The United Nations Lesotho Embarks on a “Self-Starter” Delivering as One Process

In an effort to make greater progress towards implementing UN Reform, the UN Country Team in Lesotho undertook to embark on a self-starter “Delivering as One” (DaO) process starting in 2009. This was one of the major actions agreed at a hugely successful Retreat of the UN Country Team held at the Mohale Lodge from 26th to 28th November 2008.

Opening the Retreat, the UN Resident Coordinator highlighted the need for the UN system to work together with a view to bringing about lasting change, and making a difference in the way the Organisation does business. She said that the good turnout was indicative of the participants’ desire to make a difference and stand for the integrity of the UN. She urged the participants to see the retreat as a “different, refreshing moment”; one filled with a passion for change.

DaO is part of the modalities for facilitating harmonization and coherence among UN agency development programmes with host countries. The initial components of Delivering as One cover: (a) One Leader; (b) One Programme; (c) One Common Premise; and, (d) One Budgetary Framework. One Communication Strategy and One Resource Mobilization Strategy are often added to the four components.

The Country Team agreed that Lesotho should become a “self-starter” country. One joint programme will be implemented in 2009, covering the following broad areas: HIV, Human Capital, Shared Growth and Governance. A Task Force was also set up to draw up the details of the various dimensions of the “One Programme“ component, as well as a comprehensive Concept Note about the full roadmap to DaO in Lesotho.

The Retreat was facilitated by Ms. Marianne Clark from the UN System Staff College (UNSSC) and co-facilitated by Mr. Ciaran Beary, an independent facilitator from Ciaran Beary Consulting. Resource persons were mobilised from the Regional Directors’ Team for Eastern and Southern Africa (RDT-ESA) and the UNDP Regional Service Centre.