9.1.2 Transportation
Transportation might seem an unimportant or mundane topic and may not always be seen on the capacity assessment checklists. And yet the use of NHRI-owned or controlled vehicles is fundamental to NHRI operations especially in developing countries with limited communications and difficult terrain.
Managing transportation resources and costs is also linked to the organization's control procedures.
From a UN perspective, there are two points of interest: the first, obviously, is the appropriate use of vehicles purchased by the UN to support NHRI work. Second is the ability to assess overall impact of the access to vehicles on organization's ability to perform its everyday work.
You are responsible for a project where the UN has acquired a vehicle for the duration of a capacity-building project.
As the project officer you discover that your counterpart in the NHRI, or a UN staff person working on the project, has commandeered the vehicle for personal use and generally organising the scheduled time of the driver around his or her personal schedule. The vehicle is rarely available for its official purpose. You cannot openly confront the person without exposing the source of your information. What should you do?
Internal controls should be in place, such as logs, and can be used to assess whether vehicles are in fact used for the purposes intended. Vehicles intended for monitoring and investigation in the field should not be commandeered by Commissioners, Department Heads or staff for their exclusive and personal use. A simple questionnaire to staff about the level of access to vehicles in relation to the demands of their work will pinpoint issues quickly.
While particular instances of personal use are sometimes inevitable, it is reasonable to demand and expect that vehicles purchased for programme delivery be used for programme delivery. The acquisition plan for vehicles should respect the security needs and operational needs of senior members, but should also recognise the operational requirements of the core business of the NHRI.
The work of NHRIs in many countries depends on the ability to get around – to attend meetings, examine the scenes of incidents, and interview witnesses. Thus vehicles must be available for staff to accomplish these basic tasks.
Annex 2: Transportation Checklist
Gaps in the areas identified by the Checklist need to be addressed at this stage.