Umoja is the cornerstone of UN administrative reform, and presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to move the UN away from administrative practices on which it was built in the 1940s, and equip it with 21st century techniques, tools, training and technology. A fundamental tenet of the initiative is that lasting reform is built, firstly, on changes of attitudes and skills of staff members; secondly, on modification of processes and organizational structure; and, thirdly, on deployment of a global information management platform. Umoja is fundamentally a people- and process-driven initiative enabled by modern technology.
"Every day we are reminded of the need for a strengthened United Nations, as we face a growing array of new challenges, including humanitarian crises, human rights violations, armed conflicts and important health and environmental concerns. Seldom has the United Nations been called upon to do so much for so many. I am determined to breathe new life and inject renewed confidence into a strengthened United Nations firmly anchored in the twenty-first century, and which is effective, efficient, coherent and accountable."
– Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
The initiative enjoys the support of UN management at the highest levels, including the Secretary-General and the Deputy Secretary-General. The Under-Secretaries General of the Department of Management (DM) and the Department of Field Support (DFS) and the Chief Information Technology Officer (CITO) are all strong partners and advocates of Umoja.
Through Umoja, the UN can achieve more harmonized administrative processes that allow staff to focus more time on value-added tasks and facilitate more efficient services to stakeholders. Umoja will enhance accountability, transparency and internal controls for all types of resources. It can help improve decision making and planning capabilities by providing up-to-date and accurate reports and data. Umoja will enable managers to exert tighter financial planning and controls and ensure compliance with public sector standards such as IPSAS.
Strategically, Umoja will help improve capabilities for timely reporting on expenditure, commitments and project status that are linked to results. Implementation will also result in an information and technical infrastructure that will provide a greater potential for harmonization of business processes across the UN system. In addition, Umoja will provide a platform for organizational change and continuous business process improvement as public sector best practices evolve.
All stakeholder groups – staff, Member States and the UN's ultimate beneficiaries around the world – stand to benefit from Umoja.
