The 2016-17 Programme of Work and Budget will consolidate the existing actions within the Medium Term Plan and the Strategic Framework, emphasizing areas to reflect recent trends and developments, with a modest increase in the budget level.  

Key trends emerging during 2014 that will shape the future of FAO’s work were outlined in the Red Room yesterday, including the post-2015 development agenda, climate change, and nutrition. Along with the recently released Programme of Work and Budget 2016-17, the meeting was presented with the main facts and figures that will drive the Organization’s work over the next biennium. 

Eight higher priority areas of work have been identified and accordingly, resources within the PWB amounting to USD 14.2 million have been reallocated. These areas include nutrition; climate change; South-South Cooperation and resource mobilization; support to UN resident coordinator system, technical capacity in social protection and gender, statistics, aquaculture and Globally Important Agriculture Heritage Systems (GIAHs).   

Adapting to new realities

To further assist countries in addressing their regional priorities to achieve results with FAO, particularly to adapt to the effects of climate change in the Small Island Developing States (SIDS), the Director General has proposed a real increase of USD 6.1 million to bring the Technical Cooperation Programme to 14 percent of the net appropriation. 

Taking stock of current situations and with a holistic view of the Organization’s work, areas for de-emphasis and realignment have been ascertained for the first time. Shifts in focus will involve plant production, agro-industry and marketing, tenure, geospatial information systems, fisheries and aquaculture, forestry, livestock, nuclear application techniques, nutrition, partnership, advocacy and capacity development, statistics, water and land resources and climate change and energy.

Improved delivery

Implementation arrangements have been made to ensure improved delivery through the Corporate Programmes Monitoring board, delivery mechanisms and delivery managers followed up by monitoring and reporting.

Minor changes are envisaged for the organizational structure, while the capacity of decentralized offices will continue to be strengthened for effective delivery on the ground. 

Efficiency and savings

The Organization will continue in its pursuit of a culture of value for money and efficiency. Since 2012, USD 108.2 million in savings have been found with the abolition of 235 posts. Any significant further cost savings may only be achieved through containment of staff costs.  The vast majority of the staff cost components at FAO fall outside the authority of the Director-General, and are under the purview of the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC) and/or the General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.  

What FAO needs to execute its Programme of Work and Budget in 2016-17

The proposed net appropriation (before cost increases) is USD 1,011.7 million, representing a 0.6 percent increase over the current biennium. Cost increases stemming primarily from increases in staff costs amount to USD 34.3 million. Therefore, the total proposed net budgetary appropriation to be funded from assessed contributions is USD 1,046.1 million.

The PWB 2016-17 is published at www.fao.org/pwb