Strategic Planning in the Executive Office of the UN Secretary-General

Abstract

ONE OF THE MOST CRITICAL AND CHALLENGING TASKS FOR ANY ORGANization, national or international, is strategic planning. Strategic planning serves several purposes for an organization. It helps organization internally set priorities for activity and resource allocation; it is a formal means by which organization communicates its goals, priorities, and mission external stakeholders; and it informs decisions and actions that shape an institution. Dean Acheson defines strategic planning thus: to look ahead, not into distant future, but beyond vision of operating officers caught in smoke and crises of current battle; far enough ahead see emerging form of things come and outline what should be done meet or anticipate them. (1) At same time, the staff should also do something else--constantly reappraise what [is] being done. (2) In essence, strategic planning brings future into present. (3) Ideally, effective planning links specific initiatives overall goal of organization. Planning then occurs for each area, including prioritization of tasks and frames and a discussion of organizational roles, responsibilities, and coordination of tasks. Successful planning includes identifying measures of success for each initiative, frames for assessing progress, and periodic review and reassessment. As Richard Haass argues, there are two primary challenges strategic planning: finding appropriate distance from immediate policy-making process and exercising influence without an official operational role. (4) There are other constraints strategic planning: time pressures address current issues at expense of longer-term planning; bureaucratic competition for influence; cognitive barriers anticipating future; and cultural tensions between policy planning 'thinkers' and policy-making 'doers.' (5) In this article, I consider strategic planning from perspective of a practitioner in UN system, especially in Executive Office of Secretary-General (EOSG). I discuss origins, objectives, and evolution of Strategic Planning Unit (SPU) in EOSG. I focus on activities of SPU during Kofi Annan's decade-long tenure as Secretary-General. I argue that key contributions of strategic planners are developing new strategic initiatives, helping set Secretary-General's priorities, drafting reports and policy and planning documents, and contributing speechwriting. I consider contributions and limitations of academic community strategic thinking of Secretary-General. I suggest that determinants of success are access Secretary-General and policymaking machinery, skills of planning staff, and independence in thought and judgment from any authority outside UN. Strategic Planning at UN Due complex and decentralized nature of UN system, diverse areas of activity, and varied pathways for decisionmaking, coordinating centralized strategic goals remains a challenge. Planning and program budgeting was first introduced in UN in 1974. The goal of medium-term plan was provide a framework within which member stales could review organization's work and Secretary-General could prepare his biennial program budgets on basis of General Assembly's guidance, The first attempt create an independent analytical unit within UN was Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar's decision establish Office for Research and Collection of Information (ORCI) in 1988. The ORCI's mandate included monitoring global trends and research, but it functioned primarily as a speechwriting unit. (6) The Origins of Strategic Planning Unit The SPU was established on initiative of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan as part of his reform process launched in 1997. One of Annan's main objectives upon assuming leadership of UN was to achieve greater unity of purpose, coherence of effort, agility and responsiveness throughout United Nations, including its funds and programs. …