OPS on its Own

Abstract

Beyond developing a strategy and reforming, OPS staff still had many other things to do. They had to continue their normal work in service delivery, while attempting to address client confusion about OPS’ future. However, staff could not fully resolve this confusion; they themselves did not know what was going to happen. In addition, they had to continue the preparations for the possible merger with DDSMS. After the last Governing Council meeting, the Secretariat and the government representatives were strongly aware of the problems surrounding the merger. It had also become increasingly clear to them that it was necessary to make a decision on OPS’s status soon. This chapter describes the decision-making processes concerning the merger, as well as the final outcome, and the consequences for OPS and its relationships with other UN organizations.