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New DPKO, OHRM training initiative gathers mission focal points for Quick Impact Projects

Posted: Wednesday, 10 November 2010, New York
Author: Department of Peacekeeping Operations

Thirteen focal points for Quick Impact Projects (QIPs) across eight peace operations gathered in New York from 19 to 21 October for the pilot “Quick Impact Project Management for Peacekeepers” training course.

As a joint endeavour of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) and the Office of Human Resources Management (OHRM) in the Department of Management, the tailored project management course aimed to strengthen the capacity of QIPs programme managers and focal points in the implementation and oversight of QIPs. Notably, the course also provided a forum to host a policy consultation on the review of the DPKO / DFS Policy Directive on QIPs (2007).

First introduced in the 2000 Brahimi Report, QIPs have been included in mission budgets since and are intended as instruments to promote confidence-building in either the mission, the mission mandate or the peace process. For the 2009-2010 budgetary cycle, approximately USD 12.5 million was appropriated to eight missions for the implementation of small-scale QIP projects. In support of the ultimate aim of confidence-building, successful QIPs have ranged from the installation of solar-powered public lighting in Haiti, to the rehabilitation of policing border posts in Liberia, to civic education for deaf communities in South Sudan.

While the policy directive has been instrumental in clearly defining the purpose of QIPs, in providing parameters to hold missions accountable for QIPs expenditures and in increasing the consistency with which QIPs are implemented and evaluated across missions, some challenges in the implementation of QIPs have remained. These challenges are largely related to questions concerning dedicated management capacity for QIPs, efficiency in the application of financial regulations, and impact evaluation.

The training course provided a welcome opportunity to share good practices, problem-solve around challenges in the implementation of QIPs and establish priorities for the review of the policy directive. On the basis of many of the inputs shared in the training course, DPKO/DPET and DFS/FBFD will jointly undertake a lessons learned exercise and revision of the policy directive over the next several months.

Moving forward, DPKO and OHRM will explore the possibility of offering the course annually as well as the feasibility of developing a Train the Trainer module, which would enable dissemination of course knowledge to staff who work on QIPs projects within missions.

For more information about the training course or QIPs policy review, contact the Civil Affairs Team in the Peacekeeping Best Practices Section at dpko-civilaffairsnetwork@un.org.

For those with access to the United Nations intranet (i-Seek): http://iseek.un.org/webpgdept1917_24.asp

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