| Current (1980) criteria | The Commission recommends to the General Assembly the following system-wide criteria for the employment of NPOs at non-headquarters duty stations: | ||
| a) | National Professionals should be employed only for functions at field offices which by their nature require national knowledge and experience and so cannot be carried out as effectively by international professionals. Job descriptions for NPO posts should clearly indicate those functions which require national knowledge and experience; | a) | The employment of NPOs by a given common system organization should be grounded in a policy framework established by that organization's legislative body. This practice should be set forth in a clearly enunciated policy statement demonstrating its consistency with the organization's operational requirements; |
| b) | The functions in question should be justifiable within the overall efforts of the United Nations system to increase national development and other capabilities; | b) | National Professional Officers should be nationals of the country where they are to serve, should be recruited locally and should not be subject to assignment to any duty station outside the home country; |
| c) | The intention being to hand these functions over to the host government or appropriate national institution, the duration of particular National Professional functions should be limited; | c) | The work performed by NPOs should have a national content. It should be at the Professional level and the same standards of recruitment qualifications and performance as are required for other Professional staff should apply. The functions of all National Professional Officer posts should be justifiable within the overall efforts of the United Nations system to increase national development and other related capabilities. National Professional Officers should bring to bear in the job national experience and knowledge of local culture, language, traditions and institutions; |
| d) | National Professional Officers should be national of the country where they are to serve; | d) | Organizations employing NPOs should maintain a balance between international and local Professionals appropriate to their needs, bearing in mind the need to preserve the universal character and the independence of the international civil service; |
| e) | National Professional Officers should be locally recruited; their remuneration should be on the basis of best prevailing conditions in the locality for nationals carrying out functions at the same level; | e) | National Professional Officer posts should be graded on the basis of the Master Standard for the classification of Professional posts (and related Tier II standards where these have been developed). Their conditions of service should be established in accordance with the principle of the best prevailing conditions in the locality for nationals carrying out functions at the same level, through the application of the NPO salary survey methodology promulgated by ICSC; |
| f) | The work to be performed should correspond to Professional level work; posts should be classified in accordance with the job classification standards promulgated by the Commission. | f) | The career prospects of NPOs are necessarily limited, given (i) the continued employment of international staff in senior management positions, (ii) the number of grades in the category and (iii) the fact that the functions they perform may be finite. Organizations should make NPOs aware of these limitations. Within that context, however, organizations should endeavour to develop the potential of NPOs as a matter of sound personnel policy. |
(a) Policy: NPOs will be employed at established offices away from Headquarters and on field projects to complement FAO's international expertise with national professional experience. The use of NPOs, through their in-depth knowledge of social conditions, local culture, language, traditions and institutions will enhance the technical and social content, delivery and effectiveness of FAO's projects and programmes. Their employment will strengthen national capacities through the fostering of their managerial, technical, administrative and research capabilities.
(b) Legal status and functions: NPOs will be staff members of the Organization. They will be nationals of the country where they serve, locally recruited and will not be assigned outside their home country. NPOs will perform functions of a professional nature requiring local knowledge and experience.
(c) Conditions of service: Conditions of employment will be established in accordance with the principle of the best prevailing conditions in the locality for nationals carrying out functions at the same level. On the basis of this principle, salary scales will be established in accordance with the salary survey methodology approved by ICSC. National Professional Officers will otherwise be entitled to the same allowances and benefits as General Service staff, excluding the language allowance and overtime compensation. Subject to the fulfilment of the requirements of the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund (UNJSPF) Regulations and Rules, NPOs will participate in the UNJSPF. They will also be participants in the Organization's medical plans.
(d) Classification of posts: The Master Standard for the classification of professional posts currently used in the organizations of the UN common system will apply.
(e) Duration of assignment: Due to the limitations imposed by the size and structure of established offices away from Headquarters and field projects, the functions that NPOs perform will normally be of a short/medium-term nature. NPOs will be appointed on a short-term or fixed-term basis. Their appointments may be renewed, depending on the duration of the programme or project.
(f) Recruitment: The same standards and qualifications as those required for the recruitment of other Professional staff will apply to NPOs. The recruitment of NPOs will not be subject to the system of geographical distribution, since they are not internationally recruited. Candidates for NPO posts must meet the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity. They will be required to be proficient in the working language of the Field Office and the working language(s) of the country concerned. Vacancies for NPO posts will be advertised locally. The FAO Representative of the country concerned will be responsible for providing evaluations of candidates and a short-list of those fully qualified. Selection will be made at Headquarters, through normal selection procedures.
