INVESTING IN THE UNITED NATIONS
For a Stronger Organization Worldwide
Report of the Secretary-General
III. Investing in information and communications technology
Context and challenges
47. No global organization, let alone one as deeply involved in the management of information as this one, can function adequately without an effective infrastructure. Most of the reform proposals set out in the present report cannot be implemented without appropriate information and communications technology (ICT) support. And our very ability to carry on the work we are doing now depends on getting our ICT component right. There has been a chronic underinvestment in information systems which, if it is not urgently addressed, will come to threaten the operational viability of the United Nations as a whole.
48. A number of improvements have been achieved since I submitted an ICT strategy to the General Assembly in 2002 (see A/57/620 - PDF, 229K). Regular budget expenditure on ICT now amounts to more than $100 million per annum and has yielded significant returns. All systems now operate with little downtime, at rates similar to those in large, information-intensive organizations, both public and private, with effective protection from unauthorized intrusions. Internal communications and staff management tools, such as iSeek and ePAS, have been successfully developed and implemented. Standards on critical infrastructure elements are in place and are being followed by all offices worldwide, managed by more effective internal governance review mechanisms. We should also acknowledge that the United Nations does a remarkable job in establishing rapid connectivity in the remotest parts of the world, where the existing infrastructure is either non-existent or damaged.
49. However, the benefits of improvements at the technical level have been reduced by lack of an effective information management strategy, which has meant that staff in disparate locations and departments have been unable to share their knowledge. Neither the culture nor the technology encourage or enable knowledgesharing.
50. Outdated and fragmented information technology systems still prevail, with limited ability to share and process data and information. United Nations investment in ICT, at 7 per cent of the administrative budget, is underfunded in comparison with organizations of similar size, in which ICT investment levels range from 12 to 17 per cent. The absence of an organized, top-down strategic approach to ICT has contributed to a proliferation of stand-alone systems that often support similar functions. ICT applications comprise one main administrative system, the Integrated Management Information System (IMIS), for basic financial and human resources data and numerous ancillary systems for more specific purposes. These systems are not integrated with one another. Even IMIS is maintained autonomously in several different locations (see figure 5). There is no integrated system designed to store, search and retrieve information generated at the United Nations, much less to do so rapidly and in real time. This limits our ability to translate data and facts into informed policy and management decisions.
51. The areas of ICT organization, governance and support are equally fragmented, resulting in duplication of efforts. At least six separate departments have their own ICT units, with no functioning integrating mechanism in place among them. Furthermore, ICT management is positioned relatively low within the Secretariat hierarchy. As a result, few senior managers have understood what an enormous difference ICT could make if it were used strategically to improve Secretariat operations and decision-making.
52. This largely dysfunctional ICT situation in the United Nations stems from legacy systems and practices built up over decades. As a result, the United Nations has been unable to exploit the potential of ICT as an enabler of effective management reform.
Vision
53. My vision is of a United Nations in which this inability has been cured by bringing in a new, top-rank technology leadership, able to develop and implement an ICT strategy for the United Nations as a whole. Recent deliberations by the General Assembly on the creation of a Chief Information Technology Officer are a welcome step forward in this direction.
54. Under the leadership of such a Chief Officer, the heads of all departments and offices will need to be actively and cooperatively engaged in each phase of a comprehensive ICT roll-out. The ICT leadership and entity will need to be closely aligned with departments and other entities, involving all levels of management in a continuous dialogue that covers strategic as well as operational needs and issues.
55. The Secretariat will need to ensure much greater integration of its workflow and knowledge management, allowing managers to integrate programme objectives, knowledge assets and budgetary and financial data into one integrated technologyassisted process. This is essential if the Secretariat is to act more transparently and efficiently in managing staff and to procure goods and services of greater quality and quantity, at lower levels of risk. And it is an absolute condition for the adoption of the International Public Sector Accounting Standards.
56. Experiences in other United Nations entities show that such integration is feasible. Very preliminary estimates of the cost of such a system are of the order of $120 million additional investment over several years. While significant, this estimate is consistent with investments made in other parts of the United Nations system. For example, UNDP - a smaller but more globally dispersed entity - has spent $80 million on a similar system. In the context of annual activity currently approaching $10 billion, the investment is reasonable. Indeed, maintaining the current failing system is rapidly becoming more costly and carries with it the risk of an even more expensive collapse. The design of such a system will need to take account of the very rudimentary infrastructure available in certain field locations - particularly in the peacekeeping missions. Further, we expect the implementation of the new system to reduce annual operating costs over time as the legacy systems are phased out.
Proposals
Proposal 8
I ask the General Assembly to revive its discussion of creating the post of Chief Information Technology Officer, and to approve the creation of that post as soon as possible, at the level of Assistant Secretary-General. That rank will enable him or her to have a full voice in the decision-making processes of Secretariat bodies, such as the Management Committee. The position should carry with it sufficient resources - human and financial - to define and implement a comprehensive information management strategy for the entire Secretariat.
Proposal 9
I propose a sustained effort, starting immediately, to align ICT priorities with Secretariat performance objectives by incorporating better managerial decision-support tools; implementing an Organization-wide document/content management system; and recruiting or training people with skills in information management and analysis.
Proposal 10
Subject to the final results of soon-to-be-completed feasibility studies, I propose to replace IMIS, Galaxy and other stand-alone ICT management support systems with a fully integrated global system. I propose that such a system, supporting the full range of management functions, be introduced by 2009.