What is UNPAN?
The United Nations Public Administration Network (UNPAN) is a virtual electronic network that promotes the exchange of expertise and sharing of experiences and lessons learned in public administration and finance at local, national, subregional, regional and international levels. The ultimate objective of UNPAN is to support, via an electronic platform, the development of efficient and effective public administration systems and competent civil services, especially in developing countries and countries with economies in transition.
What is the mission of UNPAN?
United Nations Public Administration Network is managed by the Division for Public Administration and Development Management of UNDESA in partnership with relevant international and regional institutions worldwide and United Nations related agencies. It serves as a global portal for public administration and is the only one such network in the world today. Its main objective is to build capacity, bridge the digital divide between the rich and the poor, promote south-south cooperation, and to access, process and disseminate relevant information via up-to-date ICTs for the promotion of better public administration.
Why establish UNPAN?
The various recent United Nations conferences and the resumed Fiftieth Session of the General Assembly on Public Administration and Development have stressed that efficient public administration systems and a competent civil service are essential for the development efforts of developing countries and countries with economies in transition, while deficiencies in institutional development, financial and human resource management of the public sector most negatively affect the delivery of social services. Many developing countries have embarked on administrative reforms and have undertaken programmes for modernizing public administration. However, to succeed in these reforms and in modernization, access to internationally available expertise, policy options, successful practices and experiences, and training facilities is critical. Therefore, creating an international electronic virtual network is instrumental in assisting the Member States to better reach the objectives mentioned above.
What are the services offered by UNPAN?
UNPAN provides users with a wide-range of interactive and participatory online services based on Web 2.0 tools, including:
- Information services, such as: information on the UN programmes/projects on public policies, public administration and finance; information on the best practices and relevant experiences at international, regional and national levels; and information on education and training activities of interest in universities, research institutes and academic institutions
- Online training programmes, materials and facilities
- Advisory services, interactive 'Questions & Answers', and the UNPAN help-desk
- Conferences and workshops
- Worldwide directories in public administration and finance
- News on public administration.
Who are the users of UNPAN?
The clients of UNPAN can be found among government agencies, non-government agencies, universities, research institutions and corporate agencies, including:
- Policy makers, such as government officials responsible for public policies on economic development, reforms and modernization of public administration and management, public sector financial management, tax reform, etc.
- Practitioners, including public administrators and managers, and other government officers/professionals, national and international, private and non-governmental organization managers, and individuals engaged in public governance development, public administration and financial reforms
- Experts in universities, research and other relevant institutions involved with administration theories, government systems, public management innovation and training, etc.
What is the scope of UNPAN?
UNPAN’s information and knowledge focus are on the following substantive areas:
- Public policies
- Constitutional and administrative law
- Public sector organizations/civil service development
- Public sector management issues, e.g.: financial management, human resource management, public service (operational) management, performance management, informational technology management
- Public-private sector relations (regulations)
- Socio-economic governance systems
- Knowledge management systems and e-government
- Transnational governance issues.
Where to find UNPAN?
The UNPAN system is centred at the United Nations Headquarters in New York and draws upon existing regional/subregional institutions devoted to public administration and finance in the context of social and economic development. So far, it is comprised of the following online regional centres (ORCs): eight in Africa and three in the Arab States, four in Asia and the Pacific, four in Latin America and the Caribbean, four in Europe, and six in North America.
What are the main functions of UNPAN?
UNPAN at UN Headquarters is responsible for the delivery of the following functions:
- Online information service, the provision of a website directory on public administration and finance to assist the users of UNPAN with their information needs
- Online training programme development and organization
- Online advisory services provision
- Online conference organization
- Help-desk execution
- UNPAN administration
The online regional/subregional centres take responsibility for the following functions:
- Regional/subregional information hub
- Regional online training programme promotion
- Regional online conference organization
- Online conference organization in support of UNPAN
- UNPAN regional/subregional administration
Who manages UNPAN?
The management and the coordination of the overall UNPAN system at UN Headquarters and the establishment of the regional/national centres is headed by the UNPAN Chief Manager who reports to the Director of the Division for Public Administration and Development Management of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DPADM/UNDESA). The UNPAN Chief Manager works with a team composed of substantive, technical and administrative groups at UN Headquarters in New York and at the regional/subregional and national centres in their respective countries. The management of the regional/subregional centres and national centres reflects their unique needs.