The UNICEF Saga

In September of '74, I was taken as a Water and Sanitation Evaluation Consultant, though the understanding was that the post was equivalent to that of a national Officer post at level 3 [NO C] and would carry the remuneration for such a level. NO C corresponded in duties and responsibilities to a P3 in the International Officer level. Briefly, UN agencies use a step system for professionals – P1 to P5, and then up to D1 and D2 [director levels]. Above that come the Under Secretary Generals etc upto the Secretary General. The support staff – secretairies, programme or information assistant, and so on are termed GS [general service] and have their own levels.

Most UN agencies did not have National staff [I do not know if this is still the case]. But UNICEF and UNDP did, basically since they were more field oriented than the others and had offices in most of the developing countries. Originally, N.O.s were just support staff, under I.O.s [International Officers] but when I joined, UNICEF at least had shed that distinction and some zone offices within India had N.O.s heading them.

The Delhi office was a regional office serving not only India, but also Afghanistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Maldives and , believe it or not, Outer Mongolia. The Regional Planning Officer, Victor, and the Planning Officer, Gerry, had to visit these other countries periodically. By chance, the week I was to join, both of them had to be in Afghanistan for some meeting. Victor told me though that I should use the week to familiarise myself with the documents and issues.

Victim of a Feud
Ram the Sr. Programme Assistant in the section and Leonora, the secretary, greeted me when I came to the office on a Monday, and I was busy with my reading at my desk when I was told the Personnel Officer wanted to see me. 'Ha', I thought, 'this will be to sign the contract'. I went to his office and JM said, in a dry voice,
' So you think you are going to join UNICEF, and on the NO C level?'
' That is what I have been told by Mr. Soler-Sala'
' Well, you may think so, and he may do too, but that cannot be!'
'In that case, I will go back home', I said. ' I did not come begging for this job'.
I went up to the room and started gathering my belongings, plus the documents given to me. Ram and Lenora were startled and on my narrating to them this incident, firmly said, “Victor will sort it out. Please do not go home. Victor will be furious with us if we let you go, and anyway why should you? JM is like that!”
But I had made up mind not to hang around. I told them not to worry, I would do my reading at home, and when Victor came back, we could work out what was to be done.
The moment Victor found out what had happened, he called me and told me to come right back. There would be no problem. Later, I learnt, the two of them had had a long standing feud, and JM thought he could score off Victor by taking it out on me. Apparently, Victor gave him a dressing down, and anyway, JM gave me no further trouble, and meekly produced a contract for me to sign.