Proposed Human Resource Strategy of the GS/OAS

1. Proposed Human Resource Strategyof the GS/OAS Secretariat for Administration and Finance

2. AG/RES. 2755 (XLII-O/12) HUMAN RESOURCE POLICY OF THE GENERAL SECRETARIAT OF THE ORGANIZATION OF AMERICAN STATES RESOLVES: 1. To instruct the General Secretariat to present a revised Comprehensive Human Resource Strategy by August 30, 2012, including any required revisions of Chapter III –Personnel, of the General Standards to Govern the Operations of the General Secretariat and the deployment of human resource information tools, including organigrams, position descriptions, and supervisory arrangements for all staff positions, in order for it to be considered by the Permanent Council and approved by November 2012. The revised Comprehensive Human Resource Strategy should also include a plan to reform the current set of competitive, contracting, classification, promotion, advancement, and performance evaluation mechanisms to ensure an efficient, transparent, and competitive recruitment process in the General Secretariat for all staff contracts, including Series A fixed-term contracts.

3. Proposed Human Resource Strategyof the GS/OAS I. Introduction 3 Secretariat for Administration and Finance

4. Proposed Human Resources Strategy: Introduction Vision • To position the GS/OAS at the forefront of international organizations for the transparency, accountability and reliability of its management structure. • To establish international operational standards at the GS/OAS, securing the highest principles of efficiency, merit based, competency, and integrity. • To help the GS/OAS meet its multiple mandates by providing it with skilled, diverse talent and motivated staff who are able to contribute to the organizational goals. 4

5. Proposed Human Resources Strategy: Introduction Objectives • To align the GS/OAS contracting mechanisms with current realities. • To increase responsiveness and adaptability to new challenges by streamlining human resources processes. • To increase accountability on human resources practices by having complete and accurate information of all GS/OAS personnel through the development of human resource information tools. • To have in place a recruitment and selection process that is efficient, cost-effective and that strengthens the principles of fairness and transparency, by taking into account candidate’s competencies and, equitable geographic distribution and gender balance. • To improve GS/OAS workforce planning in order to foresee future challenges and plan its workforce needs accordingly. • To reduce potential liabilities to the Organization by ensuring that: (i) staff rights are satisfied according to GS/OAS regulations and, (ii) staff is provided with working conditions that are fair and that contribute to the staff member’s motivation and commitment to the Organization. 5

6. Proposed Human Resource Strategyof the GS/OAS II. Content 6 Secretariat for Administration and Finance

7. Content - Human Resource Strategy: GS/OAS Staff Member Career Development Cycle All Funds Hiring Year 4 Year 8 Retirement Age 65 Series A Series B Continuing Contract Series A: Granted at time of hiring as a result ofacompetitive recruitment process. Includes language proficiency exams. Selection by a Panel Interview with Hiring Area, DHR and Recruitment and Selection Advisor (“independent” taken from a list proposed persons with suitable integrity and experience by the President of the Staff Association and agreed to by the SG). Annual extensions based on satisfactory performance. Approval for granting Series A contract for posts below P4: SAF with participation of the President of the Staff Association. For P4 and above, review and recommendation by the Advisory Committee on Selection and Promotion, approval by SG. Series B: Granted after 4 years of continuous service in a Series A Contract provided, (i) the staff member has achieved satisfactory evaluations for at least three of the four years and the evaluation of the fourth year is satisfactory (ii) the staff member has observed good conduct during his/her four years of service under a Series A Contract; (iii) has passed the OAS Civics Exam (iv) certification that there is financing for the contract against the post in which the staff member is then serving (v) absence of a letter from the supervisor showing cause as to why the contract should be denied. Annual extensions based on satisfactory performance. Commission Executive Secretaries -Series B contract: will be granted at time of hiring. Selection according to Commission’s statues. Approval for granting Series B contract: SG Managerial Personnel, Series B contract: will be granted at time of hiring. Review and recommendation by the Advisory Committee on Selection and Promotion following the same procedure as it is established in Article 44 of the General Standards. review and recommendation by the Advisory Committee on Selection and Promotion, approval by SG. Continuing Contract: Granted after 4 years of continuous service in a Series B Contract provided (i) the staff member has received no unsatisfactory performance evaluations for the last 4 years and not more than one during his/her entire service at the GS/OAS; (ii) has observed Good Conduct provided he/she has not received more than one written admonition during the last four years of employment as a staff member and has not been disciplined by the application of a more punitive measure recommended by a Disciplinary Committee or by a Hearing Officer in the Summary Dismissal process of these General Standards ; (iii) absence of a letter from the supervisor showing cause as to why the contract should be denied; (iv) In the case of a staff member financed by the RF, it is reasonably certain that the post occupied by the staff member will not be eliminated in a reduction in force within the following twelve month period ; and in the case of a staff member financed by non-Regular Fund sources, there are sufficient funds in reserves established from non-RF sources to pay the corresponding indemnities in the event of the staff member must be separated from service before or at the close of the next fiscal period. Note: Reduction of the termination indemnity to two weeks of final basic salary per year of service not to exceed a total of six months of basic salary.

8. Content - Human Resource Strategy: Other Human Resources Other Human Resources in the GS/OAS are: Independent Contractors: Persons contracted to provide work products or services to the GS/OAS. Duration of periods of up to 309 days. Interns: College students or recent graduates who provide supervised services to the GS/OAS without remuneration. Duration of three month period. Volunteers: Persons who donate their services to the GS/OAS without remuneration. Duration up to 3 months. Young Professionals: College graduates below the age of 40 who provide services to the GS/OAS with remuneration. Duration up to 2 years.

9. Human Resource Strategy: GS/OAS Staff Member Promotion / Career Management • Fundamentals: • Every new post will be classified and certified by a UN expert • Every post that becomes vacant will be classified by a UN expert, unless the post has been duly classified within the past 5 years. • Every post will be classified at least once every 6 years. • Every vacant post will be filled by a competitive recruitment process (except for the Executive Secretary for Integral Development, designated Director General of the IACD, as well as the Secretaries, advisers and assistants to the Secretary General and to the Assistant Secretary General, who are appointed to Trust Positions). • All Competitions will be external, except those for reclassified posts for which at least two qualified candidates have competed in an internal competition.

10. Proposed Human Resources Strategy: Key Elements • For Executive Secretaries, recruitment according to their respective statutes and appointment approved by SG • For Managerial personnel, competition for Series B contracts through the Advisory Committee on Selection and Promotion (ACSP), approved by SG

11. Proposed Human Resources Strategy: Key Elements • Uniform conditions for all staff members regardless of fund (RF, ICR, SF) • Competitions held before granting Series A contracts and for promotions: • Selection on recommendation of 3-person Panel Review, including the Area Director, a specialist of DHR, and a member from a list nominated by the President of the Staff Committee and approved by the SG • Below P4: SAF approves, with Panel Review recommendation (Right to veto by the President of the Staff Association, in that case, it will go to the ACSP for review) • P4 and above: ACSP recommends, SG approves

12. Proposed Human Resources Strategy: Key Elements • Series A contracts extended up to total of 4 years • Series B granted in 5th year to qualified staff members • Continuing contracts granted in 9th year to qualified staff members • Continuing contract termination indemnity = 2 weeks per year of service up to six months maximum

13. Human Resources StrategyProposed Transition Plan Competitions Process • Draw up a list of all current staff members by their date of entry. • All staff members on Series A (Short Term) contracts who as of the date of implementation of the new strategy, have more than 4 years but less than 8 years of service under such type of contract, will be eligible for Series B (Long Term) contracts and an external competition process will be scheduled in accordance with the new regulation. • All staff members on Series A (Short Term) contracts who as of the date of implementation of the new strategy, have more than 8 years of service will be eligible for a Continuing Contract and an external competition process will be scheduled in accordance with the new regulation. • All staff members on Series B (Long Term) contracts who were appointed by way of competition, in accordance with Article 44 of the General Standards, and who as of the date of implementation of the new strategy have more than 4 years of service after having won the competition, become eligible for a Continuing Contract provided that they meet the requirements in accordance with the new regulation. • All staff members on Series B (Long Term) contracts who were not appointed by way of competition, in accordance with Article 44 of the General Standards, will be scheduled for external competition. If staff members win competition and they have more than 8 years of service under such type of contract, become eligible for a Continuing Contract provided that they meet the requirements in accordance with the new regulation.

14. Human Resources StrategyProposed Transition Plan Termination Indemnity for Continuing Contracts • Those Staff Members who as the date of implementation of the new strategy were eligible for Continuing Contract and have served 8 years or more with Series A and/or Series B contracts funded by the Regular Fund, will be entitled to termination indemnity under today’s regulation, provided they are granted a Continuing Contract. • Those Staff Members who become eligible for Continuing Contract after the date of implementation of the new strategy; if such contract is granted, will be entitled to termination indemnity under the new regulation.

15. Human Resources StrategySummary of GS/OAS Personnel

16. Human Resources StrategySummary of other GS/OAS Human Resources

17. Proposed Human Resource Strategyof the GS/OAS III. Human Resource Information Tools 17 Secretariat for Administration and Finance

18. Human Resources Information Tools In 2011, the General Secretariat began developing a new web-based set of Human Resources Information Tools for the use of management, staff, and the member states The tools are integrated into the OAS Personnel Data Base (OPDB), where information on all the human resources of the Organization is being centralized. The OPDB currently covers all staff members, associates, interns, and performance contractors. The OPDB provides real-time organigrams at all levels of the Organization. Recently updated information on supervisory relationships is currently being entered into the system. Deployment for all users is planned for the 4th quarter of 2012. 18

19. Human Resources Information Tools • The OPDB will integrate data from all of the OAS Human Resource data systems: • Personnel Actions (Hiring, Contract Renewal, Promotions) • Intern and Volunteer System • Leave Management System • Performance Evaluation • Results Based Contracting System (RBCS) for performance contractors • Project Management System (tracking the use of human resources in projects) • The OPDB is currently partially operational (green portions of the following chart) • Other elements are being redesigned(green/gray) or newly developed (gray) 19

20. Human Resources Information Tools RBCS – Results Based Contracting System PES – Performance Evaluation System OPDB - OAS Personnel Database LP – Local Professionals PARS – Personnel Action Request System TSP – Temporary Support Personnel LMS – Leave Management System PMS – Project Management System Organizational Chart Interns/ Volunteers System Payroll Reports OASES – OAS Enterprise System 20 System in Production Current system under revision System in Development

21. OPDB - OAS Personnel Database View of staff contracts by type 21

22. OPDB - OAS Personnel Database View of staffs by gender 22

23. OPDB - OAS Personnel Database View of staffs & CPR’s 23

24. OPDB - OAS Personnel Database View of staff by nationality 24

25. OPDB - OAS Personnel Database View of staff by age 25

26. OPDB Organizational Chart View of staff hierarchy 26

27. OPDB Organizational Chart View of staffs & CPR’s hierarchy 27

28. OPDB Organizational Chart View of staff details 28

29. RBCS – Results Based Contracting System View of active CPR contracts 29

30. RBCS – Results Based Contracting System View of a CPR contract detail 30

31. PES – Performance Evaluation System View of new version of Performance Evaluation 31

32. PMS – Project Management System View of a project detail 32