Outcome ETH_O_3

Advancing business transformation

UN Women continued participation in UN common premises together with other agencies with UNDP Regional Service Centre as lead agency. This has enabled the CO to leverage the costs of rent, security, communication and ICT infrastructure and other utility services. The CO has safe and secure office space for effective programme implementation. During the year, the CO established and furnished a lactation room for use by staff as a way to promote staff wellbeing for better productivity and diginity.

Advancing business transformation

During 2022, UN Women Ethiopia continued to participate in UN System wide collaboration on operational management through the Business Operations Strategy (BOS) implementation and reporting. UN Women actively participated in the Operations Management Team (OMT) Working Groups on finance, procurement, human resources, information technology, common premisses and administration, security where activities for joint planning and implementation are developed, common issues and experiences shared. The Joint Procurement Working group developed and /or renewed long term agreements (LTAs) with suppliers/contractors for various goods/services. The LTAs enabled UN Women to access a ready pool of suppliers for procurement of goods/services thereby cut on processing time hence reduction in transaction costs. The LTAs also enabled UN Women to get better prices since the LTAs prices are better due to benefits of economies of scale. UN Women continued to participate in cost sharing arrangements with UNDP on common premises, security and communication services infrastructure for better and cost-effective services. In addition, UN Women had cost sharing arrangements with UNDP on contract management for its personnel and payment services. It also participated in cost sharing arrangements on UN System wide security, safety and health management through the country level UN Department of Safety and Security and the UN Health Care Centre. This enabled the safety and wellbeing of staff and property.

Advancing business transformation

In line with its strategic commitment to business transformation, the UN Women Country Office has actively participated in the UN Common Premises initiative, collaborating with various UN agencies and international organizations such as UNDP Regional Services Centre, WHO, UNFPA, UN Habitat, UNCDF, and UNITAR. This shared space arrangement not only facilitates inter-agency collaboration and cohesion but also enables the CO to achieve cost efficiencies in terms of rent and utilities. Importantly, it contributes to ensuring the safety and security of our staff and personnel. Furthermore, the establishment of a regional presence in Tigray is a significant step towards the broader outcome of empowering women in post-conflict environments and supporting their rights and livelihoods and attracted inter-agency strong support which led to a development of a joint initiative with IOM which is underway. During the year, a significant development was the relocation of the UN Common Premises to a new site. This move aligns with our efforts to optimize operations and maintain an agile and ethical business model. The relocation is part of our ongoing efforts to adapt and improve our working environment, reflecting our commitment to a culture of continuous improvement and operational excellence. This strategic shift in our physical workspace is integral to our mission of delivering impactful results at scale, underpinned by agile leadership and an efficient, responsive operational framework.