UNOPS Mission Is to Help People Build Better Lives and Countries Achieve Peace and Sustainable Development
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This publication is a narrative of 20 years of UNOPS working in Serbia. It is a compendium of its endeavours and successes, an anthology of its people and relationships. It testifies to the commitment of fulfilling our entrusted mandate, the support of all our partners, the belief of our beneficiaires. It reveals our unique identity within the United Nations system. This book is a testimony of our striving to build a better future. It is dedicated to all those who have been building it with us, and to those who will join us on the path of building better lives. UNOPS Serbia Office team TABLE OF CONTENTS OUR OUR PROXIMITY, 20 YEARS 07 OUR ACTIONS 93 OUR MISSION, Local Developement 96 OUR CONTRIBUTION 13 Social Cohesion 106 OUR MANDATE, Good Governance 119 OUR IMPACT 31 Emergency Response 127 Project Management 35 OUR ASPIRATION, Infrastructure 41 OUR ENGAGEMENT 145 Procurement 51 Gender 149 HR and Financial Management 57 Environment 155 OUR COMMITMENT, OUR KNOWLEDGE, OUR TRUSTWORTHINESS 63 OUR DIVERSITY 161 Partnership and Ownership 68 OUR VOICE 176 Excellence 84 OUR 20 YEARS 06 07 OUR 20 YEARS FOREWORDS UNOPS’ mission is to help people build It is with great pleasure that I am contributing to It has always been evident to me that this is better lives and countries achieve peace this publication, marking the 20th anniversary of a team that has much to contribute to the and sustainable development. We help UNOPS in Serbia. I have a vivid memory of the Government and people of Serbia, and the build a more sustainable future for all. Serbia Office team and the moment when I first potential to expand in the region. Today, I am met them in 2012 when I joined UNOPS. This team proud to say that my intuition was right. We take pride in ensuring national ownership of truly dedicated professionals has maintained and enhancing local capacity, as we help our this DNA of commitment and professionalism Over the past five years, the Serbia Office has partners achieve their goals and improve along the years, as I could see in my role as exceeded our expectations. It has become lives in the communities where we work. Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia. synonymous with best practice and excellence in UNOPS, notably winning the Project of the The UNOPS Serbia Office exemplifies what The hallmark of the Office is its unwavering Year award in 2019. It has become the leading UNOPS stands for: it has grown slowly but commitment to operational excellence and international partner of the Government of steadily from a small office in 2000, responsible growth, its highly skilled and motivated Serbia, from disaster relief to upgrading the for one project, to an office now also covering staff, and last but not least - the depth of national infrastructure. It now works across the projects in North Macedonia and Montenegro. its roots in the communities it serves. region, supporting the neighbouring governments It is widely recognized by the government, of North Macedonia and Montenegro, and national institutions and the international made critical contributions to UNOPS ability donor community as a reliable and resourceful to establish offices in Ukraine and Georgia. partner for the implementation of complex socio-economic development, infrastructure, Today, we have an office that is implementing procurement and human resources projects. a diverse portfolio of 100 million euros across three countries, working in a wide range of Thanks to its dedicated team, the UNOPS Serbia sectors to assist the people of the Western Office today is also a respected partner with Balkans to achieve the Sustainable Development local governments, civil society organisations Goals. We have an office that works closely and the local private sector, delivering results with our sister agencies in the UN Country that make a difference to people’s lives. Team, under the coordination and leadership of the UN Resident Coordinator, and last but From reconstructing roads damaged by floods to not least an office that, thanks to the trust of contributing towards the creation of a favourable our key partners and donors, is sustainable. environment for business and infrastructure growth, UNOPS has enabled its partners in For these achievements, I would like to thank Serbia over the past 20 years to drive sustainable Mr Graeme Tyndall, the former UNOPS Serbia development throughout the country. It is now Operations Centre Manager, and Ms Michela expanding its support in the region, always with a Telatin, the Head of UNOPS Serbia Office, as well focus on building local ownership and capacities, as the Serbia team for reaching this important and promoting social inclusion and cohesion. anniversary - and all our present and past staff Grete Faremo who helped the office reach its goals. United Nations I would like to thank our partners for their trust Lastly - I would like to thank the Government and Under-Secretary-General Moin Karim and UNOPS over the years and congratulate the UNOPS UNOPS Regional Director people of Serbia and our international partners Executive Director Serbia Office for this milestone anniversary. Europe and Central Asia for their continued trust and support in UNOPS. INTRODUCTION UNOPS has been working in Serbia since 2000. Our projects are oriented towards our UNOPS offices, and which allowed UNOPS to It has been 20 years of commitment, building trust beneficiaries, and supported by international expand in other countries such as Montenegro, and partnership with national and international standards of excellence, accountability, North Macedonia, Georgia, Ukraine. While stakeholders, cultivating knowledge, meeting transparency, and implemented by highly reaching the end of this book, I am sure you will its people, voicing their concerns, building on skilled professionals. This modus operandi join me in giving them a round of applause. their strengths and willingness to build better is our commitment, we seek collaborative lives for them and their communities. partnerships, and promote ownership. For This book contains many voices of colleagues, us, this is how sustainability is achieved, and beneficiaries, national and international I am proud to present you this book that it is fundamental for building the future. partners, all bringing their insight, concerns, epitomises our engagements and results, expertise, ambitions, and, above all, their together with some of the people that with us When a country looks at the future, its profile personal motivation for achieving a stronger fulfilled our mission and mandate, and projects must imply social cohesion, good governance, human solidarity that needs to embrace us all that filled our hearts with satisfaction. While development at local level, as well as readiness at these present times as well as in the future. reading this book, you will be joining us in this for a prompt emergency response. In Serbia, I look forward to building this future together. celebration that is uniting thousands of people national and local institutions, partners, the who have, in different ways, contributed to United Nations agencies, are all united in building building stepping stones for the future. a future that implies a better life for all. In Serbia, UNOPS has designed context-specific In UNOPS, targets matter, but how we reach projects to build synergies between different our targets is equally important. For instance, national and international normative frameworks we amplify positive change in society by having such as the Sustainable Development and all our project management approaches European Union agenda, and United Nations values. embedded with an attention to gender These are in line with our institutional mission, and equality and environment. This method provide the context for our agency’s contribution. delivers a truly comprehensive response, and an inspiring one for future generations. Our mandate in project management, infra- structure, procurement, human resources and The results and benefits we create are a source financial management is a tool to an end to have of inspiration in UNOPS. Another important a tangible impact on people’s lives. We have source of inspiration is the Serbia Office team, proved it in Serbia during all these years. a composite group of motivated professionals whose expertise is valued and sought by other Michela Telatin UNOPS Serbia Head of Office OUR MISSION, OUR CONTRIBUTION Supporting Serbia’s sustainable development and its priority agendas UNOPS mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve peace and sustainable development. 14 Our Mission, Our Contribution Our 20 Years 15 BUILDING BETTER LIVES Our vision is a world where people can live full lives supported by appropriate, sustainable, and resilient infrastructure and by the efficient, transparent use of public resources in procurement and project management. Roma children in front of the newly-built social housing flats, Obrenovac 16 Our Mission, Our Contribution Building Better Lives 17 20 YEARS OF UNOPS IN SERBIA It is with great pleasure that we mark the 20th anniversary of UNOPS’ operation in Serbia. Your team of hard-working and dedicated professionals is one of the most important partners of our country on its path towards sustainable development and higher quality of life for our citizens. Over the course of challenging past years, UNOPS has sustained our people and institutions through local development, social cohesion and emergency response projects. Serbia will not forget that it was precisely UNOPS Office which was among the first to help us take care of the people in need through major infrastructure undertakings, such as the 2014 post-flood recovery, the reconstruction of clinical centres or the construction of social housing blocks of flats for the most vulnerable groups. The projects which were carried out at the time have greatly contributed to better and safer lives of our citizens. This year, when the whole world has suffered so much at the hands of the COVID-19 pandemic, UNOPS has demonstrated once again its commitment by assisting the country in public procurement of vital medical equipment.