united nations competencies

8/4/2019 United Nations Competencies

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United NationsCompetencie

Futurefor the



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

“



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.



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.



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?



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 ?



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.



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.



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



s Integrity

s Professionalism

s Respect for Diversity

What are theUN core values andcompetencies?

Core Values



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



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.



Integrity



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



Professionalism



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



Respect for

Diversity



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



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



Teamwork



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



Planning &Organizing



Accountability



Client

Orientation



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



Creativity



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



TechnologicalAwareness



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



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



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



Leadership



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



EmpoweringOthers



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



Managing

Performance



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



Building Trust



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



What’sNext?w



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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