Grades meaning in United Nations organization
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Sometimes people get lost with so many information on the web, but here you will find a list with grades manning in UN organization.
Professional categories (P and D)
Grade P means Professional
Staff members in the Professional and higher categories (P and D) are normally internationally recruited and are expected to serve at different duty stations throughout their career with the United Nations Organization. They are part of management and operations support; economic and social development; political, peace and security; information systems and communication technology; legal; public information and external relations; conference management; and safety and security.
The P / Professional grades are itself categorized based on work experience you have:
P-1 no minimum experience required
P-2 minimum 2 years of work experience
P-3 minimum 5 years of work experience
P-4 minimum 7 years of work experience
P-5 minimum 10 years of work experience
P-6 minimum 15 years of work experience
P-7 more than 15 years of work experience
Grade D means Director
The D / Director grade has 2 levels and is the highest grade in the structure of the Organization for Professional staff.
Directors manage a programme of the Organization, They provide leadership in formulating and implementing the substantive work programme of an office, determine priorities, and allocate resources for the completion of outputs and their timely delivery.
D-1 minimum 15 years of work experience
D-2 more than 15 years of work experience
General Service and related categories (G, TC, S, PIA, LT)
Staff in General Services are hired nationally, but could be of any nationality. Internationals can apply also if they live and have a work permit to work in the country they want to be hired.
The functions in the General Service and related categories include administrative, secretarial and clerical support as well as specialized technical functions such as printing, security and buildings maintenance.
GS means General Services: Staff is locally recruited and they provide administrative and support services in both headquarter and field duty stations. Within GS category there are different levels requiring a minimum of professional work experience:
- G-1 to G-4 = minimum 1 to 4 years of professional work experience
- G-5 to G-6 = minimum 5 to 6 years of professional work experience
- G-7 (senior level) = minimum 7 years of professional work experience
Example if you look for a UN job and its grade is GS6, this means that category is General Services and requires minimum 5 years work experience.
Other General Services categories are:
- TC means Trade and Craft: Jobs such as drivers, electricians, building management and printing staff fall under the related category called Trades and Crafts (TC)
- S means Security: Security Officer jobs in New York are advertised as a separate category called Security (S)
- PIA means Public Information Assistant: Tour guides in New York as Public Information Assistants (PIA)
- LT means Language Teachers: These positions can be found only in New York and Geneva Language Teachers (LT)
- Personnel Service Agreement (PSA) holders: These individuals are hired locally (National PSA) or internationally (International PSA) for services that are necessary in helping the organization implement a time-limited and specific activity.
National Professional Officers
NO means National Professional Officers staff. They are normally locally recruited and perform functions at the professional level. These positions include human rights officers, political affairs officers, legal officers, medical officers, child protection officers, humanitarian affairs officers, interpreters and civil engineers.
There are five levels of National Professional Officers, A through E.
- A = minimum 1 to 2 years of work experience
- B = minimum 2 to 3 years of work experience
- C = minimum 5 years of work experience
- D = minimum 7 years of work experience
- E = over 7 years of work experience
Example if you look for a UN job and its grade is NOC, this means that category is National Professional Officer and requires minimum 5 years work experience.
Field Service (FS)
Staff in the Field Service category are normally recruited internationally to serve in field missions. You are expected to be highly mobile and to serve in different locations during your career.
Field Service staff members provide administrative, technical, logistics and other support services to United Nations field missions.
Mid-level Field Service
- FS-4 minimum 6 years work experience
- FS-5 minimum 8 years work experience
Senior level Field Service
- FS-6* minimum 10 years work experience
- FS-7* minimum 12 years work experience
Service contract holders
UN organizations sometimes engages personnel in its field locations as non-staff service contract holders.
Service contracts are issued in increments from 6 months up to one year.
Service contract holders must be nationals of, or hold a work permit in, the country of employment.
Typically, they work in support of the project activities of implementing partners, provide a government with additional personnel with technical or operational skills, or support functions that would normally be outsourced to a company (e.g., janitor, gardener).
There are five types of service contracts:
SB1 – This represents work in the custodial, maintenance, security, driving and messenger areas; this is considered mechanical and physical operations.
SB2 – This represents work of a more basic processing, support nature, including clerical and secretarial work as well as certain technical functions; this work requires appropriate educational background and relevant work experience.
SB3 – This represents work of a specialized and comprehensive support nature, progressing to integrated execution at the higher level; this work requires appropriate educational background and relevant work experience.
SB4 – This represents work of an analytical nature, requiring basic conceptual comprehension; this work requires appropriate educational background and relevant work experience.
SB5 – This represents work of a conceptual, analytical and advisory nature at the higher professional level, related to development, humanitarian and emergency project work that requires substantive innovation and may involve functions that are supervisory in nature to oversee project activities. Qualifications at this level include a postgraduate degree and relevant experience commensurate with the job.
Senior appointments
The highest positions in the Secretariat either by appointment of the Organization’s legislative organs or Chief Administrative Officer include:
- Secretary-General: Appointed by the General Assembly, on the recommendation of the Security Council
- Deputy Secretary-General: Appointed by the Secretary-General following consultations with Member States
- Under-Secretary-General (USG): A Head of Department, appointed by the Secretary-General
- Assistant Secretary-General (ASG): A Head of Office, appointed by the Secretary-General
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