MANAGEMENT OF STAFF
Too often we see that newly appointed Executive
Heads give the impression they are truly interested
in what goes on with their staff and after a few
months their interest wanes, the open door policies
no longer in effect and they become more and more
distant from staff.
Interview with Dr Margaret Chan, Director-General,
WHO.
MARIA DWEGGAH, UNSPECIAL
Dr Chan, what is your management
style vis à vis management of staff?
My style is to listen, ask questions, learn, listen
some more, and then take decisions. I
have spent my first months as Director-
General listening to many people, including
staff. Many WHO employees have long histories
with the Organization and in public
health, and can tell me what works and what
doesn’t work. There is no need to repeat
mistakes, and every reason to build on success.
I count on staff experience to help
guide my decisions. I also believe in treating
people the way I want to be treated – with
respect, an open mind, and fairness. I also
believe in being very honest with people.
How do you plan to take
the pulse of staff?
First, I will hold staff meetings twice a year to
talk with staff at headquarters about WHO’s
work, and to get staff views on how we are
doing. I also want to be in touch with staff in
their day-to-day work, and you can expect to
see me at cluster and department meetings
from time to time. When you see me in WHO,
please say hello, and tell me what’s on your
mind – unless I’m obviously running to an appointment!
When I travel, I will definitely
meet staff in the regional and country offices.
And of course, I will host regular meetings
with the WHO Staff Association Presidents of
HQ, IARC and the Regional Offices. Later this
year, we’ll understand how WHO senior staff
are doing in their management duties, as they
undergo their second 360 degree feedback
exercise. This is a follow up on the Global
Leadership Programme. This will be followed
by another organizational climate survey, to
get staff views on management. The key will
be to look at those results and use them to
drive change in the areas these surveys identify
for improvement.
Can you tell us what you think worked
and did not work with previous
WHO administrations in managing
their staff.
Each Director-General has his or her own
management style. I have my style, and I
look forward to moving forward, together
with staff, in meeting WHO’s objectives. I
aim to share as much information as possible,
including reports from senior staff meetings,
so that staff can stay aware of important
changes and new directions for WHO.
WHO has not had a Deputy Director
General since 1998 when Dr Brundtland
took over the leadership of WHO. Why did you feel it was necessary
to reactivate this position?
The appointment of a Deputy Director-General
was a direct response to the request
from Member States, who raised the issue
immediately following the tragic death of
Dr Lee. The Deputy Director-General, Dr
Asamoa-Baah, will have an important role in
working with staff as well, including leading
the Change Management Task Force.
CHANGE/RESTRUCTURING
In your first day in office, you stated
“I now want to address what must be
the most pressing concern for you. Am
I going to announce a big shake-up
today? No. I will stick with my promise.
Reform, yes. Upheaval, no”.
Dr Chan, can you please differentiate
between the two. It is understood by
all that reform is change and change
is upheaval. Where is the difference?
And how can there be reform without
upheaval. The two words go together
like a horse and carriage.
I have already demonstrated that reform does
not mean upheaval. I announced there would
be three new clusters, and asked the DDG to
lead a change management task force to ensure
that any resulting changes go as smoothly
as possible. I also believe that open communication,
clarity, and doing what I say I will do
make a big difference to the way changes
happen at WHO. I have been clear that any
changes will take place in a phased way, and
I have been clear about my timetable.
OPEN OFFICE SPACE
Open office space has been a bone of contention among staff in WHO,
especially those in the new UNAIDS
building. In fact, it has been
documented that this is actually
causing a high level of distress and
work related absenteeism in those
parts of the Organization where
it has been implemented.
Open space can work for many people, but
it needs to be implemented correctly, with
proper planning, the right furnishings, clear
rules, and a spirit of mutual respect. The Director-General’s office includes a large open
space. When my new team was formed,
some people had concerns about the space.
We reviewed it together and made some adjustments,
including adding an additional
“quiet room” – and now staff are quite happy.
But it’s clear that staff cannot perform if they
are unhappy at their desks, and I am taking
staff concerns on this matter very seriously.
I have been to see the open space at the new
WHO/UNAIDS building, to understand staff
concerns. I have asked the Assistant Director-General of HIV AIDS Tuberculosis and Malaria
together with Assistant Director-General of
Management to follow this closely, and to
make adjustments if they need to be made.
WOMEN AND AFRICA
Dr Chan, you stated that you want
your leadership to be judged by the
impact of WHO’s work on the health
of two populations: women and
the people of Africa. These two commitments
do not necessarily mean the
creation of new clusters or special
programmes, or a reallocation of
funds. This commitment concerns performance,
the relevance of our work
and its impact on those in greatest
need. What impact will this have on
recruitment of women and candidates
from African countries who are in a
better position to give guidance on
both issues? How does geographical
distribution fit into this plan?
I take geographical distribution very seriously.
We need to look at the geographical
distribution and gender issues globally, and
not just at headquarters. Certain countries
are under-represented at WHO, and women
are definitely under-represented, particularly
in senior management. We must, through
implementation of human resources policies,
continue to improve on this, while ensuring
the best quality staff are being hired.
Regarding leaders from Africa, I am very
pleased to have been able to appoint Dr
Asamoa-Baah as Deputy Director-General
and Ms Daisy Mafubelu as the new ADG of
the Family and Community Health Cluster,
and I will look forward to the benefit of their
experience and wisdom.
ACCOUNTABILITY
Dr Chan, you have stated that you
know you must lead by example.
“My behaviour as an international
civil servant must be beyond
reproach. This is an expectation that
I extend to all staff. Let me give two
examples of what this means.
First, I will not tolerate harassment
or any other form of misconduct.
I will deal with it promptly and fairly”.
Dr Chan, how do you plan to do this?
What mechanism will you put in place
to ensure accountability and most
important what actions will be taken
to prevent these behaviours.
There are many new and updated mechanisms
to deal with this very serious issue: the
whistleblower protection policy, the institutional
integrity framework, the Boards of Appeal
and the grievance panel; all of which
help to deal with specific aspects. We must
make sure they are implemented fairly and effectively, and in a timely way. However we
also need to do more to prevent it in the first
place. I will carefully study the report of the
ombudsman, and work closely with the Director
of Human Resources to find ways to
improve prevention, through more learning,
communication and a clear understanding by
all staff of the consequences for harassment
and other types of misconduct.
What percentage of misconduct
versus mismanagement are you aware
of among WHO staff? What do you
believe are the patterns that lead to
misconduct/mismanagement? What is
your plan to prevent such behaviours
in the light of WHO being a learning
organization?
I don’t think that is easy to quantify – and we
must not forget that the vast majority of WHO
staff do a very good job in a professional
way. Still, there is always room to improve.
We must strengthen training and awareness
at all levels. All staff must be responsible, and
accountable for their actions.
The Global Leadership Programme, which
has trained 440 managers, focuses on positive
leadership and management competencies
and behaviours, and I hope that senior leaders
at WHO are applying what they have
learned. In addition, the Director of Human
Resources is working on a human resources
management training module. This is aimed
at ensuring managers know the rules, policies
and procedures, so they can make evidencebased
management decisions that don’t end
up at the Appeal Boards or in the ILO Appeals
Tribunal. We are also developing a training
module on the Standards of Conduct of International
Civil Servants. This is based on a
training module developed by PAHO.
ABSENTEEISM
Absence for reasons of sickness and
stress is a growing problem that
represents the single most high-frequency
risk exposure to employers
and that is still inadequately addressed.
Absenteeism seriously affects
those colleagues left behind to carry
the increased workload. Do you
have any proposals to address the
challenges of absenteeism?
You are right to say that this issue can be particularly
damaging when there is prolonged
absenteeism, both to the staff member, and
to colleagues left to take on the workload.
The brainpower, experience and professionalism
of WHO staff are what makes this
Organization successful. For continued success,
we need to be healthy and present at
work. I will be requesting regular reports on
trends in absenteeism, particularly those related
to stress. And we have to ask, when
there is too much stress, how are we helping
staff to cope?
As with so many of these issues, open communications
between managers and staff is
key. Managers should identify and address
the issue early, and talk openly with the staff
member. If the situation persists over time,
these cases must be managed effectively to
the benefit of the staff and the Organization
as a whole.
I also believe that we should promote a
healthy workplace at WHO, so that we minimise
risks at work as much as possible. It’s
important for staff to have an opportunity to
improve their health – through good nutrition,
accessible exercise options, a smokefree
workspace, and health advice. Stress
can be a particular problem, and everyone
should be made aware of ways to prevent
stress and to manage it. Finally, everyone
should be aware of the sick leave policies.
People who are sick need the opportunity to
get well. But as with many health matters,
prevention can be more effective than a cure.
INTERNAL JUSTICE
What use will you make of previous
reports from the office of the
Ombudsman, the Board of Appeal,
the Staff Association or Grievance
Panel or of the Working Group
on Harassment.
I take these reports seriously. I have zero tolerance
for harassment, and feel it’s critical
that staff are free to do their work in a completely
professional and supportive environment.
When things go wrong, the mechanisms
to detect and correct them must work
efficiently and fairly. I would like to see urgent
and rapid progress to improve internal justice.
Dr Chan, there is a move to reform
the UN internal justice system.
Are there any plans in view for further
revamping of WHO’s internal justice
system which is lengthy and at times
ineffectual.
We need to prioritise a model for internal justice
that works for WHO. I have asked colleagues
to thoroughly examine the UN proposals,
and make recommendations about
how best to adapt this model to WHO.
OUTSOURCING
What is your stand on outsourcing/ -
insourcing and offshoring. As an Executive
Head and member of the CEB,
you will have the opportunity to influence
how this will be implemented
throughout the UN Common System.
WHO’s mandate requires that we work as
efficiently as possible, so that maximum
resources are spent on improving people’s
health. One way to do this is through introduction
of a new Global Management System
next year. It will bring many benefits, including
ways to electronically track every
dollar the Organization is spending, whether
in Ouagadougou, Beijing, or Geneva. At the
same time, we have to continue to look at different
ways of efficiently delivering services,
and the reality is, this now means “offshoring”
some to more cost effective centres
located in places where WHO has a country
or regional office. It is important to clarify that
services would continue to be carried out by
WHO staff from those locations, rather than
“outsourcing” to a third party. The phased
roll-out of the new Global Management System
from January 2008 onwards will include
the consolidation of certain administrative
tasks at a Global Service Centre. I vow to
keep all WHO staff fully informed as this develops,
and I am making certain that this is
done with a minimal impact on staff. For example,
staff who are currently performing
functions that are shifted somewhere else
would be helped to identify other career options
through training or career counselling.
Even so, I know this will be a difficult time for
some staff. We appreciate the openness with
which other UN agencies have shared their
experiences of such initiatives. We will also
share our experiences with the UN so that we
can build on these and look for opportunities
for harmonization throughout the system.
INDEPENDENCE OF THE INTERNATIONAL CIVIL SERVICE
Dr Chan, staff are pleased to note that
you will not tolerate abuse of WHO’s
relationship with Member States.
“I remind you that it is inappropriate
to use the good will of countries to
attempt to influence the Organization
for personal benefit or for the benefit
of any programme. The trust that
Member States place in us is based
on our commitment to impartiality
and objectivity.” This was the original
intent to create an independent
international civil service where individuals
did not work for a specific
government but for the good of all.
How will this translate in action?
We know that at high level posts,
or at times even low level, there will
be external influence from Member
States, academic institutions or
private sector interests: What mechanisms
will be put in place, or what
values will be promoted, to keep
a watch on this and to discourage
this from happening?
One of the most important mechanisms is the
hiring practice. I am personally telling anyone
who gives me a CV for consideration that the
person they are suggesting should apply
through WHO’s usual procedures. That way, I
am leading by example. There are four-person
panels involved in every hire. If the panel is doing
its job, then the most qualified person
should be hired. To do this, individuals involved
in panels, whether the post holder, the
staff association or the neutral party – should be
very well versed on their roles and responsibilities,
and take these extremely seriously.
Training is therefore key. For example, the
Headquarters Staff Association and the Director
of Human Resources are planning to jointly
offer training workshops for Panel members. In
addition, staff in headquarters and regional offices
have been offered workshops on Competency
Based Interviewing techniques, and
there is a core group in each region of trained
trainers.
I also want to remind all staff that we are here
to take action and serve the public health needs
of the people of our Member States. Through
resolutions, Member States ask WHO for assistance.
We must not be in the business of using
personal connections with Member States
to promote individual WHO programmes.
ICSC AND GENDER BALANCE
Speaking of the International Civil
Service, what influence do you think
you could exert in increasing the
number of female ICSC commissioners.
Currently only two of the 15
Commissioners appointed by the UN
General Assembly are women.
I think I can lead by example – by constantly
promoting the importance of ensuring
women are involved in senior roles at WHO,
and across the UN.
