United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)
Q1. How have the COVID-19 pandemic and the current food, energy and financing crises changed the priorities of your organization?
The UNOPS strategic plan, 2022-2025 (DP/OPS/2021/5) was endorsed by the UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board in its Second Regular Session 2021 (ref. decision 2021/21).
The plan was developed through an extensive consultative process with external and internal stakeholders during the course of 2020-2021. During the process, the organization considered the health, humanitarian and socio-economic impact of COVID-19, including its impact on countries’ ability to achieve the SDGs. The plan explicitly recognizes the adverse impact of COVID-19 on poverty levels, integrity of health systems, and the availability of decent jobs; as well as on the availability of financing for development, amongst other things.
With its multitude of adverse effects, the Covid-19 pandemic has reinforced a core set of priorities for the organization, as outlined in its contribution goals:
“Support countries. We support countries in developing their capacity and resource base for the Sustainable Development Goals; Help people in need. We help people in need through effective specialized expertise grounded in international norms and standards;" and
"Enable our partners. We enable our partners to ‘do more with less’ through efficient project services, delivered locally or as global shared services."
UNOPS is a demand-driven organization with a fee-for-service business model; and engages in projects based on partners’ demand and its ability to effectively contribute to expanding their implementation capacity.
With the onset of the pandemic, UNOPS saw a significant increase in demand for its service in relation to the COVID-19 response and recovery, often in the most challenging and extraordinary circumstances. This included particularly demand in UNOPS core areas of expertise: health procurement, and temporary and permanent health infrastructure, as well as financial management services. UNOPS was able to respond with agility and speed to the evolving situation. Overall, as of mid-2022 UNOPS had committed to deliver Covid-19 response projects worth over USD 1.5 billion across 90 countries on behalf of 69 partners. This includes both newly signed projects, and re-dedicated project funding and implementation, in line with partner agreements, during 2020-2022.
Q2. How has your organization supported Member States to accelerate their recovery from COVID-19 and the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda? How has your organization cooperated with other UN system organizations in these efforts to achieve coherence and synergies?
UNOPS work to date in support of the immediate response to and long-term recovery efforts from Covid-19, similar to the organization’s support during the 2014-15 Ebola outbreak, has yielded lessons learned which will inform UNOPS support to health emergency responses in the future.
As part of the immediate response to the pandemic, UNOPS supported partners primarily with procurement of medicines and medical equipment; the construction of temporary health infrastructure and procurement of adjacent assets such as ambulances; and the alleviation of immediate negative socio-economic impacts through the effective distribution of cash to households.
As the pandemic evolved, UNOPS increasingly engaged with partners to identify suitable interventions to support long-term recovery efforts. In line with UNOPS key areas of expertise, support focuses on the strengthening of national health systems - both to increase readiness for future pandemics and to enhance the ability to serve populations’ health needs on a day-to-day basis - and on strengthening adjacent systems, such as those providing affordable and clean energy systems, transportation, and clean water and sanitation.
Two examples to that effect are provided below.
| Initiative | Stabilizing food prices in Ethiopia |
| Partners | Government of Ethiopia |
| Relevant SDGs | 1, 2, 3, 17 |
| Member States benefiting from the initiative | Ethiopia |
| Description | COVID-19 has brought a tremendous pressure on the economy of many countries. In Ethiopia, disruption to transport and logistics systems has led to reduced crop production. With lockdown measures, economic activity in the agricultural sector reduced dramatically. This has resulted in crop shortages and sharp rises in prices of staple food items which were fast becoming unreachable for people living in poverty. As a result, UNOPS is supporting the Government of Ethiopia with a large-scale procurement effort as part of a market stabilization strategy for the inflated cost of food items. UNOPS signed an agreement with the Ministry of Finance to urgently procure and import 400,000 metric tonnes of wheat worth over $200m. This intervention will help stabilize the market and ensure those in need are able to access affordable food items |
| Website | https://ethiopia.un.org/en/177581-unops-ethiopia-procured-400000mt-whea… |
| Initiative | Strengthening Health Systems in Yemen |
| Partners | KfW |
| Relevant SDGs | 3, 16, 17 |
| Member States benefiting from the initiative | Yemen |
| Description | Over the past eight years, the ongoing conflict in Yemen has left more than 20 million people in need of humanitarian assistance and has significantly deteriorated the health of people across the country. Maternal health, child malnutrition, immunization rates and outbreaks of communicable diseases, in particular, have worsened, putting additional strain on already overstretched health services. As part of a broader humanitarian response effort, UNOPS partnered with KfW to rehabilitate and equip key public health facilities based on the needs of the population, including general hospitals, local health centers, and COVID-19 isolation units. This included upgrading water infrastructure and lightning systems. Essential equipment was procured and installed, while staff in targeted facilities received training. In addition, health storage warehouses for the vaccine supply chain were rehabilitated. |
| Website | https://www.unops.org/news-and-stories/stories/tackling-a-health-crisis… |
| Initiative | Mitigating the health and socio-economic impact of Covid-19 |
| Partners | European Union, IGAD, UNICEF, IOM, GIZ, Trademark |
| Relevant SDGs | 3, 8 |
| Member States benefiting from the initiative | Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Uganda |
| Description | The member countries of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development are among the most vulnerable to pandemics, such as Covid-19. This programme serves to support both the primary effort to contain and mitigate the spread of the virus, as well as the secondary negative effects on the movement of goods and people, and food security through a concerted, coordinated effort under the auspices of IGAD. UNOPS provided overall programme management across four components, and implemented several components, e.g. the procurement of medical equipment and supplies and the installation of medical facilities for screening and quarantine at border crossing points. |
| Website | https://www.unops.org/news-and-stories/stories/mitigating-the-impact-of… |
Q3. Has your organization published or is it planning to publish any analytical work or guidance note or toolkits to guide and support recovery efforts from COVID-19 while advancing full implementation of SDGs at national, regional and global levels?
UNOPS, with its unique implementation mandate and its demand-driven, fee-for-service business model, is a resource for technical expertise and implementation support across peace and security, humanitarian and development efforts, even in the most challenging contexts.
Its technical expertise is grounded in twenty-five years of implementation experience in UNOPS core areas of infrastructure, procurement and programme implementation. Within these core areas, UNOPS aims to support a paradigm shift, particularly in relation to the role of an evidence-based approach to infrastructure, as well as the transformational potential of public procurement, for driving sustainable, resilient and inclusive development.
Already since 2017 UNOPS has made efforts to seek collaboration with renowned research and data institutions for the purpose of compiling and publishing studies, white papers and reports on these topics. Further, at regional level, UNOPS has occasionally devised targeted analytical efforts to support e.g. the Covid-19 response.
Three examples are provided below. These illustrate the type of work UNOPS has undertaken in evidence-based infrastructure and public procurement, in support of all SDGs, with particular emphasis on SDGs 3 and 7 and 13.
| Resource | Inclusive infrastructure for Climate Action |
| Publishing entity/entities | UNOPS |
| Relevant SDGs |
All SDGs |
| Target audience | Governments |
| Description | This report highlights the key role that inclusive infrastructure plays for the achievement of all SDGs, proposing five principles of inclusive infrastructure, and calling for infrastructure that is equitable, accessible, affordable and empowering, while respecting the “do no harm” principle. It features expert insight from ten non-governmental organizations that work directly with marginalized people and communities across the world. The report is also available in French and Spanish from unops.org. |
| Website | https://content.unops.org/publications/Inclusive-infrastructure_EN.pdf |
| Language | English |
| Resource | Building health system resilience in an uncertain world |
| Publishing entity/entities | Economist Impact |
| Relevant SDGs |
3, 9, 17 |
| Target audience | The publication is directed at all member states, and in particular programme countries. |
| Description | The paper explores key strategies for strengthening health systems in low- and middle-income countries, including the role of governance, financing, procurement and infrastructure in building resilience against a background of shocks—including the covid-19 pandemic, ongoing conflicts around the world, climate change and economic instability. |
| Website | https://impact.economist.com/projects/towards-the-sdgs/digital-essay-bu… |
| Language | English |
| Resource | The importance of public procurement for development. The key role of Public Procurement Agencies |
| Publishing entity/entities | UNOPS |
| Relevant SDGs |
All SDGs |
| Target audience | Governments |
| Description | Doing more with less will result in freeing up resources to direct them towards actions impacting directly the achievement of the SDGs. For developing countries, it will have the added advantage of enhancing their capacity to effectively absorb official development assistance, reducing the large differences between commitments and actual use of funds. Using the scarce local resources more efficiently, will also result in reduced dependency of foreign aid flows and increased margins for sovereign policy decisions. The report presents UNOPS views on the importance of public procurement as a critical tool in a development strategy and, subsequently, the need for strong public procurement authorities to spearhead the innovations and definition of the strategic direction in public procurement. The regulatory, implementation and monitoring capacity of a PPA ultimately determines the quality, availability and cost of critical social goods and infrastructure. |
| Website | To be published Q4 2022 |
| Language | English, Spanish |
Q4. How has your organization engaged with stakeholder groups to support SDG implementation and COVID-19 recovery at national, regional and global levels? Please provide main highlights, including any lessons learned. For example, what has worked particularly well as a model for effective stakeholder engagement?
As a demand-driven organization with a fee-for-service business model, UNOPS conducts all of its implementation activities in partnerships with governments of programme and donor countries, entities from the United Nations system, intergovernmental institutions, international and regional financing institutions, foundations, non-governmental organizations and the private sector.
Two key lessons learnt in the context of the Covid-19 response include (ref. DP/OPS/2021/5, paragraphs 101-104):
“We can contribute to an efficient and effective emergency response when we build on trusted partnerships with partners whose needs we understand, and who understand our unique business model and operational role.”
“We recognize the importance of invoking emergency procedures in a controlled manner, including by deploying trained personnel to boost capacity in support of key decision points. We have benefited from establishing surge capacity to support our offices in matching partners' needs with our core competencies, coordinating knowledge-sharing at all levels of the organization.”
Depending on the nature, objectives and scope of a given project, the number of stakeholders and their role within the project may vary, and the nature and level of engagement would be calibrated accordingly.
At the global level, this may take the form of providing an efficient and effective platform for issue-based coalitions that bring together governments, multilateral and international financing institutions, foundations, private sector entities and non-governmental institutions. Currently UNOPS provides a range of services to over 20 multi-partner initiatives. These initiatives cover important topics such as health, nutrition, urban development, disaster displacement, and regional development. By pooling funding from an assortment of partners for a common purpose, they can be very effective in addressing the issues they dedicate themselves to.
At the local level, UNOPS aims to identify and engage with stakeholders of its projects from very early on. Specifically, UNOPS has defined principles for engaging the beneficiaries of its implementation activities, with particular consideration given to marginalized and underrepresented groups. Through defined approaches, efforts are made to understand needs, plan suitable provisions - which may shape both the outputs of the respective project, and how it is implemented on a day-to-day basis -, and set out appropriate arrangements for decision-making and information-sharing. Further, UNOPS seeks to collaborate with relevant expert entities, including other UN entities, to strengthen its contributions.
Below are a number of examples of projects that UNOPS has implemented with its partners and with a strong stakeholder engagement component during 2022.
| Partnership | National Sustainable Housing and Construction Roadmaps |
| Partners | UNEP, UN-Habitat, One Planet Network |
| Relevant SDGs |
9, 11, 12, 13 |
| Member States benefiting from it | Sri Lanka and Burkina Faso |
| Description | The United Nations Joint Programme on Resource Efficient Housing is led by UN-Habitat in partnership with UNEP and UNOPS, and supports the goals of the One Planet Network Sustainable Buildings and Construction (SBC) Programme. The overall aim of the joint programme is “Promoting a common approach to supporting countries in leveraging their buildings and construction sector to achieve the SDGs”. The project outputs will 1) provide strategic support to the United Nations Country Teams to help countries in improving the sustainability of buildings and their impact on the environment, in particular in relation to carbon emissions; and 2) support governments in transforming their buildings and construction sector to be a resource efficient, low carbon and climate resilient sector, through coherent policy support and results-focused programming based on evidence. |
| Website | https://www.moudh.gov.lk/web/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&… |
| Partnership | Enhancing the resilience, accessibility, and sustainability of infrastructure assets in developing countries in support of the 2030 Agenda |
| Partners | UNDESA, UNCDF |
| Relevant SDGs |
All |
| Member States benefiting from it | Peru, Costa Rica, The Gambia, Kenya, Nepal, Lao PDR |
| Description | The Infrastructure Asset Management (IAM) team at UN DESA, together with UNCDF, UNOPS and a growing global team of experts, are shaping a robust programme of capacity development activities for local and central governments across the globe. The goal is to maximize the value of public infrastructure investments and leverage them to finance sustainable development for generations to come. Project activities are currently funded by the UN Peace and Development Fund and the UN’s Regular Programme of Technical Cooperation. The project will enhance the resilience, accessibility, and sustainability of infrastructure assets in developing countries in support of the 2030 Agenda. The main challenge it seeks to address is the lack of sustained and systematic strategies, policies and actions at the national and local government levels to ensure that infrastructure assets support inclusive, affordable and sustainable essential public services over their entire lifespan. |
| Website | https://www.un.org/development/desa/financing/capacity-development/topi… |
| Partnership | Ghana Roadmap for Resilient Infrastructure in a Changing Climate |
| Partners | UNEP, Global Center on Adaptation, University of Oxford |
| Relevant SDGs |
All |
| Member States benefiting from it | Ghana |
| Description | This initiative identified and proposed solutions to address priority adaptation needs in Ghana. Using novel modeling and assessment tools, and through an extensive stakeholder consultation process, it provides an assessment of risk of climate hazard on national infrastructure systems. Next, it develops a roadmap for addressing risks through targeted adaptation options in the built and natural environments, including nature-based solutions. The roadmap also defines institutional interventions required to enhance the enabling environment that ensures the optimum effectiveness of adaptation measures in the country. It is aligned with Ghana’s national development objectives to advance progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Paris Agreement on climate change, and gender and inclusivity objectives. The proposed 35 prioritized adaptation options provide opportunities for funders and investors to invest in Ghana’s future, offering impactful, evidence-based adaptation projects and enabling environment interventions backed by robust research and analysis. |
| Website | https://www.unops.org/news-and-stories/news/a-roadmap-for-resilient-inf… |
| Partnership | Improving access to safe water and sanitation in Costa Rica schools |
| Partners | Ministry of Public Education, Costa Rica; UNICEF; U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration |
| Relevant SDGs |
4,6 |
| Member States benefiting from it | Costa Rica |
| Description | In Costa Rica’s Limón Province, UNOPS supported UNICEF and the Ministry of Public Education with technical advice and project management services to identify priority schools, and deliver resilient hydro-sanitation infrastructure solutions. With this, the project helps to reduce inequalities and enhance access to education. The pilot project may be replicated in more schools in the future. |
| Website | https://www.unops.org/news-and-stories/news/improving-access-to-safe-wa… |
| Partnership | EU PRO Plus - Local Development Programme |
| Partners | European Union; Ministry of European Integration of Serbia |
| Relevant SDGs |
5, 8, 9, 13, 16 |
| Member States benefiting from it | Serbia |
| Description | This three-year Programme aims to support Serbia’s economic and social development and the EU integration process. Across its three main results, it targets capacity building of local governments; enhanced public services, support to micro, small and medium enterprises and employment of youth and women; and the building of social infrastructure and strengthening of crisis response and resilience. |
| Website | https://www.euproplus.org.rs/en/onama/o-programu |
| Partnership | Community Resilience and Livelihoods (CRL) project |
| Partners | World Bank; Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund |
| Relevant SDGs |
1, 6, 8, 9 |
| Member States benefiting from it | Afghanistan |
| Description | In the context of an ongoing political and economic crisis in the country, this project aims to strengthen community resilience and livelihoods for about 1 million households across 6,000+ communities, by providing short-term employment opportunities, inclusive service delivery, and social grants. The work activities for which laborers are recruited are selected by community-based organizations composed almost equally of men and women, the so-called Community Development Councils. These also identify vulnerable households to be served. |
| Website | https://www.unops.org/news-and-stories/news/improving-livelihoods-for-v… |
Q5. In the 2019 SDG Summit declaration (GA Resolution 74/4), Member States outlined ten priority areas for accelerated action in SDG implementation. Please highlight any major integrated and innovative policies or initiatives that your organization may have adopted in these ten priority areas:
5.1 leaving no one behind
In its strategic plan, 2022-2025, UNOPS highlights its attentiveness to the most vulnerable and to leaving no-one behind, including in the context of the socio-economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. This commitment is reflected in the organization’s drive for sustainable, resilient and inclusive implementation, and for mainstreaming and monitoring cross-cutting economic, social and environmental issues. In 2022, UNOPS finalized two complementary strategies to drive diversity and inclusion during its 2022-2025 strategic planning period: 1. The Gender Equality and Social Inclusion Strategy, which aims to drive the mainstreaming of relevant objectives and measures in UNOPS projects. (https://content.unops.org/publications/UNOPS-GESI-Mainstreaming-in-Proj…) 2. The Gender, Diversity and Inclusion strategy, which aims to ensure that UNOPS is a truly inclusive organization with a diverse workforce. (https://content.unops.org/publications/GDI-2022-2025_EN.pdf) Further, at the occasion of COP27, UNOPS issued a report on “Inclusive infrastructure for climate action”, which calls for infrastructure that addresses the climate challenge while emphasizing that any such infrastructure must be inclusive, equitable, accessible, affordable and empowering, while respecting the “do no harm” principle. The report is also available in French and Spanish from unops.org. See: https://content.unops.org/publications/Inclusive-infrastructure_EN.pdf
5.2 mobilizing adequate and well-directed financing
UNOPS can support countries in expanding the resources they can channel towards achieving the SDG. By optimizing governments’ public procurement for impact, including through enhanced transparency and efficiency, as well as through more sustainable, resilient and inclusive choices, governments’ purchasing power can be transformational. UNOPS has developed a range of tools that can help governments assess, plan for, and eventually transform their procurement systems with a view to transparency, efficiency and effectiveness. Any savings generated through such reformed procurement systems can be reinvested, including for providing more services to the population. See publication: https://content.unops.org/publications/Thefutureofpublicspending_EN.pdf See news article: https://www.unops.org/news-and-stories/stories/fighting-corruption-impr… By adopting a view of quality infrastructure as a key enabler for sustainable, resilient and inclusive development, governments can seek out and utilize frameworks to better understand their long-term infrastructure investment needs, based on thorough analysis and evidence. This evidence-based approach to infrastructure can help countries ‘spend better’ on infrastructure investments that often lock in public funding for decades. For example, UNOPS has a suite of tools, such as the Capacity Assessment Tool for Infrastructure (CAT-I), that can support governments to identify gaps, plan, deliver and manage their infrastructure systems. Further, during 2021, UNOPS in cooperation with the University of Oxford, developed the Sustainable Infrastructure Financing Tool (SIFT). SIFT supports governments to increase access to infrastructure finance in order to achieve national development objectives. The National Infrastructure Financing Strategy of Saint Lucia showcases one example of how the Tool may be used to create evidence as the basis for seeking and mobilizing infrastructure financing. See news story: https://www.unops.org/news-and-stories/news/accelerating-financing-for-… See example of Saint Lucia: https://content.unops.org/publications/Saint-Lucia-National-Infrastruct… See https://cati.unops.org/ See example of Ghana: www.unops.org/news-and-stories/news/a-roadmap-for-resilient-infrastruct… as well as https://content.unops.org/publications/Ghana-roadmap-web.pdf
5.3 enhancing national implementation
UNOPS has developed internal guidance and tools to facilitate its meaningful engagement in relevant country-level planning processes, and effectively support strategic dialogues for operational collaboration with host country governments and partners in United Nations country teams. This engagement is thematically aligned with UNOPS core areas of expertise in quality infrastructure and public procurement, and substantially focused on contributing during the planning phase (Common Country Analysis) through systematic analysis and pointed recommendations; in the design of the cooperation framework and its results framework; and as an implementing partner. For the analysis during the planning phase, UNOPS may for example review the state of infrastructure in a given country, and the potential infrastructure investment gap that can be derived from that, including for specific sectors, as well as any challenges for delivery and management of potential solutions.
5.4 strengthening institutions for more integrated solutions
As highlighted in a 2018 publication by UNOPS in collaboration with the Infrastructure Transition Research Consortium (ITRC) titled “Infrastructure - Underpinning Sustainable Development”, infrastructure systems have an impact on the achievement of up to 92 per cent of SDGs. Anchored in its core technical expertise, UNOPS pursues an quality infrastructure approach to ensure positive contributions to partners’ outcomes. See https://content.unops.org/publications/Infrastructure_underpining_susta… The quality infrastructure approach can expand the capacity of government partners to plan, deliver and manage their infrastructure systems, and optimize the impact of their investments for an uncertain future, marked by population growth, urbanization, and the effects of climate change. It can also help establish the basis for governments to engage and explore different financing options. For this purpose, UNOPS has devised a set of tools, including to support governments in planning decisions in relation to projects and policy based on future demand and current supply (National Infrastructure Systems Model - NISMOD); and to assess the enabling environment and capacity of governments to effectively plan, deliver and manage infrastructure systems (Capacity Assessment Tool for Infrastructure - CAT-I); and to create and evidence base for seeking financing for their infrastructure systems. Further, UNOPS in cooperation with the University of Oxford, developed the Sustainable Infrastructure Financing Tool (SIFT) to build the capacity of governments to increase their access to infrastructure finance in order to achieve national development objectives. Similarly, targeted capacity building interventions can serve to strengthen public procurement institutions and enable them to deliver more efficient and effective services, while generating savings and demonstrating accountability to the people they serve. UNOPS can deliver such interventions integrated into a larger project of implementing procurement support, or as a stand-alone service. See publication: https://content.unops.org/publications/Thefutureofpublicspending_EN.pdf Specifically, in the Latin American and Caribbean region, UNOPS supports national and regional governments in strengthening the institutions underpinning the respective country’s health sector, so they can better serve a growing and aging population. This includes advising on and running efficient, transparent processes for the procurement of medical supplies and equipment, in close collaboration with relevant actors. Capacity building and innovative procurement approaches are combined effectively to secure better prices from a wider range of competitors. See two articles from UNOPS website below: https://www.unops.org/news-and-stories/insights/dont-wait-for-the-next-… https://www.unops.org/news-and-stories/insights/efficient-public-procur…)
5.5 bolstering local action
UNOPS is mandated to work, amongst others, with governments, including at the sub-national level. As with national governments, support may be provided in line with UNOPS mandate and expertise. (1) In the context of its efforts to promote an evidence-based and system-of-systems-based approach to resilient and sustainable infrastructure, UNOPS works closely with national stakeholders, transferring knowledge and building ownership in support of the national development agenda. For example, in Bangladesh, UNOPS is collaborating with the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) to implement an overarching asset management system and, in the process, strengthen the department’s capacity to plan and deliver resilient and sustainable infrastructure. See https://www.unops.org/news-and-stories/stories/a-transformative-journey… (2) Further, in the context of project implementation, UNOPS works with local suppliers, sourcing materials and services, while also, where so agreed with the partner, pursuing capacity building for example in the areas of health and safety, as well as social and environmental standards. (3) UNOPS is committed to ensuring sustainability, including facilitating enhanced sustainability of its suppliers through the Delivering Responsibility in Vendor Engagement DRiVE) programme. Using a defined process, which includes assessments of self-reported data sets and inspections, a corrective action plan is communicated to suppliers for their consideration towards areas of improvement. The aim is to foster targeted local action towards integrity with regard to the UN Supplier Code of Conduct and UNOPS expectations in the areas of human rights, labor standards, equal opportunity, ethical conduct, health and safety, quality management and environmental management. See https://drive.google.com/file/d/120qLtQL1qq6rjyaf6piuB3cIVwHs_ZVg/view See https://www.unops.org/news-and-stories/insights/construction-site-worke… (4) UNOPS also hosts the Cities Alliance, a multi-partner initiative that is dedicated to fighting urban poverty and supporting cities to deliver sustainable development. https://www.citiesalliance.org/
5.6 reducing disaster risk and building resilience
For a number of years, UNOPS has worked to explore and systematically document ways to facilitate complementarity between development, disaster risk reduction, humanitarian action and sustaining peace in countries facing humanitarian emergencies and in conflict and post-conflict situations. This was done in close collaboration with external knowledge partners, and primarily through the lens of quality infrastructure. In addition to serving countries’ and people’s needs on the ground, these collaborative efforts yielded a series of thematic reports and essays on the role of quality infrastructure, including on: Inclusive Infrastructure for Climate Action (2022), Scaling Up Essential Services in Africa (2022), Infrastructure for Climate Action (2021) Infrastructure for Small Island Developing States (2020), Infrastructure for Peacebuilding (2020), Infrastructure for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (2020), the Importance of Infrastructure for Landlocked Developing Countries (2019) the Critical Role of Infrastructure for the Sustainable Development Goals (2019), Infrastructure: Underpinning Sustainable Development (2018), and Enabling Better Infrastructure (2018). The 2021 report published jointly by UNOPS, UNEP and the University of Oxford titled “Infrastructure for Climate Action”, highlighted that infrastructure plays a key role in delivering climate action and sustainable development. The energy, transport and buildings sectors are the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions, and infrastructure overall is responsible for 79 per cent of all greenhouse gas emissions. The report was published ahead of the 26th Conference of Parties (COP26), and underpinned UNOPS engagement during the climate conference. UNOPS continued its engagement on the topics of climate action and resilient infrastructure in the context of COP27 - see https://www.unops.org/cop27 A 2022 report published by UNOPS in the context of COP27, titled “Inclusive infrastructure for climate action” expands the scope to consider specifically infrastructure that identifies and responds to the needs of marginalized groups in the context of building resilience to climate change and climate disaster. See https://content.unops.org/publications/Inclusive-infrastructure_EN.pdf See https://www.unops.org/news-and-stories?type%5B%5D=PublicationArticle for all publications listed above. Similarly, the increased resilience of public procurement chains can support social inclusion. UNOPS can support governments in assessing their national procurement systems in relation to the local procurement regulatory framework, practices, business environment and performance. A range of internal tools have been developed for deployment in the context of UN Common Country Analyses (CCA). See https://www.unops.org/expertise/procurement/advisory-services
5.7 solving challenges through international cooperation and enhancing the global partnership
With its implementation mandate and fee-for-service business model, UNOPS can provide efficient programme implementation support to its partners. As the below examples illustrate, such support can include providing a legal identity and operational platform for effective collaboration of a wide range of stakeholders; the effective and efficient implementation support to grants-based mechanisms; and a platform for UN, government and many other partners to purchase a wide range of goods in support of development activities. (1) Mainly out of Geneva, UNOPS is providing hosting and effective programme implementation services in support of a range of specialized multi-partner initiatives. These initiatives, including StopTB, Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN), RBM Partnership to End Malaria, the Platform on Disaster Displacement, and many more, bring together hundreds of partners for a joint purpose. Through such issue-based coalitions, it becomes possible to effectively address key issues facing countries and people around the world, for example in relation to health, nutrition, water and sanitation, sustainable cities, the environment and trade. See https://www.unops.org/geneva. (2) UNOPS in its role as principal recipient of the GFATM in Myanmar provides effective programme implementation services, including oversight of sub-grants and assurance for planned objectives and quality performance, in support of the objective to provide better access to health services for the people of Myanmar. These efforts contribute to reducing HIV, TB and malaria transmissions and mortality, and thus mitigating the socio-economic impact; strengthening the health system holistically; and, in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, also to delivering critical medical services, supplies, and equipment. See https://pr-myanmar.org/en (3) UNOPS supports the Green Climate Fund by providing specialized grant management services. This partnership helps developing nations create emission-reduction and climate-adaptation strategies, covering more than 180 projects in 95 countries, which engage governments, civil society and the private sector. See https://www.unops.org/news-and-stories/stories/accelerating-climate-act… (4) In support of UNEP, UNOPS provides grants management services across 120 countries, including the provision of a legal framework, operations support, personnel recruitment, procurement, financial management and administrative services. (5) UNOPS runs UN Web Buy Plus, a global e-commerce solution for projects in support of humanitarian, development and peace & security efforts. The user-friendly platform serves a broad range of actors in the development community with a large catalogue of products. In its offer and practices, it is focused on sustainability and economies of scale. See https://unwebbuyplus.org/#/home
5.8 harnessing science, technology and innovation with a greater focus on digital transformation for sustainable development
With the design of every project, UNOPS can consider the potential to leverage technology for enhancing the project’s outcome, as well as for better, more efficient project implementation. A number of examples, shared below, outline how UNOPS has successfully used IT tools in support of data collection and processing, resulting in better decision-making; to provide services to beneficiaries; or to overcome market barriers and information gaps. Since 2021, UNOPS has been gradually expanding the use of an integrated IT tool for collecting data offline in remote project locations using mobile devices, and later uploading to UNOPS ERP. It allows for the agile development of forms that can accommodate a range of scenarios where data collection and aggregation may be useful. It is also available for use by third parties, e.g. from implementing partners. As one example, it has been successfully used to gather data from over 17,000 households in Mozambique, in support of a project aiming to improve access to basic services and economic opportunities for internally displaced persons. See https://www.unops.org/news-and-stories/news/supporting-crisis-recovery-… UNOPS has supported the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) for more than 20 years in its important mission of making land accessible and safe again for local populations. Data plays a major role in mine action. Together with the Geneva Center for International Humanitarian Demining and UNMAS, UNOPS launched a global information management system servicing demining activities, which makes the collection, analysis and use of data much easier. See https://www.unops.org/news-and-stories/insights/how-can-data-make-mine-… In South Sudan, as part of the The South Sudan Safety Net project, a bespoke IT tool was used to distribute direct income support to families whose livelihoods have been disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic. See https://www.unops.org/news-and-stories/stories/providing-a-social-safet… In Latin America, UNOPS is leveraging information and communications technology to enhance the transparency, efficiency, and integrity of public institutions and the services they deliver to their citizens. It has supported governments in the planning and design, development and implementation of IT systems across a range of public services, including education, social benefits and health. To facilitate fair pricing of medicines across the region, UNOPS has also developed a Regional Observatory of Medicines; see https://observatorio.unops.org/.
5.9 investing in data and statistics for the SDGs
In line with its implementation mandate and its core areas of expertise in infrastructure, procurement and programme implementation, UNOPS focuses its efforts in support of better data and statistics for the SDGs through two main areas of activities. In the area of infrastructure, UNOPS works directly with governments to help them assess and strengthen their capacity to collect, store and leverage infrastructure-related data for upstream infrastructure adaptation decision-making. This may in turn inform national development priorities and thus the United Nation’s analysis and planning processes at country level. Building on this, the organization may engage in the UN’s Common Country Analysis process, providing analysis, insight and recommendations under consideration of national priorities and existing gaps e.g. in infrastructure systems. For this purpose, the organization has developed a bespoke tool, the CAT-I Lite (Capacity Assessment Tool for Infrastructure). With regard to procurement, UNOPS has for a long time focused its efforts on embedding sustainability into its procurement processes in order to bring awareness, particularly in relation to SDG 12 for responsible consumption and production. The UNOPS Sustainable Procurement Framework, which includes mandatory requirements for all forms of procurement, focuses on using the value of data and evidence-based decision making in order to advance its impact through sustainable procurement practices. When it comes to addressing certain areas of importance through tenders UNOPS has specific sustainability criteria with different levels of maturity to be embedded in the tender. Supplier sustainability is a key area of focus, as it allows UNOPS to work with suppliers on realizing and identifying how they can be a positive contributor to sustainable development. The dedicated supplier sustainability programme DRiVE (Delivering Responsibility in Vender Engagement) is a data driven programme that helps identify key areas for supplier improvement. Finally, UNOPS has started the process of collaborating with UNEP on converting to a UN context its existing tool that measures national governments commitment to sustainable procurement under SDG 12.7.1. Internally, UNOPS in late 2021 established an initiative to strengthen UNOPS ability to engage with partners on how a given project can contribute to countries’ achievement of the SDGs, and reinforce collection of associated data points.
5.10 strengthening the High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF)
UNOPS may engage with the HLPF on substantive matters in line with its mandate and key areas of expertise. A recent example includes a side event during the 2022 HLPF, where UNOPS hosted a number of panel conversations under the heading of “Infrastructure Asset Management’s role in a sustainable, inclusive and resilient recovery from COVID-19”. Such engagement may serve to strengthen the Forum’s ability to substantively engage with select development topics. See https://hlpf.un.org/2022/programme/infrastructure-asset-managements-rol…
Q6. Following the adoption of the 2022 Ministerial Declaration, please highlight any major integrated and innovative policies or initiatives that your organization may have adopted related to the below, if applicable:
6.1 Member States encouraged "the United Nations system and all relevant actors to take advantage of emerging technologies and their applications, as appropriate, in order to maximize impact and effectiveness in data analysis and collection and stress the need to bridge the digital gap among and within countries" (Paragraph 86)
UNOPS may explore the use of emerging technologies in the context of its initiative for digital transformation in the future, including for the purposes of strengthening its own operational platform; and for supporting countries and partners in their efforts to bridge the digital gap within and among countries. This may be done based on demand by, and in close collaboration with, partners. At this point, UNOPS provides a range of effective and efficient operational support services to the UN Global Pulse, an innovation initiative of the UN Secretary-General. In partnership with the Executive Office of the Secretary-General, UNOPS supports Pulse Labs teams at multiple locations, including New York, Helsinki, Jakarta and individual project activities elsewhere.
Q7. The 2023 SDG Summit is expected to provide political leadership, guidance and recommendations for sustainable development and follow-up and review progress in the implementation of sustainable development commitments and the achievement of the 2030 Agenda, including through national and regional consultations, which will mark the beginning of a new phase of accelerated progress towards the SDGs. In the lead up to the 2023 SDG Summit, please provide your organization’s recommendations on how to overcome challenges to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the achievement of the SDGs, taking into account the thematic reviews and voluntary national reviews conducted to date.
A key challenge to the achievement of the SDGs and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda remains the lack of adequate, well-directed financing. This challenge can be, among other, addressed by supporting governments with tools, expertise and a collaborative, data-driven approach to build their own capacity to better plan, deliver and manage sustainable and resilient infrastructure systems, based on evidence and objective information; and, in turn, to attract financing for their national infrastructure pipelines. It can also be addressed by supporting national governments using their financial resources better, including in the context of often significant public procurement spending. This, too, requires institutional capacity building, better tools and procedures, as well as policy frameworks. Transparency and accountability are key.