It is now official; NCE candidates currently on the UN roster have begun to receive offers from the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping & Operations for deployment into field missions. In what is described as a pilot program undertaken by the DPKO, the UN will clear the roster by offering P-2 positions in its field missions globally.
Candidates in Programme Management, Administration and Finance have reportedly received offers for placement in Europe, Asia and Africa. Other occupational groups may be getting offers in the coming weeks.
Along with each offer, the candidates are provided generic job descriptions for openings in different mission and they can choose which missions they are interested in. A FAQ is attached which covers questions candidates may be asking about the program and what it would mean for their UN career.
A well placed source within the UN had informed me of this pilot programme and I had been quietly anticipating the result. I think it is a brilliant start to a UN career although some of the field missions are in current “hotspots” around the world like Afghanistan, Darfur and Ivory Coast.
Having said that, the UN was specifically clear on its intention all along and candidates, especially those that received and participated in recent UN surveys were informed of this program early on. I have not received any offers yet but I suppose the UN will come to the IT occupational group eventually. I think this is also largely dependent on the needs of each field mission.
What do I think of this development? Firstly, I believe it is important to start your UN career somewhere and the advise I have gotten is that there are some good in going out into the mission. One of my contacts within the UN suggests that there are moves to tie future promotions with time out on the field mission – so candidates starting their career on the field may wish to focus on using this opportunity as a launching pad for a long term future with the United Nations.
The perks and benefits for a field position may be quite significant as field positions may be entitled to more allowances and attract lesser living expenses. Compare that with living in suburban New York or Geneva and candidates should expect substantial savings at the start of their UN career. So there is a lot of ways everyone can look at this development.
So while I am waiting, I am also quietly contemplating the ramifications of these developments on life in the Solomon Islands. However, I must say I would welcome any opportunity to start my UN career as I am certain the UN will do as much as it possibly can to ensure that I enjoy my first taste of a UN career. We wait and see.