February 2015: The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) Senior Management Team took up possible reforms to the Organization, ahead of the adoption of the post-2015 development agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Director-General’s Action Plan to address the recommendations of the Independent External Evaluation (IEE) provided a framework for the discussion.

Team members met in a retreat on 31 January-1 February 2015. They agreed that the post-2015 development agenda must be at the core of all efforts, and systems must be adaptable to ensure delivery and implementation of the agenda.

Participants at the retreat considered the adoption of innovative, efficient and effective programme delivery services, including on the post-2015 development agenda. They recommended scaling up delivery on core priorities, streamlining processes and workflows, and ensuring greater consistency and coherence of UNESCO’s messages across the world and among networks and partners. The team also reviewed efforts to promote gender equality, by taking forward the Priority Gender and its related Action Plan for 2014-2021.

Team members also discussed the launch of UNESCO’s Fit-for-Purpose Initiative, which will aim to: establish operational modalities better suited to deliver UNESCO’s programmes at global, regional and local levels; and achieve a more strategic positioning and leadership of UNESCO within the post-2015 agenda. [UNESCO Press Release]