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This challenge is only open to United Nations system colleagues, including Agencies, Funds and Programmes
COVID-19 has fundamentally changed our ways of working in the UN. We have had to adapt to working remotely, postpone or cancel duty travel, learn how to move events to virtual platforms, and much more. The pandemic presents unexpected challenges, but also numerous opportunities for collaboration, innovation, learning and transforming the UN together. When the dust settles, what has this difficult time taught us that we want to hold on to?
For the UN to Reimagine the UN Together towards a more inclusive, agile and participatory organisation that is resilient to crises going forward, the collective creativity and energy of as many UN system colleagues as possible will be needed to co-create the change needed. That’s what the Reimagine the UN Together Challenge is all about. It's a place to collectively imagine the Next UN, building on lessons learned during the COVID-19 crisis.
What is the Reimagine the UN Together Challenge?
The Reimagine the UN Together is a UN system-wide ideation and crowdsourcing challenge to unleash the creativity, experience and skills of colleagues from across the UN to share, innovate and scale solutions to common business challenges we are experiencing in the COVID-19 crisis and to contribute toward building a more resilient, agile UN.
The focus areas for the Reimagine the UN Together Challenge were identified through a UN-wide Pulse Check, in which more than 4,600 colleagues from across the UN system shared challenges and highlighted opportunity areas.
Why should you participate?
Help reimagine and shape the UN of the future!
Collaborate with colleagues from across the UN to refine ideas, gather feedback and co-create change
Present your idea or project in a UN wide Dragons' Den event
When will the Reimagine the UN Together Challenge take place?
What challenges are we trying to solve?
Challenge: How might we better integrate agile practices such as flexible programming, budgeting and policy design; and responsive decision-making in the UN system
Challenge: How might we improve knowledge sharing, collaboration and resource pooling more effectively across the UN system to build back better and prepare for future crises?
Challenge: How might we better support our colleagues in times of change and crises, including through access to information, tools, training, resources and enabling effective communication and dialogue'?
Follow these steps to participate in this Challenge:
- Create your account on Unite Ideas:
- Make sure to use your official UN e-mail address, accounts created with using other addresses (e.g. joe@gmail.com, or maria@yahoo.com) will not have access to this challenge.
- View this video on how to create your account.
- Access the challenge page to view ideas submitted and to submit your own idea (you must be logged in).
If you have any issues please write to uniteideas@un.org
How can you participate?
Submit a new idea or an existing project
Browse other ideas and share your thoughts and expertise
Join ideas or teams you would like to be a part of
Learn more about innovation and co-creation by participating in workshops
Ideas and projects will be evaluated, amongst others, by their potential for impact, the novelty of the idea, their feasibility and their potential for scale-ability. Priority will be given to innovation projects and solutions that are jointly led by multiple UN Entities or ones that could benefit or be scaled across different UN entities.
Who is behind the Reimagine the UN Together Challenge?
The challenge is being developed and driven by an alliance of interested individuals, networks and departments across the UN system, such as the UN Development Coordination Office, the UN Innovation Network, #NewWork, the UN System Staff College, Young UN: Agents for Change and the Office of Information and Communications Technology, in consultation with staff unions and other key bodies. Interested partners are welcome to join the project team at any time!
Members of the Alliance who have in their personal, network or organisational capacity submitted ideas or projects to the Challenge, have not been involved in any part of the assessment of ideas, including the review of ideas, access to documentation about the shortlisting of projects or scoring criteria, or participation in selection meetings.
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