UNOPS_AB_2014_interactive_EN (1)

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Cover photo: LIFT/Jacquetta Hayes
Publication date: July 2015 © UNOPS

CONTENTS
SECTION 1
SERVING
PEOPLE IN
NEED
Message from the Secretary-General 4
Message from the Executive Director 5
Who we are 7
Key results 2014 8
Where we work 10
SECTION 2
HELP
WHERE IT’S
NEEDED
MOST
Afghanistan 15
DR Congo 19
Haiti 23
Iraq 27
Latin America 31
Myanmar 35
Serbia 39
South Sudan 43
Sri Lanka 47
West Africa 51
SECTION 3
OUR
PRIORITIES
Who we work with 56
Partnerships 57
Case study: UNMAS 60
Disaster risk reduction for resilience 62
How we work 65
Financial highlights 72

4
It is a pleasure to congratulate UNOPS on its 20th
anniversary. UNOPS plays an invaluable role in helping
the United Nations system to address some of the
major peacebuilding, humanitarian and development
challenges of our time. UNOPS possesses immense
technical expertise in infrastructure, including roads,
schools, hospitals and airports. It provides effective
project management. It is a trusted actor in the field
of UN procurement. And it is a self-financing entity
– a testament to the effectiveness of its services.
UNOPS has been a key partner in post-disaster recovery,
from the massive earthquake in Haiti to the tsunami that
devastated parts of Sri Lanka. In Sudan, UNOPS has
helped the United Nations and its partners carry out
major projects, including the rehabilitation of a dam to
provide 70,000 people with secure access to water.
The efforts of UNOPS have also had important benefits
in empowering women and building national capacity.
UNOPS is about getting things done. That spirit will
be especially important in implementing the post-
2015 development agenda and the expected global
agreement on climate change. I am pressing Member
States to keep ambition high and to adopt bold,
inspiring measures this year to set the world on course
for a more peaceful, sustainable and equitable future.
This year’s decisions will have major impacts on UN
activities across the world. They will also heighten
the expectations of the global public for effective
action by the UN system. I thank UNOPS and its
personnel across the world for their dedication, for
their entrepreneurial energies and for their efforts to
strengthen the support we provide to Member States.
I look forward to many more years of delivering
meaningful, cost-effective and life-changing
services. Congratulations again on this milestone.
MESSAGE FROM THE
SECRETARY-GENERAL
AT A RECEPTION MARKING
THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF UNOPS
NEW YORK, 27 JANUARY 2015
Photo: UN Photo/Mark Garten

5
MESSAGE FROM THE
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
The international community is witnessing a year of
historic changes. This September, world leaders will
chart the course to 2030, setting into action Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) that will lead and shape
the post-2015 development agenda.
This is a year where we are called to embrace
change. Not only at the General Assembly in New
York with the SDGs, but in Addis Ababa, at the
Third International Conference on Financing for
Development in July, and in Paris this December,
at the UN Climate Change Conference.
While the topics discussed vary, they issue a common
call. As the Secretary-General has noted in his call-
to-action synthesis report, “The Road to Dignity by
2030”1
, transformation is our new watchword. We
are being called to embrace change – change in our
societies, change in the management of our economies
and change in our relationship with the planet.
70 years on from the creation of the Charter of the
United Nations, this year we look back on our collective
achievements, building on the commitments pledged
by Member States to the global community in 1945
– for peace, security and respect for human rights.
The UN is a participant of change and must respond
to a changing donor environment. New partnerships
to finance the post-2015 development agenda will
help lead the way to fulfilling our obligations under
the UN Charter.
This year UNOPS celebrates 20 years as an
independent entity of the UN family. Partnerships
have always been the foundation of UNOPS work.
1
http://www.un.org/disabilities/documents/reports/SG_Synthesis_Report_Road_to_Dignity_by_2030.pdf
Photo: Government of Norway/Torgeir Haugaard

6
In 2014 we supported more than 1,200 projects
in over 80 countries on behalf of our partners.
As a self-financing organization, we are well-placed
to build upon our experience in cooperation with
a wide range of development actors, including
members of the UN family, national governments,
international foundations and the private sector,
to meet new development challenges to 2030.
2014 was a year of unprecedented humanitarian
challenges – the Ebola virus disease outbreak,
and continued threats to peace and stability in
Syria, Iraq, South Sudan and the Central African
Republic. Last year was the first time since World
War II that the number of forcibly displaced
people worldwide has exceeded 50 million.
The international community must work together to
explore new avenues of cooperation, to find solutions
to the conflicts that affect our world today and to realize
all of the important work that has been done around the
world in support of the Millennium Development Goals.
The private sector offers advantages in terms of
innovation and new technologies, as well as the ability
to mobilize financial resources with great efficiency.
A UN “fit for purpose” is one that works collaboratively,
capitalizing on the strengths of a wide range of partners
to respond to major humanitarian, development and
peacebuilding challenges.
UNOPS largest partner, the Department of Peacekeeping
Operations, contributes to peacebuilding in some of
the world’s most challenging environments, including
through the important work of the UN Mine Action
Service (UNMAS). Through the generous support of
UN Member States, UNMAS is able to carry out its
work, spearheading resource mobilization, data and
information management and technical assistance,
to champion the UN’s vision of a world free from
landmines and unexploded ordinance, where
individuals and communities can live in safe and
productive environments.
With the support of our partners, UNOPS helps
contribute to a UN “fit for purpose” by ensuring a
high level of excellence and risk management in our
implementation operations, while promoting resilience
and national ownership throughout all of our work.
The need to identify, manage and reduce or eliminate
risks has become even more critical with the frequency
and intensity of natural events predicted to rise due to
climate change. UNOPS helps partners around the
world build infrastructure that increases the resilience
of communities against shocks and stresses, including
natural hazards. This year we contributed to the new
Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, which
outlines a set of priorities to ensure that countries
build-back-better after disasters.
Efforts to increase the effectiveness of development
cooperation in building sustainable infrastructure and
more need to be based on the basic principles of
country ownership, with a focus on results, inclusive
partnerships, transparency and accountability.
This publication highlights some of the projects
that UNOPS implemented for its partners in 2014,
advancing sustainable implementation projects
in development, humanitarian and peacebuilding
contexts. It is my hope that this brochure also serves
to highlight the value-added contribution that UNOPS
makes to the UN system in its mandated areas –
project management, infrastructure and procurement
– in support of the post-2015 development agenda.
We stand ready to support our partners in the
building of a better future.
Grete Faremo

7
UNOPS origins trace back to 1973, and until 1994 the Office for
Project Services was a part of the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP). By decision of the General Assembly, UNOPS
became a separate, self-financed entity within the UN development
system on 1 January 1995.
MISSION
To serve people in need by expanding the ability of the United Nations,
governments and other partners to manage projects, infrastructure
and procurement in a sustainable and efficient manner.
VISION
To advance sustainable implementation practices in development,
humanitarian and peacebuilding contexts, always satisfying or
surpassing partner expectations.
WHO WE ARE
In Jordan’s Azraq refugee camp, now home to over 17,000 Syrian refugees, UNOPS
worked hand-in-hand with the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and
Development and the Syrian Refugee Affairs Directorate, to build and equip security
facilities to help the Jordanian government maintain law-and-order in the camp.
Photo: UNOPS/Alison Cassells

8
The figures below show an aggregate of key operational results completed
on behalf of partners around the world in 2014.
KEY RESULTS 2014
more than
3 million
labour days created
for beneficiaries
175
bridges designed,
constructed
or rehabilitated
4,577 km
of roads designed,
constructed or
rehabilitated
more than
31,000 days
of advisory
services provided
more than
17.8 million
medical supplies
were handled
more than
110 million
doses of medicine
procured or
distributed

9
more than
$669 million
worth of goods
and services
for partners
more than
84,000
people trained
more than
5,500
vehicles procured
30
schools and one
university designed,
constructed or
rehabilitated
10
police stations and
11 prisons designed,
constructed or
rehabilitated
18
hospitals and health
clinics designed,
constructed or
rehabilitated

Well-being for all ages: helping
reduce child mortality in Haiti.
Read more on page 23
Haiti
WHERE WE WORK
This map is for illustrative purposes and does not imply the expression of any opinion on the part of UNOPS
concerning the legal status of any country or territory or concerning the delimitation of frontiers or boundaries.
Top five g7+
In addition, the map highlights the top five countries
by volume that are members of the g7+, a voluntary
association of 20 countries that are or have been
affected by conflict and are now in transition to the
next stage of development.
Countries and territories
UNOPS delivers services through its global
headquarters in Copenhagen, Denmark and a
decentralized network of more than 30 country
and partnership offices.
This map shows all of the countries and territories
where UNOPS supported projects in 2014.
10

11
Building accountable
institutions in Afghanistan.
Connecting markets, building
economies: building resilient
infrastructure in DR Congo.
DR Congo
Afghanistan
Somalia
UNMAS case study.
South Sudan
Promoting primary education
for girls in South Sudan.
The European Commission (page 21)
The Gates Foundation (page 53)
It also illustrates the diverse types of partnerships through which UNOPS worked in 2014 including the United Nations
system, multilateral institutions, governments, inter-governmental organizations, and foundations. For more details on
who we work with, see page 56.
United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) (page 60)
Middle Income Country Governments (page 31)
The Global Fund (page 35)
11

15
Left: Participants at a human resources and gender
training held for headquarters and provincial staff of
the Afghanistan Independent Electoral Complaints
Commission in June 2014.
Photo: UNOPS/Veton Kasapolli
UNOPS has supported the Government of Afghanistan
since 1995, in collaboration with donor governments,
UN organizations and other partners.
This includes supporting the Government with its
national reconstruction and development efforts,
focusing on the promotion of national ownership and
capacity development. In 2014, UNOPS delivered
more than $172 million worth of projects, providing
sustainable infrastructure, procurement and project
management services.
AFGHANISTAN
Photo: UNOPS

17
Last year marked the first democratic transfer of
power in Afghanistan’s history, and UNOPS supported
the historic moment by setting up and providing full
operational support to the Afghanistan Independent
Electoral Complaints Commission (IECC), right in time
for the elections. The newly permanent commission is
giving credibility and legitimacy to the electoral process
in the country.
UNOPS provision of support to the IECC commenced
in October 2013 on behalf of UNDP and in close
consultation with the International Foundation for
Electoral Systems (IFES), which provides technical
support and assistance to the IECC on all aspects of
electoral dispute resolution.
As part of its role, UNOPS recruited 472 staff during
2014, and at its peak the commission had 350 staff to
run the secretariat in Kabul and the 34 provincial offices.
UNOPS also procured office space – both premises
and containers – as well as furniture, stationery, IT
and communications equipment, and other necessary
supplies, in addition to upgrading security standards
for personnel.
Making use of emergency procurement procedures,
UNOPS promptly met all short-notice and last-minute
requests that were necessary to ensure the IECC was
operational and functional in time for the presidential
and provincial council elections on April 5.
Additionally, UNOPS and IFES supported a series of
open sessions, where complaints were presented in
front of observers, civil society organizations and media
representatives, making the grievance handling process
more transparent – the first time this had ever happened
in Afghanistan. This included helping with the production
of public service announcements before, during and
after the complaints adjudication process.
BUILDING ACCOUNTABLE
INSTITUTIONS IN AFGHANISTAN
Top-left: Commissioner Reeda Azimi presents
evidence during open sessions held in May 2014.
Bottom-left: Provincial commissioners at the IECC
oath-taking ceremony.
Photos: UNOPS/Veton Kasapolli
International Foundation for Electoral Systems
and UNDP
PARTNERS

19
Left: Before and after shots of one of the 12 bridges
UNOPS worked on as part of a four-year project
funded by the European Commission.
Photo: UNOPS/Tchagnaou Essotina
UNOPS has worked in the Democratic Republic
of the Congo (DR Congo) since 1999, supporting
partners in road and building construction, disaster risk
management, water and sanitation infrastructure and
emergency humanitarian assistance. In 2014, UNOPS
provided projects throughout the DR Congo worth
almost $38 million.
DR CONGO
“This is the first time
we have seen a vehicle
passing through our
village in 20 years.”
– one resident when the road
was completed in 2012
Photo: UNOPS/Dorothée Clette

21
In a remote area of the DR Congo, 1,200 kilometres
(km) from the capital Kinshasa, 12 bridges have helped
open access to local markets, benefitting some
340,000 people.
These bridges are part of a four-year project to revitalize
agricultural production in the north-west of the country,
through the construction and rehabilitation of key bridges
and roads. Implemented by UNOPS, the $4.2 million
project was funded by the food security instrument of the
European Commission and ultimately aims to improve
food security in Equatorial Province.
In the first stage of the project, UNOPS rebuilt a key
130-km road to connect the towns of Boende and
Monkoto, creating nearly 110,000 days of paid work for
local people. Years of war and economic collapse had
reduced the road to a foot path and forced local farmers
to rely on subsistence agriculture. With a population of
over 340,000, many living in isolated farms, the area
has been particularly affected by a lack of reliable
transport infrastructure.
To ensure lasting results, UNOPS established 21
road maintenance committees, equipping local road
authorities with the machinery and knowledge needed
to maintain the road in the long term.
The re-opening of this road reduced travel time by ten times
quicker and cut the price of local staples such as rice and
ground nut by half. The project also supported the creation
of a federation of 1,000 farmers (including 400 women),
bringing together 30 existing farmer organizations.
In the second stage of the project, finalized in 2014,
UNOPS built 11 more bridges, to improve access
where most needed. One existing bridge along the
130 km road was also rehabilitated in collaboration
with local authorities.
The construction and rebuilding of the road and bridges
could not have come at a better time. In August 2014,
three weeks after the last bridge was finished, an Ebola
outbreak (distinct from the one that affected West Africa
in 2014/2015) was declared in Lokolia, a village nestled
along the road, some 60 km from Boende. The newly
completed bridges enabled humanitarian actors to
provide emergency relief to the population in Lokolia.
“The road and bridges played a crucial role, as access
by helicopter would have been very difficult to implement
given the remoteness and difficult terrain,” explained
Christian Fortier, the World Food Programme’s Head
of Logistics in DR Congo, who coordinated the
transportation of emergency food and non-food items.
The outbreak, which caused 49 deaths, was contained
and officially ended on November 15.
For Baudoin Kakule Ndungo, the Provincial Director
of the Congolese Roads Authority, “this road is of vital
importance at a local but also at a national level, as
shown by the response to the Ebola outbreak.”
This case study has been produced with the financial
assistance of the European Union. The views expressed
herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official
position of the European Union.
CONNECTING MARKETS, BUILDING ECONOMIES:
BUILDING RESILIENT INFRASTRUCTURE IN DR CONGO
Left: This four-year project aims to revitalize agricultural
production in the north-west of the country, through the
construction and rehabilitation of key bridges and roads.
Photo: UNOPS/Tchagnaou Essotina
European Commission
PARTNER

23
UNOPS has supported Haiti and development partners
in the country since 2004, delivering a broad range
of projects. Since the 2010 earthquake, UNOPS has
provided continuous project management, procurement
and infrastructure support to Haiti, from early recovery
and reconstruction to disaster risk reduction and
sustainable development.
In 2014, UNOPS delivered projects totalling around
$33 million. Our services have transitioned from debris
management and shelter construction to sustainable
urban development, road and transportation services,
health services, promoting the rule of law, sustainable
rural development and support to other United Nations
organizations in Haiti.
Last year, a brand new state-of-the-art health facility
opened in Gonaïves, in the north of the country, 10 years
after a hurricane destroyed the original city hospital.
HAITI
Left: In Haiti, UNOPS partnered with the Ministry of
Public Health and Population to build a new hospital
in Gonaïves.
Photo: UNOPS
“These essential services
will help reduce the mortality
rate among children and
improve access for children,
women and men to quality,
specialized health services
in Artibonite.”
– Paula Caldwell St-Onge,
Canadian Ambassador to Haiti
Photo: UNOPS/Claude-André Nadon

25
Funded by a $30 million grant from the Canadian
Government, Providence Hospital in Haiti’s Gonaïves
commune was constructed by UNOPS in partnership
with the Ministry of Public Health and Population. The
inauguration ceremony, held in November 2014, was
attended by the First Lady, Sophia Martelly, and the
Minister of Public Health and Population, Florence
Duperval Guillaume.
The original Providence Hospital was destroyed by
Hurricane Jeanne in 2004. After Gonaïves was hit by
two additional hurricanes in 2008, health services were
provided to the community out of a makeshift set-up in
a nearby warehouse.
Construction began in 2012 after a pre-investment study
conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO), the
Ministry of Public Health and Population, and UNOPS
concluded that maternal and child health care should be
the primary function of the hospital.
The 200-bed facility, spanning 10,500 square metres, will
also provide paediatrics, internal medicine, emergency
care and surgery services to residents of Artibonite,
Haiti’s largest department, expanding modern health
care in the country. To support capacity building,
the project will provide training to staff in hospital
management and the use and maintenance of
medical equipment.
A range of sustainability considerations were
incorporated into the design of the hospital to ensure
its long-term operation, including using reinforced
concrete in order to strengthen the facility’s resilience
to earthquakes and hurricanes.
The hospital also features an environmentally sustainable
design that uses locally sourced materials, maximizes
natural lighting and ventilation, and harvests rain water.
In addition to the installation of 1,200 LED interior lighting
units to reduce energy consumption, the facility will
be equipped with a 4,300 square metre, self-cleaning
solar panel system that will generate 200 kilovolt-amps
to power the hospital. The system will be installed by
UNOPS in 2015, and is funded by a $2.5 million grant
from the Mexican Government.
WELL-BEING FOR ALL AGES:
HELPING REDUCE CHILD MORTALITY IN HAITI
Left: Funded by the Government of Canada, the 200-
bed hospital is providing paediatrics, internal medicine,
emergency care and surgery services.
Photo: UNOPS
Government of Canada and Government of Haiti
PARTNERS

27
Left: A woman casts her vote in Iraq where UNOPS
provides support to the Independent High Electoral
Commission.
Photo: UNAMI
Over the past decade, UNOPS has provided a range
of project development, technical management and
infrastructure-related services in Iraq. UNOPS was the
second-largest implementer of projects for the United
Nations Development Group Iraq Trust Fund, running
43 projects on its behalf between 2004 and 2013. In
2014, UNOPS provided over $24 million in support of
development, humanitarian and peace-building activities
in the country.
IRAQ
Photo: UNAMI

29
Internally displaced women and children from the
Kurdistan Region of Iraq feel safer using water and
sanitation facilities at night because they now have a
source of light, provided through a $15.7 million project.
Over 2014, UNOPS distributed 24,142 solar lamps and
mobile-phone charging kits to families in the Kurdistan
Region of Iraq, in coordination with relevant UN agencies
and as part of emergency relief efforts to assist internally
displaced persons (IDPs). Funded by the Saudi
Humanitarian Fund for Iraq, in cooperation with the UN
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the
charging kits are providing reliable access to electricity to
over 117,000 individuals sheltering across northern Iraq.
“Regular electricity in the camp is only on for 12 to 15
hours. During the winter people were not able to leave
their tents at night. The solar electricity filled this gap
and was very important because people needed light,’’
said Sirwan Jafer, the Baharka IDP Camp Manager
and Project Manager.
Using renewable energy, the solar kits provide both a
light source as well as charging capabilities for small
electronic devices. The solar kit includes two detachable
lanterns, which provide increased security for families.
The kit’s mobile phone charger allows IDPs to keep in
closer contact with family members and friends.
The kits closely align with UNOPS commitment to
sustainability, offering a light-weight, portable and
durable power source that enables the IDPs to easily
use them when needed.
“The nature of the crisis here is fluid, so we wanted to
ensure that the IDPs had a mobile solution and could
easily take the lamps with them,” explained Kareem
Elbayar, UNOPS Programme Manager.
Since the beginning of 2014, more than 850,000 people
have sought refuge in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
RENEWABLE ENERGY HELPS IMPROVE
HEALTH AND SAFETY CONDITIONS FOR
DISPLACED FAMILIES IN IRAQ
Saudi Humanitarian Fund for Iraq and the UN Office
for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
PARTNERSLeft: UNOPS personnel demonstrate how to use
the solar-powered lamps delivered to internally
displaced persons (IDPs) sheltering in the
Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
Photo: UNAMI/Fabienne Vinet

31
Left: UNOPS supports the implementation of a
range of projects in Colombia, with a focus on health,
infrastructure and sustainable resource management.
Photo: UNOPS/Daniel Peña
STRENGTHENING
INSTITUTIONAL
PROCESSES IN
LATIN AMERICA
UNOPS IN COLOMBIA
UNOPS has been working with partners in Colombia
since 2012, supporting UN organizations and the
Government with the implementation of a range of
projects with a focus on health, infrastructure and
the sustainable management of energy and natural
resources. UNOPS also provides administrative,
advisory and related services to partners in the country.
UNOPS worked with the Municipality of Bogotá to
improve their operational procedures and public
procurement processes. In 2014, UNOPS reviewed over
200 processes for the Municipality in four work areas:
education, health, social services and transport. UNOPS
provided recommendations for improvements in each
of these areas, in addition to the Office of the Secretary
General of the Municipality.
LATIN AMERICA
Honduras Institute of Social Security
(IHSS); Honduras Ministry of Health;
Pan-American Health Organization;
Municipality of Bogota, Colombia; National
Procurement Agency of Uruguay (ACCE);
State Health Services Administration of
Uruguay (ASSE); Inter-American Centre
for Knowledge Development in Vocational
Training; Government of Uruguay
PARTNERS
“The best investment the
public sector could make is
recognizing the importance
of public procurement … [it is
important] to send a very clear
message to the markets that the
state is an intelligent buyer.”
– Jose Moscoso,
Procurement Advisory
Services Lead

33
UNOPS IN HONDURAS
In 2014, UNOPS provided technical
assistance to the Honduras Institute of
Social Security (IHSS) and the Ministry
of Health, procuring essential medicines
and vital medical supplies in response to
a critical shortage of both in the country.
These included insecticides against
dengue fever, a mosquito-borne
viral infection.
In 2013, Honduras had declared a state
of emergency after an outbreak of the
disease affected over 12,000 people.
UNOPS procured 44 million doses of
medicine and 2.1 million medical and
surgical supplies for the IHSS, which
supplied 27 public hospital and more than
1,600 health centres across the country.
Through UNOPS procurement services,
the Ministry of Health purchased medicines
and medical supplies at a reduced price,
saving up to 300 percent off of the initial
reference prices.
In addition to its work with the Ministry
of Health and IHSS in 2014, UNOPS
provided technical assistance to the Pan
American Health Organization. UNOPS
is also assisting the Francisco Morazán
National University (UPNFM) to procure
educational materials, and support the
renewal of the university’s ICT networks.
UNOPS IN URUGUAY
UNOPS has been present in Uruguay since 2009. Since
then, UNOPS has been working with local governments,
as well as the Government of Uruguay, along with
UN partners, in the implementation of sustainable
infrastructure and procurement projects, with a focus
on the health sector.
UNOPS has been working with Uruguay’s national
procurement agency, ACCE, since 2012, the year
of its founding. UNOPS is supporting the agency
with technical assistance on capacity development,
designing the national framework for public procurement
professionalization and supporting ACCE’s strategic
planning.
Together with the Inter-American Centre for Knowledge
Development, UNOPS developed a national competencies
matrix for public buyers and the basis for a national
certification for public procurement practitioners in
the country. UNOPS will also contribute to the design,
material development and implementation of the training
modules for this certification. A pilot programme, “Basic
Certificate for Public Buyers,” was developed to this end
and will take place in the coming year.
Last year, UNOPS also provided technical assistance to
Uruguay’s State Health Services Administration, ASSE,
which included contract management, the revision
of tenders and reviewing infrastructure designs for a
hospital in Colonia. UNOPS worked closely with local
technical staff when reviewing infrastructure designs,
using lessons learned and regional best practices
for capacity development. Through these revisions,
renewable energy was integrated into the design, as
well as structural improvements to improve functionality
and reduce maintenance costs.
Left: In Colonia, south-west Uruguay, UNOPS is
supporting the Government of Uruguay with the
construction of a new 50-bed hospital.
Photo: UNOPS/Lucia Caldeiro

35
Left: Rice farmers face significant constraints to
productivity in Myanmar, such as a lack of access
to good-quality seed and a shortage of skilled labour.
The Livelihoods and Food Security Trust Fund (LIFT)
and UNOPS are working together to address these
challenges through a farmer education programme.
Photo: LIFT
UNOPS has been present in Myanmar since 1996,
supporting a range of health and food security initiatives
throughout the country. This has included administering
funds and providing monitoring and oversight for the
Livelihoods and Food Security Trust Fund (LIFT), and
acting as the Fund Manager for the Three Millennium
Development Goal Fund (3MDG Fund), which supports
the provision of health services in the country, in
partnership with the Ministry of Health. UNOPS is also
the Principal Recipient for the Global Fund to Fight
AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, as well as the Regional
Artemisinin Initiative (RAI), which works to combat the
spread of malaria. Through UNOPS involvement in these
three initiatives, UNOPS trained more than 33,000 local
people in health prevention techniques in Myanmar
in 2014.
MYANMAR
Photo: LIFT/Jacquetta Hayes

37
LIFT assists the country in its efforts to achieve
Millennium Development Goal 1: reducing the number
of people living in poverty and hunger by half.
LIFT targets smallholder farming families and the
landless rural poor, funding projects that help them
to raise their incomes, improve their nutrition and
food security, and live better lives. LIFT projects
provide opportunity for sustainable growth, quality
harvests, improved and innovative access to credit,
value chains and markets, while at the same time
bolstering people’s ability to cope with setbacks and
change. The fund also generates credible research to
improve programme design and inform the development
of pro-poor policies.
In 2014, LIFT was supported by eleven donors:
Australia, Denmark, the European Union, France,
Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Switzerland,
Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States of
America. With a focus on aid effectiveness, $206 million
has been pooled to support more than 90 projects
across Myanmar. LIFT is active in more than half of the
townships in the country and has reached 2.7 million
people — or roughly five percent of the population.
HELPING FARMERS TO STAY
ONE STEP AHEAD OF CLIMATE CHANGE
LIFT funds a number of projects for ‘farmer extension
services,’ or training and access to new and innovative
technologies. These projects provide smallholder farmers
with the knowledge to stay one step ahead of changing
climatic conditions. A project that is showing dramatic
results is by partner Proximity Designs: their Farm
Advisory Services (FAS) team have identified a timing
window in which farmers can successfully cultivate a
second annual crop in brackish areas of the Ayeyarwady
delta. With this second crop, farmers’ incomes have
effectively been doubled.
Droughts in the country’s Dry Zone are having a knock-
on effect in the Ayeyarwady delta. With less water in the
rivers, salt from the sea is encroaching upon the rivers
and affecting farm land. Since rice is sensitive to salinity,
irrigating rice fields with water that is too saline can result
in complete crop failure.
The FAS team are demonstrating that if farmers plant
their first crop earlier in the year, and then use a faster
growing variety of rice for the second crop, they can
squeeze both crops in before the water salinity gets too
high. The key is when to irrigate the second crop — it is
only safe to irrigate when the tide is lowest and the salt
content is not high.
FAS have developed a simple lunar chart for the farmers
to follow, allowing them to irrigate their crops effectively.
So far, over 1,000 farmers have successfully harvested
second crops, boosting their incomes and improving the
knowledge and skills of farmers. The method can be
replicated elsewhere in the region, contributing to more
secure and sustainable livelihoods for local people.
SUPPORTING FOOD SECURITY AND
SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE IN MYANMAR
Left: LIFT targets smallholder farming families and the
landless rural poor in Myanmar, funding projects that
help them to raise their incomes, improve their nutrition
and food security, and live better lives.
Photo: LIFT
LIFT: Australia, Denmark, the European Union,
France, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand,
Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and
the United States of America
PARTNERS

39
UNOPS has supported sustainable development in
Serbia since 2001, providing project management,
infrastructure, procurement, human resources,
and advisory services. Projects focus on improving
governance, the livelihoods of vulnerable communities,
health and education infrastructure, water supply and
waste management.
In 2014, UNOPS delivered over $14 million worth of
projects in Serbia. This includes the largest project in
the country, the European Partnership with Municipalities
Programme (EU PROGRES), funded by the European
Union and the Governments of Switzerland and Serbia.
SERBIA
Left: UNOPS Executive Director Grete Faremo
meeting government representatives, during her
first official visit to Serbia, in early 2015.
Photo: Igor Pavićević
Photo: UNOPS/Aleksandar Jocić

41
Following the floods and landslides that devastated
towns and villages across Serbia in May 2014, UNOPS
has been working with partners to rebuild homes and
schools, helping families to return to normality.
Thirty-four people were killed and a further 32,000 were
forced to leave their homes in the most severe natural
disaster to hit the region in 120 years. UNOPS in Serbia
is implementing flood rehabilitation and prevention
projects to help restore living conditions and to ensure
areas are better prepared in the event of any
future floods.
UNOPS rehabilitated 12 schools, six kilometres of paved
roads, two health facilities, one community centre and
275 private homes in 2014. UNOPS also procured
60,260 kilograms of mosquito-control products, which
were delivered to 63 municipalities in the country, in an
effort to mitigate the spread of water-borne infections
and disease.
In addition to supporting the Serbia Floods Rehabilitation
programme, UNOPS is also implementing EU
PROGRES, which aims to develop 34 underdeveloped
municipalities in the south-east and south-west of the
country, as well as projects encouraging the inclusion of
vulnerable communities.
“We are committed to supporting people in need. In
Serbia, we are currently working on six projects worth
over 45 million Euros, including a project to repair
infrastructure damaged by the 2014 floods, renovating
homes and schools so that thousands of children can
return to their studies,” Ms. Faremo said on a visit to
Belgrade in early 2015.
Ms. Faremo expressed UNOPS resolve to continue
to support the Serbian Government, with the financial
support of the European Union and the Governments
of Canada, France, Norway, Serbia, Switzerland and
the United Kingdom.
REBUILDING INFRASTRUCTURE IN SERBIA
Left: One of the homes UNOPS rebuilt for Serbian
families affected by the 2014 floods.
Photo: Igor Pavićević
EU PROGRES; European Union; and the Governments
of Canada, France, Norway, Serbia and Switzerland
PARTNERS

43
In 2014, UNOPS supported partners with the design,
construction and rehabilitation of physical infrastructure
and provided operational support to government and
development organizations in the country, delivering
over $69 million in projects.
UNOPS continues to support its humanitarian partners in
improving access to basic services, such as the provision
of water and food for people displaced by conflict and
natural disaster.
SOUTH SUDAN
Photo: UNOPS/Jonathan Buckingham
“When we educate a young
lady, we educate the nation.”
– Kongor Deng Kongor,
Lakes states Director General
at the Ministry of Education
Left: Access to affordable hygiene products is a key
driver for keeping girls in school. To tackle this need,
local women were trained in the production of
sanitary napkins.
Photo: UNOPS

45
More girls from Lakes and Eastern Equatoria states of
South Sudan can now stay in school because they have
access to better educational facilities.
UNOPS managed an Italian-funded project to build and
renovate schools, train teachers and local workers, raise
awareness, and engage communities, benefiting more
than 6,000 local students.
The country has one of the lowest primary school
completion rates in the world, at less than 10 percent
in 2009 (Education Management Information System).
Girls are faced with the most challenging obstacles to
regularly attending school, including early marriage and
other issues.
The new facilities, including 14 equipped schools,
boreholes with fresh drinking water, and separate
toilets for girls and boys, help to create a safe and clean
learning environment for children and teachers. Local
workers were hired and trained in the construction and
maintenance of these facilities and up to 200 teachers
received training in child-friendly teaching methods.
In order to improve food security for families in the
region, vegetable gardens were created on available
land at the schools and continue to provide meals for
students and teachers, as well as additional income.
Local communities were engaged throughout the project,
in order to ensure that the project created the most
positive, long-term outcomes and addressed community
concerns. For instance, access to affordable hygiene
products was identified as a key driver for keeping
girls in school. In order to address this need, a large
community of local women were trained in the production
of sanitary napkins, which are provided to girls for free or
at a reduced cost.
Another highlight of the project was the launch of
a magazine encouraging girls to be leaders in their
communities, as well as the creation of girls’ clubs,
parent-teacher associations, and health and hygiene
workshops for female students and their mothers.
Through the integration of a multi-faceted approach
to address underlying issues of low school attendance,
especially of girls, the project has helped cut the rate
of girls dropping out of school before grade eight by
39 percent in the target areas. The overall school
attendance has increased by more than 30 percent.
Students in Lakes and Eastern Equatoria states now
have access to improved facilities and parents are
more willing to send their children to school.
PROMOTING PRIMARY EDUCATION
FOR GIRLS IN SOUTH SUDAN
Government of Italy
PARTNERLeft: With help from an Italian-funded project, girls in
Lakes and Eastern Equatoria states now have access
to improved educational facilities, making them less
likely to drop out of school.
Photo: UNOPS

47
In 2014, UNOPS helped partners deliver over $4.5 million
in customized social and economic development projects
across Sri Lanka. From building schools and hospitals to
waste-management facilities, projects in the country help
build national capacity by involving local counterparts
and contractors. Our advisory services continue to
help local authorities sustain new systems and raise
community awareness about resources.
Operating from Sri Lanka, UNOPS also provides quality
technical, operational and administrative support to four
other countries that are members of the South Asian
Association for Regional Cooperation: Bangladesh,
Bhutan, Maldives and Nepal.
SRI LANKA
Left: Nearly 7,000 children in the Kilinochchi District
of Sri Lanka now have access to a safe learning
environment, thanks to a UNOPS project funded by the
Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).
Photo: UNOPS/Eranda Wijewickrama
Photo: UNOPS

49
New school facilities are helping nearly 7,000 children
from Kilinochchi District, in northern Sri Lanka, access
education services in a safe environment.
With funding from KOICA and in partnership with the
Ministry of Education of Sri Lanka, UNOPS managed
the construction of new classroom buildings and sanitary
facilities in twelve schools in the district. The new facilities,
handed over in 2014, provided 110 classrooms and 16
computer and science laboratories. The project also
delivered three cluster-quarters for staff, which included
nine dormitory-type quarters and three family quarters.
Many schools in the district previously used make-
shift sheds and the shade of the trees to conduct
their classes and meetings, often exposing children
and teachers to dust, rain and winds. There was also
a serious lack of proper toilet and cleaning facilities,
especially for female students.
The new facilities incorporated sustainable designs
maximizing the use of natural light and ventilation. The
environmentally compatible buildings used reinforced
concrete for the support beams in coastal areas,
helping to reduce the effect of rust. Disability-access
ramps were installed in classroom buildings and separate
toilet facilities were constructed for female students and
disabled children, to allow for increased privacy.
“Newly built hand wash basins are the first of their kind
in the school. It has introduced a very healthy practice
among children who now wash their hands before and
after taking meals,” shared one school principal.
The residential staff accommodations in three divisions
of the district have been designed to house 72 teachers,
who previously had to travel long distances to reach their
jobs. These quarters are equipped with beds, tables and
sanitary facilities.
The project was completed under-budget and UNOPS
used the remaining funds for additional activities
including procuring equipment for the schools.
The new school facilities along with a new curriculum
have resulted in several schools receiving an improved
grading by the Ministry of Education.
GIVING SRI LANKAN CHILDREN
A SAFER LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
Left: The new school facilities, handed over
in 2014, include 110 classrooms and 16
computer and science laboratories.
Photo: UNOPS/Eranda Wijewickrama
Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA)
PARTNER

51
Left: UNOPS purchased nine ambulances, 23 pick-
ups and nine hearses using emergency procurement
procedures to support the National Ebola Response
Centre to treat and stop the transmission of Ebola
in Sierra Leone. The ambulances were procured in
collaboration with the UN Mission for Ebola Emergency
Response, and with funding provided by the Multi-
Partner Trust Fund.
Photo: UNOPS/Elise Beacom
UNOPS IN LIBERIA
UNOPS IN SIERRA LEONE
UNOPS IN GUINEA
In Liberia, UNOPS supported the country’s Ministry of
Health with the emergency procurement of much-needed
vehicles. UNOPS procured 10 ambulances and 10
pick-ups to transport affected people as well as medical
supplies, and provided rapid response support for the
World Bank.
UNOPS has been working closely with the National
Ebola Response Centre and the UN Mission for Ebola
Emergency Response to combat the outbreak of the
disease in Sierra Leone. This support included the
procurement of 23 pick-up vehicles, nine ambulances
and nine hearses, with funding from the Ebola Response
Multi-Partner Trust Fund.
In 2014, UNOPS continued to work with the European
Union on projects to prevent conflict in the country
by reintegrating former militants into civil society and
engaging unemployed youth in community services.
Also with European Union funding, UNOPS helped to
improve sanitary conditions for the population of Conakry
through the collection and management of wastewater
and waste.
WEST AFRICA

53
The first outbreaks of the Ebola virus disease, a serious
and often fatal illness, began in March 2014 in West
Africa. The current outbreak is the largest since the
disease was first discovered in 1976, and as of April
2015, over 10,715 people have lost their lives to Ebola.
Since October 2014, UNOPS has been supporting
emergency international efforts to combat the Ebola
outbreak in West Africa, providing procurement services
and logistical support.
In Liberia, UNOPS partnered with WHO to support the
country’s Ministry of Health and Social Welfare with
the emergency procurement of much-needed vehicles.
UNOPS procured 19 additional ambulances to transport
affected people, and provided rapid response support to
the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
UNOPS will continue to support Ebola early recovery
efforts in 2015, with funding from the World Bank and
in close coordination with the UN Mission for Ebola
Emergency Response. UNOPS has expanded its
assistance to help the Governments of Guinea, Liberia
and Sierra Leone address the needs of communities
and health workers affected by the crisis, as part of
larger recovery efforts in the region.
GETTING TO ZERO CASES:
SUPPORTING THE EBOLA RESPONSE AND
EARLY RECOVERY IN WEST AFRICA
Left: Ebola treatment centre in Nzérékoré, Guinea.
UNOPS is helping Governments create a safer
environment for those affected by Ebola.
Photo: UN/Martine Perret
WHO, World Bank, national governments
PARTNERS

56
WHO WE WORK WITH
IMPLEMENTATION EXPENDITURE BY PARTNER GROUP
According to General Assembly Resolution 65/176, UNOPS may act as a service provider to various actors
in the development, humanitarian and peacebuilding arena, including the United Nations, governments,
inter-governmental institutions, international and regional financial institutions, foundations, private sector
and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
In 2014, UNOPS supported more than 1,200 projects worth $1.2 billion on behalf of such partners and this
visualization shows implementation expenditure according to partner type.
Global Fund and other
multilateral institutions
pooled resources and trust funds
private sector
non-governmental organizations
foundations
other
European Union and other
inter-governmental organizations
donor governments
United Nations
$1.2
BILLION
international financial
institutions
governmentshost governments
via MSA
World Bank via
governments
funding from host governments
funding originating from
international financial institutions

57
PARTNERSHIPS
Strong partnerships are the foundation of our work and a pillar of
UNOPS strategic plan, 2014-2017. We aim to engage in collaborative
partnerships to advance sustainable development, with a focus on
sharing our expertise in infrastructure, project management and
procurement. Our partners choose to work with us to complement or
expand their own capacities, reduce risks, bring an impartial and trusted
advisor, and improve efficiency, speed, quality or cost-effectiveness.
As a not-for-profit organization, UNOPS is highly motivated to meet
the expectations of its partners, while our role as a service provider
means that our partners’ priorities and needs dictate the scope, focus
and location of our work. UNOPS supports operations in more than
80 countries.
“A good platform
for poor, fragile and
capacity limited
countries, to deliver
service and build
capacity.”
– Luquan Tian, Senior
Transport Specialist,
World Bank
“An organization that
rolls up its sleeves and
gets the work done.”
– Fulgencio Garrido Ruiz,
Desk Officer for Sudan and
South Sudan, European
Commission’s Directorate-
General for International
Cooperation and Development
(DG DEVCO)
“Outstanding quality,
professionalism
and collaboration.”
– Alessandra Cabras,
Political Affairs Officer,
Department of Political
Affairs, Office of the Special
Adviser to the Secretary
General on Myanmar
“The answer to your
complex project
implementation
challenges.”
– Mahir Aliyev, Regional
Coordinator, United Nations
Environment Programme,
Regional Office for Europe
WHAT OUR
PARTNERS SAY
ABOUT US

59
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals will only be possible with a
global partnership of UN organizations, governments, non-governmental
organizations and the private sector. As outlined in our strategic plan 2014-2017,
UNOPS is firmly committed to working with diverse actors in order to increase
efficiency, innovation and encourage collaboration, while being an enabler and
active supporter of the Sustainable Development Goals, as part of the
post-2015 development agenda.
KEY PARTNER MANAGEMENT
Key partner management allows UNOPS to extend and deepen relationships
with our most valued partners. By creating a systematic process for managing
and analysing these relationships, UNOPS looks to increase the quality and
value-add of our joint projects, as well as ensure partner satisfaction — an
important measure of our success. Whether building on current partnerships or
creating trust in new ones, UNOPS aims to ensure that mutual understanding and
the pursuit of common development goals underscores all of our relationships.
BEING CLOSER TO OUR PARTNERS
In order to effectively engage with and respond to the ongoing needs and priorities
of our partners, UNOPS has a network of partnerships officers and liaison offices
in Brussels, Geneva, Nairobi, New York and Washington DC, among others. Our
officers act as our interface with key partners at the headquarter level, such as
with: the European Union; the Government of Japan; the UN Secretariat; New
York- and Geneva-based UN agencies; the World Bank and United States Agency
for International Development.
ENGAGING WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR
UNOPS recognizes that the way the international community approaches, funds
and engages in development is evolving, particularly in areas such as innovative
and inclusive financing, global economic governance and capacity development,
as discussed at the Third International Conference on Financing for Development
in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in July 2015.
Engaging in partnerships with private-sector entities has certain advantages in the
current global economic climate, such as:
• the ability to mobilize additional resources as Official Development
Assistance shrinks;
• allowing UNOPS to offer a wider range of services to partners;
• new, innovative approaches and access to new technologies;
• helping partners to integrate sustainability into their own work;
• increasing cost-effectiveness and efficiency.
As a result of this, cooperation and collaboration between international
organizations such as UNOPS and the private sector are increasingly dynamic,
while maintaining the focus on the development agenda.
Left: On behalf of the
Government of Japan,
UNOPS delivered four
new paramedic ambulances
to the General Directorate
of Jordan Civil Defence
in 2014 to serve people
in the cities of Mafraq,
Irbid and Zarqa.
Photo: UNOPS

60
UNMAS collaborates with 14 other UN departments, agencies,
programmes and funds to ensure an effective, proactive and
coordinated response to the problems of landmines and explosive
remnants of war, including cluster munitions.
In 2014, UNOPS supported the work of UNMAS and its partners in
mine-action, humanitarian and stabilization explosive management,
capacity enhancement of national actors and UN missions, and
weapons and ammunition management, in 17 countries and territories.
UNOPS provided human resources, procurement, contracting, grants
management, technical and operational support, and financial and
legal services.
For a total value of approximately $230 million, UNOPS helped its main
partner, UNMAS, deliver a range of results, including in:
AFGHANISTAN
12,695 anti-personnel mines, 522 anti-tank mines, 24 abandoned
improvised explosive devices, 180,018 items of unexploded ordnances
and 113,121 items of small arms ammunition were destroyed. Over
700,000 citizens were provided with mine-risk education across
the country.
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
Over 100 tonnes of ammunition were safely stored and seven tonnes
of degraded ammunition destroyed. Seven hundred and ninety of the
2,684 obsolete weapons safeguarded were destroyed by 12 members
of the Gendarmerie and the national army who were trained in the use
of a weapons-cutting shear.
CASE STUDY:
UN MINE ACTION SERVICE
(UNMAS)

61
“Development of a Mobile Weapons Cutting Shear,” an UNMAS project
in Haiti, delivered through UNOPS support, won the Innovation award
at the 14th annual UN 21 Awards at UN Headquarters on 24 October
2014. The Innovation award was one of five award categories last
year. “Development of a Mobile Weapons Cutting Shear” was among
three other finalists in the category, including another UNMAS project,
“Rightsizing the UNMAS Afghanistan Programme.”
UNMAS WINS
UN-WIDE AWARD
FOR PROJECT
IN HAITI
DARFUR
20 people with disabilities caused by explosive remnants of war
were provided with vocation training. One hundred and ninety people,
including 25 women, were trained in the manufacture of equipment to
help disabled people, resulting in the local production of 500 crutches
and 100 wheelchair parts.
DR CONGO
A total of 26,805 explosive remnants of war and 74 landmines were
collected and destroyed. Two national implementing partners supported
a ‘training of trainers’ initiative in which 1,832 primary school teachers
received mine-risk education training.
MALI
A total of 786 villages and suspected hazardous areas were surveyed,
results in the safe destruction of 347 explosive remnants of war and
57,762 items of small arms ammunition. A total of 24,263 people,
almost 50 percent of whom are women and girls, received mine-
risk education.
PALESTINE
UNMAS implements programmes in Gaza and the West Bank. In Gaza,
the clearance of schools allowed 250,000 students to return to their
classes, and in the West Bank, an area of 71,619 square metres was
cleared of landmines.
SOMALIA
The Somali Police Force explosive ordnance disposal team was
provided with training, equipment and mentorship. The police force is
now the first responder for disposal callouts in Mogadishu and Baidoa,
following training in the disposal of improvised explosive devices.

62
DISASTER RISK REDUCTION
FOR RESILIENCE
Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) aims to build resilience to
natural hazards such as earthquakes, floods and cyclones,
among other shocks and stresses, through identifying and
effectively managing risk.
In practice, this is achieved through the creation of a risk-based
culture, establishing risk and vulnerability analysis processes,
enhancing capacity and technology, and facilitating access to
risk information.
In line with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s call to scale-up
UN efforts on building resilience, in 2014 UNOPS established
a Disaster Risk Reduction for Resilience Programme (DRR4R)
strategy, to align its projects with commitments to current and
forthcoming global frameworks, including:
• The United Nations Plan of Action on DRR4R.
• The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction
2015-2030 (SFDRR).
• The Post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals.
• The World Humanitarian Summit 2016.
“Disaster risk reduction is a
top priority as we seek to hold
back the tide of rising economic
and human losses. Its impact
can be catastrophic for
poverty reduction.”
– Ban Ki-moon,
United Nations Secretary-General
“Our DRR strategy sets
out to ensure that UNOPS has
a risk-based culture that is
fully integrated into all of our
activities around the world.”
– Grete Faremo,
Under-Secretary-General and UNOPS
Executive Director

63
UNOPS DRR4R strategy was presented at the 3rd World Conference
on Disaster Risk Reduction in Sendai, Japan in March 2015. Ahead of
the conference, UNOPS was appointed Chair of the International
Recovery Platform (IRP) for 2015, a move widely accepted by other
agencies as a positive step towards moving the recovery agenda forward.
Enhancing international mechanisms such as the IRP has been
recognized in the SFDRR as an important aspect in facilitating
knowledge-sharing among countries and stakeholders.
SFDRR outlines four priority areas:
• understanding disaster risk;
• strengthening disaster risk governance to manage disaster risk;
• investing in DRR for resilience;
• enhancing disaster preparedness for effective response to build-
back-better in recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction.
HOW UNOPS CAN HELP
UNOPS strives to increase the resilience of nations and communities
by integrating a risk-based culture across the organization. In each
of the SFDRR’s priority areas, UNOPS has an important role to play
in: conducting infrastructure assessments; identifying and sourcing
risk information; developing local capacity by providing guidance on
strategic planning to help partners understand the interdependencies
of critical infrastructure systems; providing guidance to post-disaster
processes and investment in infrastructure development; investment
planning in infrastructure systems development, risk-based design and
mainstreaming DRR4R; and designing and constructing more resilient
infrastructure and build-back-better strategies for schools, hospitals
and roads.
By identifying or eliminating risk, UNOPS can ensure that its projects
contribute to the development of more sustainable infrastructure. Where
risks cannot be eliminated, management and mitigation must be improved.
DRR4R will also allow UNOPS to identify and provide services that add
value to the sustainability and resilience objectives of host governments
and other stakeholders.
For a project to be truly sustainable and resilient, we consider both
the sustainability aspects, such as the impact of the project on the
environment, and resilience aspects, such as the impact of the
environment on the project (or ‘external risk context’). This is key to
ensuring the resilience of our partners’ projects and a more sustainable
post-2015 development environment.

65
HOW WE WORK
MANDATE
On 20 December 2010, the United Nations General
Assembly adopted a resolution in which the 192 Member
States reaffirmed UNOPS mandate and the range of
partners that the organization can work with.
The Assembly highlighted UNOPS role as a central
resource for the United Nations system in procurement
and contract management, as well as in civil works and
physical infrastructure development, including capacity
development services.
This resolution recognized the potential for the value-
added contribution that UNOPS can make in providing
efficient, cost-effective services to partners in the areas
of project management, human resources, financial
management and common/shared services.
In this context, UNOPS acts as a service provider to
various actors in the development, humanitarian and
peacekeeping arenas, including the United Nations,
donor and recipient governments, intergovernmental
and non-governmental organizations, international
and regional financial institutions, foundations and
the private sector.
Left: Haiti’s devastating earthquake in 2010 killed
217,300 people and affected more than two million
Haitians. Following the disaster, with leadership from
the Government of Haiti and participating members
of the UN family, UNOPS supported a large-scale
reconstruction project in Haiti’s capital. This helped
rebuild the lives of more than 33,000 families whose
neighbourhoods were destroyed in the disaster.
Photo: UNOPS/Claude-André Nadon

67
VALUES: SERVICE TO OTHERS
UNOPS values are firmly grounded in the UN Charter
and legislative mandates of the General Assembly.
These form the bedrock of UNOPS organizational
culture, and are reflected in its policies, tools, products
and services. Specifically, they underpin the strong
commitment of UNOPS to providing service
to others. These four core values are:
1. National ownership and capacity: We respect and
support national ownership and help develop national
capacity. This is the foundation of sustainability.
2. Accountability for results and transparency: We
ensure our own accountability for resources entrusted
to us, and for contributions we make to the sustainable
results of our partners. We seek to help our partners
exercise their accountability. We believe transparency
is essential to ensure accountability and the efficient
use of resources.
3. Partnerships and coordination: We recognize
that strong partnership and effective coordination
among diverse actors, including the United Nations,
governments, non-governmental organizations and the
private sector are crucial to efficiency and innovation.
4. Excellence: We believe that we will add value and
make strong contributions to the sustainable results of
our partners only if our practices and performance are
of recognized world-class standards of excellence
and are well-adapted to local conditions. Within our
mandated areas of work, we will seek to contribute to
innovation and the adoption of best-practice standards
of sustainability and quality.
Left: Local people use Indonesia’s first Climate
Communications Centre to share global and
intergenerational knowledge on climate issues
and environmental preservation.
Photo: UNOPS/John Girsang

68
AREAS OF SERVICE
UNOPS has three contribution goals that guide and provide focus for
UNOPS contributions to the operational results of partners and their
achievement of development outcomes.
We tailor our support to the needs of partners, offering a range of
advisory, implementation and transactional services.
We aim to have the best possible impact on communities in need.
This means developing capacity, promoting sustainability and
increasing efficiency at every level.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
UNOPS uses its project management expertise to help governments
and donors make development budgets go further, often in some of the
world’s most challenging environments. UNOPS manages an annual
project portfolio of around $1 billion.
OUR APPROACH
UNOPS incorporates global best practices such as PRINCE2®
and
Project Management Institute (PMI) standards. These standards
are tailored to the development environment, with an emphasis on:
strong internal controls through project management tools; systematic
stakeholder management; good governance; benefits/impact
management.
• In 2014, over 500 UNOPS personnel received external project
management qualifications.
• In 2014, 55 percent of UNOPS delivery was associated with our
project management service area.
• In 2014, UNOPS supervised more than 200 projects on behalf
of partners.

69
INFRASTRUCTURE
UNOPS helps partners design, construct, rehabilitate and maintain
infrastructure – such as hospitals, schools, roads and bridges – in some
of the world’s most challenging environments.
OUR APPROACH
UNOPS ensures that its projects are socially, economically and
environmentally sustainable, delivering functional infrastructure that
best serves the needs of local communities. We provide infrastructure
services in the following sectors: buildings, transport, energy, water and
waste management, and ICT infrastructure.
• In 2014, 29 percent of UNOPS delivery was associated with
infrastructure, one-half of which covered services related to
transportation infrastructure and one-third of which covered services
related to buildings.
• In 2014, UNOPS worked on 175 bridges, 4,577 kilometres of roads,
2 airstrips, 30 schools and 18 hospitals and health clinics.
PROCUREMENT
UNOPS is a central resource for the United Nations system and its
partners. We emphasize efficient, transparent, cost-effective and
sustainable delivery of goods and services. Each year, we procure
around $800 million worth of high-quality goods, works and services,
on behalf of partners.
OUR APPROACH
UNOPS is committed to integrating social, economic and environmental
considerations into its buying process. We strive to procure the supplies
our partners need in a way that promotes social progress, economic
development and environmental protection.
• In 2014, UNOPS procured $669 million worth of goods (34 percent)
and services (66 percent). The top five countries of supply were
Afghanistan, Somalia, South Sudan, Denmark and Sudan.
• In 2014, UNOPS procured 49,000 units of machinery and
equipment, as well as more than 5,500 vehicles.
• In 2014, over 17.8 million medical supplies were handled, including
the distribution of approximately 3.6 million diagnostic kits.
• In 2014, UNOPS procured 44 million doses of medicine for the
Government of Honduras.

70
EXCELLENCE
We believe that continuously improving our knowledge, skills and
processes leads to the best possible results on the ground.
USING LIMITED RESOURCES EFFECTIVELY
Resources for peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects
are often limited and need to be used effectively. For UNOPS, this
means providing value for money and being transparent about how
the money is spent and how the results are achieved.
TRANSPARENCY
A clear and active commitment to transparency builds trust between
UNOPS and all of its stakeholders, be they Member States, partners,
beneficiaries or the general public – transparency is a process which
starts with a commitment but requires ongoing attention and effort.
UNOPS strategic plan 2014-2017 reaffirms our commitment to
transparency as one of UNOPS core values and recognizes that
is essential for strengthening our accountability and efficiency.
We publish a wealth of dynamic and interactive information on our
1,000 ongoing activities on data.unops.org, an open-data platform that
presents our operations using maps, financial data and infographics.
The platform is updated daily.
We publish monthly operational data in the International Aid
Transparency Initiative (IATI) format, an open-data standard that aims
to make all information about aid spending easier to find, compare
and use, alongside more than 330 governments, multilateral agencies,
national NGOS, private- and public-sector bodies, foundations and
academic institutions.
We are also a part of the consortium managing and hosting the
IATI Secretariat, alongside UNDP, Development Initiatives, and the
governments of Ghana and Sweden. We are providing financial and
logistical support services to further the aims of the Initiative on
behalf of 65 members.

71
GATHERING BEST PRACTICE
UNOPS continuously benchmarks against external bodies, striving
for relevant certifications and adopting internationally recognized
best practices. This ensures that our processes actively increase the
effectiveness of our partners’ projects. Many of UNOPS processes and
services have already been independently certified by these outside
bodies, including:
1. Quality management: UNOPS was the first UN organization to have
its global management systems ISO 9001 certified in 2011.
2. Project management: UNOPS is certified by APMG, the group
behind PRINCE2®
methodology, as an Accredited Consulting
Organization and Accredited Training Organization, and by PMI as a
Registered Education Provider and Registered Consultant.
3. Sustainable procurement: UNOPS was awarded a gold-level
certificate in the Sustainable Procurement Review in early 2015 by
the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS).
4. Environmentally friendly construction: UNOPS was awarded ISO
14001 in 2013, covering infrastructure projects in Afghanistan, Kosovo
and Palestine.
5. Health and safety: Three UNOPS offices – Pristina, Jerusalem
and Copenhagen – received OHSAS 18001 certification in July 2014,
making UNOPS one of the first UN organizations to be certified.
EMPOWERING HIGH PERFORMANCE
Every year we arrange for hundreds of our personnel to undertake
high-level training programmes. In 2014 more than 1,406 personnel
participated in UNOPS learning activities and programmes; over
500 personnel received external project management qualifications;
76 received training in UNOPS works contracts for infrastructure;
and nearly 200 personnel received external and internal training in
procurement operations.

72
2014 2013 Change %
Support costs and fees 60,736 65,948 -8%
Advisory and reimbursable services income 5,564 6,252 -11%
Miscellaneous income 4,004 4,690 -15%
Non exchange revenue 3,816 5,966 -36%
TOTAL INCOME 74,120 82,856 -11%
Management expenses 54,928 57,250 -4%
Service expenses 12,048 12,109 -1%
less: TOTAL EXPENDITURE 66,976 69,359 -3%
Finance income 1,858 1,728 8%
Exchange rate gain/(loss) 921 (503) 283%
NET EXCESS OF INCOME OVER EXPENDITURE 9,923 14,722 -33%
* At the end of 2014, current assets include cash and short-term investments of $596 million
** At the end of 2014, non-current assets include long-term investments of $534 million
2014 2013 Change %
Current assets* 664,006 674,935 -2%
Non-current assets** 535,990 387,814 38%
TOTAL ASSETS 1,199,996 1,062,749 13%
Current liabilities 1,051,145 928,978 13%
Non-current liabilities 70,332 51,015 38%
TOTAL LIABILITIES 1,121,477 979,993 14%
Actuarial gains 12,341 26,501 -53%
Operational reserves 66,178 56,255 18%
TOTAL RESERVES 78,519 82,756 -5%
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND RESERVES 1,199,996 1,062,749 13%
Statement of Financial Position as at 31 December 2014 with comparative figures as at 31 December 2013 (USD '000s)
Statement of Financial Performance for the year ended 31 December 2014 with comparative figures for the year ended
31 December 2013 (USD ‘000s)
FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

UNOPS HQ, PO Box 2695, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
Tel: +45 45 33 75 00 Fax: +45 45 33 75 01 Email: info@unops.org Web: www.unops.org

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Printed by Phoenix Design Aid A/S, a CO2 neutral
company accredited in the ﬁelds of quality (ISO 9001),
environment (ISO 14001) and CSR (DS 49001) and
approved provider of FSC™ certiﬁed products. Printed
on environmentally friendly paper without chlorine
and with vegetable-based inks. The printed matter is
recyclable.

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