The document summarizes a strategic retreat held by the One UN Operations Management Team (OMT) in Rwanda to discuss challenges from the previous UNDAF cycle and develop a 5-year Business Operations Strategy (BOS) to support the upcoming UNDAP. Over 40 OMT and program staff attended. The retreat focused on introducing results-based management to help OMT monitor and evaluate outcomes. Challenges from the previous cycle like low participation from some OMT working groups were discussed. Recommendations included updating job descriptions, performance appraisals, and representation on working groups to boost accountability and collaboration between OMT and program teams.

1.
Empowered
Lives.
Resilient
Nations.
OMT’s Strategic Retreat on One UN
Business Operations Strategy (BOS)
Rubavu,
24th-­‐27th
March,
2013
–
The
One
UN
Operations
Management
Team
(UN/OMT)
in
Rwanda
organized
a
Strategic
Retreat
at
Kivu-­‐Serena
Hotel,
where
40
OMT
staff
members,
Programme
Staff
Members,
and
the
Resident
Coordinator
gathered
to
recapitulate
on
the
challenges
During
the
retreat,
we
expected
and
lessons
learnt
from
the
past
UNDAF
Operations
Team
to
have
an
2008-­‐2012,
and
to
discuss
on
and
draw
the
introduction
to
the
use
of
RBM
next
5-­‐year
roadmap
in
support
to
the
and
to
get
the
basic
tools
to
start
upcoming
UNDAP
cycle.
This
roadmap,
also
drafting
the
Results
Framework
of
known
as
the
Business
Operations
Strategy
the
BOS,
which
will
support
the
will
be
implemented
alongside
the
upcoming
UNDAP
2013-­‐2018.
We
hope
that
UNDAP,
and
it
will
portray
how
the
different
the
RBM
sessions
allowed
OMT
Operations
Management
Team’s
Working
staff
members
to
portray
their
Groups
(OMT/WGs)
will
be
functioning
to
work
in
a
results
perspective,
and
render
better
support
to
the
One
UN
during
permitted
a
better
understanding
the
UNDAP/EDPRS
II
2013-­‐2018
cycle.
of
their
role
within
the
One
UN-­‐
Rwanda.
In
his
opening
remarks
the
RC
encouraged
the
OMT
members
to
be
more
effective
and
Anders
Voigt,
Retreat
efficient
in
supporting
the
new
UNDAP
cycle
Facilitator
on
RBM
and
said
that
the
UNCT
regards
the
1

2. Operations
Team
as
central
in
supporting
programme
deliver
better
results
for
Rwanda.
The
participants
appreciated
the
presence
of
the
RC
and
said
that
having
the
Leader
of
the
UNCT
present
during
the
retreat,
to
guide
them
on
the
way
forward
motivated
them.
The
retreat
gathered
One-­‐UN
Operations
and
Programme
Teams
to
discuss
on
the
BOS
for
2013-­‐2018.
Programmes
were
represented
by
the
Chair
of
PPOC,
Mr.
Cheikh
Fall,
who
briefed
the
participants
on
the
EDPRSII
and
UNDAP
2013-­‐2018,
and
said
that
PPOC
expects
OMT‘s
expertise
in
reducing
transaction
and
service
costs
during
the
upcoming
five
years
for
the
One
UN
to
deliver
better
as
One
in
support
to
the
Government
of
Rwanda.
M&E
specialists,
Margaret
Gulavic
from
UNDP
and
Robert
Banamwana
from
UNFPA
introduced
the
RBM
tool
as
an
essential
instrument
in
the
drafting
of
the
BOS.
The
RBM
enables
Management
to
reflect
on
how
a
set
of
activities
relate
to
outputs,
outcomes,
and
results.
RBM
focuses
on
results
achieved
rather
than
activities
accomplished,
and
as
the
RC
said
the
RBM
would
enable
the
One
UN
to
have
a
catalytic
role
in
the
development
of
Rwanda
and
help
raise
more
resources.
Janvier
Wussinu,
the
Chair
of
OMT
and
Specialist
of
BOS,
and
Rajesh
Kayastha,
BOS
Specialist,
explained
the
way
BOS
will
be
used
by
One
UN
in
Rwanda.
BOS
will
be
managed
by
OMT
under
the
overall
guidance
of
the
UNCT
to
back
up
the
UNDAP
process
with
the
main
purpose
of
enhancing
the
quality
of
operational
services,
thus
reducing
transaction
and
service
costs,
assessing
capacity
of
OMT/WGs,
and
reflecting
on
how
to
monitor
results
achievements.
It’s important to reflect on how
we can monitor our results On
the
second
day
of
the
retreat,
the
through the use of M&E tools Working
Group
chairs
of
Finance,
such as DI Monitor, which would
help us monitor progress of our Procurement,
ICT
and
HR
made
outcomes set during this retreat. presentations
on
the
lessons
learnt
during
It’s important also to be very the
UNDAF
2008-­‐2012
cycle
and
the
realistic in that we have five challenges
they
met.
One
of
the
recurring
deliverable years, so we should challenges
was
the
fact
that
OMT/WGs
split all the deliverables over that participation
and
commitment
rates
from
its
period of time. The work of WGs
cannot be carried by some people
members
are
low.
Consequently
one
of
the
alone. It’s important that we all recommendations
from
Janvier
Wussinu,
the
contribute. There is a beauty in Chair
of
the
OMT,
at
the
end
of
the
retreat
getting inputs from everybody was
that
the
UNCT
in
consultation
with
the
and there is an added value to OMT/WGs
staff
should:
1)
Update
the
job
that. It’s important that head of description
of
these
staff
to
take
into
account
agencies appoint representatives
from their respective agencies to
their
contribution
to
OMT/WGs;
each WG.
“We
need
to
play
the
2)
Nominate
through
writings
their
game
together”.
representative
within
OMT/WGs;
3)
Ensure
that
the
performance
of
their
staff
has
one
Janvier
Wussinu,
Chair
of
the
result
linked
to
their
participation
to
the
OMT/WGs;
and
4)
In
finalizing
the
UN/OMT
on
the
way
forward
performance
appraisals
of
these
staff,
HoAs
2

3. would
have
to
seek
the
OMT
chairs’
inputs
and
comments
on
the
full
participation
of
their
staff.
Janvier
believes
that
if
all
of
the
above
points
are
properly
implemented,
it
would
not
only
help
the
OMT
enjoy
greater
cooperation
and
collaboration
with
the
Programme
Team,
but
it
would
also
increase
the
accountability
framework
for
greater
results.
One step at a time…
The
BOS
requires
one
step
at
a
time.
The
Strategic
OMT
Retreat
on
BOS
is
part
of
that
process.
During
the
retreat,
the
OMT/WGs
learned
the
use
of
the
BOS
and
RBM
through
practical
exercises.
OMT/WGs
also
revised
the
past
work
of
Operations
services
and
drafted
the
challenges
and
lessons
learnt,
they
learned
the
different
steps
of
drafting
the
BOS,
and
they
drafted
the
5-­‐year
Annual
Work
Plan
(AWP)
for
the
BOS
strategy.
Following
the
end
of
the
retreat,
the
WGs
are
going
to
finalize
their
AWPs.
They
will
then
come
together
to
finalize
the
drafting
of
the
BOS,
which
will
be
submitted
for
approval
to
the
UNCT.
Then
the
BOS
will
be
implemented
in
July
2013,
at
the
same
time
as
the
UNDAP
2013-­‐2018.
3