• Demonstrate a thorough understanding of UN Development Systems’ objectives, institutional and organizational challenges, and position in a complex multilateral environment
• Possess in-depth knowledge of international political theories that support and challenges multilateralism, and the ability to critically assign these theories in deliberations on the functionality, relevance and importance of the UN Development System
• Hold the ability to perform analysis of UN Development System performance based on qualitative and quantitative evidence, and present considerate implication analyses and recommendations for improvement of the UN Development System
• Manage to critically assess and reflect upon methods, theories, and conclusions in own and others’ work

Development is usually described as one of the three main pillars of the UN, the others being international peace and security; and human rights and humanitarian action. As distinct from the other two pillars, the various organizations that make up the UN Development System (UNDS) share long-term development objectives and subscribe to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The system undertakes the ‘operational activities’ that account for about 60 percent of total annual UN spending (over US$ 13 billion), employing 50,000 people, a majority of the organization’s full-time staff. In total, the UNDS includes more than 30 organizations, headquarters in 14 countries and about 1,000 representative offices globally.

Managing operations of this caliber is complex. Yet, delivering development impact is even more challenging. This course dives into the current debate on the functionality, effectiveness and impact of the UNDS by applying a consultant’s approach – specifically focusing on how to analyze, evaluate and propose concrete solutions to increased operational effectiveness of the system and its individual organizations. 

First of all, we will explore the history, politics, and governance structures of the UN and UNDS to gain a thorough understanding of the system’s mandate, structure and role. Secondly, using recent quantitative and qualitative survey material from the FUNDs project (http://futureun.org/en/) and input from UN staff from the UN City in Copenhagen (pending scheduling), we attempt to perform considerate implication analyses of the status of the current system, build hypotheses regarding potential change and present recommendations for improvements using a consultancy tool-box.

The course consists of four intertwined modules:

Module 1: Understanding and analyzing the UNDS

• Introduction to the history, mandate, structure and role of the UN in general and UNDS specifically
• Outline of institutional and organizational challenges facing the UNDS and understanding the system’s position in a complex international environment
• Outline of past and current reform initiatives and their impact
• Discussions on challenges to and barriers for increased effectiveness, efficiency and impact of the UNDS

Module 2: Coping with global development challenges

• Understanding international development as drive for change in the past 25 years, focusing specifically on the MDGs, SDGs, Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, and private sector interventions such as mobile phone technology, medicines, micro-financing etc.
• The UNDS as a global development actor in an ever expanding field of stakeholders, interests and funds. Applying an analytical framework to understand the transformation that has characterized international development thinking the past 20 years.
• Understanding the performance of the UNDS – introduction to quantitative and qualitative data pool

Module 3: Analyzing the performance of the UNDS – exploring new insights

• Introduction to the basic consultancy tool-box, including hypotheses building and testing, quantitative and qualitative data analysis, implication analyses and recommendations.
• Building on the available performance data, students will (in consultant teams of 3-4) be asked to select an organization, which they want to explore and analyze, using the insights obtained in module 1 and 2 and leveraging the basic consultancy tool-kit.
• Tentatively, a series of 2-3 work/writeshops of 2 hours will be conducted to support the analytical work. The work will result in students presenting a 5-10 slide PowerPoint that includes I) ingoing hypothesis, II) analysis (based in available data), III) implication analysis and IV) recommendations for the area, organization or priority area

Module 4: Presenting findings to the UN

• Introduction to presentation tools, including story lining, building persuasive narratives and presenting to “clients”
• Presentation of consultant teams’ findings. Tentatively to relevant UN staff from the UN City in Copenhagen.

• Browne, Stephen & Tom Weiss (2014). ‘Introduction: The UN we want for the world we want’, in Stephen Browne & Thomas G. Weiss (ed.), Post-2015 UN Development – Making Change Happen. New York, USA: Routledge
• Browne, Stephen (2010). Fact book on the UN Development System. Geneva, Switzerland, The Funds Project (online: https://www.wiltonpark.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/wp1033-funds-fact-book.pdf)
• Burtonshaw-Gunn, Simon A. (2010). Essential tools for management consulting – Tools, models and approaches for clients and consultants. West Sussex, UK: John Wiley & Son
• Charter of the United Nations (1945). (online: http://www.humanrightseducation.info/images/stories/pdf/UNcharter.pdf
• Degnbol-Martinussen & Poul Engberg-Pedersen (2005). Aid: Understanding International Development Cooperation. Copenhagen, Denmark: Mellemfolkeligt Samvirke
• Murphy, Craig N. (2014). ‘Evolution of the UN Development System’, in Stephen Browne & Thomas G. Weiss (ed.), Post-2015 Un Development – Making Change Happen. New York, USA: Routledge.
• O’Brian, Richard (2014). ‘Drivers of change for the UN’s future role’, in Stephen Browne & Thomas G. Weiss (ed.), Post-2015 Un Development – Making Change Happen. New York, USA: Routledge.
• Rittberger, Volker, Bernhard Zangl & Andreas Kruck (2012). International Organization. New York, USA: Palgrave MacMillian
• Skogmo, Bjørn (2014). ‘UN roles and principles governing multilateral assistance’, in Stephen Browne & Thomas G. Weiss (ed.), Post-2015 Un Development – Making Change Happen. New York, USA: Routledge.
• Weinlich, Silke (2014). ‘Funding the UN System’, in Stephen Browne & Thomas G. Weiss (ed.), Post-2015 Un Development – Making Change Happen. New York, USA: Routledge.