COMO LAS HICE
6. El príncipe se reencuentra con Cenicienta y le pone la zapatilla.
D.1.
Administrative Matters
A pilot of an Agency-wide charging system for procurement services has been initiated and seems to be successful.
247. In my report last year, I recommended considering the establishment of
an Agency-wide charging system for procurement services.
The Secretariat has introduced a procurement card pilot for low value items to be procured over the Internet, or in the event of an emergency crisis. The pilot use of the procurement card seemed to be successful so the Secretariat intends to fully implement the widespread use of such cards for low value/low risk procurement by the end of Quarter 3 of 2010.
Consultants will be hired at the Professional level within the promulgated fee range.
248. I recommended that the Agency should recruit consultants only at the
professional level and should comply with the given limit for consultant fees. The Secretariat informed me that consultants will be hired at the Professional level within the promulgated fee range. Any rare need for an exceptional approval will be a matter for the Director General. I appreciate the efforts made and will follow further developments.
D.2.
Travel
The recommended separation of duty travel reporting from claim submission was implemented.249. In my report last year I pointed out that the processing of travel claims
could be accelerated. In this connection I recommended considering the separation of duty travel reporting from claim submission. This was implemented by the Agency as of 1 January 2009. My team and I will review during this year whether this has resulted in positive effects.
The existing rules prevent the Agency from making considerable savings. Staff travel rules have been revised but have still not been issued officially.
250. In my report last year I recommended considering a reasonable
extension of the acceptable travel time in order to make significant savings in the costs of duty travel. In the course of the audit of travel, I noticed that the time frame set forth in the existing rules prevents the Agency from saving significant amounts. I recommended changing the rules in such a way that the time frame would be extended in cases where costs could be reduced by at least 10 %. The rules have meanwhile been revised but have not yet been issued officially.
A decision on how to proceed with the reduction of the lump sum entitlement for home leave travel is still pending.
251. I encouraged the Secretariat to consider the OIOS recommendation to
reduce the lump sum entitlement for home leave travel from 75% to 65 %. A decision on how to proceed with this proposal was expected within the first quarter of 2009, but an official announcement is still pending. As revised staff travel rules have not yet been issued officially, I will follow further developments during the course of this year.
D.3.
Safeguards and Nuclear Security
The Secretariat hastaken further corrective measures to improve inventory control.
252. In my previous reports, I recommended that every case of missing
Safeguards Inspection Equipment should be explained by the person responsible. Moreover, OIOS should play a more active role in equipment management and in the monitoring of stocktaking. The Secretariat reported that all procedures for collecting explanations for missing equipment by
responsible persons are currently in place. Further, OIOS monitored the stocktaking of the Safeguards Inspection Equipment in December 2009 and submitted a comprehensive report on this issue. I will keep this matter under review.
D.4.
Incident and Emergency Centre
The Secretariat plan toimplement my recommendations concerning the Incident and Emergency Centre.
253. In my report last year, I recommended that IAEA staff cooperate more
closely with the Incident and Emergency Centre (IEC). Furthermore, the Secretariat should implement rules and routines enabling the IEC to recruit personnel for regular training and exercises. In the context of the IEC's on- call system, test calls should also be performed outside office hours. We appreciate that the Secretariat plans to enhance training sessions and that they perform test calls outside office hours as recommended.
D.5.
Information Technology
There have been someimprovements in IT policy. Continuous efforts in these areas are necessary.
254. As for IT policy, there are notable deficiencies which concern
implementation and application of norms, transparency of IT staffing, coordination and implementation strategies, IT security plans and economic feasibility studies. Moreover, I recommended that the Secretariat has to develop specifications and to implement them in daily business. The Secretariat informed me that they have made substantive continuous improvements and adjustments in these areas. We appreciate the initial steps taken and encourage the Secretariat continuing its efforts.
I reiterate my recommendation to strengthen the CIO’s position. He should be responsible for the entire IT budget.
255. I had recommended strengthening the CIO’s position. The Secretariat
did not agree because they are of the opinion that the CIO currently has adequate organizational strength. Nevertheless, I reiterate my recommendation because I still noted deficits, which were typical and significant for the lack of a central decision-maker. One example of the need to strengthen the position of the CIO concerns his attempt to obtain transparency in the Agency’s IT budget. Because of the lack of a coordinated budgeting process, the CIO tried to get an overview by data collection. Although much information was delivered on a voluntary basis, the target of transparency failed because a number of units dealing with IT did not participate. I think that the CIO should not only ask for a response, he should have the authority to ensure compliance from all units. In order to create an efficient IT organization these responsibilities are essential as a basis for strategic decisions, as well as for a more centralized and integrated policy concerning IT budgeting.
The efforts to achieve synergies in IT organization should be broadened and also specified.
256. In previous reports, I recommended achieving maximum synergies in IT
organization. The directors of MTIT and SGIM declared in a joint document that they want to work in full coordination to ensure that the Agency’s resources associated to IT are increasingly organized in an optimal way. I welcomed this intention, but pointed out shortcomings in my last report. These concerned the level of detail in the work plan, lack of a specific time schedule and involvement of units dealing with IT besides MTIT and SGIM. The Secretariat informed me that they are now working to engrain the concepts contained in this document more broadly among MTIT and SGIM staff in order to ensure a fully collaborative and cooperative IT management corporate culture. In addition, MTIT is defining service level agreements with other units dealing with IT. In my view, although these arrangements cause some synergies, the effects would be improved if the related efforts were
broadened and also specified. In addition to engraining a corporate management culture in the two large units dealing with IT, there should be measurable targets and documented reviews of progress reached. I am therefore still of the opinion that in this context a detailed project plan should be executed.
I encourage the Agency to coordinate its activities concerning the disaster recovery infrastructure.
257. I invited the Agency to consider a common “one house” approach to the
development and implementation of a disaster recovery infrastructure (DRI). The Secretariat informed me that MTIT is responsible for DRI and tests are planned for 2010. Otherwise I noted that there are separate plans concerning DRI in other units dealing with IT, e.g. SGIM, which is also an example of the failure to achieve synergies in IT. I encourage the Agency to coordinate its activities in this respect as well and to incorporate business continuity aspects more intensively. I will revisit this issue at a later stage.
Measures have been taken to align IT security standards in headquarters and decentralized locations.
258. I pointed out that security standards concerning IT items are lower in
decentralized locations than in headquarters. The Secretariat reported that they have taken action on this, e. g. SGIM is carrying out an alignment of SG regional offices on the standards of headquarters, also some IT security activities have been planned in the laboratories at Seibersdorf and Monaco. I welcome the steps taken and will follow their effects.
D.6.
Recommendations resulting from prior years´ findings
The Secretariat shouldgive high priority to reaching a physically secure Agency-wide data centre.
259. Fire protection is still inadequate in the Agency-wide data centre. I
encouraged the Secretariat to implement phase III of the project to create a single data centre urgently and to mobilize necessary funds by prioritizing IT projects. I will follow up on this matter.
The security situation in Seibersdorf has
improved; the perimeter fence is still not completed. I will follow up on this development.
260. In my reports for the years 2004 to 2008, I have reported on dangers
arising from the security situation of the IAEA’s laboratory compound in Seibersdorf. The Secretariat informed me of the progress concerning access control and the parking situation. The problem of perimeter fencing has still not been solved. The necessary land has been officially transferred to the IAEA. The perimeter fence will be completed once funding is available. I will follow up on this development and, if necessary, continue reporting on this issue.