Partners include United Nations organizations, international financial institutions, governments and non-governmental organizations. UNOPS tailors its services to their needs, providing one-time solutions to comprehensive, long-term management support.

Project planning can be undertaken jointly, with UNOPS applying its expertise and experience in project implementation to help partners examine all available options and design projects that achieve goals most effectively.

Whether involved in design or engaged later in the project cycle, UNOPS makes project sustainability a priority, promoting national ownership and building local capacity to maintain outputs.

Prince2

UNOPS project managers adapt to unique country situations and partner or project needs. These could include specialized disbursement procedures or specific conditions agreed between aid recipients and funders. To ensure robust and streamlined project management practices, UNOPS uses PRINCE2TM – a world-class project management methodology recognized for its flexibility and adaptability to all types and sizes of project.

Using a product-based planning approach, PRINCE2 examines business justifications, helps identify roles and responsibilities, and defines deliverables, timelines and tolerances. It thereby puts managers firmly in control of resource use and project and business risk.

In line with its commitment to transparency and accountability, UNOPS ensures that all budgets and expenditures are carefully controlled and that any unspent project funds are returned promptly to the partner.

Project management services

UNOPS offers a complete array of project management services, including:

• Designing projects and preparing annual action plans, using in-house expertise or external consultants.
• Identifying, recruiting and managing human resources, ranging from individual internationally or locally hired experts to large numbers of field personnel for labour-intensive projects. UNOPS uses internationally accepted procedures for competitive selection of consultants, contractors and suppliers.
• Procuring goods and services, including drafting and reviewing technical specifications, conducting international competitive bidding, evaluating bids, awarding contracts, arranging cargo insurance and monitoring delivery. Due to its significant buying power, UNOPS enjoys considerable leverage with suppliers, passing cost-benefits to partners.
• Capacity development for institutions and training key personnel to ensure long-term sustainability. UNOPS designs, organizes and manages training programmes, study missions, conferences and placements with training institutions.
• Financial management, including fund management, provision of accounting services and customized reporting per partner requirements. UNOPS ensures effective, transparent and efficient fund management on behalf of donors, and that funds are allocated and accounted for according to agreed principles.
• Establishing and conducting monitoring and evaluation systems, and reporting on project implementation.