Those recruitment functions add another layer of responsibility for programme managers and their staff and compete with their substantive functions.

Given their function as the last layer of the social safety net, this is a serious failing.

The system enables functional segregation through multiple layers of security controls. These exist at the database, document, form and field levels.

He also agreed with the Advisory Committee that the role of outsourcing facilitator should not result in additional bureaucratic layers; the function should be exercised by department managers within existing resources.

The major impediments to, and shortcomings of, human resources management and development are: (a) limited resources available to the Office of Human Resources Management; (b) delegation of authority to perform human resources management functions without attendant training and accountability; (c) diffused performance of human resources functions, with the many layers of human management functions obstructing accountability; (d) political considerations and lack of transparency in the appointment of senior staff even when they have had little or no leadership or managerial experience in working in a complex, multicultural environment before joining the Organization; (e) inconsistency of policies and guidelines and sometimes a lack of clear policies and guidelines; (f) variability in application of policies and guidelines; and (g) the absence of an effective checks-and-balances mechanism in the context of a dysfunctional internal justice system; a weakened role of the central review bodies and other staff-management bodies; and cowed or overawed staff representatives.