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United NationsCompetencie
Futurefor the
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It is my hope that competencies will provideus wit h shared language for t alking , in concretterms, about high performance and manageriaexcellence. I believe that a shared view ofthe standards we are st riving to achieve wi llassist us in our cont inuing effort s t o prepare
the Organization to meet the challenges ofthe 21st century.”
Kofi AnnanSecretary-General
“
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Introduct ion to Competencies
In “ Buildi ng t he Future” , t he Secret ary-General has indicated t hat
t he Org anizat ion’s great est st rengt h—and t he key t o our success—is
t he quality o f our staff and m anagers. He has st ressed t hat , t o capitalize
on this st rengt h, we need to create an organizat ional culture and
environment t hat enables staff to contr ibute to their maximum pot ential.
Experience in ot her org anizat ions has shown t hat when seeking t o create
a new cult ure and b uild human resources capacit y for t he fut ure, it is
important to define organizational core competencies—the combinationof skills, attributes and behaviours which are essential for all staff—as well
as t he addit ional managerial comp etencies required by all t hose who
manage others. Once organizational competencies have been defined,
t hey can be used as a base on w hich to b uild and strengt hen other human
resources systems such as recruitment, placement, development and
perf orm ance appr aisal.
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Accordi ngly, a part icipator y pr ocess, involving st aff and managers
t hroughout t he Secret ariat , was undert aken t o d efine core and managerial
compet encies for t he United Nat ions Secret ariat . This booklet hasbeen prepared to inform staff of the United Nations competencies for
the future, to describe how these competencies were arrived at, to
provide examples of how the competencies look in action and to indicate
how they will be applied in the Secretariat.
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The ter m “ compet ency” refers t o a combination of skills, at t rib utes and
behaviours t hat are directly related t o successful p erfo rmance on t he job.
Core competencies are the skills, attributes and behaviours which are
considered important for all staff of the Organization, regardless of their
function or level.
M anagerial compet encies are t he skills, at t rib utes and b ehaviourswhich are considered essential f or st aff w it h managerial o r supervisory
responsibilit ies.
What are competencies?
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Defining competencies is important both for the Organization and for staff.
Competencies are for ward-looking. They describ e t he skills and att rib utes st a
and managers will need in order t o build a new o rganizational culture and
meet fut ure challenges. They help org anizat ions clarify exp ect ations, define
future development needs, and do more focused recruitment and developme
planning. Compet encies provide a sound basis for consist ent and object ive
perf orm ance st andards by creating shared l anguage about what is needed
and expected in an Organization.
Core and managerial compet encies are not specific to any occupati on. One
could demonstr ate the competency of “ t eamwork” or “ cl ient orientation” ,
for example, in p erfor ming any job . Specific t echnical comp etencies are
not included in the model of United Nations competencies for the future.
To comp lement t he core compet encies, indi vidual dep artment s may choose
to define functional competencies related to their respective areas of work.
Why are competencies important ?
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IInterviewsAs part of the process, interviews were conducted with the Deputy Secretary-Generaland twenty-four Under-Secretaries-General and Assistant Secretaries-General who
head Departments and Offices throughout the Secretariat. They were asked about the
Organization's environment, stakeholders, work outputs and future challenges. Informatio
drawn from t he interviews provided an overall context for the work of f ocus groups.
competencies decided?
How were the United Nations
Core and managerial compet encies for t he Unit ed Nat ions Secret ariat
have been developed through a participatory process taking into
account t he diversity of levels, functio ns, cultures and g eographic
locations of the Organization.
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Focus Group sSeventeen focus groups, comprising a cross section of staff from different departments
at all levels, were held in six dut y stations. The focus groups part icipated in a day-long
process of examining the Organization's environment, the work we do and expectto do in the future, and the needs of our clients and stakeholders. Each group came
to a consensus on the most impor tant compet encies and values for all international civil
servants, as well as the additional competencies required by staff who manage others.
Building t he Compet ency Mod elThe competencies defined b y all groups were sorted and analysed. Similar compet encies
were grouped t oget her and a common term chosen for each group ing. Using the most
frequently occurring items, a model was developed with eight core competencies and
six managerial compet encies.
Organizational Core ValuesOrg anizational values are t he shared p rinciples and beliefs that underpin t he work of
an organization and guide the actions and behaviours of its staff. During the participa-
to ry process, “ integrit y” , “ respect for diversity” and “ professionalism” emerged as
the Org anizat ion’s core values, and t hey have been included in the model. They are
consonant with the United Nations Charter and with the core values set out in Article I
of the Staff Regulations.
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Competencies include a combination of skills, attributes and behaviours that need
to be developed and strengthened throughout one's career. Acquiring a competency
is not a one-time event, but rather an ongoing process. Formal training can help,
but experience, coaching, feedback and individual learning activit ies are needed as
well. To assist staff in using competencies in their daily work and planning for their
continuous learning and development, ongoing information and guidance will be
provided by O HRM.
acquire the competencies?
RecruitmentGradually, competencies will be incorporated into generic job descriptions and
vacancy announcements. Interview frameworks and other tools will be developed
to incorporate competencies into recruitment and placement decisions, andstaff will be t rained in t he use of these tools.
How do I
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s Integrity
s Professionalism
s Respect for Diversity
What are theUN core values andcompetencies?
Core Values
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s Communication s Teamwork
s Planning & Organizing
s Accountability s Creativity s Client Orientat ion
s Commitment to Continuous Learning
s Technological Awareness
Core Competencies
s Leadership s Vision s Empowering Others
s Building Trust s Managing Performance
s Judgement / Decision-making
Managerial Competencies
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The following pages set out t he organizat ional core
values, core competencies and managerial competencies,
fo llowed by “ behavioural indicat ors” . These indicator s
are indicative only. They are not intended to describe
all the behaviours related to a competency.
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Integrity
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s Demonstrates the values of the United Nations indaily activities and behaviours
s Acts without consideration of personal gain
s Resists undue political pressure in decision-making
s Does not abuse power or authorit y
s Stands by decisions that are in t he Organizat ion’s interest ,even if they are unpopular
s Takes prompt action in cases of unprofessional orunethical behaviour
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Professionalism
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s Shows pride in work and in achievements
s Demonst rates professional competence and
mastery of subject matters Is conscient ious and efficient in meet ing commitments,
observing deadlines and achieving results
s Is motivated by professional ratherthan personal concerns
s Shows persistence when faced with diff icultproblems or challenges
s Remains calm in stressful sit uations
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Respect for
Diversity
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s Works effectively with people from all backgrounds
s Treats all people with dignity and respect
s Treats men and women equally
s Shows respect for and understanding of diversepoints of view and demonstrates this understandingin daily work and decision-making
s Examines own biases and behaviours to avoid
stereotypical responsess Does not discriminate against any
individual or group
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s Speaks and writes clearly and effectively
s Listens to others, correctly interprets messages
from others and responds appropriatelys Asks quest ions to clarify, and exhibits interest in
having two-way communication
s Tailors language, tone, style and formatto match the audience
s Demonst rates openness in sharing informat ionand keeping people informed
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Teamwork
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s Works collaboratively with colleagues toachieve organizat ional goals
s Solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas andexpertise; is willing to learn from others
s Places team agenda before personal agenda
s Supports and acts in accordance with finalgroup decision, even when such decisions maynot ent irely reflect own posit ion
s Shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibili ty for team shortcomings
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Planning &Organizing
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Accountability
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Client
Orientation
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s Considers all those to whom services are provided tobe “clients ” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view
s Establishes and maintains product ive partnerships wit hclients by gaining their trust and respect
s Identifies clients’ needs and matches them toappropriate solutions
s Monitors ongoing developments inside and outside t heclients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems
s Keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects
s Meets t imeline for delivery of products or services to client
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Creativity
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s Actively seeks to improve programmes or services
s Offers new and different options to solve problems
or meet client needss Promotes and persuades others to consider new ideas
s Takes calculated risks on new and unusual ideas;thinks " outside the box"
s Takes an interest in new ideas and
new ways of doing thingss Is not bound by current thinking or
t radit ional approaches
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TechnologicalAwareness
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s Keeps abreast of available technology
s Understands applicabili ty and limitat ions of technology
to the work of t he offices Actively seeks to apply t echnology to appropriate tasks
s Shows willingness to learn new technology
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s Keeps abreast of new developmentsin own occupation/ profession
sActively seeks to develop oneself professionallyand personally
s Contributes to the learning of colleaguesand subordinates
s Shows willingness to learn from others
s
Seeks feedback to learn and improve
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s Ident if ies strategic issues, opportunit ies and risks.
s Clearly communicates links bet ween t he
Organization’s strategy and the work unit’s goals.s Generates and communicates broad and compelling
organizat ional d irect ion, inspir ing others to pursuethat same direction
s Conveys enthusiasm about fut ure possibilit ies
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Leadership
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s Serves as a role model that other people want to follow
s Empowers others to translate vision into results
s Is proactive in developing strategies to accomplish objectives
s Establishes and maintains relationships with a broadrange of people to understand needs and gain support
s Ant icipates and resolves conflicts by pursuingmutually agreeable solutions
s Drives for change and improvement; does notaccept the status quo
s Shows the courage to take unpopular stands
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EmpoweringOthers
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s Delegates responsibilit y, clarif ies expectations, and g ivesstaff autonomy in import ant areas of their work
sEncourages others to set challenging goals
s Holds others accountable for achieving results relatedto their area of responsibili ty
s Genuinely values all staff members' input and expertise
s Shows appreciation and rewards achievement and effort
s Involves others when making decisions that affect them
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Managing
Performance
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s Delegates the appropriate responsibility, accountabilityand decision-making authority
s Makes sure that roles, responsibilities and reporting linesare clear to each staff member
s Accurately judges the amount of time and resources neededto accomplish a task and matches task to skills
s Monitors progress against milestones and deadlines
s Regularly discusses performance and provides feedback
and coaching to staff
s Encourages risk-taking and support s creativit yand initiative
s Actively supports the development and careeraspirations of staff
s Appraises performance fairly
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Building Trust
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s Ident if ies the key issues in a complex situat ion, and comes tothe heart of the problem quickly
s
Gathers relevant information before making a decisions Considers posit ive and negat ive impacts of decisions
prior t o making them
s Takes decisions with an eye to t he impact on othersand on the Organizat ion
s Proposes a course of action or makes a recommendationbased on all available information
s Checks assumptions against facts
s Determines that the actions proposed will satisfy the expressedand underlying needs for the decision
s Makes tough decisions when necessary
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What’sNext?w
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Integrating competencies into the Organizationis an ongoing process. As a first step, pleaseuse this booklet to familiarise yourself with the
organizational values and competencies. Useand observe the competencies in your dailywork and in discussing staff development andperformance management issues. The bookletwill be supplemented by additional publica-
tions to assist staff and managers in usingand strengthening competencies to enhanceperformance, increase accountability at alllevels, and promot e cont inuous development.
Specialist Services Division, O
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