The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the United Nations (UN) reform processes call for UN managers to elevate their leadership and management qualities significantly. They are expected to spearhead teams that are not just effective but groundbreaking, driving towards results that have a profound impact. Given the current global landscape, managers must embody the core values and behaviors of UN leadership, setting an example for others to follow. This leadership involves catalyzing transformation within the organization by championing innovation, adeptly navigating through change, and amplifying the UN's capabilities to fulfill its complex, and critical, mandate.

The UN System Leadership Framework and UN Management Reform are critical initiatives for enabling this transformation. These pivotal elements underscore the necessity for United Nations personnel to expand their competencies by acquiring new knowledge and skills. The United Nations System Staff College (UNSSC) is mandated to advance these objectives through its Knowledge Centre for Leadership and Management (KCLM), which contributes to forging a common UN leadership and management culture.

 Among many dedicated teams at the UNSSC, the Executive Management Programme (EMP) team plays a pivotal role in empowering UN leadership and management across the system. Since its inception in 2016, the team has been addressing the unique needs of UN organizations through innovative and practical training programmes, welcoming its first cohort of 80 participants from the United Nations Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) in the same year. Over the past eight years, the team's evolution has resulted in over 2,500 UN managers from across the system benefiting from comprehensive, scoped, and contextualized training programmes.

To address the specific challenges faced by managers within these organizations (such as the need for effective change management in dynamic environments, fostering innovation amidst resource constraints, and further promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion) the team, in consultation with stakeholders and experts from the UN system, worked to design, develop, and iterate  new learning interventions into their programmes. Additionally, more financially accessible, inclusive, and tailored inter-agency programmes have been developed to allow participants from various UN organizations to enhance their capacity to deliver.

UN Managers

 

In 2018, the team launched online-based learning programmes to cater to participants with busy schedules. This evolution proved critical during the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing the Staff College to seamlessly adapt to fully remote learning. The pandemic emphasized the need for more agile and resilient management, prompting the team to incorporate tailored case studies specific to client needs and involved organizational leaders in webinars to allow for more contextualization and scoping of the learning offered.

In 2021, the EMP team undertook a series of strategic improvements aimed at enhancing the overall participant experience and streamlining programme processes. They revamped their onboarding for online programmes by sending out a series of comprehensive, informative emails at different stages to address participants’ FAQs. Participants' engagement process was also further improved by analyzing feedback, which led to enhanced processes on the online learning platform, such as completion tracking and regular auto-reminders. Programmes also include 360-degree assessments,  individual coaching and the DiSC Personality Profile Assessment and workplace profile, offering participants valuable insights from their colleagues and personalized reflections with their coaches. These tools enable participants to reflect on their own workstyle and different workstyles, fostering stronger collaboration and enhancing team dynamics. This successful addition influenced the adoption of the tool by other programmes within the College. Subsequently, tailored reporting templates were introduced to address specific client needs, significantly improving the end-of-programme reporting process. These initiatives, to name a few, demonstrate the EMP team's commitment to continuous improvement and client-focused solutions.

The invaluable support and collaboration of the UN Secretariat, Food and Agriculture Organization, Pan American Health Organization, United Nations Population Fund, World Health Organization, International Civil Aviation Organization, and World Food Programme, and International Trade Centre have challenged the team to consistently rethink its approach towards digital learning, instructional design, and facilitation, leading to critical participant-focused improvements. These collaborations have further stimulated the EMP team contribution to the UNSSC's goal of fostering a more cohesive management culture across the UN system.

A heartfelt acknowledgment goes to the dedicated individuals who have worked within the Staff College, shaping crucial aspects of the EMP programmes and making them the impactful initiatives they are today.

We look forward to continuing these remarkable collaborations, driving innovation, and empowering UN leadership and management for years to come!

Read what former participants had to say about their learning experience:

"I am positively surprised. I have completed many leadership courses, and here, it was well thought out, and the modules with the topics chosen were good. I have also completed many UN courses, and this one is one of the best. Adding the DISC and individual coaching was awesome!"

~UN Secretariat Executive Management Programme

“The course is truly enriching and transformational. While all participants go through standard learning materials and activities, the methodology used, particularly the coaching sessions, facilitate optimal tailoring of the learning experience. I hope more people in the UN system will have the opportunity to benefit from this programme.”

~PAHO Leadership Management Certificate Programme

“I am immensely thankful to the entire team who developed and delivered this excellent learning programme and platform at the UNSSC. The combination of theory and practice, compilation of reading and reference materials, design of power point presentations and the able presentation skills of UNSSC resource persons is commendable. Kudos to the entire team involved. “

~UNFPA Managerial Certification Programme

 

Interested in a tailor-made solution? Contact us: unemp@unssc.org