Umoja, tasked with transforming the way the UN manages financial, human and material resources through a single organization-wide system, has revised its implementation approach.

Umoja's initial plan was to deploy a comprehensive system at one time, but based on lessons learned from the last two years, it will now use a phased approach instead. Full deployment is now projected for the end of 2015, instead of 2013 as initially planned.

This new strategy will help mitigate some of the risks associated with implementing Umoja. The first phase of Umoja will give staff members (those with administrative responsibilities) a gradual introduction to Umoja's new business processes and software. Staff will not be carrying out all transactions in a new system from one day to the next.

A phased approach also enables better managerial control during deployment and reduces risk in the event of system problems - since a smaller population of staff would be affected.

The first phase, 'Umoja Foundation', includes processes in finance, procurement, assets, inventory and property management, and some programme & project management. As shown in the timeline below, Umoja Foundation will be deployed at a pilot site in early 2013 and will be continually rolled-out through 2014. During this phase, approximately 8,500 staff in multiple duty stations will be introduced to Umoja.

Umoja Foundation will lay the system's core building blocks and support the UN's adoption of International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS).

Umoja's second phase, referred to as 'Umoja Extension', will complete implementation of the project's full scope, including: human resources, travel, budget, force planning, demand planning, logistics execution, conference & event management, full grants management, and commercial activities. Upon completion of this phase, approximately 14,000 staff will be using Umoja.

The most critical aspects of Umoja Extension – human resources, travel, and budget formulation functions – will be deployed in 2014, and the rest of Extension's functionality will be deployed in 2015.

Umoja Extension will realize the full power of the system's technology and bring about comprehensive improvements to UN resource management.

The Umoja team thanks all staff members who have collaborated with them in the last year to finalize aspects of the system’s design. Lots of hard work, creativity and dedication have led to the project’s new implementation approach.

Beginning early in 2012 the Umoja team will collaborate ever more closely with the rest of the Organization to prepare staff, departments and offices for the coming deployment. On 13 December, the Umoja team briefed the Department of Management's monthly Managers' Forum on the project's status and next steps. They discussed some of the key activities that will be undertaken jointly, such as completion of acceptance of new processes, data cleansing and conversion, testing, and training.

Staff members can expect to hear much more about Umoja in the coming months. The team is counting on your continued support to make Umoja a success – and bring about a new level of efficiency to the UN Secretariat.

The Umoja team is also growing, so be on the look out for Umoja vacancies, especially temporary Subject Matter Experts positions advertised on iSeek and this website in the next few months.

To learn more about Umoja and the revised approach visit:

• Umoja's public website: http:///umoja.un.org
• Umoja NET, an online portal providing UN staff with access to Umoja materials
  and information: https://www.unumoja.net (log in required - request access)

Originally published on iSeek in English and French on 22 December 2011