Lace parachutes

It is bit strange to note that while in the UN caution seems to be the rule par excellence, this rule is totally ignored when it comes to personnel issues and management.

In the real world, that is outside the UN bureaucracy, whenever a new management system is implemented, it is first tested, then both the old and new systems exist in parallel. It is only when errors and malfunctions have been identified and corrected that the old system is junked.

In the UN, the opposite exists. We first start by dumping the old system, without even having tested the new one. It is like the parachute salesman who tells his client: “I don’t know if this parachute works. But don’t be afraid, just jump and if it doesn’t open, we will fix it later.”

There are several reasons which can be attributed to this absurd situation. First, the total lack of managerial accountability within the Administration, which allows, with impunity, the “sale” of lace parachutes that do not open. Second, mobility.

These managers are the ones who are moved around the most; they thus feel the need to leave something behind to mark their passage. So, they impose the PAS or the IMIS and other ridiculous rotation and recruitment schemes. Finally, anonymity. Who remembers who introduced IMIS or even why? Who decided to have a PAS which has cost millions of dollars to the Organization? Frankly, no one. So why should they deprive themselves?

All this would be very amusing if at the other end of the chain there weren’t people trying to work and having to live with errors created by others.

By the way, I have a wonderful idea which is called USDE – Universal System that Does Everything. This system does budgeting, personnel, recruitment, cooking, travel, visas and a state of the art capacity to count the number of yawns per delegate. USDE is not completely functional; however, I am ready to sell it to the UN Administration. Not to worry, we will see later if it works ! 

Jean Michel Jakobowicz, Editor-in-Chief