Workshop on MTS
22-23 May 2013
Landmark Hotel - Amman, Jordan
Agenda
22 May
15:00 to
15:15
15:15 to
17:00
Opening Remarks by the Facilitator/ Chair
Objective of the Session
The MTS Planning Process
MTS Calendar
An explanation of the steps between May 2013 – 31 December 2015 to
develop the MTS and to ensure that, by 1 January 2016, the Agency is
operating in accordance with the new strategy.
Focus will be given to the opportunities in the process for stakeholder
(including hosts and donors) engagement.
MTS process and relationship with other Strategic planning exercises.
Presentation by Department of Planning on the MTS process and how it
relates to other strategic and long/medium term planning exercises underway
Post MDG’s
UNDAF exercises
UN Strategic Framework
Presentation on the MTS process focusing on key milestones between now
and 1 January 2016.
Presentations would be followed by an opportunity to ask questions for
clarification.
The Scope of the MTS
What the MTS is and what the MTS is not. The presentation would set out a
number of principles about what is included and what is not included. The
presentation would be followed by an opportunity for participants to
question/challenge the proposal.
Develop a common
understanding of the overall
process and how the MTS
relates to other strategic / longterm planning exercises.
Obtain an endorsement of
certain principles about what
the MTS includes and excludes.
Workshop on MTS
17:00 to
17:45
Situational Analysis
Introductory Statement: The Operating Environment
A presentation will be made providing a high-level overview of the current
operating environment and what scenario is foreseen for the strategic period
in each Area of operation. Participants will be asked to provide advice to the
Agency on whether the scenarios are realistic and acceptable for the sole
purpose of building a strategy for 2015 - 2021.
The Refugee Profile
Achieve a consensus view on
the scenario(s) around which to
base the Agency’s Strategy.
These discussions will play an
important role in later
determining the Agency’s
strategic objectives and in
forecasting the approximate
cost of the MTS.
A presentation will be made outlining some of the key trends concerning the
profile of refugees and how this may change during the Strategic period
ahead.
May 23
9:00 to
9:15
9:45 to
11:15
Brief summary of the previous day
The Agency’s cost drivers
Presentation by UNRWA on the Agency’s core cost drivers. Past trends and
a discussion concerning possible future trends around three things:
Staffing numbers
Staff salaries in USD
Key non-staff expenditures.
11:15 to
11:45
Coffee Break
Achieve a consensus view on
the scenario(s) around which to
base the Agency’s Strategy.
These discussions will play an
important role in later
determining the Agency’s
strategic objectives and in
forecasting the approximate cost
of the MTS.
Workshop on MTS
11:45 to
12:45
The Agency’s income scenarios
A presentation would be made describing the Agency’s income and
opportunities to supplement income through the use of key partnerships.
12:45 to
13:45
13:45 to
15:45
Lunch
Vision / Goals for 2016 – 2021
A Senior UNRWA staff would be invited to describe a set of Strategic Goals
guided by a possible vision statement by the Commissioner-General for the
period 2016 – 2021. Participants are invited, in advance of the session to
submit suggestions during the session. Participants would be offered an
opportunity to ask for further clarification during the session and to offer any
proposals/comments on how the vision may impact upon the Agency’s
programmes and current programmatic reforms and upon the Agency’s crosscutting issues. This will be the start of a series of consultations with external
stakeholders at different levels that will take place over the coming months to
develop the Agency’s Goals and Strategic Objectives for the Strategic period.
15:45 to
16:15
16:15 to
17:15
While understanding that income
is difficult to predict – especially
in the absence of agreement
over the Agency’s strategy achieve a better understanding
of the possibilities and how
these are calculated. This will be
placed in context of the funding
gaps.
To generate a common
understanding of the Agency’s
vision/goals for 2016 – 2021,
providing sufficient clarity to
allow work to proceed in
developing the Strategy.
Coffee Break
Next steps
The Parametres of “Costing the MTS”
In light of the demands from donor governments for the Agency to provide an
estimated “cost” of the MTS, a discussion would be held about what this
concept means. A proposal would be made about how and when such a
financial estimate would be provided and how it would reflect the best, mostlikely and worst case scenarios.
Donors would be asked to provide a description of their needs and whether
those needs would be met by the proposal.
To agree upon the next steps for
the coming year and upon a
deadline for each activity
Workshop on MTS
Agency representatives (in particular, the Directors of Finance, HR and ERP)
would then be asked for their reactions to the donors’ requests with a
description of whether such requirements could be satisfied with current
systems and tools and, if not, what would be required in order to do so.
Other participants (Hosts) would be offered the opportunity to comment on
the proposal.
Other Next steps
The Department of Planning would present a series of next steps to be
carried out over the coming year. Examples of such steps are:
-
-
In consultation with external stakeholders:
- Develop High Level Logical Framework (Objectives,
Indicators, Baselines, Targets)
- Programmatic response and reform (how operations would
be adjusted to a new set of objectives)
Organizational structures/systems and reform
Partnerships
Risk Analysis
A preliminary costing/valuation of the MTS