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The kick-off provides UNCTs the opportunity to initiate the BOS in their country. This step is focused on building a basic common understanding of BOS across all parties involved in its development and implementation at the country level.
This step is traditionally comprised of several activities, such as:
Creation of specialized working groups (one for each common service line) within the OMT and identification of a focal point for each, if this does not yet exist.
OMT meeting, together with the OMT working groups and the assigned focal points, where the OMT Chair briefs the team on the BOS using the OMT Kick-off presentation and discusses next steps.
UNCT meeting where OMT Chair briefs on the BOS, using the UNCT Kick-off presentation. The OMT Chair introduces the focal points for the specialized working groups and discusses next steps. It is at this point that members of the UNCT reconfirm their commitment to the process, allowing staff time to lead and/or participate in the interagency processes of developing and implementing the BOS. This is done by defining the Participating Agencies and completing the Accountability Framework, one of the most important steps of the BOS.[1]
For step-by-step guidance on completing the kick-off step in the BOS platform, click here.
[1] For more detailed information refer to Annex 2.
The BOS preparation has five key steps that take between 8 to 16 weeks. The actual time requirement will depend on local level capacity, the number of common services identified, access to verifiable data and approval times. UNCTs complete their BOS by providing inputs into each step of the BOS online platform.
The stock take records common services that are already being done collaboratively at the country level, either through an existing BOS or as independent initiatives.
This step assesses the performance of existing common services. Here the OMT working groups meet separately to discuss current service collaboration and their respective efficiency and effectiveness. This is an opportunity to build on strengths and expand common services, to discontinue inefficient practices and to address any bottlenecks.
As a result of the discussions, OMT working groups record the details of the current cooperation in the BOS online platform:
Modality: define whether this service is implemented in house or outsourced.
Managing Agency: the name of the UN Agency that manages this common service on behalf of one or more other UN Agencies. Multi-agency management is also a possibility and can be added to the platform.
Action to be taken:[1] depending on the current performance of cooperation on this service, working group should decide whether collaboration on this service should continue, be scaled up or discontinued.
Implemented since: date from which agencies started cooperating on this service.
Participating Agencies: define the agencies participating in this common service.
Any comments that country offices would like to highlight.
Benefits of collaborating in services identified through the stock take are monitored through standard KPIs. However, as common services identified through the stock take become increasingly integrated into planning, the recording of benefits is done for a maximum period of four years.[2] For this reason, OMT working groups are requested to record since when Agencies have been cooperating.
For step-by-step guidance on completing the stock take step in the BOS platform, click here.
[1] Similarly, new common services identified in the Opportunity Analysis will be moved to the stock take section once they have been done collaboratively for 4 years
[2] For more details on the terminology refer to Annex 3.
In December 2017 report to the General Assembly, the UN Secretary-General (SG) called for scaling the roll-out of the Business Operations Strategy (BOS), mandating all UNCTs to ensure compliance with an improved BOS by 2021. In 2019, the UNSDG/BIG developed and endorsed the BOS 2.0 guidance, supported by the BOS 2.0 online platform for global roll-out.
Development of the BOS in all UNCTs and its implementation in 2021 and its subsequent annual reviews in 2022 and 2023 demonstrated several lessons learned and the need for corrections and revisions in the guidance to further enhance the inter-entity collaborations at the country level. Key lessons learned focused on assuring data quality and accuracy and reporting efficiencies. Over time, feedback and lessons learned shared by the UNSDG entities warranted a review of the BOS initiative in the short, medium to long term.
In September 2022, the United Nations Representatives of Internal Audit Services (UNRIAS) started an assessment of the BOS roll-out and implementation, sampling 8 countries. The result of the UNRIAS assessment is pointing toward a review of the BOS guidance in 2024 to incorporate suggestions that are based on the lessons learned and feedback received from entities, both Headquarters and country offices.
Efficiencies estimated and realized from the inter-entity collaboration through the BOS are reported to the ECOSOC annually in the UN Secretary-General's Report. Since this report will be prepared in April, the UNCTs are expected to conduct in January-March a review of their BOS, update the country-level collaborations, and efficiency future estimates, and report the efficiencies realized from collaboration within the UN System every year.
In 2024, the UNSDG/BIG will undertake a comprehensive review of the BOS guidance, for implementation in 2025 and beyond, therefore, the UNCTs are expected to continue to utilize the existing BOS methodology to evaluate the relevance of their BOS and report on the efficiencies estimated for future years and realized in 2023. To assist the UNCTs/OMTs, the attached supplemental guidance is issued guiding the annual review exercise.
This supplemental guidance also introduces information regarding a forthcoming transition in our BOS platform infrastructure. Specifically, the existing BOS platform, currently hosted by UNDP, is set to be succeeded by a new BOS platform within the UNINFO enviroment. This move aligns with the larger ecosystem where other UNSDG inter-agency platforms are situated. The transition aims to centralize and enhance our platform capabilities and user experience while preserving the integrity of data.
A thorough and coherent strategy is key to a positive collaborative environment that enhances the quality and efficiency of UN operations at country level. The BOS Task Team has been created, in part, to assist UNCTs in maintaining a desired level of quality in the development and implementation of the BOS.
In an attempt to facilitate the sign-off step, the BOS will be reviewed for quality assurance by a member of the BOS Task Team. This review is intended to ensure key aspects of the BOS process are followed and, when necessary, changes are introduced.
The quality assurance review is a mandatory step ahead of the sign-off and should be completed within 7-10 working days. Any delay can be escalated to DCO at regional and HQ level. For more information, please refer to the Quality Assurance Standard Operating Procedures available in the online platform.
Once all the steps of the BOS progress bar have been completed, OMT Chairs will be able to submit the final draft for quality assurance validation in the sign-off page of the platform.
The endorsement of the strategy is fundamental to the collaborative implementation of services at country level. This step is only possible once the BOS has been reviewed and cleared for the sign-off by the BOS Task Team.
The sign-off meeting includes the OMT Chair, the UNCT and the RC. In this meeting, the OMT Chair is responsible for presenting the BOS to the UNCT for final endorsement. Once endorsed by the UNCT, the BOS is ready to be signed-off by the RC through the online platform. The RC signs-off on the BOS on behalf of the UNCT. As such only the RC’s registered account will enable the sign-off on the BOS online. The RC reports the completion of the BOS as part of their annual reporting obligations. Below is a depiction of the roles and responsibilities of the sign-off meeting:
An agenda for the sign-off meeting would typically include:
Introduction – the purpose of the meeting, as well as the overall proposed value (quality and cost) of the BOS;
Accountability Framework Organigram – the responsibilities and levels of accountability of all actors;
Results Framework – agreed set of common services (existing and new) – highlighting KPIs, targets, and involved agencies;
Implementation Plan – defined activities, responsibilities, timeframes, and budget to implement each common service identified;
Budget - common budget requirements and proposed resource mobilization approaches;
Monitoring and Review Plan – outlining all responsibilities for the monitoring, reporting, and review plan.
The online platform generates summary reports for each step of the BOS to support presentation to the UNCT for endorsement. The sign-off is not finalized until the box the RC completes all the steps of the sign-off page. A link to final report will be sent to all staff registered through the accountability framework.
Monitoring and reporting on progress towards collaboration is key for country offices to better align efforts and maximize efficiencies. The BOS has two types of reporting:
Roles | Responsibilities |
---|---|
focusing on the conclusions drawn from the monitoring of annual targets (quality and cost avoidance reached) as well as identifying bottlenecks to activity implementation. Annual reporting is mandatory and is done by the OMT Chair, OMT working groups and the participating agencies.
focusing on analyzing and reporting on the results of the BOS over a period of several years in line with BOS evaluation methodology. This is an optional step and can be done at the request of the UNCT.
OMT Chair
BOS presentation
UNCT
Endorsement of the BOS
RC
Sign-off through the online platform
OMTs may also choose to assess the BOS impact through an evaluation. Given the annual monitoring and review step, conducting an evaluation is not a mandatory step of the BOS but it might be helpful to do a multi-year evaluation of the BOS to guide OMTs through the review process.
A BOS evaluation should focus on the relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability as defined by the UN Evaluation Group (UNEG)[1]. A sample structure of an evaluation with guiding questions is available in Annex 5.
[1] UNEG Norms for Evaluation in the UN System, www.unevaluation.org
The OMT is required to monitor and report on cost avoidance and the quality improvements realized, including through reporting on the funds spent, and on the progress made towards the annual targets set within the Results Framework. OMT Chairs and working group focal points are also able to add feedback in relation to progress name on each of the activities.
Managing and Participating Agencies as well as OMT working groups are responsible for the annual monitoring of the KPIs for their specific common service line. Monitoring is undertaken by applying verifiable data and quality surveys to determine the status of the KPI targets against their baseline. In this step, OMT working groups review the common services, KPIs, and targets and add the actual values of the progress made thus far. OMT working groups inform the OMT of the conclusions of their annual monitoring and flag any issues that require attention at the OMT or UNCT level.
The BOS online platform will generate an impact level reports from implementation of the BOS to ascertain the benefit of the BOS at the country level. These reports will enable the stakeholders to notice the impact that BOS brings to the UN system by collaborating. The reports will also showcase the active participation by Agencies and their performance on BOS implementation.
Role | Responsibility |
---|---|
OMT working groups
Report to the OMT the achievements (progress towards targets, including cost avoidance and quality enhancements) of their common service line, against agreed targets on an annual basis.
OMT
Reviews the inputs provided by the working groups and reports the achievements and challenges of the BOS to the UNCT against agreed targets annually.
RC
Annually reports on the outcome of BOS to the UN Secretary-General.
The BOS is a dynamic framework that seeks to enhance the quality and cost effectiveness of business operations at country level. To ensure it remains relevant and updated, OMTs are required to conduct an annual review of the BOS.
Taking in consideration the findings reached during the reporting phase, the OMT is responsible for launching the BOS annual review with the participation of the OMT working groups. This is a good opportunity to address any bottlenecks or delays with solutions and to set priorities for the year ahead. Discussions with the UNCTs should also take place to outline the management support needed and the budget allocation required. During the annual review, the OMT, and the working groups, are able to revise and update all the steps of the BOS. Updating the BOS should be faster than developing the BOS from the onset.
The steps to review the BOS are typically the following:
Kick-off – review and update the list of participating agencies and the accountability framework. Ensure that any staff changes and contact details are reflected online.
Stock Take – the OMT working groups should go through the identified common services and discuss whether changes should be made, or new services should be added.
Opportunities – the OMT working groups should further discuss new opportunities for collaboration. Please note that services that have been done collaboratively for 4 years will be automatically moved to the stock take section.
Planning Framework – OMT working groups should review and update KPIs, targets, and involved agencies. Review and update the implementation plan including common service activities, responsibilities, timeframes, and budget for implementation.
If the country context changes, - either an emergency hits, or the situation stabilizes – the UN adapts its operations to best fit the country needs. Flexibility and adaptability are some of the main new characteristics of the BOS allowing it to be updated and revised in the middle of the implementation step to ensure it properly supports programme priorities.
For the BOS to be unlocked for review during implementation step the RC, with agreement from the UNCT, should write to the BOS Task Team through the help section of the BOS online platform. The request will be examined by the BOS Task Team and the BOS will be unlocked in the system for an earlier review.
This step of the BOS encourages innovative thinking. The analysis might involve brainstorming sessions, exploring and calculating new ways of working, researching new technologies, and working together, to imagine new and improved levels of collaboration.
The opportunity analysis identifies new services that could be done collaboratively through the BOS, considering quality enhancements and cost effectiveness.
As a result of OMT working groups’ discussions on their area of expertise, new forms of collaboration will be identified and selected through the BOS online platform. Once selected, OMT working groups will need to define the common service for their specific context through providing:
Description: a short description of the common service in their local context;
Opportunity statement: the reasons why this common service is selected. Here the OMT can link a potential common service to programmatic-related needs (in line with the UNSDCF) or non-programmatic needs (based on corporate requirements);
Expected quality improvements: describes the quality enhancements anticipated as a result of implementing the new common service. In some cases, the quality considerations of a potential new common service may out-weigh the cost avoidance considerations. Quality considerations may include the:
Urgency of common approaches in a particular field
The reputational or visibility value to the UN resulting from implementation of any one common service
Capacity (time and competency of staff) that may or may not be available
Managing Agency: the name of the UN Agency that manages this common service on behalf of one or more other UN Agencies. Multi-agency management is also a possibility and can be added to the platform;
Way forward: indicates the new common services selected for inclusion in the BOS;
Implementation start date: defines the planned date of implementation of this service;
Participating Agencies: the list of UN Agencies participating in this common service;
Cost Benefit Analysis: each Agency BOS focal point should complete its own CBA, if applicable.
The BOS online platform provides OMTs and OMT working groups with a list of common services meant to inspire collaboration in the different areas. OMTs are strongly encouraged to double check whether their desired common service is, or is not, on the list prior to submitting a request for a new common service. There are two ways to search for a common service:
Use the search engine to look for keywords. The search engine will search for key words in the common service name and description and under all the common service lines.
Review the common services list, which can be downloaded under Reports: Common Services
For example, country offices wanting to add cooperation on a LTA for the supply of office stationery will not find the common service under Procurement Services – Goods and Services but under Administration – Administrative Services. This is because procurement is the way to obtain supplies, but office stationery is the duty of administration.
If OMTs find that the desired common service is still missing, a new common service can be added. To do this, click on “New Common Service”, complete the form and submit it for validation. Validation is a form of quality assurance and may take a few days to be processed to ensure all the elements added are precise. A message will be sent to the OMT Chair and the OMT working group focal point once the common service is validated.
For step-by-step guidance on how to add new common services into the BOS platform, click here.