquarters and regional office reductions account for $464 million while country offices contribute $145 million in savings.

Implementation milestones show Centers of Excellence going live in early 2026 with 91% recruitment completed by end of January, main staff relocations proceeding through mid-2026 with completion by December 2026, consolidated regional offices activating throughout 2026, and the Technical Assistance Hub Minimum Viable Product launching alongside the Centers of Excellence. The initiative aligns with UN80 reform efforts through global shared services, integrated supply chain collaboration with WFP and UN Secretariat, One UN Data Commons development with DESA, and continued strengthening of joint programming across 86% of UNICEF country offices.

Quotes

"Around 70% of HQ staff will relocate from New York and Geneva. More cost-efficient locations closer to the field."

"The total costs reduction in core resources achieved by COs, ROs and HQ divisions combined is approximately $609 million for the quadrennium."

"Digital capabilities will be unified under one framework. This integration will bring together technology, innovation, and AI to increase efficiency, resulting in a single, agile, and scalable digital network."