What are UNDPs thematic areas?
In order to support the achievement of the MDGs, each UN agency focuses on what it does best. Furthermore, with mounting pressure from donors, and development effectiveness increasingly questioned, UNDP realized in the late 1990s that it needed to focus on a few, but well-defined areas. The focus needs to be on areas where UNDP has experience and a comparative advantage, and on areas, which the programme countries identify as important. A related problem was the diluted profile of UNDP. Both among policy makers and the public, few people were able to describe what UNDP really stood for. This is not surprising, since UNDP covered all areas of technical assistance related to development. Therefore, UNDP narrowed its focus to five areas of operation. These so-called practice areas (also called “practices”) are based on UNDP’s strengths and experience, and on an analysis of what UNDP’s clients want from the organization. UNDP defined the following practice areas in its second business plan
