IE University hosts the annual UNLOCK Peer Exchange powered by UNSSC

Last week, the United Nations Laboratory for Organizational Change and Knowledge (UNLOCK) organized its annual event in collaboration with IE University at the IE Tower in Madrid. The gathering brought together leaders and change management professionals to discuss the challenges and opportunities of organizational transformation within the UN context.

The event featured participants from various organizations, including the UN, United Nations Development Coordination Office, ILO, World Bank Group, UNSSC, ICAO, UNOPS, UNHCR, UN Women, IMF, ReosPartners, IMO, UNJSPF, WFP, World Meteorological Organization, UNFPA, WIPO, IAEA, IOM, ITU, WHO, UNICEF, and UNDP. It provided a fruitful exchange of ideas and strategies, fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration among participants.

In response to the urgent need for transformation within the United Nations system, the United Nations System Staff College (UNSSC) launched the UN Lab for Organizational Change and Knowledge (UNLOCK) in 2015. UNLOCK is an innovative initiative designed to guide, connect, and empower change management professionals across the UN system, enhancing their capacity to lead complex change and establishing change management as a standard practice across all organizational entities.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development calls on all stakeholders, including the UN, to transform the way we work. To become more agile and effective, the UN is developing and scaling new approaches that promote agility, integration, and cohesion, all part of a transformation towards a UN 2.0. This transformation requires a significant shift in mindset, practices, and structures, ensuring that UN staff are equipped with the right mix of skills and capacities to think, innovate, and act cohesively. But is the UN system ready for change?

UNLOCK directly addresses this challenge with a focus on innovation, collaboration, leadership, and staff engagement. Through its targeted interventions, UNLOCK connects the entire UN family in promoting organizational change and innovation at all levels. These interventions benefit from the Staff College’s deep understanding of the UN system and its shared values, as well as its ability to leverage insights and data from a broad network of collaborators.

UNLOCK works to change how the UN operates through three interrelated and mutually reinforcing service lines: providing strategic advice and support to senior leaders to drive complex organizational changes; connecting change management professionals across the UN, facilitating a continuous exchange of ideas, experiences, and best practices; and supporting the development of skills and capacities in UN staff to lead and manage change effectively in increasingly volatile contexts.