Provision of Professional Services for the United Nations Financial Disclosure Programme

A. Background 1. The United Nations Ethics Office was established by the Secretary General on 1 January 2006 in order to secure the highest standards of integrity within the Organization. As part of its mandate, the Ethics Office is entrusted with administering the United Nations’ Financial Disclosure Program (FDP), which is an important component of the Secretary General’s mission to maintain and enhance public trust in the United Nations. 2. The financial disclosure programme was promulgated by the Secretary General in 2006 by virtue of the Secretary General’s bulletin ST/SGB/2006/6. The United Nations General Assembly has underscored the importance of the financial disclosure programme as a means of identifying, managing and mitigating conflict of interest risks in order to strengthen public trust in the integrity of the Organization while protecting the confidentiality and privacy of personal information. B. Objectives 1. The Ethics Office seeks to procure the services of an experienced and widely recognized independent consulting/ risk management services firm with demonstrated expertise, preferably with public-sector experience, in the administration of financial disclosure programmes. 2. The objective of the financial disclosure program is to identify, manage and mitigate the risk of actual or possible conflicts of interests arising from holdings and/or other outside interests, activities and affiliations of staff members, their spouses and dependent children, taking into account the staff member’s official duties and responsibilities particularly discretionary authority and information to which he or she may have access by virtue of his or her position. C. Responsibilities 1. Identify conflicts of interest and other potential breaches of UN standards of conduct by confidentially reviewing, analyzing and auditing (if required) all financial disclosure and declaration of interest statements. 2. Develop methodology to manage and mitigate conflicts of interest. 3. Provide advice and recommend action to be taken by filers and liaise with staff members who have filed statements in order to help resolve conflicts of interest. 4. Advise and guide staff members on how and what to file under the financial disclosure programme and advise and familiarise UN staff on practices and procedures employed by the firm. 5. Provide regular reports and updated information as required by the United Nations and the Ethics Office. 6. Develop and maintain an electronic filing and review system in coordination with the United Nations . 7. Provide hosting and system administration services for the electronic filing and review system. 8. Ensure the confidentiality and security of the information provided by staff members: 9. Evaluate practices and procedures: Update and improve practices and procedures concerning the financial disclosure program on an as needed basis according to lessons learned throughout the contract period and feedback from the Ethics Office. D. Specific Requirements: The firm is expected to meet the following qualifications: 1. Registration as certified financial management/consulting services firm. 2. Proven record of successfully administering financial disclosure programmes, conflict of interest programmes or similar undertakings.