Frequently Asked Questions

The maximum number of continuing appointments to be granted in an exercise is calculated prior to the launch of each exercise. The number of continuing appointments is determined based on the continuing needs of the Organization as proscribed by the General Assembly in GA Resolution 65/247 on Human Resources Management. The continuing needs of the Organization are calculated on the basis of established and temporary posts of a duration of more than five years as well as general temporary assistance in special political missions (except for national staff recruited for field missions or international or locally recruited staff recruited for service in the ICTR or ICTY). The level of the post envelopes shall be reviewed regularly by the General Assembly. 

Staff members who avail of special leave without pay during the review process will not be disqualified on the basis of the SLWOP if they meet all the eligibility criteria and are deemed eligible by their executive office or local HR office.  However, during the final review, if the staff member continues to meet the criteria listed under section 2.1(b), (e) and (f) of ST/SGB/2011/9 and a decision is made to grant a continuing appointment to a staff member who is on SLWOP, the continuing appointment will be granted only upon return to active service. 

No. There is no automatic right to a continuing appointment. Staff members must be reviewed in a continuing appointment review exercise and ranked among eligible staff members if there are a limited number of continuing appointments available for a particular exercise. 

The period of service on a temporary appointment would constitute a break in the continuity of service under a fixed-term appointment, therefore your overall period of service would not be considered continuous. The period of service under a temporary appointment would not count towards the five-years of qualifying service. And the count of qualifying years of service would start counting from the date of your second fixed-term appointment, posterior to the period on temporary appointment.

Permanent appointments were linked to the concept of a career service, and thus subject to satisfactory performance. A staff member granted a permanent appointment had a reasonable expectation of continued employment until his/her mandatory age of separation.

Continuing appointments are open-ended appointments. However, unlike the permanent appointment, the Secretary-General may terminate the appointment without the consent of the staff member if, in the opinion of the Secretary-General, such action would be in the interest of the good administration of the Organization.

In order to be eligible for consideration for the granting of a continuing appointment, staff members must have five years of continuous service on fixed-term appointment(s) under the United Nations Staff Rules and Regulations. Thus, periods of service on fixed-term appointments in another entity governed by the United Nations Staff Regulations and Rules prior to joining the United Nations Secretariat shall be counted towards the qualifying service provided the service has been continuous.

Service in organizations not governed by the United Nations Staff Regulations and Rules will not count towards the eligibility criteria.

Once considered eligible for the granting of a continuing appointment, points will be allocated based on established criteria regardless of whether the staff member’s previous service was with the UN Secretariat or with agencies, funds and programmes, provided the service has been continuous.

For example, a staff member employed by UNICEF for 3 years in Khartoum, by FAO for 3 years in Kabul, and by the UN Secretariat for 6 years in New York would be considered eligible for a continuing appointment based on the 6 years of continuous service with the UN Secretariat. FAO is not governed by the United Nations Staff Rules and Regulations; nonetheless points will be allocated for the staff member’s service in Khartoum and Kabul, provided such service was continuous.

As provided in section 5 of the Administrative Instruction on the Mobility and hardship scheme (ST/AI/2011/6), the additional non-family hardship allowance shall be payable to eligible staff members who are assigned to duty stations designated as non-family from the beginning of their assignment and for the duration of their assignment to those locations.

If there is a change in the designation of the duty station (from family to non‑family or the reverse) during the course of a staff member’s appointment to the duty station, an appropriate adjustment shall be made to the staff member’s salary to account for the amount payable or for discontinuation of the allowance, as of the effective date of the change in the duty station designation.

No. Only eligible staff assigned to duty stations with non-family designation receive the new hardship allowance. When a staff member is assigned to a family duty station, the organization has not restricted travel of family and thus this is the personal choice of the staff member. In cases where the family does not join, the staff member may avail of Family Visit travel.

This is in recognition of the fact that a single staff member has less liabilities in maintaining a second household.

• There are now more staff in the field serving in family duty stations. In some duty stations, there was the discrepancy whereby, in some locations, staff serving with UN agencies, funds and programmes or other UN offices could bring their families but staff serving with field missions in the same location could not. Before 1 July 2011, only about 10 % of the posts in peacekeeping and special political missions (about 680) were in family duty stations. As of 1 July 2011 this increased to approximately 30 % of the posts (over 2,000) in missions. Staff who have eligible dependents (i.e. spouse and dependent children) and who are assigned to family duty stations are able to have their eligible family members installed at their duty station, if they so wish. Eligible family members are entitled to travel related entitlements.
• For staff serving in non-family duty stations there is an additional hardship allowance (non-family hardship allowance) to compensate for the added financial burden and psychological hardship of keeping a second household and being away from family. Through the additional hardship allowance, international staff serving in non-family duty stations will be paid between $500 – $1,900 per month depending on grade and whether you are paid at the dependency rate or single rate.
• The rest and recuperation scheme is harmonized within the UN common system. International staff, as well as UN Volunteers, serving in locations with R&R, get paid for R & R travel to a designated location. However, where there is UN transportation available, travel will be provided to staff free of charge and no payment for travel costs apply. The duration of R & R travel is five consecutive calendar days not charged to annual leave plus an appropriate number of calendar days for travel time. R & R designations and cycles are harmonized across the common system.

First, staff members should contact the inspira support in order to determine if there is a technical problem (Contact us link located in the top right of the inspira screen.). They should also contact their local Human Resources office, where they can get assistance to complete the review and/or hand deliver required documentation. 

A new administrative instruction on “Rental subsidies and deductions” (ST/AI/2013/2), is now available which introduces a more streamlined process in addition to more specific eligibility requirements.

Various key changes have been established in advance of the increasingly automated procedures that Umoja is starting to bring as the new system is gradually implemented throughout the UN Secretariat.

What are some key changes to the policy?

Application process

Staff members no longer need to submit annual re-application forms but now must re-apply every time their lease is renewed. The subsidy will be calculated in accordance with the lease validity period, provided there is no change in dwelling, rent and family size.
Conditions of payment

Conditions to regulate the payment of the subsidy to former staff members who are re-employed or serving staff who return from assignments under six months involving a change of official duty station now apply.
Clarification on how the payment of the subsidy is determined when both spouses are eligible has been included.
Staff must now disclose all rebates and gratuities granted to them by their landlords (such as free rent or temporary reductions in rent).
Self-certification mechanism

Rental subsidy self-certification, which requires that staff attest to information stated in their application, has been introduced.
Monitoring and oversight

Staff members may be requested to submit original documentation within 30 days of the initial request. Consequently, lease agreements and any other documents supporting rental subsidy application(s) must be retained for five years.
Should a staff member fail to submit any requested documentation or to report changes such as the provision of housing assistance, changes in accommodation, rent, family size, or to falsify documentation, various administrative measures may be effected including:
(i) immediate termination of the rental subsidy;
(ii) recovery of prior subsidy payments; and/or
(iii) any other administrative and/or disciplinary measures (see staff rule 10.2), including dismissal for misconduct.

The staff member and their eligible family members, as applicable, are required to regularly reside at the property for which the subsidy is claimed.
How will the new policy be implemented?

A new information circular (ST/IC/2013/25) on this topic has also been issued. This includes additional details on self-certification, as well as the new compliance monitoring mechanism and rental subsidy application forms. This simplified rental subsidy process will remain in effect until the procedure later becomes automated through the Umoja solution.

For further information, please refer to the itsforreal website for regular updates on a wide range of Human Resources topics.

SLWOP will have an impact on rental subsidy. “Without pay” refers to any and all types of payments. No allowance, benefit or entitlement is payable. Rental subsidy will, therefore, also not be paid during periods of SLWOP

Staff members holding temporary appointments may be granted special leave on an exceptional basis for compelling reasons, subject to approval from the Secretary-General.

Special leave without pay is granted at the discretion of the Secretary-General. Special leave can normally be authorized for up to two years. The acceptable reasons for special leave are advance studies and research in the interest of the United Nations, extended illness, child care, family support, mandatory military service, and other. For eligibility requirements, please refer to staff rule 5.3.

The conditions under which special leave may be granted to a staff member vary. The table which is attached summarizes the conditions for requesting special leave, which are reviewed individually and take both the Organization’s and the staff member’s interests into account.

This summary illustrates different modalities of special leave with full, partial or without pay. The list of requirements is not exhaustive; and it should be noted that the Staff Regulations, Rules, and governing Administrative Issuances prevail in all instances.

The Organization will pay for travel on R & R by the least expensive and most direct route from the duty station to the designated place of rest and recuperation. The Organization may purchase a ticket or provide a lump sum equivalent to the air ticket price. Where a staff member chooses to go to a destination different to the designated location for R & R, the financial liability of the Organization will be equal to the cost of the air ticket to the designated location.

Where UN transportation is available, it will be provided to staff free of charge and no payment for travel costs will apply.

It is possible that a family duty stations could be designated for rest and recuperation purposes. However, only the staff member would be entitled to rest and recuperation travel. There is no entitlement for R&R travel for family members.

The harmonized rest and recuperation scheme for international staff as well as international UN Volunteers includes:

Paid travel by the least expensive and most direct route to a designated R & R location. Where UN transportation is available, it will be provided to staff free of charge and no payment for travel costs will apply.

Five consecutive calendar days not charged to annual leave and an appropriate number of calendar days for travel time to the designated R & R location.

R & R cycles and designations are harmonized within the UN common system.

Where a non-family mission location is designated as a family duty station internationally-recruited staff members with eligible dependents (i.e. a spouse and dependent children who would normally reside with the staff member when not serving in a non-family duty station) are eligible for travel related entitlements for family members. These include:

Initial travel of eligible family members to the duty station,

Payment of assignment grant in respect of family members who travel to the family duty station at UN expense consisting of 30 days DSA at half the rate applicable to the duty station for each family member,

Shipment of personal effects for family members who travel to the duty station at UN expense in the amount of 500 kgs for the first eligible family member and 300 kgs for each additional dependent, or a relocation grant in the lump-sum amount of $5,000 for all family members in lieu of shipment of personal effects.

In addition, eligible family members of staff serving in a family duty station are eligible for home leave travel and education grant travel.

Family members of staff members assigned to non-family duty station are normally expected to remain at the parent duty station during a staff member’s mission assignment. However, where the entitlement exists, staff members would be given the option to travel their family members to the place of home leave under the home leave travel or advance home leave travel entitlement. When the staff member returns to the parent duty station, eligible family members may travel back against the return leg of home leave travel or advance home leave travel.

Effective 1 July 2011, and following the General Assembly’s decision to harmonize conditions of service for staff serving in non-family duty stations, staff who serve in a non-family duty station will get an additional hardship allowance. The amount is between $500 and $1900 per month depending on the staff member’s level and dependency status.

No, interns are not considered staff members of United Nations system.

Yes, National Professional Officers are considered staff members.

If your letter of appointment is issued by a UNDP office on behalf of an agency, fund or programme, you are considered a staff member of the UN Common System and you must select your corresponding agency, fund or programme, when registering for the LPE. Alternatively, and strictly for the purpose of registering for the LPE, if your letter of appointment is issued on behalf of an office or department belonging to the UN Secretariat, such as OCHA or DSS, then you are considered a staff member of the UN Secretariat and you must select UNS (United Nations Secretariat) when registering for the LPE.

This message means that you have not requested for access to the examination catalog items. Go to My Learning, then click Request for Learning, then select LPE as the Learning Type. The guide "How to create an account in inspira (external applicant) posted here covers how to request for such access. Please try the steps outlined in the guide. 

Subject to your supervisor’s approval, staff should be allowed to take the YPP examination without having to take annual leave. Preparation for the examination should be done outside of work hours, or during leave.

Only Secretariat staff from the General Service and related categories and Field Service staff FS-5 and below can apply for the YPP examination as a staff member (‘G to P’) or through the route referred to as ‘G to N’. Other categories of staff may apply for the YPP examination as an external candidate, provided that they:

• are 32 years or younger at the end of the examination year;
• are a national of a participating country. The list of participating countries is published annually and varies from year to year (Go to careers.un.org/ypp or /yppfr for clarification);
• hold at least a first-level university degree, relevant to the job family in which they would like to take the examination;
• are fluent in either English or French (knowledge of other official United Nations languages is an asset).

For details of how to apply, external candidates should refer to the instructions at: careers.un.org/YPPapplicationprocess.

The information is also available in French at: careers.un.org/YPPderoulementdelaselection.

Please note that such candidates should use a non-UN inspira account to apply for the relevant job opening (i.e. not the account with their index number).

A staff member in the Professional or FS-6 category cannot apply to the job opening marked ‘for UN Secretariat Staff G to N’ nor ‘for UN Secretariat Staff G to P’.

External applicants and staff applying through the ‘G to N’ route can only apply to one job family. Submitting applications for more than one job family will result in automatic disqualification.

Internal applicants (that is, Secretariat staff in the General service and related categories (including Field Service category, FS-5 and below) who meet the relevant eligibility criteria including five years of continuous Secretariat service and successful performance in the last two appraisals), can apply for up to two job families from the job openings marked ‘for UN Secretariat Staff G to P’. Submitting applications for more than two job families will result in automatic disqualification.

If staff members choose to sit the examination in two job families, they will have to sit for both job families’ Specialized Papers on the same examination day.

P-2 positions advertised online at careers.un.org are extra- budgetary positions available in the United Nations Secretariat and you are free to apply to them. Please note that if you do apply for these positions and are considered suitable, the hiring manager can select you immediately from the roster. However, if you are selected you will not be given a YPP contract. If you are selected for such a position, you will still remain on the YPP roster. Some YPP candidates may prefer to apply for these positions to acquire experience while they are waiting for their YPP placement. Should you be interested and apply, please send us an e-mail confirming that you applied.

Passing the examination does not guarantee a job but if you pass the YPP examination, you will most likely be offered a job. The number of candidates that pass is closely linked to the positions that are projected to become available. Hiring Managers select the most suitable candidate for the P-1 / P-2 position in each case. Job offers to successful candidates are made on a regular basis, subject to the requirements of the Organization filling the P-1 / P-2 positions that have become available at that point in time.

The Specialised Board of Examiners, which consists of current UN Secretariat staff within the relevant substantive Department, develops the exam questions with guidance from the Examinations and Tests Section. Exam content changes from exam to exam, and is based on the current and anticipated needs of the Organization.

The YPP list of successful candidates is valid for a period of three (3) years. We hope to place all successful candidates within this time frame, but if you are not placed you will be removed from the list. Should you remain interested in the Young Professionals Programme, you will be required to retake and successfully pass the YPP examination.

Yes, you will have to go through the entire examination process again, starting with the submission of your application. The YPP examination is comprised of both a written and oral examination, and results from one examination year do not carry over to another examination year.

Upon receipt of the offer of appointment you will have seven (7) calendar days, to accept or decline any position offered.

Yes. The number of placements from the “YPP internal” roster is subject to paragraph 51 of General Assembly report A/65/305/ Add.4, “…10 per cent of the total pool of positions available for the programme [will] be earmarked for successful G-to-P candidates, who [can] be placed in any available post”. YPP internal candidates will be offered positions on a first come, first served, basis until the quota is met.

There will be no change for NCRE candidates who were appointed before the implementation of the YPP and have already attended their orientation.

Those who have not been placed yet, will be invited to the same orientation as the YPP candidates and will participate in a rotation programme after having normally served in the Organization at the Professional level for two years.

If you are successful you will be offered a job at the P-1 or P-2 level (for further information on contracts, please have a look at the next section of these FAQs). Within 3 to 9 months after the conclusion of the examination, you will be informed of up to three jobs for which you will be considered and will be given an opportunity to indicate your preference(s). While efforts are made to take preferences into account this may or may not be possible. You are strongly encouraged to accept the job offer as declining it can eliminate you from further consideration. Those not placed within three years will no longer be considered for posts and will have to re-sit the YPP examination if they wish to be reconsidered.

The placement of Young Professionals is conducted on a quarterly basis or four times a year. This is a coordinated effort between the Hiring Manager, Headquarters Staffing Section in the Office of Human Resources Management and the respective human resources office in the duty station for which you are selected. The official start date of your new job will depend on the needs of the hiring manager and/or your availability; however, you do have up to 90 days to assume your functions from the date an official offer was made to you.

Inspira uses New York Time. Job openings are taken offline at midnight New York time on the specified closing date.
You are encouraged to apply well before the deadline. Staff should be mindful that hiring offices and departments may start reviewing the applications during the posting period.

There are two things to look out for to make sure you save your data correctly in the Work Experience section.
First you have to make sure that all required fields (marked with an *) have been entered correctly. If any required fields are missing, a message will appear after you click on “Save” and the empty required fields will appear in red. Please look through all the fields again and make sure that you have completed them all. Even if you don’t have the correct information, use your best judgment and/or just enter “not available”. After you have entered all the information, you have to click “Save”.
In addition, please note that after 60 minutes of inactivity the system times out, which means you lose any data you entered since the last time you clicked “Save”. Please note that typing alone does not register as activity, only clicking on the tool (eg the save button), so it is important to remember to save regularly.

For those applying to a standard job opening, the following terms are currently in use:
Status shown to applicant What it means
Draft An application is being worked on by an applicant but has not been submitted. It is visible only to the applicant at this stage
Applied An application form has been submitted via inspira, but the pre-screening process (which checks candidates’ eligibility for a post) has not yet begun.
Under consideration The recruitment process is underway but no candidate has yet been selected. This status will display to all applicants throughout the shortlisting, interview and recommendation process, until a candidate has been selected.
Recruitment completed A candidate has been selected for the post and the recruitment process has been completed.
Rostered The applicant has been placed on a roster but they have not been offered the post. The applicant may be called upon in the future and – without further assessment – offered the position they originally applied for, or another that they are deemed qualified for.

When you apply to jobs posted in Galaxy you have to enter your data and send in your PHP in Galaxy, and when you apply to jobs posted in inspira you have to enter your data and send in your application in inspira.

For each screening question the Hiring Manager determines one answer as satisfactory – this may not be the “yes” or “true” option. Applicants are expected to provide accurate answers and may be asked for clarification or justification during later stages of the application process.
While an applicant is expected to provide satisfactory answers to all questions, inspira accepts a small margin of unsatisfactory answers. However, every applicant has to pass the 80% threshold of satisfactory answers for a particular job opening or his/her application will not be eligible for further review.

No, as the systems are based on different software, the information cannot be transferred from one system to another. When it comes to employment history, a tip is to copy and paste from Galaxy into the fields in inspira. You may also want to save the PHP in Galaxy in a word document for easy reference.

No, a manual form (P.333 -available on iSeek) has been designed for use by staff members with temporary appointments. You may refer to the provisions of the administrative instructions on temporary appointments (ST/AI/2010/4).

The e-Pas system will remain available until 31 December 2012 to complete documents from previous cycles. Staff members and managers must complete all documents by this deadline. e-PAS cannot be used to create new documents from 1 April 2010 onwards.

No, in the new version the development document has been merged with the performance document.

Based on pilot user feedback and experiences, the functionality of the new tool has been significantly streamlined and improved. It is now more user-friendly and follows the same basic workflow as e-PAS (establishing a work-plan, mid-point review, and end-of-cycle evaluation).

The following training tools have been developed to meet the needs of different learning styles.
• e-Performance Quick Guide: A three-page reference tool with step-by-step instructions for each phase of the process. This guide will address the needs of most users who need minimal guidance.
• e-Performance Handbook: A comprehensive 33-page manual with step-by-step instructions, screenshots, navigation tips, process overview and guidelines for all actions. This guide will address the needs of novice users as well as more experienced ones.
• e-Performance Videos: Eight interactive videos on each step of the process. These videos have been broken down by role and activity (e.g. Second Reporting Officer Approves Evaluation). Each video contains engaging audio and ‘see-it’ and ‘try-it’ interactions. Easy access and succinct messages between 2 and 5 minutes in length make this resource practical and convenient for all staff.
• Power Point Presentation: Used to train PM focal points, this provides a general overview of the process and highlights of key learning points.
• Recorded WebEx sessions: On-line training sessions have been conducted for all focal points. These 1 ½ hour workshops have been recorded for your convenience.

The training materials can be found under the ‘Training Materials’ section of inspira.

All UN Secretariat staff will use e-Performance for the 2012-13 performance cycle which begins on 1 April 2012 and ends on 31 March 2013.

Staff members who wish to leave before reaching 65 years old are required, at a minimum, to provide employing organizations a written notice period of:

• one month for fixed term appointments (FTA)
• three months for permanent or continuing appointment holders (PA/CA)

No. It will not be considered early retirement because the staff member has reached normal retirement age (NRA).

The early retirement age for staff members who commenced or recommenced in the Fund on or after 1 January 2014 is 58.

No, there is no change to After Service Health Insurance (ASHI) eligibility. Details on ASHI can be found at: http://www.un.org/insurance/faq/who-eligible-after-service-health-insurance

To preserve the rights of all staff members, staff members who, after 1 January 2018, were eligible to separate upon reaching their MAS at age 60 or 62 years may still do so at that age or any time thereafter until the month before reaching 65 years.

In accordance with article 31 of the UNJSPF Regulations, a withdrawal settlement is payable to a participant whose age on separation is less than the normal retirement age (NRA), or if the participant is the normal retirement age or more on separation but is not entitled to a retirement benefit.

The withdrawal settlement consists of:

1. The participant’s own contributions, if the contributory service of the participant was less than five years; or
2. The participant’s own contributions increased by 10 per cent for each year in excess of five up to a maximum of 100 per cent, if the contributory service of the participant was more than five years.

It should be noted that a withdrawal settlement extinguishes all other rights to any other future benefits.

The normal retirement age (NRA) is the age at which a United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund (UNJSPF) participant can retire with a full retirement benefit unreduced on account of age, in accordance with Article 28 of the UNJSPF Regulations and Rules, as follows:

• 60 years of participants who entered or reentered the Pension Fund on or before 31 December 1989;
• 62 years of participants who entered or reentered the Pension Fund between 1 January 1990 and 31 December 2013; or
• 65 years of participants who entered or reentered the Pension Fund on or after 1 January 2014.

As per Article 29 of the UNJSPF Regulations and Rules, for staff members who commenced or recommenced participation in the Fund:

• prior to 1 January 2014, an early retirement benefit shall be payable to a participant whose age on separation is at least 55 but less than the normal retirement age and whose contributory service was five years or longer; and.
• on or after 1 January 2014, an early retirement benefit shall be payable to a participant whose age on separation is at least 58 but less than the normal retirement age and whose contributory service was five years or longer.

Staff will be subject to minimum and maximum position occupancy limits that depend on the hardship level of the duty station in which they serve. The minimum position occupancy limit, which is the minimum time a staff member has to be in a position before being able to apply to vacant positions or participate in the lateral reassignment exercise, is two years in H through C duty stations and one year in D and E duty stations.[1] The maximum position occupancy limit in H and A duty stations is seven years; in B and C duty stations four years; and in D and E duty stations three years. Staff will be expected to change position by the end of their maximum position occupancy limit. If this has not been possible by that time, the Organization will assist in finding a suitable lateral reassignment for them. The calculation for position occupancy limits will include time served in the staff member’s current position; however staff members who have reached the maximum position occupancy limit when managed mobility comes into effect for their Job Network (see below for information on the implementation timeline) will not be subject to reassignment in the first year of operationalization in that Job Network.

[1] The International Civil Service Commission has placed each duty station in one of six categories. H duty stations are headquarters and similarly designated locations, where the United Nations has no development or humanitarian assistance programmes, or locations in countries which are members of the European Union. A to E duty stations are field duty stations. Duty stations are categorized on a scale of hardship from A to E, with A being the least difficult.

A change in position can involve one or more of the following: a change of role, function, Department, duty station, or a move from the Secretariat to and from a UN agency, fund or programme.

Staff can change position by applying to a vacant position or by participating in a lateral reassignment exercise. Staff will be eligible to apply for different positions after reaching their minimum position occupancy limit and can apply to a vacant position at their current level or higher, or they can opt for lateral reassignment at the same level, within their current Job Network.

Mobility will be phased in by Job Network. Commencing in 2016, the first Job Network will be open to mobility, followed by another Job Network in 2017, and thereafter, two Job Networks will be subject to mobility annually. This gradual approach to deployment will provide both the Organization and its staff with a two year preparation period, which also gives time for our human resources systems to be operationally ready by the time managed mobility takes effect. Certain transitional measures will also be put in place, which, for example, recognize lateral moves already made by staff under the current staff selection system and will allow staff to carry over, until 2019, their eligibility for P-5 positions.

• Employee Self-Service portal will allow staff to:
  • View and update their HR information and profile
  • Initiate and track requests for leave requests, benefits and entitlements
  • Make travel requests directly and submit claims electronically
  • Own and be accountable for their information and entitlements
• UN staff data will be stored centrally and shared across the organization
• Transfer of staff across duty stations will be seamless, no more script transfer and delays in processing payroll
• Managers will have access to up-to-date staff information, work schedule, calendar and organizational structures for pro-active planning, and to efficiently perform many tasks related to the administration of their staff.

Prior to Day 1, staff members are encouraged to activate their Unite Identity Account and set up a permanent password.  They are also strongly encouraged (and sometimes required) to familiarize themselves with Umoja Self-Service functionality by taking Umoja Self-Service tutorials, which are available on Umoja website.

Day 1:  Refer to "Umoja Login User Quick Guide", which describes step by step what to do to get access to the Self-Service Portal, and login to Umoja Employee Self-Service Access at https://selfservice.umoja.un.org/https://selfservice.umoja.un.org. 

Once logged-in, please check the following personal information. 

Address and Beneficiaries:  If your address or beneficiaries are not correct or up to date, please update the information on-line using the Umoja Portal. 

Dependency Status:  Please check the accuracy of dependency records.  If you have a new dependant (spouse, child or secondary dependant), you can make a request to add them using the Umoja Portal.  However, please contact your HR Partner for any modification of existing dependants or discontinuation of dependency status.

Rental Subsidy:  Staff Members can also use the Umoja Portal to apply for rental subsidy.  The existing rental subsidy data is converted from IMIS to Umoja and therefore staff members do not need to reapply for existing rental subsidy.

However, staff members can submit a new rental subsidy application through the portal.  Before actually submitting the new request, please familiarize yourself with the process using the Self-Service tutorials and simulation, which are available on Umoja website. 

Banking Information:  Check the correctness of the banking information.

Salary Statement:  Once June salary is disbursed at the end of June 2015, staff members will receive pay-slip via email but can also check  the salary statement in the Portal.

• All staff will require some training to use the new system. How much training is needed depends on your role and responsibilities.  All UN staff are advised to review general Umoja self-study training materials/tutorials/computer-based training.

• Training to carry out transactions with the new system is available through the Umoja website and on inspira.  A variety of learning approaches are used to deliver training to accommodate different learning requirements and facilitate knowledge transfer which depend on the role of the staff member/user. The Umoja training programme integrates: computer-based training, instructor-led courses, simulation learning, job aids and hands-on practice sessions.
   
• Staff members who have been identified with a higher official Enterprise Role in Umoja must complete Level 1, 2 and 3 Umoja Training courses through the e-learning platform on inspira in order to be certified.  Other staff will be trained in areas related to their functional responsibilities.

There are numerous training materials and guides available to help staff and managers navigate the system and can be accessed on the Umoja website (https://www.unumoja.net/display/public/Umoja+Employee+Self-Service+Tutor...). Specialized training is provided to transactional users (HR, travel, finance, procurement, etc.)

If you need help and support, please contact the Employee Self-Service (ESS) or Manager Self-Service (MSS) focal point (HR Office) in your duty station. You may also visit the Umoja Resource Center to search the Umoja User Manual and ask questions in the Forum. If encountering a serious technical issue, work with you Umoja LPE or focal point to open a service ticket via the iNeed Self Service by emailing esc@un.org or contact your local help desk.

Umoja is an on-line web based system that can be accessed from any location.

If Umoja is being deployed to your duty station, the Umoja/SAP password will be provided to you by email 2 days prior to the go live/deployment date.  The User Quick Guide on the Umoja website for step by step instructions on logging in to Umoja (https://www.unumoja.net/display/public/Resources#Resources-User-quick-guide).

To log into the Umoja Production Systems (Enterprise Central Component (ECC), Supplier Relationship Management (SRM), Business Intelligence (BI), Manager Self-Service) (MSS)) at http://login.umoja.un.org (Umoja Dashboard).

To access the Employee Self-Service ONLY log in at http://selfservice.umoja.un.org (ESS Portal)

All staff members (international or national staff) who are working in C3 entities (UNEP, UN Habitat, UNON, OCHA, ESCAP and UNAKRT) as well as MINUSTAH, regardless of their duty station, have access to employee self-service in Umoja.  All non-staff (Consultants, Individual Contractors, UNVs, Interns, etc.) will not be given access to self-service functionality at this time.

For information about working in the field, please visit this page.