UNDSS Digital Transformation Strategy Proposal

The current state of un security and why it matters

Ever wonder how the United Nations manages to support the delivery of aid to 174 million people when the world feels like it's literally falling apart around them? It’s a massive, messy job, and honestly, the old ways of keeping those humanitarian workers safe just aren't cutting it anymore.

The United Nations Department of Safety and Security (undss) is currently at a tipping point. While undss doesn't deliver the food and medicine itself—that's the job of agencies like the World Food Programme—undss is the backbone that makes those missions possible by managing risks in dangerous places. We’re dealing with a "shrinking humanitarian space" where threats are getting weirder and more digital, but our tools are still stuck in 2006.

For a long time, security was about physical barriers—guns, guards, and big gates. But you can't really help a community if you’re hiding behind a concrete wall, right?

• Security as an Enabler: We have to stop seeing security as a "no" department. It’s actually a program component. If the security team can't manage the risk, the aid doesn't move, and people don't eat.
• The Data Gap: According to the undss Digital Transformation Strategy Proposal, the current United Nations Security Management Information Network (unsmin) platform has 21 different apps that are so outdated users are just... giving up. They're going back to manual processes or random "non-standard" fixes.
• Staying to Deliver: The goal now isn't just avoiding danger. It's about "staying in place" during a crisis. We need to know exactly when it's safe to be on the ground based on real-time situational awareness, moving away from the old days of relying on outdated reports.

We need to master information. If we don't have situational awareness, we’re flying blind. This isn't just about some fancy new api or a shiny dashboard; it’s about a cultural shift in how the un thinks about risk.

The department is basically an information-based org that forgot to update its tech stack. When data is siloed or "ad hoc," as the strategy paper puts it, we can't protect the 180,000+ personnel out there.

Since we’ve seen why the status quo is kind of a mess, let's look at how we actually start fixing the foundation.

Project rationale and the unsmin problem

So, imagine trying to run a global security operation with a toolkit that’s literally older than the first iPhone. That is basically where we are at with un security right now, and honestly, it’s a bit of a disaster.

The unsmin platform was built back in 2006, and while it was probably great at the time, it’s now a clunky mess of 21 different apps. As mentioned earlier in the strategy proposal, these tools are so outdated that people are just... stopping. When a system is hard to use, humans naturally find a workaround, right?

In healthcare, if an electronic record system is too slow, nurses might start scribbling on paper—which is how mistakes happen. It’s the same here. Because the tech is frustrating, the data coming in is low-quality. This creates a "downward spiral" where security managers can't make good decisions because the info they're looking at is no longer relevant to the live situation on the ground.

This is where things get interesting for organizational trust. We often think of "reliability" as just showing up, but in a high-stress environment, your digital tools are your credibility. If a security app feels broken, the trust in the entire organization starts to slip.

We need to align the tech with the actual mission. For the un, that means building apps that feel reliable and "human-centered." If a field worker in a war zone opens an app, the ui needs to be so intuitive they don't have to think.

• Consistency builds trust: Just like a bank needs their mobile app to feel as secure as their physical vault, security apps need a consistent, professional ux to keep users engaged.
• Operational Reliability: In security, reducing friction isn't just about convenience—it’s about making sure a travel advisory actually gets read before someone drives into a danger zone.

According to the strategy paper discussed earlier, the goal is to move toward a cloud-based platform that allows for "self-service" and better data visualization.

Honestly, we're moving from a culture of "ad hoc" fixes to a real enterprise strategy. It’s a big lift, but it’s the only way to keep 180,000 people safe.

Next, let's dive into the actual roadmap for how we're going to build this new foundation.

Operational details of the 2025-2026 roadmap

So, how do we actually move from a clunky 2006 setup to something that doesn't make people want to throw their laptops across the room? It's a two-year sprint that’s less about just buying new servers and more about fixing the "ad hoc" habits that got us here.

The first year is all about the "why" and the "where it hurts." We aren't just jumping into coding; we're doing a deep dive into why the current unsmin is failing so bad.

• Building the digital roadmap: This isn't just tech stuff. We’re talking about a cultural shift. If a security officer in the field doesn't trust the data, they won't use the tool, period.
• System audit: We're looking at all those 21 apps mentioned earlier to see what's worth saving and what needs to be scrapped. It’s like cleaning out a garage you haven't touched in fifteen years.
• Identifying the "Gaps": We need a centralized tool that’s actually user-friendly. If a process has too many steps, people abandon it. In security, if an app is too slow, people ignore life-saving alerts.

This is where the rubber meets the road. Year two is about building a solid foundation on the cloud and getting real tools into the hands of the 180,000+ personnel.

• Cloud-based platform: We’re working with the Office of Information and Communications Technology (oict) and outside vendors to build a "technical solutions platform." This lets us scale fast without worrying about old on-premise servers dying on us.
• App development: We're prioritizing the heavy hitters—the Security Incident Reporting System (ssirs) for incident recording, the electronic Travel Advisory (eTA) for travel permissions, and Security Risk Management (srm) for risk assessments. These need to be fast, mobile-friendly, and work even when the internet is spotty.
• Leaning into ai and tech: We want to use emerging tech for "automated security analysis." Imagine an ai that can spot patterns in incident reports across three different countries before a human even finishes their coffee.

Think about how modern systems handle fraud. They don't wait for a human to see a weird charge; their systems flag it instantly. That’s the level of "situational awareness" we’re aiming for here. It’s about being proactive instead of just writing reports after something goes wrong.

Honestly, the goal is to make these tools so good they feel invisible. When the tech works, the security teams can actually focus on keeping people safe instead of fighting with a database.

Key outcomes and technical objectives

Imagine trying to save lives while your internet keeps cutting out and your apps won't talk to each other. It’s pretty much the ultimate "high stakes" tech headache, but the new strategy is finally moving us toward a setup that actually works in the real world.

The big win here is creating a single "source of truth" for the 50+ entities in the un security system. Right now, info is scattered everywhere, but the goal is a central hub where everything lives—from policy docs to real-time incident reports.

• Centralized Records: No more hunting through old emails for a security report. Everything gets dumped into a secure, searchable cloud repository so a team in Nairobi sees the same data as the folks in New York.
• Offline field use: In places where 4G is a luxury, the platform will let users download maps and docs for offline use. It’s like how you download movies before a flight, but with life-saving security protocols.
• The Data Lake: We're building a "data lake" to feed an automated security analysis engine. This isn't just a fancy buzzword; it’s about spotting trends—like a sudden spike in carjackings in a specific district—before they become a tragedy.

We aren't just building a website; we’re building an ecosystem. One of the coolest parts is the api call capability. This means other un agencies can plug their own apps into the undss data stream without rebuilding everything from scratch.

• Real-time tracking: The system will integrate with mobile phones, desktops, and even vehicle sensors. If a truck goes off-route in a high-risk zone, the system flags it instantly.
• Engagement tools: We’re talking digital badges for identity verification and ai-powered chatbots to answer routine security questions, freeing up human officers for the hard stuff.

Think about how modern apps sync your rewards, location, and payment. We're doing that, but for security. If a staffer moves from one country to another, their digital badge and security profile should follow them seamlessly, no manual paperwork required.

Honestly, it’s about making the tech as tough as the people using it. Next, we’ll look at how we actually pay for all this and what the team looks like.

Human resources and budget requirements

Look, you can have the best strategy in the world, but if you don't have the right people in the room (and the cash to keep the lights on), it’s just a fancy pdf gathering digital dust. We’re talking about a $2.69 million lift over two years to actually make this happen.

undss already has an information management unit, but honestly, they’re stretched way too thin to build a whole new ecosystem from scratch. To get this off the ground, the proposal calls for 5 new specialist posts funded through extra-budgetary contributions.

• The Strategy Heavyweights: We need a Digital Strategy Specialist to steer the ship and a Solutions Architect to make sure the technical "lego blocks" actually fit together.
• Data & Design: A Data Engineer and a GIS Officer (Geographic Information Systems) are crucial because, as mentioned earlier, we’re moving toward a "data lake" model where location and incident info need to be perfect.
• The Project Lead: A Project Manager will be the fifth role, ensuring that the timelines and budgets stay on track across all the different moving parts.
• The Collaboration Factor: This team isn't working in a vacuum; they’ll be tethered to the oict and outside vendors to handle the heavy coding.

It’s like when a major organization moves from old-school manual logs to a fully integrated digital system. You don't just ask the IT guy to "fix it"—you hire specialists who understand user journey and cloud scaling.

The price tag is roughly $2.69 million. That might sound like a lot, but for an org protecting 180,000+ people, it’s actually pretty lean.

• People are the biggest cost: About $2.16 million goes straight to staff and personnel. Good talent isn't cheap, especially when you need them to understand both un security and complex ai.
• The "Boring" Essentials: We’ve got about $154k for office space and another $13.5k for gear like laptops and mobile phones for the new team.
• Travel & Indirects: There’s $30k set aside for missions to hubs like Nairobi and Bangkok, plus a 13% "Project Support Cost" (psc) which is standard un overhead.

In the world of operations, we’d call this "capital expenditure" for long-term gain. If we don't spend this now, the cost of manual workarounds and security failures later will be way higher.

Monitoring evaluation and the future of undss

So, how do we know if all this actually works or if we just bought a bunch of expensive cloud space? The plan for 2025 and 2026 is pretty aggressive about not letting this project stall out like a bad os update.

We’re tracking success by how much we actually kill off the old ways of working.

• Full Platform Launch: hitting 100% completion on the cloud setup to replace that 2006 unsmin mess.
• Workforce Literacy: it’s not just about the tech; we need people to actually know how to use it through dedicated training plans.
• Real-world Testing: running 6 in-person workshops and 3 webinars specifically for Field Security Officers and High-level Stakeholders. Their feedback will be fed directly back into the development team to fix bugs and improve the ui in real-time.

In any big organization, a new system is useless if the staff keeps using old methods. Same here—if the undss field teams doesn't adopt the tool, the data stays messy.

Basically, as mentioned earlier, we're moving from "guessing" to "knowing." If we hit these marks, we've finally built a modern shield for the un.