Job Description

Mission and objectivesThe UN Secretariat Department of Operational Support (DOS) is a global operational support provider with a mission of supporting clients across the 235 UN Secretariat entities and other partners fulfill their mandates by providing solutions that are effective, efficient, and responsible. Subsequently, within the UN Secretariat DOS sits the Division for Special Activities (DSA), which offers specialized cross-cutting capacity working across special situations, operational support partnerships with non-Secretariat entities and improvement of service delivery. The Improving Service Delivery (ISD) Section falls under the DOS-DSA described above, and maintains a vision for improving service delivery through the development of the Secretariat’s global operational support architecture as set out in the Secretary-General’s report A/78/391. ISD's implementation and work is guided by the Management Committee, established the following set of framework principles: • A partnership with existing service providers, led by the Department of Operational Support (DOS), to develop the Secretariat’s existing operational support architecture; • A commitment to increasingly provide shared support services through the Secretariat’s existing structure and locations; • Locating support services closer to primary decision-makers where possible, while optimizing shared services across the Secretariat through either global, regional, or local service providers; • Strengthening collaboration in support with United Nations agencies, funds, and programmes at the global, regional, and local levels; and • An integrated, collaborative approach across the Secretariat in developing the global operational support architecture. The ISD operates with three work streams: 1) Integration, 2) Harmonization, and 3) Improvements.

ContextThis assignment supports the United Nations’ ongoing efforts to enhance the efficiency, effectiveness, and adaptability of support operations in UN missions worldwide. In recent years, various UN missions have faced significant operational disruptions due to crises such as armed conflict, environmental catastrophe, or political instability. These disruptions have necessitated temporary relocation of certain operational functions from on-site mission areas to remote set-up. Understanding these operational adjustments is critical for informing current and future efforts to optimize support functions, improve resource allocation, and ensure continuity of operations under challenging conditions. The Online Volunteers’ research will contribute to consolidating evidence on how operational capacities have been effectively adjusted during crises, through analysis of publicly available UN budgetary and operational documents.

Task DescriptionWe are looking for 2 (two) Online Volunteers who have experience in research with excellent analysis and writing skills. The Online Volunteers will further support the mapping and triangulation of information against publicly available UN Budget documents. More specifically, the Online Volunteers are asked to: - Identify large-scale political, environmental, and conflict-related crises that have required the relocation of operational support capacities in UN Missions - Conduct desktop research on publicly available UN Budget Documents to identify which operational capacities remained in-situ versus relocated and performed remotely during the crises - Develop a short, consolidated report on findings The Online Volunteers will be provided with datasets to conduct the analysis and are required to update on the progress during regular cadence calls, following Eastern Time zone.

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