United Nations: Early Renovation Planning Reasonable, but Additional Management Controls and Oversight Will Be Needed

The U.N. headquarters in N.Y. City neither conforms to current bldg. codes nor meets U.N. technology or security requirements. As the U.N.¿s host country and largest contributor, the U.S. has a substantial interest in the success of the Capital Master Plan (CMP), a project to renovate the complex. This report reviews the following areas: renovation, approach, schedule, cost, funding, risk mgmt., project progress, procurement, and oversight. The author reviewed U.N. documents and met with officials from the CMP office and other U.N. depts. He also reviewed U.N. documents and oversight reports and interviewed U.N. officials from the Office of Internal Oversight Services and officials from the U.S. Dept. of State. Includes recommendations. Illus.

The United Nations (U.N.) Office for Project Services (UNOPS) provides numerous services for its clients, including procurement and project management. Recent audits and investigations of UNOPS have revealed alleged violations of law, weak internal controls, and financial mismanagement. UNOPS officials misused some of the more than $400 million awarded to UNOPS by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) from 2004 through 2008. This report: (1) assessed the extent to which UNOPS has addressed key concerns about its internal controls; and (2) evaluated USAID's oversight of UNOPS-implemented projects. To address these objectives, the report reviewed UNOPS and USAID policies and grant documentation. Illus.