United Nations Office at Geneva: Audit of UNOG Education Grants (AE2004-311-03), 29 Sep 2004
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United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services (UN OIOS) 29 Sep 2004 report titled "Audit of UNOG Education Grants [AE2004-311-03]" relating to the United Nations Office at Geneva. The report runs to 17 printed pages.
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UNITED NATIONS NATIONS UNIES
INTEROFFICE MEMORANDUM MEMORANDUM INTERIEUR
AUD II-7-4: 5 (475/04) 29 September 2004
TO: Mr. Sergei Ordzhonikidze
Director-General
United Nations Office at Geneva
FROM: Egbert C. Kaltenbach, Director
Internal Audit Division II
Office of Internal Oversight Services
SUBJECT: OIOS Audit of UNOG Education Grants (AE2004/311/03)
1. I am pleased to submit the final report on the audit of UNOG Education Grants, which
was conducted between March and June 2004 by Esa P��kk�nen and Doremieke Kruithof.
2. A draft of the report was shared with the Director of the Division of Administration on
13 August 2004, whose comments, which were received in 8 September 2004, are reflected in
the final report.
3. I am pleased to note that most of the audit recommendations contained in this final
report have been accepted and that the UNOG Division of Administration has initiated their
implementation. I wish to draw your attention to recommendations 1, 5, 6, 7 and 10, which
OIOS considers to be of critical importance.
4. I would appreciate if you could provide me with an update on the status of
implementation of the audit recommendations not later than 30 November 2004. This will
facilitate the preparation of the twice yearly report to the Secretary-General on the
implementation of recommendations, required by General Assembly Resolution 48/218B.
5. Please note that OIOS is assessing the overall quality of its audit process. I therefore
kindly request that you consult with your managers who dealt directly with the auditors,
complete the attached client satisfaction survey form and return it to me under confidential
cover.
6. Thank you for your cooperation.
Attachment: Client Satisfaction Survey Form
cc: Ms. C. Bertini, Under-Secretary-General for Management (by e-mail)
Mr. B. Juppin de Fondaumi�re, Director, Division of Administration, UNOG (by e-mail)
Ms. H. Featherstone, Executive Secretary, UN Board of Auditors
Mr. T. Rajaobelina, Deputy Director of External Audit (by e-mail)
Mr. M. Tapio, Programme Officer, OUSG, OIOS (by e-mail)
Ms. E. Burns, Chief, Special Assignments Section, IAD II, OIOS (by e-mail)
Mr. E. P��kk�nen, Auditor-in-Charge, IAD II, OIOS (by e-mail)
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UNITED NATIONS
Office of Internal Oversight Services
Internal Audit Division II
Assignment AE2004/311/03 29 September 2004
Audit Report E04/R011
OIOS AUDIT OF UNOG EDUCATION GRANTS
Auditors:
Esa P��kk�nen
Doremieke Kruithof
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UNITED NATIONS NATIONS UNIES
Office of Internal Oversight Services
Internal Audit Division II
OIOS AUDIT OF UNOG EDUCATION GRANTS (AE2004/311/03)
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
From March to June 2004, OIOS conducted an audit of the administration of the education
grant entitlement by UNOG. The audit covered expenditure of US$ 17.8 million for the
academic years 2001/2002 and 2002/2003.
Overall Assessment
� Education grant related activities of UNOG were adequately administered and the
majority of key controls were being applied. However, the application of certain
important controls lacked consistency and/or effectiveness. In order not to compromise
the overall system of internal control, timely corrective action by management is
required.
Audit Findings and Recommendations
� In OIOS' opinion, the UN regulations and rules concerning the education grant
entitlement, as a result of educational trends and technological developments such as
distance and e-learning, do not fully reflect what is currently considered post-secondary
education. OIOS recommended that UNOG advocate a revision of the education grant
entitlement to bring it up-to-date and to allow more convenient and flexible education
arrangements for staff members' children. UNOG concurred with OIOS' recommendation.
� OIOS assessed that UNOG expeditiously processed education grant advances and claims;
only a few exceptions were found. Moreover, possibly because of the workload, which is
intense at certain periods, there were a few errors in processing. OIOS was pleased to
note, however, that prompt action was taken to correct any errors found.
� Although the number of cases was limited UNOG had not applied the administrative
instruction on `Recovery of Overpayments Made to Staff Members' (ST/AI/2000/11) in a
consistent manner. OIOS recommended a `one-off recovery' of excess education grant
advances paid. It is not appropriate that the recovery of advances is treated in the same
manner as the recovery of overpayments. Action is being taken and an Information
Circular will be issued.
� The certification of education grant claims was not always consistent meaning that staff
were not treated fairly. To ensure a more consistent approach, OIOS recommended that
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consideration be given by the Human Resources Management Service (HRMS) to
centralizing the certification of the education grant claims for complex cases, including
special education grant claims and pro-rated education grant claims.
� In OIOS' opinion, the Administrative Instructions relating to the eligibility for the 100
per cent reimbursement of special education need to be reviewed and clarified to ensure
UN staff are treated equally. Some officers certified a 100 per cent reimbursement of all
the school fees, whilst others only certified 100 per cent of the special educational
arrangements provided. OIOS recommended that UNOG raise the issue of special
education grant with the Office of Human Resources Management (OHRM) and the
Office of Legal Affairs, to clarify the applicable UN provisions. Also, there is a need to
obtain a clearer definition of "disabled child" and/or "disability", and to ensure that these
are henceforth applied in a fair and consistent manner. UNOG concurred with OIOS'
observations and indicated that they will seek clarification from OHRM.
� OIOS found several staff members of French nationality, who claimed and received
education grant based on their alleged residence in Switzerland, while actually residing in
France. OIOS recommended that before obtaining education grant, staff members of
French nationality be requested to submit proof of residence in Switzerland. UNOG
claimed in view of the particular geographical situation of Geneva, staff members can
establish residence in either or both countries and easily obtain two certificates of
residence. An in-depth screening of all attestations/certificates would be extremely time-
consuming and not necessarily conclusive. OIOS re-emphasizes the importance of this
issue and trusts that the UNOG is able to define acceptable proof of residence using for
example documentation required for rental subsidy as reference.
- September 2004 -
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER Paragraphs
I. INTRODUCTION 1-6
II. AUDIT OBJECTIVES 7
III. AUDIT SCOPE AND METHODOLOGY 8-10
IV. AUDIT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
A. Regulations, rules and administrative instructions 11-14
B. Geneva school tax reimbursement 15-16
C. Education grant advance/claims and recovery processing 17-24
D. Special education grant 25-31
E. P.41 form 32-35
F. Information system support 36-39
G. Other issues 40-48
V. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 49
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I. INTRODUCTION
1. From March to June 2004, OIOS conducted an audit of the administration of the
education grant entitlement by UNOG. The audit was conducted in accordance with the
Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing, promulgated by the Institute of
Internal Auditors and adopted by the Internal Audit Services of the United Nations
Organizations.
2. Education grant is an expatriate benefit which is payable to staff members with
respect to the educational expenses of each of their dependant children. A staff member is
entitled to an education grant if (i) he or she is regarded as an international recruit under
staff rule 104.7 and resides and serves at a duty station, which is outside his or her home
country. In addition to that (ii) the child concerned has to be in full time attendance at a
school, university or similar educational institution, and (iii) the appointment or the
assignment of the staff member has to be for a minimum period of six months or, if
initially for a period of less than six months, it has to be extended, so that the total
continuous service is at least six months (staff rule 103.20 (b)).
3. The relevant UN staff rules, administrative instructions and information circulars
governing the education grant entitlement are:
� Staff Regulation 3.2
� Staff Rules 103.20 and 203.8
� ST/AI/1999/4 "Education grant and special education grant for disabled children" (as
amended by ST/AI/2002/1 "Administrative Instruction amending ST/AI/1999/4")
� ST/AI/2000/6 "Special Entitlements for Staff Members Serving at Designated Duty
Stations" (Part II: "Special entitlements related to education grant")
� ST/IC/1999/51 "Education grant and special education grant for disabled children"
(effective as from the school year in progress on 1 January 1999) and Amendment I
thereof dated 12 January 2001.
� ST/IC/2002/5 "Education grant and special education grant for disabled children";
including Annex "Education grant entitlements applicable in cases where educational
expenses are incurred in currencies stated below" (applicable from January 2002) and
Amendment I thereof dated 23 December 2002.
� ST/IC/Geneva/3277 "Reimbursement of the Education Levy" dated 11 November 1985.
� ST/AI/2004/2 "Education grant and special education grant for disabled children" dated
24 June 2004.
4. In Geneva, several organizations make use of the administrative services of UNOG.
At UNOG, the Financial Resources Management Service (FRMS) approves the payments
and maintains the accounting records. The education grant entitlement is paid by the
General Payments Unit (GPU) of FRMS.
5. In September 2000, OIOS issued a proactive investigation report `Proactive
investigation of the education grant entitlement' (A/55/352). It was found that the
processing and administration of education grant was cumbersome and consideration
should be given to simplifying it.
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2
6. A draft of this report was shared with the Director of the Division of Administration
on 13 August 2004, whose comments have been reflected in the report in italics. The
UNOG Division of Administration has accepted most of the recommendations made and is
in the process of implementing them.
II. AUDIT OBJECTIVES
7. The main objectives of the audit were to:
� Assess the administration of the education grant entitlement at UNOG;
� Evaluate the adequacy, effectiveness and efficiency of internal controls;
� Evaluate whether adequate guidance and procedures are in place;
� Determine the reliability and integrity of the data available from the present systems;
� Ensure compliance with UN regulations, rules, policies and procedures.
III. AUDIT SCOPE AND METHODOLOGY
8. The audit focused on education grant entitlements covering the period of years
2001 to 2003. In addition, for specific cases, an in-depth review was conducted of staff
members claims going beyond the 2001 to 2003 period. The expenditure related to
education grant was US$ 17.8 million during 2001 to 2003. The number of staff members
and their children benefiting from the education grant entitlement during the same period
was 728 and 1,179 respectively.
9. The audit activities included a review and assessment of the internal control
systems, interviews with staff, an analysis of applicable data and a review of the available
documents and other relevant records. As a normal audit procedure a third party
confirmation was performed by contacting the schools concerned on randomly selected
education grants claims.
10. Education grant for UNHCR staff members was excluded from the audit scope as
an audit of the UNHCR education grant entitlement had been conducted in 2003.
IV. AUDIT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
A. Regulations, rules and administrative instructions
11. Distance learning has been a mainstream method of post-secondary education for
over 40 years. Yet, ST/AI/2004/2, dated 24 June 2004 considers "correspondence courses,
including "internet-based courses" as non-admissible "except where such courses are the
only available substitute for full-time attendance at a school of a type not available at the
duty station, or where such courses are related to academic subjects that are not included in
the regular school curriculum but are required for the child's subsequent education"
(Section 3.5 (c)).
12. Today, distance learning is considered as an alternative approach to more
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3
conventional teaching methods, and several universities offer this in addition to their
normal full-time attendance curriculum. It is particularly pertinent in today's society where
technological developments have made synchronous, multi-site teaching facilities
increasingly viable. Further, the Internet has brought dramatic changes to the learning
environment, and has led to the development of virtual learning or "e-learning". There is an
increase in the number of students enrolling in such courses, which is a cost effective
option in comparison to traditional post-secondary education.
13. OIOS noted that distance learning courses are already eligible for reimbursement
under WHO rules and procedures, and UNOG, contrary to the present rules, has already
exceptionally approved the reimbursement of such a course to a staff member. OIOS would
recommend a more active involvement of UNOG in advocating and promoting the revision
of the education grant entitlement with the Office of Human Resources Management
(OHRM) to bring it up-to-date with current trends and developments and to allow more
convenient and flexible educational arrangements for staff members' children.
Recommendation:
The UNOG Division of Administration should advocate and
promote a revision of the education grant entitlement with the
Office of Human Resources Management to bring it up-to-date
with current trends and developments and to allow more convenient
and flexible educational arrangements for staff members' children
(Rec. 01).
14. The UNOG Division of Administration accepted the recommendation concurring
that education grant entitlements should be brought up-to-date with current trends and
technical developments and take distance and virtual learning into consideration.
B. Geneva school tax reimbursement
15. Based on Information Circular, IC/Geneva/3277, `Geneva School Tax', dated 11
November 1985, UNOG continues to reimburse General Service staff an education levy
imposed by the Canton of Geneva on staff members' children who attend local secondary
schools or the University of Geneva. Although the instruction refers specifically to
Geneva, UNOG has expanded its scope of application and has reimbursed education levies
imposed elsewhere in Switzerland. Moreover, the reimbursable amounts outlined in the
circular are out-dated. In the 80's there was much debate on the tax, but no action has been
taken in recent years, nor to OIOS' understanding, have UNOG's concerns over this special
levy been raised recently with the Swiss Authorities. Although the amount of money and
number of staff involved are not significant (about CHF 30,000 and 40 staff members per
school year respectively), considering the passage of time (19 years), this issue needs to be
re-addressed.
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4
Recommendation:
The UNOG Division of Administration should readdress with the
Swiss Authorities the education levies imposed on UN staff
members by the Canton of Geneva and other Cantons. Based on the
result of these discussions, UNOG should review and update the
Information Circular, IC/Geneva/3277, Geneva School Tax, dated
11 November 1985 (Rec. 02).
16. The UNOG Division of Administration agreed to implement the recommendation.
C. Education grant advance/claims and recovery processing
17. OIOS assessed that UNOG expeditiously processed education grant advances and
claims; only a few exceptions were found. Moreover, possibly because of the workload,
which is intense at certain periods during the year, there were a few errors found in relation
with the processing. Corrective action was subsequently taken.
18. In general, any advances exceeding the actual expenditures incurred were
recovered timely after the end of the school year. The procedures adopted, however, were
not consistently applied, nor were they in OIOS' opinion compliant with established
procedures. For instance, there were repeated postponements in the recovery process on the
intervention of HRMS, the reasons and justification of which were not clear or
documented.
19. Further, although the number of cases was limited, UNOG had not applied the
administrative instruction on `Recovery of Overpayments Made to Staff Members'
(ST/AI/2000/11) in a consistent manner. When an education grant advance was to be
recovered in full, UNOG considered it as an `advance' and recovered it in one instalment.
However, when the recovery was the result of an education grant claim settlement, UNOG
treated it as an `overpayment,' that was to be recovered as soon as possible, whilst reducing
the staff member's monthly salary by no more than 20 per cent per month, subject to the
staff member having a contract of sufficient duration to allow such an approach. This
means in practice that recoveries were usually made in several monthly deductions.
20. In OIOS' opinion, there should be a `one-off recovery' of education grant
advances. OIOS would like to point out that it is the responsibility of the staff member to
report the payment of excessive advances. Since HRMS deals with such cases favourably
at present, in essence by granting staff members an interest free loan, they are sending a
wrong message. Moreover, at a time when the UN is trying to streamline and make
efficiencies, such a practice generates more administrative work for FRMS.
Recommendation:
The UNOG Division of Administration should inform staff of their
responsibilities in refunding excess amounts advanced for
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5
education grant. Staff should also be informed that in the future,
any excess advances will be recovered at once and in full and not
be treated in the same manner as overpayments (Rec. 03).
21. The UNOG Division of Administration agreed with the recommendation and
indicated that they have already implemented the second part of the recommendation. All
amounts of outstanding education grant advances, whether because of non-receipt of a
claim or resulting from overpayment, are now being recovered in full via payroll
deduction. UNOG intends to issue an Information Circular to staff on the reimbursement
procedure.
22. OIOS would advocate improved communication between HRMS and the different
parts of FRMS to ensure that information flows more smoothly. For example, the recovery
of an education grant advance of a staff member who was on special leave without pay
(SLWOP) was initiated only when the staff member did not submit the education grant
claim. The staff members in the GPU dealing with education grant were generally found to
be proficient and knowledgeable on the related UN regulations, rules and procedures.
OIOS observed that they often advised HRMS to ensure conformity in the application of
the rules and procedures, particularly with reference to the admissible and non-admissible
costs.
23. In its report dated 1 September 2000 "Proactive investigation of the education grant
entitlement" (A/55/352), OIOS recommended that serious consideration be given to the
suggestion that the education grant entitlement be provided on a lump-sum basis for each
country in which a school is located. OIOS appreciates that developing a suitable lump sum
approach may take time, but would be in accord with HRMS suggestion of simplifying
some of the eligible costs such as the textbook allowance. In many cases, HRMS indicated
that it had to spend considerable time to determine if books are eligible or not for
reimbursement. Alternatively A/55/352 recommended, to ensure consistency, the
centralization of the processing of the education grant within one office at each of the duty
stations. UNOG had accepted this, but has not initiated any action to centralize the
administration of education grant, apart from taking over the administration of project
personnel. While it may not be practical to centralize the processing of all claims,
consideration should be given to centralizing the certification of complex cases as well as
those relating to special education grant claims and pro-rated education grant claims. This
will ensure consistency and a fair treatment of all staff.
Recommendation:
The UNOG Human Resources Management Service should
centralise the certification of education grant claims for complex
cases as well as those relating to special education grant claims and
pro-rated education grant claims to ensure consistent application of
the entitlement (Rec. 04).
24. The UNOG Human Resources Management Service has established an A to Z
organisational system of work to ensure HR assistants are required to become familiar
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6
with all types of claims. It was not clear from the response to OIOS' recommendation as to
whether steps will be taken to centralize the certification function for certain complex
cases.
D. Special education grant
25. In OIOS' opinion, the Administrative Instructions relating to the eligibility for the
100 per cent reimbursement of special education need to be reviewed and clarified. The
present provisions are vague and ambiguous. Paragraph 54 of ST/IC/2002/5 leaves the
interpretation of the definition of "disabled child" to the Medical Director (or designated
medical officer), who "will determine, based on prevailing medical standards, the
acceptability of the certificate [attesting to the disability of the child] for the purpose of the
special education grant (...)". Moreover, various HRMS Human Resources Officers were
applying the provision differently. Some officers certified a 100 per cent reimbursement of
all the school fees, whilst others only certified 100 per cent of the special educational
arrangements provided. OIOS noted one case where a limit erroneously was set at the
country threshold of normal education grant, meaning that the staff member was not
reimbursed the full amount for special education grant.
26. This issue has been discussed on a number of occasions. The UN Medical Director
requested a recommendation from the former Administrative Committee on Co-ordination
(ACC) in 1998, to determine whether children classified as having learning disabilities
(LDs) or attention deficit disorder (ADD) qualify as `disabled'. The AAC did not directly
take stand in the issue, as it did not consider it appropriate to impose views over those of
the Medical Directors in the medical determination of disability. OIOS did not find any
follow-up on this issue.
27. Furthermore, it is interesting to note in this regard that the UN Medical Director
referred to a steady increase of requests for children classified as having LDs or ADD,
forming 42 per cent of the beneficiaries of the special education grant in UN Headquarters
in 1997. The Medical Director stated that these conditions are relatively common, affecting
as much as 15 per cent of the population, and that the diagnosis is not made on medical
findings but on the basis of psychometric tests and psychological evaluations. Affected
children have normal or superior intelligence and, in the Medical Director's opinion, do not
require special tutoring but rather such measures as placement in the front row of the
classroom and in classes with smaller number of children, allotment of longer periods of
time to take examinations, etc. At UNOG, out of the 20 cases concerning special education
grant that OIOS selected for review, some 50 per cent related to children that were
registered as having `learning difficulties'.
28. OIOS discussed the differences between the coverage of special education grant and
medical insurance in the case of learning difficulties with both the Joint Medical Service
(JMS) and the United Nations Staff Mutual Insurance Society. In accordance with section
15.1 in relation with 13.2 of ST/AI/1999/4 and paragraph 55 of ST/IC/2002/5 the staff
member is required to provide evidence that he or she has exhausted all other sources of
benefits that may be available for the education and training of the child, including those
that may be obtained from State and local governments and from the UN contributory
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7
medical insurance plans. Despite this, a 1998 Geneva based working group decided that the
education grant entitlement should reimburse all costs related to learning difficulties.
29. OIOS would like to highlight that this decision has a financial impact on the UN,
and means that staff members are not treated fairly. For example, if a staff member needs
to obtain expert help from outside the education system, which may be necessary for
children with severe learning difficulties, they are only eligible for 75 per cent of the school
fees. Those that need remedial or extra tuition, which is provided by specialized teachers
at a normal school, can benefit from the 100 per cent reimbursement.
30. More attention is required by HRMS to ensure that an up-to-date medical
certification is obtained and appropriately filed before certifying eligibility to a special
education grant. The applicable UN provisions require that the education grant claim must
be accompanied by a medical certificate, which should be submitted to the Medical
Director or a designated medical officer for determining the acceptability of the claim.
Nevertheless, OIOS found one case (Index No. 28708) where HRMS had exceptionally
accepted the provision of the special education grant without any such medical certificate.
OIOS also found a case (Index No. 282604) where the staff member's file contained a
certification from the JMS only for the school year 1999-2000, though the staff member
received special education grant continuously until the school year 2002-2003. OIOS
further enquired after the apparently missing certifications from JMS and was told that
JMS had certified special education grant for the school years 2001-2002 and 2002-2003 as
well. The copies of these certificates had, however, not been attached to the staff member's
file. Apart from that the staff member received special education grant for the school year
2000-2001 without any certification from the JMS.
Recommendations:
The UNOG Division of Administration should raise the issue of
special education grant with the Office of Human Resources
Management, to clarify the applicable UN provisions, in particular
with regard to the definition of "disabled child" and/or "disability"
- as well as the costs to be reimbursed under medical insurance
and/or special education grant - and to ensure that these are
henceforth applied in a fair, equal and consistent manner (Rec. 05).
The UNOG Human Resources Management Service should not
provide special education grant without submission of a medical
certificate (section 15.1 of ST/AI/1999/4 in relation with paragraph
54 of ST/IC/2002/5) and without evidence of exhaustions of other
sources (section 15.1 in relation with 13.2 of ST/AI/1999/4 and
paragraph 55 of ST/IC/2002/5) (Rec. 06).
31. The UNOG Division of Administration accepted the recommendations. They will
seek clarification from OHRM. They also indicated that what constitutes evidence of the
exhaustion of other sources will be clarified as well as the type and number of sources
available may vary from one country to the other.
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8
E. P.41 form
32. As a normal audit procedure and to obtain independent third party confirmation,
OIOS contacted a number of schools to verify the completeness and correctness of the
education grant amounts claimed by staff members. OIOS found that the contact
information recorded on the "Certificate of Attendance and Costs and Receipt for
Payments" - (form P.41), which is normally filled out and certified by the educational
institution, was not adequate for this kind of follow-up. For instance, the form does not
require e-mail and/or web site addresses of the schools concerned. This made contacting
the schools a cumbersome process, as other means of contact such as telephone, fax and
regular mail had to be used.
33. The confirmations OIOS got from the schools were mostly consistent with the
information given on the P.41 forms. There were some differences in the indication
whether the school had provided books for free or not. OIOS also noted, that in some cases
public schools in Geneva indicated that books were not provided for free. To simplify
matters, OIOS would recommend that UNOG obtain directly from the Canton of Geneva a
list of those schools providing books free of charge for reference to mitigate errors made in
filling the P.41 form.
34. OIOS encountered problems with some schools that refused to provide the
information requested on the basis of privacy and confidentiality laws. Though the P.41
form already contains a clause for independent confirmation requests by auditors and other
relevant UN staff, it is vaguely formulated. OIOS discussed this issue with UNOG's
Senior Legal Officer, who agreed that the particular clause should be clarified and revised.
He suggested including a clause on the P.41 form, that would request explicit written
consent from the staff member, as well as commitment from the school, to provide the UN
with any information related to the education of the child. The clause could read: "By
signing this form all the parties, the staff member, the student and the educational
institution, agree to make available all information required by the UN in order to obtain
confirmation of the information provided by this form". UNOG will need to raise this issue
with OLA and OHRM.
Recommendation:
The UNOG Division of Administration should raise with the Office
of Human Resources Management and the Office of Legal Affairs
the issue of including in the P.41 form a clause, enabling the UN to
obtain all information needed for verification and confirmation
purposes and waiving any conflicting privacy/confidentiality
requirements (Rec. 07).
35. The UNOG Division of Administration accepted the recommendation adding that
UNOG intended to review the existing form P.41 and the related procedure in order to
simplify them. They further elaborated that by accepting the `attestations' issued by some
schools in lieu of the P.41 (provided the required information is supplied), HRMS had
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9
already gone one step in this direction.
F. Information system support
36. From the systems used (IMIS and Paradox), it was not always easy to reconcile the
details to the claim. Moreover, due to the limitations of IMIS and the difficulties some staff
experience in using the system, a number of errors were noted. For example, an
overpayment of nearly EUR 3,000 was made because the option `school at duty station'
was not selected. In addition, OIOS observed numerous cases where UNOG's General
Payments Unit had advised certifying officers to revise different options to ensure the
correct outcome. UNOG has taken action to initiate recoveries of overpayments.
37. Apart from that, a number of calculation errors were noted, in particular in those
cases where a child attended two educational institutes during the same school year. IMIS
cannot cope with such a situation and therefore, the reimbursements need to be calculated
manually, and put into IMIS thereafter.
38. The guidance in relation to the amount eligible for reimbursement when a child
attends two educational institutions within one year is not clear, particularly if this relates
to different countries, with different thresholds. In OIOS' opinion, the eligible
reimbursement should be prorated in accordance with the time spent at each institution and
the maximum education grant level should be determined prorating the respective country
thresholds, but this was not always found to be the case.
Recommendations:
The UNOG Division of Administration should request an upgrade
of IMIS to accommodate the different options necessary to properly
process education grant claims (Rec. 08).
The UNOG Human Resources Management Service should seek
clarification from the Office of Human Resources Management on
the appropriate method to calculate education grant in cases where
a child attends two educational institutions, in different countries
with different thresholds, within one school year (Rec. 09).
39. The UNOG Division of Administration accepted the recommendations, but
accentuated that the issue raised of the programmes of studies abroad, implying that the
child attends two educational institutions in different countries has been addressed by
OHRM in a guideline included in the administrative handbook. UNOG intends to prepare
a similar guideline for the benefit of HRMS and FRMS staff. OIOS had already noted this,
but as it was limited to students studying in the United States, who attend an exchange year
abroad and are invoiced by their regular institute in US dollars, it gives only limited
clarification to the issued raised in this report. OIOS, however, welcomes the initiative of
UNOG to issue a guideline, and would like to emphasize the overall need for clarification
of the prorating method, not only in the case of temporary (exchange) programs or studies
abroad, but also in the case of change of educational institute due to, for example, the staff
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member's change of duty station. It needs to be clarified as to whether the two school
attendances are prorated separately against the normal school years in each country or in
proportion to the attendance of the child during total school year. The prorating principles
need to be clearly stipulated and hence consistently applied.
G. Other issues
(a) Education grant for French nationals
40. Some 65 per cent of the UN staff members at UNOG, including French nationals,
reside in France. According to staff rule 103.20 (b) (i) staff members are entitled to an
education grant in respect of each of their children if they are regarded as an international
recruit under rule 104.7 and reside and serve at a duty station, which is outside their home
country. Staff rule 103.20 (a) (iii) defines "home country" as "the country of home leave of
the staff member under staff rule 105.3" (concerning home leave). Staff rule 105.3 (d)
specifies the staff members' `country of home leave' by stating that it shall be "the country
of the staff member's nationality". French nationals who serve in Geneva and reside in
France are therefore not entitled to receive education grant.
41. OIOS found one case where a French national staff member (Index No. 323012)
who is living in France according to IMIS nevertheless received education grant. In
addition to this, OIOS found a case where the staff member had the French nationality, but
stated his home country to be another country (Index No. 555434). This then led to the
provision of education grant.
42. In light of the staff rules as mentioned before, it is clear that a staff member's home
country is in principle the country of his or her nationality. Only in exceptional and
compelling cases the Secretary-General may authorize a country other than the staff
member's country of nationality as his or her home country, for the purposes of "this"
(home leave) rule (staff rule 105.3 (d) (iii) a.). In any such case the staff member will have
to provide satisfactory evidence of the fact that he or she maintained normal residence in
such other country for a prolonged period preceding his or her appointment; that he or she
continues to have close family and personal ties in that country, and that the staff member's
home leave there would not be inconsistent with the purposes and intent of staff regulation
5.3. Since this provision is limitative and most of the staff members concerned reside in
France (the country of their nationality) at present, it is important that the UNOG
administration obtains a copy of the satisfactory evidence as mentioned above, before
education grant and/or other benefits are provided to the staff members concerned.
43. OIOS came across several cases, where staff members, who were actually residing
in France, claimed and received education grant on the basis of their alleged residence in
Switzerland. When going through the `pages jaunes et blanches' of both Switzerland and
France, OIOS found that several staff members have an address in both France and
Switzerland (Index Nos. 69823, 86480, 310873, 86422). In at least one of these cases the
address of the child was used as the staff member's Swiss `residence' (Index No. 767286).
Others only have an address in France (Index Nos. 697759, 367140, 469188). In most of
these cases the address details in IMIS did not correspond with any of the actual addresses
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found. An education grant was nevertheless granted in all of these cases.
44. During discussions with HRMS, it became clear that the understanding of the
applicable rules in this regard for some staff members seemed to be that French national
staff members who reside in France but whose children attend schools in Switzerland are
entitled to education grant. OIOS would stress that this is not the case. Since the staff
member's residence is a decisive element for eligibility, UNOG should request French
nationals to submit proof of residence with their annual education grant claim, in
accordance with staff rule 104.4 (e). The address information in IMIS should also be
updated on a regular basis and correspond to the address details as provided in the
personnel status and the `carte de l�gitimation' files.
Recommendations:
The UNOG Division of Administration should request French
nationals, to submit an up to date attestation of residence with their
annual education grant claim, in accordance with staff rule 104.4
(e); UNOG administration should update IMIS and personnel files
accordingly (Rec. 10).
The UNOG Division of Administration should review the cases,
which raise doubts about a staff member's residence in
Switzerland, and should recover any amounts of education grant
incorrectly paid (Rec. 11).
45. The UNOG Division of Administration did not accept Recommendation 10 claiming
that what constitutes a valid proof of residence should be clearly defined. They further
justified that in view of the particular geographical situation of the duty station, staff
members can establish residence in either or both countries and easily obtain two
certificates of residence, one for each country. An in-depth screening of all
attestations/certificates would be extremely time-consuming and not necessarily
conclusive. OIOS re-emphasizes the importance of the recommendation and trusts that the
UNOG Division of Administration is able to define acceptable proof of residence, using for
example documentation similar to that required for rental subsidy as reference. OIOS
would like to point out, that once the staff members are given the chance to update and
clarify their residential status, and as long as HRMS makes sure that personnel status files,
`carte de l�gitimation' files and IMIS details correspond and are updated on a regular basis,
the burden of proof rests with the staff member henceforth (Staff Regulation 1.1 (b) in
relation with Staff Rule 104.4 (a), (b), (e)).1 Appropriate disciplinary action will be
undertaken against those staff members found to have submitted a false declaration in this
regard.
1
Please note that the last two sentences of the "application for a "carte de l�gitimation" in respect of a staff
member"- form read: "I hereby certify that the above-mentioned statements are true and that I am not of Swiss
nationality. I shall notify the Personnel Service of any change in my status as described above."
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46. The UNOG Division of Administration accepted Recommendation 11 and stated
that UNOG is currently reviewing the cases mentioned in the report and will take
corrective measures if appropriate.
(b) Mother tongue tuition
47. For mother tongue tuition, OIOS noticed that the hourly rates paid to teachers
differed quite substantially, and were sometimes excessive. In one case, the tuition was as
much as CHF 120 per hour, more than one and a half times the hourly rate paid for UN
short-term language staff. OIOS also observed that the credentials for the teachers varied,
and not all the teachers supplied information pertaining to their qualifications. While
appreciating that there is a threshold for the payment of language tuition, consideration
should be given to limiting the hourly rate reimbursable to that paid to UN short-term
language teachers.
Recommendation:
The UNOG Human Resources Management Service should limit
the maximum reimbursement for mother tongue tuition to the
hourly rates paid to UN short-term language teachers. Also,
amounts should only be reimbursed on evidence that the language
training has been provided by an appropriately qualified teacher
(Rec. 12).
48. The UNOG Division of Administration did not accept the Recommendation
claiming that as a threshold already exists for HRMS' certification, it would be
counterproductive to establish another threshold. OIOS reiterates that, even though an
overall annual threshold of the maximum payable is established, it is not appropriate that
hourly rates in excess of those paid to the UN short-term language teachers, which are
already high in comparison to the prevailing market rates, are accepted and paid by UNOG.
V. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
49. I wish to express my appreciation for the assistance and cooperation extended to the
auditors by the staff of the Human Resources Management Service and the Financial
Resources Management Service.
Egbert C. Kaltenbach, Director
Internal Audit Division II
Office of Internal Oversight Services
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