BTAD Delivers Business Transformation Initiatives to RSCE

The Regional Service Centre Entebbe (RSCE) hosted a team from UN Secretariat Business Transformation and Accountability Division (BTAD), within the Department of Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance (DMSPC). The BTAD team in collaboration with the Strategic Planning Unit of the RSCE held meetings with the senior management of the Centre and the organized workshops to provide an overview of business transformation activities and offerings from BTAD that may be leveraged to support RSCE work and identify potential innovative business ideas.

In his opening remarks in the kick-off meeting with the BTAD, the Director RSCE talked about the list of innovative initiatives and the new ways of doing business introduced at RSCE including the establishment of the designated Client Services Section, the creation of the RSCE Business Process Improvement Network for RSCE and Client entities, the rollout of several end-to-end data analytics dashboards, efforts in digital transformation, and the introduction of the Travel Management Contract system, among others

The BTAD team provided an overview and updates on UN 2.0 agenda, that is designed to modernize and enhance the United Nations' ability to address global challenges effectively. Central to this vision is the "Quintet of Change," focusing on data, innovation, digital solutions, foresight, and behavioral science.

During the briefings, the team unveiled services that include the Propeller service to support entities with UN 2.0 implementation, the Transformers Programme for organizational culture change, the NewWork network and Data Analytics services, and support provided by the UN Behavioral Science Group.

“We focus on doing things right AND doing the right thing, especially in this time of navigating complexity with emerging trends such as data science, AI, shifts in workforce culture and expectations, and new ways of working.” Said Beth Magne-Watts, Chief, Business Transformation Project Management Section, BTAD.

BTAD’s transformative methodology is based on the guiding principles of human-centered design that is a consultative and inclusive approach where the stakeholders and teams are involved throughout the lifecycle to ensure the change management has a buy-in and support at all levels, and really responds to client needs.

The SG’s Common Agenda emphasizes the “power of a networked approach” and BTAD supports the coordination and mobilization of networks and communities for organizational change. NewWork is one such grassroots community of UN employees who are innovating, collaborating, and adopting new ways of working.

Beth Magne-Watts also pointed out that the visit aims to strengthen opportunities for collaboration and exchange with RSCE and facilitate engagement with BTAD on the initiatives, projects, products and services on transformation and change.

Together with Yoon Barker Chief, Transformation, Innovation and Analytics Service, BTAD, the team led a cross section of RSCE staff in an Ideation Café that focused on (1) Personnel Welfare, (2) Dealing with RSCE Clients and Stakeholders, (3) Improvement in Product, Service, and Processes, (4) Digital Transformation, and (5) People and Talent Management. The café garnered several innovative ideas aimed at transforming the way RSCE does business. The participants were grouped into five thematic areas as per the five topics above to Identify the reasons why innovation is needed in that particular area, list ongoing and potential new innovative ideas that could be introduced at RSCE.

Yoon Barker emphasized the importance of collaborative approach between RSCE and BTAD to facilitate the implementation of the SG’s UN 2.0 agenda and expressed her hope and enthusiasm in future joint endeavors of the RSCE and BTAD, DMSPC.

Based in Entebbe, Uganda, the Regional Service Centre Entebbe (RSCE) is the flagship Service Centre for the UN Secretariat, providing administrative, logistics and ICT services to 62% of all UN field operations worldwide. Employing close to 400 staff and managing almost 400,000 transactions annually, the RSCE supports over 16,400 personnel in 18 UN missions and offices across Africa. The RSCE also hosts the Regional Training and Conference Centre and the UN C4ISR Academy for Peace Operations that host over 250 events a year with over 3,500 participants.