G E N E R A L S E C R E T A R I A T |
ADMINISTRATIVE MEMORANDUM NO.
47 |
December 15, 1975
I.
Objective The
purpose of this Administrative Memorandum is to unify and integrate the
administrative management of the General Secretariat. The
principal function of technical management and supervision of the programs
approved by the respective Councils rests in the Executive Secretariats
for Economic and Social Affairs and Education, Science and Culture. In
practice, the Executive Subsecretariats, as well as the Assist�ant
Secretary for Development Cooperation also exercise numerous activi�ties
related to administrative management. This has two adverse effects. First,
the directors and technical managers of the programs do not have direct
access to the central management services provided to the entire General
Secretariat by the Subsecretariat for Management. Instead, they must deal
with the administrative area through intermediary administrative
dependencies in their own areas, thereby reducing the effectiveness and
knowledge of the technical managers and administrative managers of each
others' needs. Secondly,
it creates double processing and duplication of administrative actions,
causing increased bureaucratic delay throughout the Organization� In
accordance with my objective to integrate all activities of the
Secretariat and to forge one unified team, as well as to avoid the multi�ple
processes which increase bureaucratic delays, the administrative services
of the Secretariat will be unified under the responsibility of the
Assistant Secretary for Management. The other Subsecretariats and
directors and technical managers of programs will have direct access to
all central services of the Subsecretariat for Management which will be
responsible for the most rapid and efficient execution of all administra�tive
and service functions which were performed formerly in the technical areas. The
immediate benefits are the following: (a) free specialists and program and
project technicians in the Executive Subsecretariats of all administrative
and service activity so that they may fully concentrate and dedicate
themselves to direction and supervision of programs and projects of direct
services to the member States executed in the field; (b) avoid duplication
of administrative processes which often result in lack of administrative
accountability, delays, errors, as well as in lack of consistency in the
application of the General Standards and regulations, and in the execution
of policies established by the Secretary General in complying with the
mandates of the General Assembly and the Governing Bodies; and (c) enable
the Assistant Secretary for Management to speed up all administrative
processes by delegating more responsibility to technical administrative
units operating in the area of the other Subsecretariats to enable rapid
decisions on authorizations and obligations. II.
Transfer of Functions - Personnel Beginning
December 22, all functions and personnel of the Executive Subsecretariats
who perform central administrative and coordination services, whether in
the offices of the Executive Secretaries, Departments, Offices, and
Divisions, will be transferred to the Subsecretariat for Management. The
above-mentioned personnel will, nevertheless, continue rendering services
in "decentralized administrative units" located near their
respective Executive Subsecretariats and/or Departments. III.
Technical and Administrative Supervision The
personnel of the "decentralized administrative units" will be
subject to technical supervision regarding the methods and quality of
their work by the corresponding administrative areas of the Subsecretariat
for Management (Program-Budget Office, Office of Financial Services,
Personnel, etc.). They will be responsible, as part of the Secretariat's
unified administrative mechanism, to reply directly and rapidly to the
administrative needs of each Subsecretariat to which they are assigned. IV.
Responsibilities of the Assistant Secretary for Management The
Assistant Secretary for Management shall, within 30 days, prepare a plan
to establish the organizational structure of the "decentralized
administrative units" and the method of operations, in a manner that
will increase the delegation of responsibility to authorize financial and
personnel actions pursuant to approved technical plans of operation. The
Assistant Secretary for Management will organize a proper training plan
for all personnel assigned to the "decentralized administrative
units" so that they are prepared to fulfill the responsibilities
dictated by the current policies of the Organization, as well as the
General Standards, and ensuing rules and executive orders.
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