UNGSC recognizes that each Field Mission has its own particularities and therefore requires tailored solutions. To that end, UNGSC’s expert teams deploy in the field to work directly with Mission personnel. One key example is in the area of Supply Chain and asset management.
Learning from the experience of the recent liquidation of the United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), the UNGSC Supply Chain Service (SCS) is committed to ensuring a robust global asset management approach, particularly for Heavy Equipment with a high acquisition value and low utilization.
UNGSC is now applying these lessons to other Missions, such as the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), where UNGSC’s Supply Chain Service Team conducted preliminary technical inspections (both in remote sites and in Juba) and subsequent on-site meetings with UNMISS personnel.
These visits allowed the Team to determine if any High Value Assets (acquisition value greater than $250,000) were suitable for the 3R (Return-Refurbish-Reuse) programme. Team members also learned more about challenges on the ground, particularly in areas such as Malakal and Bentiu (the latter is currently an ‘island’ due to excessive floodwaters, complicating logistical operations and day-to-day activities).
This hands-on approach enables UNGSC to provide expert support in several areas, including technical support; Umoja expertise; guidance on how to prevent asset obsolescence, handle asset surplus, and receive continued assistance for engineering and preventive maintenance; as well as how to navigate ongoing supply chain disruption.
Looking to the future, UNGSC, in consultation with the United Nations Regional Service Centre Entebbe (RSCE), and the Forward Strategic Deployment Hub, is exploring the possibility of transferring certain commodities to Entebbe to establish a Regional Deployment Stock location for suitable key items, further enhancing coordination and worldwide logistical support.
