. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/BFA/W/136 
11 October 2005 
 (05-4628) 
Committee on Budget, Finance and Administration  
  
 
ASSESSMENT OF LONG-T ERM TA POSITIONS 
WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION 
CONSULTANT’S REPORT 
 
Executive Summary
 
 
 1. This report assesses whether certain positions of  the World Trade Organization funded on a 
long-term basis by Temporary Assistance (“TA”) are performing full-time functions of continuing 
need to the organization.  As of 1 April 2005,  some thirty-three (33) positions were filled by 
individuals on TA contracts for extended periods
1.  While not its primary focus, the report also looks 
at fifteen (15) positions whose incumbents have short-term contracts funded on a long-term basis 
from extra-budgetary (i.e. trust fund) resources, as well as five (5) short-term contracts currently being 
funded from vacant posts, and makes recomme ndations for addressing these situations. 
2. A position is found to be of continuing need wh en the activities being performed are part of 
the ongoing operations of the unit/section, and not time-bound in terms of work objectives or 
funding2.  Further, the activities could not be perform ed by existing staff members within current 
organizational structures or work processes.3  Whether the activities are of continuing need but might 
be performed differently or elsewhere or, on deeper analysis, are not needed at all, was not evaluated 
due to time constraints. 
3. The report finds that twenty-six (26) of th e thirty-three (33) long-term TA positions are 
performing activities of continuing need on a full-time b asis.  Up to seven of these situations can be 
resolved through filling existing or potential vacant posts4.  One position may be a candidate for 
outsourcing.  
4. At least two other long-term TA positions may be possible to shift from regular to extra-
budgetary funding on the premise that the overall c ontribution of their respective divisions to 
supporting technical assistance activities funded fr om extra-budgetary resources may be under-
weighted.  A work activity analysis should be unde rtaken of the two divisions identified (i.e. LSDD 
and Informatics) to verify this hypothesis.   
5. It may thus be possible to resolve as many as ten (10) of the 26 long-term TA positions  
performing activities of continuing need, without r esorting to a reallocation of existing posts or 
proposing establishment of new ones.  It is reco mmended to accelerate filling the relevant vacant 
                                                      
1 Thirty (30) have been in place for one year or more;  eighteen (18) for two years or more. 
2 Indicators for determining whether an activity is of “continuing need” include: 1) the activity has 
been performed on continuous basis for extended periods (i.e. 2-3 years);  2) the activity is being performed by 
regular staff members;  3) the activity was performed by  regular staff members redeployed (with their post) for 
non-business related reasons;  4) the activity responds to growing and ongoing demands of internal and/or 
external clients.  
3 Whether such activities could be performed by existing staff based on changes in organizational 
structures, work processes or prior ities, was not part of this review. 
4 Includes one post created by consolidating funds from understaffed posts in TPS/LSDD. WT/BFA/W/136 
Page 2  
 
 posts, and to step up other actions that may lead  to replacing existing long-term TA positions with 
more stable solutions.  Similarly, recruitment to  fill vacant posts currently funding four short-term 
contracts should be expedited. 
6. Addressing the 15 positions financed long-term from trust funds, it is well-established that 
extra-budgetary resources may be used to crea te “L” posts and support one-year, fixed-term 
contracts
5.  To improve morale and reduce risk of turnover at marginal incremental cost to the 
organization, it is recommended creating additional “L” posts for certain key functions where the 
likelihood of continued funding is good, and offering successful candidates one-year, fixed-term 
contracts, subject to annual renewa l based on availability of funding6.  In 2006, some of the nineteen 
(19) staff members already on “L” posts will be ente ring their fifth year on fixed-term contract and 
will soon be hitting the five year ceiling for such cont racts established by staff rule.  An early review 
of existing HR policies and a clear determination regarding their longer-term employment prospects 
and eligibility for other WTO positions is recommended. 
7. This report also suggests some ways to improve  operational efficiencies within WTO.  About 
5 per cent of the organization’s workforce is em ployed less than full-time against fully funded 
(100 per cent) posts.  Requests to cut-back working hours appear to be grante d almost automatically, 
with full-time staff obliged to make up most of th e difference.  It is recommended that management 
be encouraged to exercise more discretion in this ar ea, and consider working out practical alternatives 
with the requesting staff member through use of ex isting and/or new work/life balance policies.  In 
exceptional situations, consolidating funds from understaffed posts to create a new post might be 
considered.  
8. WTO is a major user of short-term contracts.  Yet, there are varying degrees of understanding 
among units regarding their use, funding and processi ng.  Increasing awareness in this area would 
lead to making more cost-effective contractual a rrangements, accelerate review processes and speed-
up hiring of short-term personnel.  As a start,  a one-day workshop for key users of short-term 
contracts is recommended  
9. Managers indicate they are regularly looking for opportunities to improve the way they do 
business.  Some have conducted intern al reviews to that end, though the extent of real change coming 
out of these reviews appears to vary widely.  Recen t growth in technical assistance activities cited by 
certain units to justify increases in staffing coul d indicate possible opportunities to consider more 
structural changes in these units.7  
10. At the operational level, it is recommended that consideration be given to moving the 
Logistics unit in the Budget and Controls Secti on/AGSD to ITTC and merging it with ITTC units 
handling support to regional technical assistance ac tivities.  Given its increasing scale of activities, 
consideration should also be given to a full revi ew of in-house and outsourced translation services 
provided by the Translation Services Section of the LSDD, to ensure an optimal mix. 
 
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5 In 2002, nineteen (19) “L” posts were created: twelve (12) financed by the Global Trust Fund and 
seven (7) from the Programme Support Fund.  Staff memb ers selected for these posts were recruited on one-
year, fixed-term contracts, subject to annual renewal based on availability of funds. 
6 In seven cases, as of year-end 2005, the incumbent will have been on short-term contract for more 
than three years. 
7 E.g. ITTC, Development Division.  Both units are relatively new: ITTC (2002) and DD (2003).  
Whether structural changes in these units are, in fact, warranted could not be determined in this report.