Umoja Times - May 2010 released

Catch up with Umoja in the May 2010 issue of the Umoja Times:

Umoja forges ahead
Working closely with expert colleagues to design solutions that meet the UN’s current and future administrative...

Umoja on the road to Entebbe
2010 Mercury Conference (22 - 27 March, Entebbe, Uganda)...

Umoja by numbers
A few interesting facts and figures on Umoja from that last 11 months...

A ‘colorful’ change is underway

Do you know the 'colorful' term that is used to refer to the seemingly endless parade of paperwork that accompanies many bureaucratic matters in governments and organizations? According to some, it started in ancient England where thick legal documents were bound or tied with a cloth ribbon of a specific color.

The term appears in historical records of the 16th century when Henry VIII besieged Pope Clement VII with about eighty petitions for the annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, and was later used by Charles Dickens and Thomas Carlyle.

Finally, the term became much more figurative in meaning and referred to any official routine or procedure marked by excessive complexities that result in delay or inaction.

So what is this 'colorful' term, which we find in so many bureaucracies? It is RED TAPE.

The Umoja team is working hard to ensure that the way the UN manages its resources in the future directly contributes to the goal of "Greening the UN" (as referenced on iSeek). Umoja will significantly reduce red tape through its streamlined processes and improved workflows. By leveraging modern technology, providing access to information online, and supporting electronic transactions, Umoja will further reduce paper, cartridge and power consumption.

Umoja Times - February 2010 released

The second issue of the Umoja Times provides an update on the Umoja team's participation in two events: the Galileo Conference and the Property Management Workshop, hosted by the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC). In this issue, we also introduce a new series on how Umoja will contribute to a "greener" UN.

United with our colleagues in the aftermath of disaster in Haiti

The devastation wrought by the earthquake in Haiti on Tuesday, 12 January 2010, ignited a deep sense of compassion in us all, and sparked an immediate, global outpouring of humanitarian assistance for those caught by this unexpected natural disaster. For all of us at the United Nations, our grief encompasses not only the scale of human casualties, but also the loss of dear colleagues whose untimely passing have now become a symbol of sacrifice made on behalf of world peace.

The Umoja team joins the UN family in expressing our heartfelt sympathies to the families and friends of our fallen colleagues and to all those who have lost loved ones. Our thoughts go out to the people of Haiti, and we stand behind our Organization as it continues to work with members of the international community in bringing much needed relief to those suffering the aftermath of this disaster. We remain hopeful that our missing MINUSTAH colleagues are safe, including those colleagues who shared their expertise as Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) during the Umoja design sessions held in the second half of 2009.

First issue of "Umoja Times" hits the stands

To mark the end of a year of significant progress, the Umoja Change Management team has launched the Umoja Times, Umoja's community newsletter.

This first issue summarizes the progress and achievements of 2009, enabled, of course, by the expertise, input and enthusiasm of Umoja's stakeholders. It also provides a glimpse into the future - a new way of working together. Let's continue "working in unity"!

• Umoja Times (Issue 1 - December 2009)