UN-Water Terms of Reference Management Team Overview The UN-Water Senior Programme Managers (SPM) group is the governing body of UN-Water and sets the policies, defines the long-term programmatic agenda and monitors and evaluates the products within the remit of UN-Water, at its bi-annual Meetings, and where necessary through inter-sessional electronic dialogue. The SPM serves as the general assembly of delegates representing UN-Water Members and as such is the ultimate decision-making body of UN-Water. Decision making for UN-Water is, therefore, ultimately the responsibility of the SPM Meeting where each Member entity is represented. In particular, the SPM approves the work programme and budget of UN-Water. Under the strategic guidance of the SPM, the Joint Steering Group (JSG) of UN- Water serves to steer the operational management of UN-Water between SPM Meetings in keeping with its decisions, as detailed in its separate terms of reference. Under the guidance of the SPM and JSG, the day-to-day affairs of UN-Water are overseen by three interagency office-bearers, namely a Chair, Vice-Chair, and Secretary. A Technical Advisory Unit supports the work of the SPM, JSG and the three officebearers. Together, the Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary and the Technical Advisory Unit compose the UN-Water Management Team and function as a single virtual team serving under the leadership of the Chair, in support of UN-Water. The principal role of the UN-Water Management Team is to carry out the decisions of the SPM and JSG. The overall objective is to foster increased collaboration and effective coordination across UN-Water and promote coherence in UN system waterrelated policies, approaches and activities in accordance with the Terms of Reference of UN-Water. The Technical Advisory Unit undertakes most of the core technical tasks and concrete administrative and financial actions to implement the decisions and instructions of the SPM and JSG, in keeping with the policies and procedures of UN- Water and UNOPS as administrative agent of the UN-Water Inter Agency Trust Fund UN-Water_ToR_Management_Team_v25Aug2012_rev17Jan2017 1
(IATF). Functional details of the IATF are encapsulated in a Memorandum of Understanding signed between UNOPS and UN-Water Members. The Technical Advisory Unit maintains accurate substantive, administrative and financial records of all core activities conducted under the aegis of UN-Water, so as to facilitate accountability and auditing. The Terms of Reference of the Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary and Technical Advisory Unit are detailed below and will be regularly reviewed and updated by the SPM, as the needs and experience of UN-Water evolve. The UN-Water Organizational Chart is attached as Annex 4 of the UN-Water Terms of Reference. UN-Water Chair The Chair serves in a personal capacity and not in representation of her or his Member entity. During the term of the Chair, another senior individual from the Chair s home entity represents it in the SPM. The tasks of the Chair are listed below. In consultation with the Vice-Chair, they can be delegated to the Vice-Chair, as conditions demand. The tasks of the Chair include: 1. Represent UN-Water at outside meetings and conferences and in other relevant forms of external relations; 2. In liaison with the Secretary, analyse and elaborate on the main UN processes and debates in order to interpret significant implications for the UN Agencies in terms of coordination, directions and visioning that could be highlighted to the SPM for consideration and actions/decisions to be taken; 3. Engage in insightful dialog with UN-Water Partners to elaborate on possible synergies and cooperation in addressing relevant water-related policy dimensions; 4. Engage in substantive and high-level discussion with the colleagues of UN- Energy and UN-Oceans to seek coherence in vision, consistency of programmes, and synergy between workplans; 5. Advocate and communicate UN-Water vision, workplans and impacts (both expected and actualized) toward different clients, including UN Member States, UN processes, donors, and the public; 6. Ensure proper visibility and representation of UN-Water at major events; UN-Water_ToR_Management_Team_v25Aug2012_rev17Jan2017 2
7. Serve on and chair the JSG, which provides the operational management oversight of UN-Water in accordance with the decisions reached at the biannual UN-Water SPM Meetings and as reflected in the UN-Water Work Programme; 8. Facilitate timely, coordinated and effective responses by UN-Water to policy guidance received from United Nations intergovernmental and interagency bodies; 9. Guide and work effectively with the Technical Advisory Unit, in accordance with its functions, in close collaboration with the Vice-Chair and Secretary, in keeping with the overall orientation and decisions of the SPM Meetings and the JSG; 10. Chair UN-Water SPM Meetings. UN-Water Vice-Chair The Vice-Chair serves in a personal capacity and not in representation of her or his Member entity. During the term of the Vice-Chair, another senior individual from the Vice-Chair s home entity represents it in the SPM. The tasks of the Vice-Chair are to: 1. Perform, when invited to do so by the Chair, some of the Chair's functions such as representation, consultation, coordination and moderation of Meetings; 2. Serve on the JSG; 3. Ensure the incorporation of regional, sub-regional and country perspectives in the work of UN-Water. UN-Water Secretary The Secretary is a UNDESA staff member responsible for water issues based in New York. The Secretary serves in a personal capacity and not in representation of UNDESA. Another senior individual from UNDESA represents it in the SPM. UN-Water_ToR_Management_Team_v25Aug2012_rev17Jan2017 3
The tasks and responsibilities of the Secretary are to: Serve on the JSG; 1. In close cooperation with the UN-Water Management Team, liaise with and promote the objectives of UN-Water with UN system intergovernmental processes such as the General Assembly, Economic and Social Council, and Commission on Sustainable Development, as well as with interagency processes, including the High Level Committee on Programmes (HLCP), the Chief Executives Board (CEB), the United Nations Development Group (UNDG), Regional Coordinating Mechanisms (RCMs) and other multistakeholder fora; 2. Ensure, in close cooperation with the UN-Water Management Team, collaboration with the other interagency coordination mechanisms established by the CEB, particularly UN-Energy and UN-Oceans; 3. Provide substantive and procedural entry points for UN-Water to intergovernmental and interagency processes and mechanisms of the UN system on water-related issues; 4. Oversee the succession arrangements for the Chair, Vice-Chair, and JSG members serving as ballot officer, as needed; 5. Ensure the institutional memory of UN-Water decisions, activities and procedures, and substantive outputs; 6. Convene UN-Water SPM Meetings; 7. Oversee the organization and logistical arrangements for UN-Water Meetings, including preparation and distribution of agenda, related documentation and meeting reports and outcome; 8. Help build consensus between Members and Partners on common objectives and ensure a common understanding of critical points related to UN-Water management and operations. UN-Water Technical Advisory Unit The Technical Advisory Unit of UN-Water has been established to provide substantive technical support, including accounting, budget and administrative support to the Chair, Vice-Chair and Secretary, the SPM, the JSG, and to UN-Water Members and Partners in their operations and activities on behalf of UN-Water. The UN-Water_ToR_Management_Team_v25Aug2012_rev17Jan2017 4
Technical Advisory Unit backstops UN-Water activities, as defined by the UN-Water SPM and as reflected in the approved UN-Water Work Programme. The Technical Advisory Unit also maintains UN-Water s long-term institutional memory under the guidance of the Secretary. The Technical Advisory Unit is composed of staff as determined by the SPM and in accordance with approved budgets. As of August 2015 it comprises a Chief Technical Adviser, a Global Monitoring Officer, a Programme Officer, a Communications Manager, and two Administrative Assistants. Any additional staff can be engaged at the behest of the SPM, subject to budget availability. The Technical Advisory Unit may also be enhanced through staff members seconded by Member States or through Junior Professional Officers, as well as UN-Water staff members. The location, contractual arrangements and terms of reference for staff of the Technical Advisory Unit are determined by the SPM and consistent with agreed budgets. Unless otherwise decided by the SPM, all the Technical Advisory Unit staff members are to be recruited on UNOPS contracts and, with the possible exception for the seconded staff, directly funded through the UN-Water IATF. The tasks and responsibilities of the Technical Advisory Unit are to: General 1. Provide cross-sectoral technical backstopping for UN-Water related objectives and activities, as requested by the SPM or the JSG; 2. Assist the drafting of UN-Water policy briefs, analytical water briefs and other relevant documentation on key issues, as identified by, and for the final approval of, the SPM; 3. Undertake additional technical work, as called for by SPM decisions; 4. Follow-up, as instructed, on SPM and JSG decisions; 5. Support all operational aspects of UN-Water, guided by the UN-Water Work Programme and Budget and other internal management documents of UN- Water; 6. Carry out, in implementation of SPM and JSG decisions and subject to delegation of authority by the JSG, disbursements from the IATF; 7. Support all UN-Water budget matters in close collaboration with UNOPS as administrative agent for the IATF, ensuring that all administrative, legal and UN-Water_ToR_Management_Team_v25Aug2012_rev17Jan2017 5
financial procedures for management, disbursement and reporting of funds are correctly and effectively followed; 8. Maintain regular contacts with donors; 9. Seek regular feedback from UN-Water Members and Partners and act in an inclusive and collegial manner to foster coordinated action from UN-Water Members and Partners; 10. Promote mutual support and exchange of information regarding the actions of UN-Water between the global level and the regional, sub-regional and country levels, by seeking to engage and involve all UN-Water Members and Partners present at the regional, sub-regional and country levels, particularly the United Nations Regional Commissions and those UN funds and programmes and partner organisations with extensive networks of regional, sub-regional and country offices; 11. Organise UN-Water Meetings including logistic arrangements, preparation and distribution of agenda, related documentation and meeting reports and outcome, under the guidance of the Secretary. Support to SPM, JSG and Partners 12. Assist in organising and supporting substantively and administratively relevant UN-Water meetings as well as UN-Water activities in major processes and events; 13. Facilitate interaction and coordination among UN-Water Members and Partners by ensuring timely communications on UN-Water activities and initiatives; 14. Respond to enquiries from external organisations and individuals in relation to UN-Water, involving UN-Water Members and Partners as needed. Support to the Office-bearers 15. Maintain, jointly with the Secretary, the institutional memory and official record of UN-Water policies and procedures, decisions, activities, finances and substantive outputs; 16. Support resource mobilisation for UN-Water in close cooperation with the Chair, Vice-Chair and Secretary and maintain direct and regular contacts and communication with donors; UN-Water_ToR_Management_Team_v25Aug2012_rev17Jan2017 6
17. Draft for consideration of the JSG and/or SPM, as appropriate, all necessary reports, such as Annual Reports and specific substantive, financial and administrative reports to donors; 18. Manage UN-Water s corporate communications and branding, including the UN-Water, World Water Day and World Toilet Day websites, support to the Publications Committee, and support to relevant awareness raising campaigns. Reporting lines The Technical Advisory Unit is coordinated by the Chief Technical Adviser who reports to the Chair. UN-Water_ToR_Management_Team_v25Aug2012_rev17Jan2017 7