Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
10UNROME17
2010-02-12 08:39:00
UNCLASSIFIED
UN Rome
Cable title:  

MISSION STRATEGY TO INCREASE U.S. EMPLOYMENT AND PROMOTE

Tags:  AORC APER FAO 
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RR RUEHRN
DE RUEHRN #0017/01 0430839
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 120839Z FEB 10
FM USMISSION UN ROME
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1281
INFO RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA 0070
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0372
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 0478
RUEHFR/USMISSION UNESCO PARIS FR
RUEHRN/USMISSION UN ROME 1359
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 UN ROME 000017 

SIPDIS

FOR IO/MPR - MADELYN EVANS
ALSO FOR IO/HS - JOHN TUMINARO

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AORC APER FAO
SUBJECT: MISSION STRATEGY TO INCREASE U.S. EMPLOYMENT AND PROMOTE
GENDER PARITY AT FAO

REF: UN ROME 0005

Summary

-------



UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 UN ROME 000017

SIPDIS

FOR IO/MPR - MADELYN EVANS
ALSO FOR IO/HS - JOHN TUMINARO

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: AORC APER FAO
SUBJECT: MISSION STRATEGY TO INCREASE U.S. EMPLOYMENT AND PROMOTE
GENDER PARITY AT FAO

REF: UN ROME 0005

Summary

--------------




1. In our ongoing effort to increase U.S. employment and
promote gender parity at the UN Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO),Mission requested a meeting with the FAO
Human Resource (HR) Director, Tony Alonzi. Alonzi briefed
Mission officers on efforts to increase U.S. geographic
representation and overall HR Reform initiatives. The United
States is currently outside of the desirable range in terms of
representation by nine positions, with five American citizen
retirements anticipated in 2010. FAO has some new initiatives,
including a database that would allow FAO vacancy announcements
to be sent directly to professional organizations and
universities in the United States. They also started a true
internship program as opposed to their previous program that was
strictly volunteer-based. A specific process was identified to
help the Mission track job openings of interest. Mr. Alonzi
noted the overall goal of gender parity and identified a
specific target of 38 percent by 2013. HR Reforms are lumped
under six main initiatives; 1) an electronic 360 performance
evaluation system, 2) a management development and assessment
center, 3) online human resources information for managers, 4)
career mobility, 5) decentralization, and 6) streamlining HR
processes. END SUMMARY.



U.S. Under-Represented at FAO

--------------




2. The United States falls well below the desirable minimum
range in terms of geographic representation. As of December 31,
2009, 118 staff in posts subject to geographical distribution
were held by American citizens, well below the desirable range
between 127 and 172.




3. According to FAO HR, this first became an issue when the
calculations for determining geographic representation were
changed in 2003 at the request of the member states. Prior to
2003 positions occupied at FAO were weighted based on their
level. For example, a D-level position would be worth more than
a P-level position. According to FAO HR, in 2003 the calculation
was brought into conformity with that of the UN Secretariat
where the main factors are population and contributions. Since
then countries like the United States and Japan have been

under-represented and countries such as the United Kingdom,
France and Italy have been over-represented.



Strategies to Improve U.S. Representation

--------------




4. The Mission has taken several steps to work with FAO in
order to increase U.S. representation. First, the Ambassador has
met with American citizen employees at FAO in both large and
small gatherings to improve networking and hear their
suggestions on how to increase the numbers of American citizen
employees. Secondly, the Ambassador and other Mission officers
highlight the importance of this issue at the most senior levels
of FAO management. Finally the Mission has worked with FAO HR to
determine how some new initiatives could be used to get
qualified Americans into the FAO recruitment process such as:




A. Mission provided FAO Head of Recruitment with a list of land
and sea grant universities to go into a new database that will
automatically send FAO vacancy announcements to interested
parties.




UN ROME 00000017 002 OF 003



B. FAO has started an internship program along the lines of
other UN agencies that is open to all nationalities. While the
program mainly targets developing countries, it would be a good
means of getting an American citizen's foot in the door.




C. A standard operating procedure has been mapped with the FAO
Recruitment Office to track individual inquiries from American
Citizens. While the recruitment decisions have been
decentralized to the relevant departments, new recruitment
software being installed at FAO should help FAO HR better track
individual vacancy announcements of interest to the USG.




D. Mission has entered into discussions with FAO and relevant
USG agencies about increasing the number of Junior Professional
Officer (JPO) positions at FAO. This will provide excellent
opportunities for American citizens with relevant specialized
skills to get hands-on experience within the organization,
thereby opening the door to more long-term career opportunities
at FAO.



Gender Parity

--------------




5. According to Alonzi, there is no written regulation or
administrative rule calling for gender parity in FAO, but
Director General (DG) Jacques Diouf has made it clear that all
Divisions seek gender parity as an overall goal in their hiring.
Members of the DG's office also confirmed that the DG requires
that all short-lists for vacancy announcements contain at least
one qualified woman. According to data received from the FAO HR
Division, as of January 15, 2010, 32 percent of the FAO
professional staff were women (P-level staff at 34 percent and
D-level at 15 percent). The overall FAO target for 2013 is 38
percent. Mission has raised this issue with other like-minded
members and will follow-up in the Geneva Group and Finance
Committee.



HR Reform at FAO

--------------




6. FAO has initiated a large reform program to improve the
functioning of the Human Resources Division. The six main
initiatives are highlighted below and involve leveraging
information technology and updating policies.




A. FAO HR is in the process of implementing a 360 evaluation
program called the Performance Evaluation Management System
(PEMS). It is a corporate software system that will manage all
aspects of the performance cycle.




B. FAO has hired outside consultants to run a Management
Development Center (MDC) that provides coaching and leadership
development opportunities.




C. Managers and HR staff will also have easier access to
personnel data and reports after the implementation of an HR
Online Information system.




D. Several new HR Policies will be implemented to improve
internal mobility and thereby increase morale. They include
cross-functional and cross-regional opportunities that target
medium and long term development of employees. FAO also intends
to expand the Junior Professional and Associate Professional
Programs

UN ROME 00000017 003 OF 003






E. Restructuring of the FAO HR system includes implementing
corporate services, while decentralizing authority and
de-layering management hierarchy.




F. Finally, HR will continue to focus on streamlining by
delegating more authority and improving HR services.



Comment

--------------




7. The chances of seeing an immediate improvement in terms of
U.S. representation at FAO remain very slim. The hiring process
itself is very slow, 260 days on average. While we have
identified many proactive strategies, in the end our ability to
influence the recruitment process directly is still only
marginal and highly dependent on the exogenous factor of having
qualified American citizen candidates apply.




8. HR reform at FAO is very welcome and the leadership in the
Human Resources Management Division appears very engaged and
responsive. However, improvements will be gradual as the entire
organization will have to embrace the new technologies and
processes involved. Currently one of the weak points of the
system is the transition to more decentralization of the
recruitment process. Empowering divisions to become more engaged
in the decision process is clearly beneficial, but efficiency
has not been a hallmark of the system. Divisions have on
average been taking six to nine months to take the recruitment
process from the pre-screening stage to the short-list.




9. Finally, some proposals that have emanated as part of the
reform process would clearly be detrimental to our goal of
increasing U.S. representation. In particular there is a
proposal to post all vacancy announcements internally. Only if a
qualified candidate could not be found internally would the
position then be advertized externally. This would follow the
practice of the World Food Program, and more closely follow
FAO's own administrative regulations. The result would clearly
be fewer opportunities for under-represented countries at higher
level positions. The Mission will take an active role in the
governing bodies to oppose this change. END COMMENT.
COUSIN