Sixty-first session Agenda item 128 Administration of justice at the United Nations Activities of the Ombudsman Report of the Secretary-General Summary The General Assembly, in its resolution 59/283 of 13 April 2005 entitled “Administration of justice at the United Nations”, having stressed the importance of the Office of the Ombudsman as the primary means of informal dispute resolution, requested the Secretary-General to submit, in the context of his annual report on the administration of justice in the Secretariat, information on the activities of the Ombudsman, including general statistical information and information on trends and comments on policies, procedures and practices that had come to the attention of the Ombudsman. The present report covers the operations of the Office of the Ombudsman for the period from 1 September 2005 to 31 August 2006. Contents Paragraphs Page Introduction 1–10 3 General principles and provision of services 11–23 4 Terms of reference 11–17 4 New types of services 18–19 6 Budgetary and staffing matters 20–23 6 Statistical information on cases/issues and analysis of data 24–45 7 General information 24–39 7 Peacekeeping operations 40–45 14 Systemic issues: contexts and challenges 46–77 15 Monitoring of performance and evaluation of impact 78–85 20 Outreach and communications 86–94 22 Internal outreach 86–91 22 External outreach 92–94 24 Future directions 95–102 25 Annex Staffing table 27 I. Introduction 1. This is the second report of the Secretary-General to the General Assembly on the activities of the United Nations Ombudsman. In paragraph 22 of its resolution 59/283 of 13 April 2005, the General Assembly requested the Secretary-General to submit, in the context of his annual report on the administration of justice in the Secretariat, information on the activities of the Ombudsman, including general statistical information and information on trends and comments on policies, procedures and practices that had come to the attention of the Ombudsman. 2. The present report, which covers the operations of the Office of the Ombudsman over the period from 1 September 2005 to 31 August 2006, also reviews the implementation of the recommendations contained in the previous report to the General Assembly (A/60/376) and makes additional observations on systemic issues, based on the cases dealt with by the Office of the Ombudsman. 3. In keeping with the mandate of an organizational ombudsman, the Ombudsman facilitates fair and equitable conflict resolution, and makes recommendations for changes in policy or practice where a particular dispute or set of issues reflect a larger systemic problem fostering conflict or dissatisfaction in the workplace. 4. The Ombudsman reports regularly to the Secretary-General on the activities of the Office and raises relevant issues with management and staff, when deemed appropriate, to facilitate conflict resolution and contribute to managerial excellence. 5. Since its inception, nearly 2,000 staff members have sought the assistance of the Ombudsman’s Office. This figure represents almost 7 per cent of the total constituency (estimated at 29,000 members of staff worldwide). 6. Over the reporting period, 611 new cases have been opened. This number represents approximately 2 per cent of the total constituency. Of the 611 new cases, 316 have already been closed. During this period, there has been an expansion of the activities of the Ombudsman’s Office, including the increased recourse to mediation, as well as a better understanding of the role of the Office, by both management and staff. Since the beginning of 2006, an average of almost 50 new cases monthly has been opened. 7. During the past 12 months, the Ombudsman’s Office further expanded its outreach to staff in the peacekeeping missions. Representatives of the Office visited four further missions: the United Nations Integrated Office in Sierra Leone (UNIOSIL), the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) as well as the United Nations Logistics Base at Brindisi, Italy (UNLB). The percentage of cases initiated by staff from the field missions has progressively increased from 23 per cent in 2002 to 44 per cent of the number of cases for the period from January to August 2006. Staff members employed in peacekeeping missions constitute approximately 46 per cent of the total constituency. 8. This increase in cases from peacekeeping missions has not prevented the Office within its limited resources from servicing Headquarters as well as Offices away from Headquarters. On-site visits were paid to the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), from 6 to 23 September 2005. In October 2005, visits were paid to the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG), the United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV) and the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA). 9. In December 2005, the Office undertook a second evaluation of its experience, activities and operations, with a view to identifying lessons learned that could be used to strengthen its performance and, where necessary, improve its services. This evaluation, which was undertaken by a team of experts in the field of alternative dispute resolution, underscored the urgent need for the establishment of regional branches of the Ombudsman’s Office, and recommended inter alia the development of standard operating procedures which would be used by the Office and its branches, increased interaction between the Ombudsman and other offices in the United Nations Conflict Resolution System, as well as the expansion of mediation services. 10. The General Assembly, in its resolution 59/283, decided that the Secretary-General should form a panel of external and independent experts to consider redesigning the system of administration of justice, and transmit its report to the Assembly. In its report of July 2006 (A/61/205, sect. XIII), the Redesign Panel on the United Nations system of administration of justice recommended, inter alia, the strengthening of the Ombudsman’s role and the establishment of a single integrated office, headed by the United Nations Ombudsman, which would incorporate the offices of the Ombudsperson for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and the Mediator of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The integrated office would also include positions at the regional level and in the major peacekeeping missions, as well as a Mediation Division. II. General principles and provision of services A. Terms of reference 11. The terms of reference of the Ombudsman, as set out in Secretary-General’s bulletin ST/SGB/2002/12 of 15 October 2002, state that the Ombudsman shall have authority to consider conflicts of any nature related to employment by the United Nations. The term “conflict” includes, inter alia, matters pertaining to conditions of employment, administration of benefits, and managerial practices, as well as professional and staff relations matters. The terms of reference also include the following: (a) Working principles. The Ombudsman is independent of all United Nations organs or officials. The Ombudsman, as a designated neutral, has the responsibility of maintaining strict confidentiality concerning matters that are brought to his or her attention. The Ombudsman cannot be compelled by any United Nations official to testify about concerns brought to his or her attention. The Ombudsman does not have decision-making powers, but advises and makes suggestions or recommendations, as appropriate, on actions needed to settle conflicts, taking into account the rights and obligations existing between the Organization and the staff member, and the equities of the situation. (b) Reporting line and access to the Secretary-General. The Ombudsman has direct access to the Secretary-General, as needed, for the performance of his or her functions, reports regularly to him on his or her activities and has the right to comment on policies, procedures and practices that have come to his or her attention. (c) Access to records. The Ombudsman has access to all records concerning staff, except medical records. (d) Access to the Ombudsman. All staff members have voluntary access to the Ombudsman. No person who brings a matter to his or her attention shall be subject to reprisals because of such action. The Ombudsman does not review cases that are already in the formal system. 12. Resolving conflicts. In the resolution of a conflict by the Ombudsman, the Ombudsman does not act as an advocate for any party but is guided by the Staff Regulations and Rules as well as by the principles of justice and fairness. Contrary to a common misconception, the Ombudsman does not act as an advocate for the complainant. 13. Feedback received from staff who have used the services of the Office continues to indicate that the overwhelming majority was satisfied with the process and that in over 70 per cent of the cases closed, staff members were satisfied with the outcome. 14. In the remainder of cases, staff members’ expectations might not have been consistent with applicable rules, regulations or organizational practices; or the case might not have been amenable to informal resolution. At the same time, staff members often expressed satisfaction that the issue had been reviewed by a neutral third party, and independent advice rendered. 15. Proceeding informally. In addition to being required to perform his/her functions in a neutral, impartial and confidential manner, an organizational ombudsman seeks to resolve conflicts using informal processes. In this regard, reference to the Ombudsman as an informal mechanism for conflict resolution refers both to the Office’s status as an alternative dispute resolution system to formal adjudication and also to the nature of its operations. The Ombudsman does not keep records on behalf of the Organization, and functions outside of any formal proceedings. 16. Because the Ombudsman is not limited to the issues that have been spelled out in a carefully defined set of formal pleadings, the Office has great flexibility in looking into all the issues surrounding a complaint. The Ombudsman having identified the root cause of the problem, resolution of a conflict can be more easily facilitated. In addition, owing to the fact that no formalities are required to proceed, the Office can quickly respond to situations, the only potential cause of delay arising from those who must implement its proposals. Owing to the fact that it is not an adversarial process, the parties to a conflict can be more willing to cooperate in finding a solution, as all the parties feel represented in the process. 17. In order that staff members may fully benefit from the system as an informal means of conflict resolution, the process requires a careful balancing exercise of all the relevant interests and a full understanding of each stakeholder’s interests —including that of the complainant. B. New types of services 18. Another way the Office seeks to resolve conflicts is through mediation. Mediation enables and assists the parties to frame their issues, structure negotiations and recognize their own interests as well as the interests of the other parties. Mediation aims at resolving differing viewpoints, disputes and conflicts and finding mutually acceptable solutions. One of the recommendations of the midterm review undertaken by independent evaluators in December 2005 upon request from the Ombudsman was to expand the options available to aggrieved staff by implementing and encouraging the use of facilitation, conciliation and mediation. Appropriate training was identified and professionals of the Ombudsman’s Office were externally certified as mediators. The Office now provides the service as part of its ongoing activities. 19. It is to be noted that the report of the Redesign Panel on the United Nations system of administration of justice (A/61/205), issued on 28 July 2006, also strongly supports the provision of mediation services by the Office of the Ombudsman. Employment-related interpersonal disputes are now mediated in one or more sessions as the case requires, with the prior agreement of both parties. The service is increasingly sought by staff members and is suggested by the Office to concerned parties when appropriate. C. Budgetary and staffing matters 20. The budget proposals for the biennium 2006-2007 included the continuation of the three existing positions for the Office of the Ombudsman (1 ASG, 1 D-1, 1 P-4) and the establishment of four new positions (1 P-5, 1 P-3 and 2 GS [Other level]). These positions, which had been recommended by the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions for inclusion in the programme budget for the biennium 2004-2005, were approved by the General Assembly in the budget for the biennium 2006-2007 (resolution 60/247). Recruitment for these posts is at present under way. 21. The General Assembly also approved the creation of three D-1 Chief-of-Branch positions in Geneva, Nairobi and Vienna, within existing resources, for the biennium 2006-2007. These positions are essential to further extend the coverage of the Office and its impact, in accordance with paragraph 20 of resolution 59/283, in which the Assembly requested the Secretary-General to submit proposals for strengthening the Office of the Ombudsman through improved access to it for staff serving in different locations. 22. The urgency in identifying and filling these positions is underlined by the findings of the team that reviewed the operations of the Office of the Ombudsman in December 2005. The team noted, inter alia, that: “The Office of the Ombudsman has made impressive efforts to better serve staff in the regions. Numerous trips to a wide range of locations, an expanded and much improved website and a highly responsive telephone contact process are to be commended. Nonetheless, the Midterm Review Panel concluded that, given the number of staff in the regions, combined with decentralization of authority to managers in regions, the establishment of a regional Ombudsman presence is essential. The types of problems that arise, the unique needs of national staff, the linguistic diversity that makes written communication in an official language sometimes difficult are but some of the factors that underlie this conclusion. Also contributing to the need for regional Ombudsmen is the sense that the overall workload of the Office of the Ombudsman at Headquarters is approaching maximal levels for the resources available.” 23. Resources from the support account for peacekeeping operations were provided for the first time in 2004-2005 for a P-4 position in the Office. The post’s funding was renewed for the budget year 2005-2006, with the addition of a General Service post, and both were extended for 2006-2007 in view of the substantive increase in cases from peacekeeping operations. III. Statistical information on cases/issues and analysis of data A. General information 24. Over the period from 1 September 2005 to 31 August 2006, 611 new cases were opened. This represents approximately 2 per cent of a constituency composed of approximately 29,000 staff members worldwide. Of the 611 new cases, 316 have already been closed. Since the Office opened in October 2002, a consolidated total of 1,998 cases have been opened, amounting to almost 7 per cent of the constituency. A significant segment of the visitors to the Office are staff members who have already used the Office and whose cases had been resolved. An important percentage of these, both from Headquarters and other duty stations, return frequently to seek guidance regarding career, interpersonal relations or other employment-related issues. These “frequent” visitors have become a category per se and will in the future necessitate the opening of new cases in order to accurately reflect the workload of the Office. 25. Regarding the gender profile of visitors, statistics show that during the current reporting period, men outnumbered women 55 per cent to 44 per cent, whereas the percentages were almost equal over the period from October 2002 to August 2005. This is due, in part, to the increased number of cases from peacekeeping missions. 26. As anticipated in the previous report, 2005 saw a dramatic increase (over 50 per cent) in the number of cases. While the number of new cases had remained stable over the initial two full years of operation, with 410 and 420 new cases in 2003 and 2004, respectively; a total of 633 cases were opened during the calendar year of 2005. The number of persons seeking the assistance of the Office remained high between January and August 2006, with an average monthly number of almost 50 new cases, bringing the total number of cases to 395 as of 31 August 2006. 27. As shown in figure II, the trends in the geographical distribution of cases reflect the successful outreach efforts made by the Ombudsman’s Office. Over the last 12 months, an important outreach effort was directed towards peacekeeping missions. The percentage of cases initiated by staff from field missions has increased to 44 per cent of the total in 2006. At the same time the percentage of visitors from “Offices away from Headquarters” has declined. Owing to the limited resources of the Office, expanding outreach to peacekeeping missions decreased the number of visits to offices away from Headquarters. This underscores the urgency of establishing the three approved Chief-of-Branch positions. Staff at Headquarters, who can interact personally with the Ombudsman team, continue to account for more than a third of the total number of 2006 cases. 28. Figure III presents the breakdown of cases by occupational categories. The balance between the main categories has remained relatively constant. The category “General Service/Field Service, Security and Trades and Crafts” remains at almost 40 per cent. The category “Professional and above” remains the one that most readily avails itself of the services of the Ombudsman. The underrepresentation in the “Other” category, especially of national staff, has been a concern since the Office’s inception. The intense outreach effort aimed at peacekeeping missions has also proved fruitful. The percentage of national staff has increased regularly from 2 per cent in 2002 to 6 per cent between January and August 2006. This effort should be maintained: the United Nations employs approximately 9,000 national staff members in the different peacekeeping missions, representing 31 per cent of the total constituency. 29. Figure IV shows the distribution of staff over the past 12 months, in terms both of locations and occupational categories (the information is on a total of 546 cases for which all data are already available). Staff are distributed between the three main locations as follows: Headquarters, Offices away from Headquarters and Field missions, which account for 31, 28 and 41 per cent of the total, respectively. At Headquarters, the Professional and higher categories amounted to 85 cases, the General Service and related categories to 77, and the “Other” related category to 9. In Offices away from Headquarters, the number of cases was respectively 89, 50 and 15. In Field missions, the numbers were, respectively, 61, 101 and 59. The occupational category “other” is especially relevant in field missions because of the large numbers of national staff in peacekeeping operations. Figure IV also shows that at Offices away from Headquarters the category “Professional and higher categories” tends to be more represented than “General Service, Field Service and related categories”. The creation of regional branches will facilitate access to all occupational groups. 30. Figure V indicates the distribution of issues raised by those who sought the assistance of the Office. It includes a comparison between the distribution over the period from October 2002 to August 2005 and the current reporting period. 31. The most important type of issue raised by staff is promotion or career-related (approximately 34 per cent). Over the reporting period, however, the incidence of this type of issue has decreased to approximately 24 per cent, while the incidence of interpersonal issues has increased from 14 to 23 per cent. Other noticeable changes are the slight decrease in the percentage of entitlement cases (9 per cent compared to 11 per cent previously) and the increase in the incidence of Standards of Conduct-related issues (from 8 to 10 per cent); and Conditions of service issues from 10 to 11 per cent. The relative importance of Separation/termination issues and “Other” issues remained the same. 32. The category Promotion/career includes issues related to the performance appraisal and its impact on staff careers. Many staff assume that negative comments will permanently harm their careers. Indeed, it is often difficult for a staff member to overcome negative comments in an appraisal, even when the staff member is successful in the rebuttal process, as there is no provision for these comments to be withdrawn even when the overall rating is changed. 33. This category also includes mobility and career development. These cases often involve individuals who feel that their careers have plateaued. Often they are not seeking promotion, but want to move or change their position so that they could look forward to more fulfilling work in the future. In applying for positions they compete against hundreds and often feel very disempowered regarding their career development. Mobility is a major source of anxiety among staff, as the deadline for implementing the mandatory mobility programme approaches. 34. Interpersonal issues includes interpersonal conflicts among colleagues, as well as complaints about abuse of power by superiors and intimidation. Staff reporting these issues are often too afraid even to allow the Ombudsman to directly contact their supervisors. The fear of retaliation is very real, and it is still too early to assess the effects of the new policy on protection against retaliation (issued in December 2005 (ST/SGB/2005/21)). In some of the cases a facilitated mediation by the Office of the Ombudsman can have an immediate impact on the relationships. The fact that cases under this category are increasing is a matter of concern. 35. Cases related to violations of the Standards of Conduct remain important, now up to 10 per cent of the total number of cases. Those include staff reporting situations of harassment including sexual harassment by a colleague or supervisor, sometimes including stalking outside the workplace, and seeking guidance on how to manage the situation, including utilizing the formal mechanisms open to them. It also includes an important percentage of staff subject to formal investigations or disciplinary procedures, who seek guidance on how to manage a situation they often do not understand, or staff having to manage the work environment and sometimes ostracism during the protracted periods of the formal process. 36. Separation/termination issues includes staff being downsized in missions or whose contracts are not being renewed for perceived deficient performance or other reasons. Staff are encouraged to seek the assistance of the Ombudsman at the earliest opportunity. In those cases the Ombudsman will work closely with the relevant offices to try to identify possible solutions, or explore alternative placements as appropriate. 37. Entitlements includes mostly cases when mistakes occur in the administration of staff benefits (such as in the administration of pension contributions, the approval of sick leave, and so forth) because of administrative oversights. In some cases brought to the attention of the Ombudsman, the staff member who is affected by the decision is expected to assume the cost of the negligent oversight. Such situations create a deeply felt sense of injustice among staff members. 38. Figure VI describes the type of service provided by the Ombudsman’s Office. In almost half of the cases (48 per cent) the assistance provided by the Office involves helping staff to explore options and solutions to work-related problems. This may involve referring the staff member to the relevant rules and provisions relating to issues; clarifying rights and obligations; obtaining information for staff; assisting staff in ascertaining interpretation of the Staff Rules (understanding the reasoning behind decisions and explaining organizational thinking behind an issue); assisting staff in issues relating to entitlements; identifying the appropriate Office for receiving a complaint and generally advising on the options that are available in proceeding forward with an issue. 39. Direct action by the Ombudsman within the system to resolve a problem brought to the attention of the Office is undertaken in 37 per cent of the cases. Contact with a third party or office is made only with the explicit authorization of the staff member concerned. In many cases, the staff member may have already embarked on the process of seeking a resolution of the issue. After an analysis of the situation and contact with all parties concerned, the Office makes recommendations to address the issues. Separate referral to other offices is provided in some 8 per cent of cases while direct mediation is used in 1 per cent of cases. The category “Other” (4 per cent) includes cases already in the formal system of justice. B. Peacekeeping operations 40. For the period from January to August 2006, the percentage of cases initiated by staff from field missions increased to 44 per cent of the total number of cases brought to the attention of the Office (a total of 174 cases). During the reporting period, the Office visited five peacekeeping missions, including two in Sierra Leone, namely, the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) and the United Nations Integrated Office for Sierra Leone (UNIOSIL), and also the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC). In addition, the Office visited the United Nations Logistics Base at Brindisi, Italy (UNLB). The visit to UNLB coincided with the annual meeting of the Field Service Staff Union held in Brindisi from 12 to 14 October 2005, in which the Ombudsman had been invited to participate. 41. The purpose of these visits is fourfold: (a) to provide an independent, impartial and neutral forum for addressing any concerns that individual staff members may have relating to their employment with the United Nations; (b) to increase knowledge of the activities and functions of the Office of the Ombudsman; (c) to help managers understand the usefulness of the Office in supporting and strengthening managerial effectiveness through the role it plays in bringing issues to the attention of management for corrective action; and (d) to identify any emerging trends, patterns of concern or systemic issues that may exist. Apart from setting time aside to meet individually with each staff member who sought an appointment with the Office, separate meetings were held with Section Chiefs, with members of the Personnel Section, and staff representatives. Individual meetings are held with the Heads of Units involved in the monitoring and regulation of conduct and other behavioural oversight activities, the Staff Counsellor’s Office and the representatives of the Office of Internal Oversight Services (where available). 42. In addition, town hall meetings are held to which all staff are invited (promoting the Office’s zero-barrier approach). They provide an important opportunity to raise awareness among staff about the role of an organizational ombudsman within the context of the United Nations. The meetings also form an important mechanism to reach out to national/local staff who are often reluctant to approach the Office for fear of retaliation and for other reasons. Those on-site visits also provide a rapid assessment or 360 degree perspective of the issues in the mission, including underlying malaises, which may not be easily communicable through reports to Headquarters. 43. While maintaining its independence, the Office also liaises with other offices involved in staff welfare/staff well-being in the field, and with their Headquarters counterparts, including, as appropriate, with the Staff Counsellor (UNHQ/NY), the Stress Counsellors (UNHQ/NY), and the Field Service Staff Union (FSSU). The Office maintains regular contact with senior mission leadership for the purpose of following up on recommendations on individual and systemic issues. This network of contacts with senior mission leadership has provided the Office with very useful global insight into cross-cutting issues across peacekeeping missions. Also, the support and cooperation received from the Department of Peacekeeping Operations contributes to help to resolve issues in a timely manner. 44. Visits also allow a privileged outreach to national staff, who for many reasons do not use the services of the Office as much as their internationally recruited colleagues. Many national staff also simply do not have the means to access the Office privately by e-mail or telephone. It has also been observed that many prefer to use elected national staff representatives to lodge their complaints instead of approaching the Office directly. For this reason, the Ombudsman meets with national staff representatives, wherever available, when visits are made to the field missions. 45. Statistics show that staff members from field missions, national and international, have more issues related to Separation/termination (17 per cent) and Entitlements (14 per cent) than the rest of their colleagues (respectively, 14 and 10 per cent). The importance of separation/termination issues can easily be explained by the temporary nature of peacekeeping operations. Staff members are employed for a specific mission, on renewable 6-month contracts until the mission is closed down. Because of these precarious conditions and the hardship of field life, there is a high level of turnover in peacekeeping missions. Many staff members are new to the United Nations and are not familiar with its rules and regulations. IV. Systemic issues: contexts and challenges Review of previous recommendations 46. Much progress has been made in implementing many of the key proposals that were highlighted in the first report of the Secretary-General on the activities of the Ombudsman (A/60/376). 47. Mission readiness. In last year’s report, the Ombudsman had proposed that the preparation of mission personnel for deployment to the field should entail all staff members’ being equipped to efficiently manage critical incident stress. Extensive headway has been made by the Organization in connection with preparing staff for critical incidents. Stress Counsellor and Staff Counsellor posts have been introduced in many of the peacekeeping missions. The Mission Readiness package, prepared by the Office of Human Resource Management (OHRM), is available at present for United Nations Headquarters staff in preparation for deployment to field operations; it addresses, inter alia, stress management in field operations, including critical incident stress. An online course on stress management is available on the Intranet site of the Integrated Training Service; and is accessible to staff. This is in addition to the material previously available on Basic Security. 48. Violation of the Standards of Conduct. The Ombudsman had highlighted the need for issues of discrimination to be properly addressed and for the zero-tolerance policy of the Organization to be more widely disseminated and enforced. An antidiscrimination policy that will address all forms of discrimination and harassment is presently in preparation, and it is hoped that this will enhance the Organization’s ability to respond more effectively to allegations of discrimination, abuse and harassment. The Integrated Training Service of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations has on its Intranet site an online course on the Standards of Conduct which, inter alia, guides staff on the significance and value of standards of conduct in the United Nations environment and how to identify appropriate and inappropriate behaviour. As part of its efforts to promote a fair and equitable workplace, the Office of the Ombudsman advocates for regular dissemination of information on the Standards of Conduct and the core values of the Organization to familiarize staff with expected conduct. As a training/rehabilitative tool, this can be effective only if accompanied by an equally effective programme for the imposition of penalties for non-compliance. It should be made mandatory for all staff members (including for new recruits at the time of their entry into United Nations service) to complete the courses on the Standards of Conduct. To further ensure that recruited personnel meet the Standards of Conduct of the Organization, ethics tests should be incorporated into the recruitment criteria for United Nations staff. When reports are received of infractions of the Standards of Conduct, the Organization must respond in a timely and effective manner. 49. Contractual arrangements. The Ombudsman had recommended that the various types of contracts used by the Organization should be streamlined. Proposals have been included in the Secretary-General’s report to the General Assembly entitled “Investing in the United Nations: for a stronger Organization worldwide” (A/60/692 and Corr.1). Also in ST/SGB/2006/9, entitled “Consideration for conversion to permanent appointment of staff members eligible to be considered in 1995”, the Secretary-General outlined the criteria for eligibility and set the procedure for making recommendations, thus putting in place a mechanism to address cases pending consideration. 50. Orientation. The Ombudsman called for training/orientation for all new recruits irrespective of the type or duration of their contract or their level. The Learning Section of OHRM requires the participation of all new staff at the orientation programme, except for staff who are evidently with the Organization for less than three months, with no likelihood of renewal. The number of orientation programmes has been increased in the current reporting period from four to six sessions a year. These sessions are now publicized in advance, and managers are made aware of upcoming sessions. Participation in these programmes should be mandatory and available at all duty stations. 51. Fostering managerial excellence. In the last report, the Ombudsman had emphasized the importance of training for managers and all staff with supervisory capacities. The Secretary-General has emphasized the importance of enhancing the leadership and managerial capacity of the Secretariat and creating a results-oriented culture of performance in which all staff are empowered to contribute to their maximum potential. A range of leadership, managerial and supervisory development programmes has been designed to support organizational cultural change, build commitment to shared organizational values, develop core and managerial competencies, and promote effective performance management. These efforts need to be continued in order to build a true culture of managerial excellence and accountability. 52. Strengthening the conflict resolution system. The Ombudsman had called upon the Organization to recognize the valuable contribution of staff who volunteer their services to offices in the formal justice system. The Ombudsman called for mediation training for those persons, and more generally for mediation services to be made more widely available in the Organization, including through the Ombudsman’s Office. OHRM has developed a programme on mediation skills that could be made available at all duty stations in recognition of the widespread interest in and commitment to informal conflict resolution by staff at all levels. 53. Whistle-blower protection policy. In the last report, the Ombudsman advocated the introduction of a “whistle-blowing protection policy”, recognizing that the introduction of a policy on protection against retaliation for reporting misconduct was an essential catalyst for transparency and for strengthening managerial/leadership accountability in any organization. The United Nations policy on protection against retaliation for reporting misconduct and for cooperating with duly authorized audits and investigations was introduced on 19 December 2005 through Secretary-General’s bulletin ST/SGB/2005/21. The Ethics Office, which was established by bulletin ST/SGB/2005/22, is responsible for managing complaints arising from this policy. 54. Dissemination of clear and accurate information. The Ombudsman had proposed that efforts should be made to better educate staff about the existing rules and regulations, and practices and procedures of the Organization. In the past year, Human Resources Officers have visited field operations for the purpose of clarifying to staff present organizational practices, and to raise awareness about the SecretaryGeneral’s reform proposals. Other systemic issues 55. A number of additional systemic issues and challenges have been identified through the review of cases encompassing the following. 56. Delineation of functions in the Conflict Resolution System. Staff members are often confused as to which office to approach, with some offices appearing to have overlapping functions. For example, many staff members are unclear about the delineation of responsibilities between OHRM and the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) in the investigation of complaints of sexual harassment. The Organization should further clarify to staff members, including by use of graphic presentations, the jurisdiction and delineation of responsibilities among the various offices in the Conflict Resolution System. The information circular entitled “Conflict resolution in the United Nations Secretariat” (ST/IC/2004/4) needs to be updated and reissued. 57. Use of reprimands. Reprimands are not considered to be disciplinary measures within the meaning of staff rule 110.3 (b) and therefore do not have to comply with the due process guarantees afforded to staff members for disciplinary measures. Situations have been observed in which in the face of allegations of very serious misconduct, reprimands appear to have been issued to avoid protracted disciplinary proceedings, leaving both parties with a sense of dissatisfaction. The complainant considers that the seriousness of the misconduct has not been fully appreciated, while the “defendant” is dissatisfied by the failure to establish a finding through thorough and proper procedures. Added to this, in some cases, a single reprimand was used as the basis for the non-renewal of a contract, absent other factors. The use of reprimand and its implications should be clarified and be consistently applied. 58. Gender balance. There is still underrepresentation of women at senior management levels. An effective global review of the implementation of all policies relating to gender balance should be carried out without delay, as mechanisms put in place to protect gender balance in appointments and promotions, such as the network of gender focal points or the appointment and promotion boards, have disappeared in the new staff selection system, without new checks and balances being put in place. 59. Staff selection system. The present staff selection system has been designed to allow, inter alia: (a) candidates from all over the world to apply electronically; and (b) the programme manager to make the final selection. OHRM acts as a facilitator, preparing a list of candidates submitted to a programme manager and ensuring that the procedures and guidelines have been followed. The Organization has to ensure that the system is transparent and fair. 60. The present distinction between external and internal candidates excludes many staff members from applying within the 15- and 30-day periods. This distinction should be revisited with the objective of making more categories of staff members eligible for consideration for advertised vacancies at earlier stages of the application process. 61. The Performance Appraisal System needs to be further improved so that it can be more responsive and constitute a legitimate management tool, especially considering that staff feel at a disadvantage when competing for positions with external candidates whose past performance cannot be thoroughly reviewed. 62. Mobility. The lack of success of the voluntary mobility exercises for P-3 and P-4 staff demonstrates that the programme must be managed by OHRM, as is the case of the programme for P-2s. 63. National Competitive Examination. The issue of staff recruited through the National Competitive Examination has become a systemic issue. Supervisors should be made aware that they are responsible for the career development of all staff including those recruited through the National Competitive Examination. The mentoring programme of OHRM has proved to be successful for staff at the P-2 National Competitive Examination and needs to be expanded to higher grade levels. 64. Managing transitions in rules and regulations. The United Nations is an evolving Organization, and its human resources policies are continuously developing, in response to decisions of the General Assembly or other impetus. As new policies are introduced, staff is often caught in the transition between the old and the new. While this issue rears itself in many other different contexts, for illustration purposes, two case scenarios are presented below. Transition policies need to be developed or cases considered on an individual basis. Individual staff are often penalized when recruited at a certain level and then being unable to be normalized along with staff in similar conditions recruited later. 65. A Field Service staff member is recruited at the FS-2 level in 2000. He/she remains at that level from 2000 to 2004. During that period, organizational practice changes in two respects. Promotion for Field Service staff is suspended. Field Service staff must now apply and compete with other candidates in order to be appointed to higher level posts. Secondly, new organizational thinking is that FS3level functions are tasks that can be performed by locally recruited staff and as a result of this, the availability of FS-3 posts for internationally recruited Field Service staff is seriously curtailed. The staff member is stuck at that level and there are no available channels through which he/she can seek a higher level post. 66. A Field Service staff member is recruited in 1994 as a Security Officer. Though having served for 12 years in his national military service prior to his entry into United Nations service, he is recruited at the FS-2 level because of the policy at that time that assigned specific entry levels to Field Service staff. Thereafter, the organizational policy changes. New staff joining the Security Services and performing similar functions are recruited at higher levels, and sometimes at Professional levels. This creates great disparity between the levels of longer-serving staff and new recruits. 67. Caring for the psychological well-being of staff. Staff members in some duty stations are exposed daily to higher than normal levels of stress, and the Organization has responded to the recommendations in improving facilities to care for the psychological well-being of such staff. At the same time, the Organization should look into the provision of medium- and long-term support for staff who have experienced trauma while in United Nations service. At present, compensation for duty-related illness and injuries under appendix D and the Malicious Acts Insurance Policy fall short of adequately providing for staff who have suffered psychological trauma while in United Nations service. 68. Work/life issues. In 2003, the Secretary-General introduced a system of flexible working arrangements, intended to lead to a better balance between the professional and personal lives of the staff of the Secretariat (ST/SGB/2003/4). Implementation of the options made available to staff was delegated to programme managers. Staff members have expressed concern that the guidelines are often not adhered to, and that the policy is applied inconsistently; for example, the rules governing maternity leave must also be strictly applied, and funds allocated to provide temporary assistance where required. 69. Lack of flexibility in establishing domicile. The present rules for establishing country of home leave for the purpose of receiving travel entitlements are very restrictive and do not sufficiently account for changes in domicile after entry into United Nations service. The Organization may wish to review existing practice with a view to allowing more flexibility for staff members who acquire new domiciles after entry into United Nations service. 70. Decline in the pension value for locally recruited staff. Corrective measures still need to be taken, as each time that a country experiences a devaluation in its currency the pensions of local staff decline because salaries stay stable or do not move at the same pace of the devaluation. The result is that the dollar pensions of these staff members decline while their total contributions to the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund increase. It creates enormous gaps among staff retiring in different years. 71. Use of project personnel. Staff recruited as project personnel under the 200 series of the Staff Rules are sometimes carrying out line functions, including supervisory responsibilities. Programme managers need to be reminded of the rules governing the employment of project personnel. 72. Use of UNDP and UNOPS contracts. Many persons providing service to the United Nations Secretariat are covered by contracts issued by UNDP and UNOPS. While reporting and performing functions substantively for the United Nations, their contracts are nevertheless administered by the fund or agency. This means that different benefits and entitlements apply to staff who are serving under the same conditions and in the same offices, and even share the same reporting line. Many times, such personnel do not know to whom to turn, to resolve employment-related disputes pertaining to their contracts. The contractual status of staff still working on such contracts needs to be regularized. Issues in peacekeeping operations 73. Improving information flow. Often bottlenecks develop in the exchange of information between peacekeeping operations and Headquarters; and in many cases, there is a long delay in the delivery of information to the office responsible for taking a decision. The Organization should explore the use of better systems to track and enhance the flow of information between offices in the field and offices at Headquarters, and eliminate some of the delays at present inherent in the making of administrative decisions. 74. Electronic Performance Appraisal System (e-PAS) and use of special reports. The Ombudsman observed the widespread use of special reports in situations where an electronic performance appraisal (e-PAS) should have been issued. In addition, poorly prepared special reports are often relied on to deny the extension of a staff member’s contract. The e-PAS should be implemented system-wide and replace other appraisal systems in all United Nations offices. Special reports should be used only in the circumstances authorized under administrative instruction ST/AI/2002/3 on the Performance Appraisal System. Where authorized, the report should provide a proper and meaningful appraisal of the staff member’s performance. 75. Enhancing transparency in field recruitment and promotion. The current restructuring of the Personnel Management and Support Service of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations aims at being more proactive and responsive to field human resource management needs. It is expected that this reorganization will address the apprehension of staff members about the perceived lack of transparency in recruitment for field positions. 76. The present Interim Guidelines for Promotion in the Field should be replaced with an established policy for promotion for Field Service personnel. 77. Inconsistencies in responses to findings of misconduct. It has been observed that the Organization’s responses to findings of misconduct in the field are not always consistent. To avoid the perception of arbitrariness and favouritism, responses to established misconduct should be timely and coordinated system-wide. V. Monitoring of performance and evaluation of impact 78. Since its inception, the Office has sought external expertise and benchmarking as part of its efforts to provide an effective service to the Organization and to ensure that a culture of evaluation permeates the full range of its work. Little over a year after the Office was established, an assessment of its operations was undertaken by a group of external conflict resolution experts, with a view to identifying lessons learned that could be used to strengthen its performance and, where necessary, improve its services. The report concluded that the Office had been effectively launched, that it was operating within a highly decentralized system, and coping with complex issues in a very challenging, political and often highly volatile environment. Report of the Midterm Review Panel 79. As a follow-up to the first review, and as announced in the first report on the activities of the office (A/60/376, para. 46) the Office undertook a midterm evaluation of its activities from 5 to 9 December 2005. The key objective of the Midterm Review was to assess “the strengths and shortcomings of the Office based on the particular needs of the United Nations and the extent to which the Office makes available the services of an impartial and independent person to address the employment-related problems of staff members”. 80. The members of the Review Panel operated independently of the Office. They met with key officials in the administration of justice system and staff representatives at United Nations Headquarters, and directly with staff and staff representatives at Offices away from Headquarters and in the peacekeeping missions through telephone, teleconferences and e-mail exchanges. Through a broadcast that was issued to staff at all duty stations, the Panel invited and received extensive electronic feedback about the Office. 81. In its report, the Panel made the following observations and recommendations: (a) The United Nations must seriously consider the consequences of insufficient staffing of Ombudsman professionals for the Office and move to adequately address this issue. If this is not addressed, many of the additional recommendations will be difficult to implement. (b) The pressing issue of assigning staff of the Ombudsman’s Office to various regions is viewed by both staff and management as important and would greatly assist the resolution of problems which arise in various missions and duty stations. (c) The Office of the Ombudsman should further develop its triage system for new cases in order to more quickly assign them. (d) The Office of the Ombudsman should develop standard operating procedures for automatic follow-up with all cases, after a designated period of time. (e) More venues should be explored for reporting about the work, recommendations and outcomes of the Office of the Ombudsman. In the annual report, expanded linkage should be shown between its casework, systemic issues and specific recommendations which were acted on. These should be highlighted whenever possible. (f) Additional or more regular meetings should be explored between the Ombudsman and staff representatives, both at Headquarters and in regional offices. (g) The Organization should graphically clarify its integrated dispute resolution system including the Office of the Ombudsman, the formal grievance and appeals mechanisms and the Ethics Office. (h) The Organization should explore ways to hold management accountable for implementation of the Ombudsman’s recommendations. (i) A team consisting of the Ombudsman and other members in the integrated dispute resolution system within the United Nations should convene regularly to identify systemic problems, report on issues surfacing and maintain open lines of communication. (j) The Office of the Ombudsman should continue to expand its use of mediation where appropriate, and a separate organization-wide mediation programme should be explored. 82. The Office has already taken steps to implement some of the recommendations. Regarding the first two points, as reported in section II.C on Budgetary and staffing matters, the Office is actively seeking to implement the General Assembly’s recommendations contained in resolution 60/246. Draft standard operating procedures have been developed. They were to be discussed with the network of Ombudsmen and mediators from the United Nations and Bretton Woods institutions at its meeting in September 2006, and will be used in all future branches of the Ombudsman’s Office to ensure consistency in practice. 83. The Ombudsman has met with the new Staff Council at United Nations Headquarters, elected in June 2006. She was also invited to have an exchange with participants at the meeting of the Staff-Management Coordination Committee held in New York from 19 to 26 June 2006, which was attended by representatives of the Field Staff Union and the Staff Councils of Offices away from Headquarters. In addition, meetings with staff representatives were held in all field visits. Immediate feedback from staff 84. The Office provides staff with a “Feedback form” in order to receive anonymous comments from the users. The forms, which are available on the Office’s website, are handed to visitors at Headquarters and also during field visits. The forms can be dropped in the suggestion box outside the Office, returned by email or facsimile. While completion of the form is optional, an analysis shows that 100 per cent of the respondents were of the view that the Ombudsman had responded in a timely manner. It also shows a high degree of satisfaction with the provision of a safe and confidential environment, the time allocated to discuss the issues and the feedback given regarding future courses of action. 85. Nevertheless, in order to accurately map the perception of staff towards the Office, a more structured survey will be conducted (see sect. VII, Future directions). VI. Outreach and communications A. Internal outreach 86. In paragraph 19 of its resolution 59/283 on the administration of justice at the United Nations, the General Assembly requested the Office of the Ombudsman to continue and expand its outreach activities, in particular to local, national and General Service staff, in order to facilitate equal access and awareness-raising, bearing in mind the structure, activities and operational environment of the Organization. 87. Even as plans are under way to enhance equal access to the Office through the establishment of regional branches, the Office has continued to reach out to staff across the world. In other duty stations, the Office has sought other ways to reach out to staff. Almost all peacekeeping missions now have in their Intranets a direct link to the website of the Office. 88. The Office of the Ombudsman has a website separate from the official United Nations website, through which staff can access a wide range of information on the values, principles and operations of the Office. Links are also provided to other offices in the administration of justice. The website also hosts a secure contact form and a feedback form, which can be completed and returned. The Ombudsman’s Office ensures full confidentiality and security to visitor information. Staff at all main duty stations can also access the website and the reports on activities through the iSeek (in New York) and Intranets. Average daily hits to the website remain high (see chart below). The site is regularly reviewed and updated to maintain viability. 89. The Office has continued to participate actively in all induction programmes for new staff. Periodic meetings are held with heads and senior officials of departments, including the Office of Human Resources Management and the Administrative Support Division of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations. The Ombudsman continues to participate in departmental staff and town hall meetings. Meetings have also been held with the Staff Council and staff representatives at Headquarters and at all duty stations visited. These meetings provided opportunities for the Ombudsman to explain her role and functions, as well as to better understand the operational requirements of the departments and offices concerned (see figure II: Trends in geographical distribution of cases). 90. The Ombudsman has also continued to report periodically to the SecretaryGeneral and to brief senior management on the activities of the Office. Cooperation with offices of the internal justice system 91. As recommended by the Peer Review Team, the Office holds periodic meetings with the other offices in the administration of justice system, namely, the office of the United Nations Administrative Tribunal, the Joint Appeals Board, the Administrative Law Unit, the Panel of Counsel, the Ethics Office and the Conduct and Discipline Team of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations. The purpose of these meetings is to identify emerging trends across the spectrum of cases handled throughout the system of justice, and to identify ways in which the various components of the justice system can support each other for the purpose of delivering a more efficient system of justice for the Organization. With the establishment of new offices like the Ethics Office and the Conduct and Discipline Team, these meetings have also proved useful in understanding the roles of the various offices and delineating the various spheres of responsibilities among offices in the administration of justice system. B. External outreach Ombudsmen and mediators in the United Nations system and Bretton Woods institutions 92. The network of Ombudsmen and mediators of the United Nations system and Bretton Woods institutions held its fourth annual meeting at the Palais des Nations, Geneva, on 4 and 5 October 2005. There were 23 participants representing the InterAmerican Development Bank (IADB), the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the International Ombudsman Association (IOA), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations, the United Nations Development Programme/United Nations Population Fund/United Nations Office for Project Services (UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the World Food Programme (WFP), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank. Participants also attended training courses organized by IOA. 93. The participants discussed issues of common concern such as relations with the field which underlined the importance of both early response and field visits to serve staff members located outside Headquarters. It was agreed that successful visits depended on the good will of all parties, on the rapid response by senior management after the post-mission debriefing and on the follow-up by all parties involved. The protection of whistle-blowers was also discussed. The factors contributing to the fear of retaliation as well as the role of the Ombudsman in coping with this fear were examined together with the specific policies developed by each organization in this matter. A third issue discussed was the challenges of maintaining the independence of the Ombudsman’s Office. Databases and classification categories were the last issue discussed. The working group on this topic, which gathers under the umbrella of IOA, presented a suggested list of categories to all participants. An action plan adopted at the end of the meeting includes, among other things: developing a mailing list server, drafting model terms of reference and basic standards of practice, continuing to develop criteria for collecting data and exploring ways to develop inter-agency cooperation. The United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB), at its spring session of 2006, took note of the report of the meeting. Networking with organizational Ombudsmen 94. The Office was represented at the first annual conference of the International Ombudsman Association (IOA), previously known as The Ombudsman Association (TOA), the main international professional organization of organizational ombudsmen from the private sector, government, academia and international organizations. The conference, which took place in California in April 2006, was attended by 300 professionals. The theme of the conference was “Charting a new course for organizational ombuds”. A feature of the conference was a panel discussion on “Creating a global vision for the development of organizational Ombudsman programmes”. VII. Future directions 95. The Office of the Ombudsman has aimed to be innovative, creative, accountable and results-oriented, in spite of its limited resources. Based on the lessons learned since starting operations in October 2002, the recommendations of the external midterm review undertaken in December 2005 and the feedback provided by visitors, management and staff representatives, future directions will include the following. Strengthening of the zero-barrier approach to the Office 96. Some significant progress has been achieved in expanding the outreach of the Office to the most vulnerable categories of staff, including national staff in peacekeeping missions and offices away from peacekeeping headquarters, as per the figures shown in figure III, “Breakdown of cases by occupational categories”. Resources received from the support account for peacekeeping operations and active outreach from the Office through on-site visits have assisted in that effort. In order to continue to expand coverage and allow for a zero-barrier approach to the services of the Ombudsman for all staff, independently of location or occupational category, the regional branches proposed as early as 2003 need to be established. Through those regional branches, both the offices outside Headquarters and the neighbouring peacekeeping missions could be better serviced. In the cases of both Vienna and Nairobi, the establishment of the regional branches is long overdue, after completing the implementation of the pilot in Vienna and exploring the feasibility of re-establishing an Ombudsman office in Nairobi (UNON/UNEP/Habitat). 97. At the same time, the Office will continue with its efforts to educate staff about the nature of its work and the availability of its services through further outreach activities, including plans to hold meetings through videoconferencing facilities with staff in peacekeeping missions and offices away from Headquarters. Expansion of mediation services 98. Mediation services currently provided will be expanded through further training of professionals in the Ombudsman’s Office and through the constitution of a roster of external mediators to be used on an ad hoc basis in different geographical and linguistic contexts. 99. A special section will be developed on the Ombudsman website, in order to advise staff on the availability of mediation services, and the current outreach material will be revised in order to further expand on the characteristics and goals of mediation. 100. The advantages of establishing a special unit within the Office exclusively devoted to mediation services will be explored. The Office is also giving consideration to the ways in which it can export its mediation services to field operations. Improvement of the triage system and adoption of standard operating procedures 101. As both the number of visitors to the Office and the complexity of the Ombudsman’s operation grow, there is a need to further tighten the cases triage system, including timely registration of cases, allocation to a case officer and close monitoring until closure. As the total number of visitors to the Office grows (close to 2,000 cases since October 2002), the number of “return callers” seeking further guidance on new issues increases. The tracking system needs to be improved, to include the exact time devoted to every interaction with a visitor, so as to reflect better the workload of the Office, at this time greatly underestimated in the existing database. Final evaluation, including 360 degree users assessment 102. The Office has kept a strict internal programme of evaluation that has included a rapid assessment at the end of the first year of operations, and a midterm review in December 2005. As the term of the first United Nations Ombudsman comes to an end after five years in office in July 2007, the Office will undertake a final review to assess the accomplishments and identify lessons learned. This final review will include a survey of users, in order to systematize. The outcome of this review will be included in the Secretary-General’s report to the General Assembly at its sixty-second session. Annex Staffing table Office of the Ombudsman Organizational structure and post distribution for the biennium 2006-2007 Abbreviations: ASG, Assistant Secretary-General; GS, General Service. * New post (budget for the biennium 2006-2007). ** The Case Officer position is funded by the support account. In Columbia University Law School, with hands-on training in municipal mediation centres in New York. The members of the Panel were: Mr. John Barkat, Ombudsman, Pace University, former President of the International Ombudsman Association (USA); Ms. Sarah Christie, Judge, World Bank Administrative Tribunal, Mediator and Arbitrator in Labour Relations at the University of Cape Town (South Africa); and Ms. Mary Murphy, former Ombudsman at the International Monetary Fund, former Director of Human Resources, UNHCR (Canada). __________________ __________________  sss1 \* MERGEFORMAT A/61/524 sss1 \* MERGEFORMAT A/61/524 FooterJN \* MERGEFORMAT 06-57602 \* MERGEFORMAT 26 \* MERGEFORMAT 27 FooterJN \* MERGEFORMAT 06-57602 United Nations A/61/524 General Assembly Distr.: General 17 October 2006 Original: English jobn \* MERGEFORMAT 06-57602 (E) 071106 Barcode \* MERGEFORMAT *0657602* Figure I. Total number of cases since inception (October 2002-31 August 2006) Figure II. Trends in geographical distribution of cases (October 2002-31 August 2006) 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% Oct-Dec 2002 2003 2004 2005 Jan-Aug 2006 Headquarters Offices away from HQ include UNOG, UNOV, UNON, the regional economic commissions, ICTFY, ICTR, etc. Field missions The Secretary-General Office of the Ombudsman Ombudsman ASG Director D-1 Senior Conflict Resolution Officer P-5* Legal Officer P-4 Case Officer P-4** Information Officer P-3* 3 Administrative Assistants GS * Website usage Figure III. Breakdown of cases by occupational categories (October 2002-31 August 2006) 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 Oct-Dec 2002 2003 2004 2005 Jan-Aug 2006