Department of Operational Support

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The Department of Operational Support (DOS) is the department within the management architecture of the Secretariat that serves as the key enabler to heads of entities across the Secretariat in the exercise of their delegated authority through the provision of advice and guidance, delivery of global support functions, delivery on operational training requirements and provision of support to special situations such as start-up and crisis response.

History

DOS was established on 1 January 2019 following the adoption of General Assembly resolution 72/266B of 5 July 2018. Creation of DOS was part of the 2018 management reform proposed by the Secretary-General.[1]. Resolution 72/266B also approved the presentation of the requirements for DOS in the new section 29B of the regular budget.

Structure

DOS is headed by an Under-Secretary-General and consists of two offices headed by Assistant Secretaries-General and a number of stand-alone divisions. A third office—the Office of Information and Communications Technology—reports to both the USG for DOS and the USG for the Department of Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance (DMSPC).

Office of the Under-Secretary-General[2]

  • Performance and Analytics Section
  • Audit Response and Boards of Inquiry Section
  • Environment Section
    Responsible for supporting the sustainability management framework in peace operations and coordinating the implementation of the action plan for integrating sustainable development practice into Secretariat-wide operations and facilities management, as endorsed by the General Assembly in resolution 72/219.

Office of Support Operations[3]

Office of the Assistant Secretary-General

  • Capacity Development and Operational Training Service
    Supports entities in building and improving capacities required to exercise delegated authorities in an accountable manner, including by developing business processes and systems for implementing administrative policies across the Secretariat. Includes training and knowledge-management posts co-located with the Division for Policy, Evaluation and Training in the Department of Peace Operations.

Human Resources Service Division

  • Staffing Service
    Responsible for staffing-related support such as process design for staffing, testing and examinations; operational workforce planning and organizational design; roster management across all job families; administration of the Young Professionals Programme; and facilitating recruitment for entities without the associated delegated authorities.
  • Operational Support and Advisory Service
    Provides advice on the implementation of the Staff Regulations and Rules and human resources management policies.

Healthcare Management and Occupational Safety and Health Division

Consolidates medical and occupational health capacities previously located in separate departments (the Medical Services Division in DM/OHRM, the HIV/AIDS unit in DPKO-DFS/DPET and the Field Occupational Safety Risk Management function in DPKO-DFS/OCoS). The work of the Division relates primarily to (1) provision of occupational safety and health services to United Nations staff and (2) health systems administration, including clinical standards, health workforce management and review of compensation claims from uniformed personnel.

Office of Supply Chain Management[4]

Brings together the procurement and logistics capacities that previously resided in separate departments into an integrated end-to-end supply chain organized on the basis of the supply chain operational reference model. While entities across the Secretariat have greater procurement authority in the new delegation of authority framework, the Office will centrally manage requirements for high-value and strategic, complex commodities such as aviation, information and communications technology, rations, fuel, engineering and pharmaceuticals.

Office of the Assistant Secretary-General

  • Aviation Safety Team
  • Enabling Section
    Manages performance management framework, performs vendor registration and outreach and develops operational guidance and best practices on supply chain management.

Logistics Division

  • Supply Chain Planning Service
  • Handles demand forecasting, source planning and delivery.
  • Sourcing Support Service
    Organized by major category of requirement (medical, engineering, rations, fuel, ground transportation, general supplies and security).
  • Movement Control Section
    Provides strategic lift of military and police personnel, contingent-owned equipment and United Nations-owned equipment. Also manages freight forwarding contracts.
  • Air Transport Service

Procurement Division

Performs core procurement functions such as solicitation exercises, commercial evaluations, recommendations on qualified offers and contract administration. PD is organized on the basis of the same category management approach as the Logistics Division (as per the previous structure, which was arranged based on the type of client entity, e.g. Headquarters vs. field) but is kept separate from the Sourcing Support Service in the Logistics Division to maintain a segregation of duties.
  • Aviation, Major Commodities and Regional Service
  • Real Estate, Information Technology and Corporate Service

Uniformed Capabilities Support Division

Consolidates capacities previously split across two departments (Reimbursement Policy and Liaison Section and MOU and Claims Management Section in DFS/FBFD, COE Unit in DFS/LSD and personnel reimbursement functions in DM/OPPBA) to facilitate more responsive support to troop- and police-contributing countries and faster processing of claims. Single point of contact on all administrative and logistical issues related to force generation, memorandums of understanding, contingent-owned equipment and personnel reimbursement.

Division for Special Activities[5]

  • Resource Planning and Analysis Section
  • Operational Planning Service
  • Support planning for new or changing mandates, provide assistance and advice on support-related planning and maintains planning guidelines and SOPs.
  • Client Support and Special Situations Service
  • Provides advisory and support services during start-up, transition, downsizing and liquidation.
  • Support Partnerships Service
  • Support officers
    Six support officers in the Division for Special Activities are available to the Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations to provide expertise on support matters to the teams backstopping peace operations at Headquarters.

Division of Administration, New York[6]

Handles Headquarters campus support, in a similar manner to the divisions of administration in Geneva, Vienna and Nairobi. The Headquarters information and communications technology support functions originally proposed to be located in the Division of Administration were instead consolidated into the Office of Information and Communications Technology by the General Assembly in its resolution 72/266B.
  • Headquarters Client Support Section
    Executive Office of DOS and OICT. Also provides administrative support to offices at Headquarters without their own dedicated executive office or administrative unit.
  • Facilities and Commercial Activities Service
  • Keeps the lights on in the Secretariat Building. Also includes the United Nations Postal Administration and the Archives and Records Management Section.

Global Shared Services[7]

Pending General Assembly approval of shared service centres under the Global Service Delivery Model.

Coordination mechanisms

Executive Senior Management Committee

Integration and unity of effort between DMSPC and DOS is facilitated through the Executive Senior Management Committee, co-chaired by the heads of the two departments. This forum brings together the senior management of the two departments to allow for regular identification and addressing of cross-departmental priorities and strategic issues, including those related to the efficient and effective delivery of services to client entities across the Secretariat.[8]

Management Client Board

The Management Client Board, which is chaired by the heads of DMSPC and DOS, is a standing mechanism by which the different types of entities within the Secretariat can systematically provide their requirements and feedback on service delivery and policy development.

See also

Relevant documents

  • A/72/492/Add.2 Implementing a new management architecture for improved effectiveness and strengthened accountability
  • A/73/366 Comparative assessment of human resources structures
  • A/74/761 Funding model for the Department of Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance and the Department of Operational Support

Budgets

References

  1. ↑ A/72/492 and Add.2 Shifting the management paradigm in the United Nations
  2. ↑ A/72/492/Add.2, paragraphs 167-171
  3. ↑ A/72/492/Add.2, paragraphs 172-186
  4. ↑ A/72/492/Add.2, paragraphs 187-226
  5. ↑ A/72/492/Add.2, paragraphs 227-239
  6. ↑ A/72/492/Add.2, paragraphs 240-247
  7. ↑ A/72/492/Add.2, paragraphs 275-277
  8. ↑ Annex II of A/72/492/Add.2
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