INTER-AGENCY COOPERATION A Minor Field Study on the United Nations inter-agency cooperation in the area of HIV/AIDS in Kenya

Abstract: The efficiency and effectiveness of the United Nations is a much debated topic, outside the organization as well as inside. This Master Thesis looks at the efficiency of the work of the UN at country level, and it aims at assessing the efficiency of UN inter-agency cooperation in the thematic area of HIV/AIDS in Kenya. It focuses mainly on the work of UNAIDS and its ten Cosponsoring organizations, and it is based on empirical material collected during a Minor Field Study in Nairobi, Kenya in early 2006. The material is analyzed in two steps using two theoretical frameworks, the first assessing the level of in inter-agency cooperation in place, and the second assessing the efficiency of existing cooperation. Conclusions of the study involve determining competition between Cosponsors as the main obstacle to efficient inter-agency cooperation. This as a result of the existing structures of the UN organization as a whole. The hampering effects of different organizational cultures and uneven distribution of resources are additional factors discussed. As a remedy to competition, the overall recommendation is to define and strengthen the mandates of individual UNAIDS Cosponsors. The role of the donors and UN member states is emphasized as important in the UN reformation process, to a more modern, efficient and effective organization.