Panama (Global) Administrative Centre

Since its inauguration in 2007, the Panama (Global) Administrative Centre has assumed several responsibilities in support of Member States in the Western Hemisphere and around the world. The services it provides are related to human resources, training, legal services, accounting and finance, information, technology and communications, security, internal audits, relief in situations of emergency and crises. PAC also serves as the Country Office.  

Vision  

To be a service centre of excellence, providing timely advice and support in res​ource management and operations and being a strategic partner of the Government of Panama for the protection of migrants' rights.  

Mission  

To provide excellent services to our global customers, donors, and counterparts through motivated and committed professionals and specialists offer​ing high-quality and timely advice, ensuring continuity, efficiency and transparency of IOM's operations in order to maintain the credibility of IOM's work and commitment to migrants' well-being and rights.  

View the current PAC vacancies 

Occupational Health Unit (OHU) 

Most of the world’s population spend one-third of their adult life at work. The Occupational Health Unit seeks to offer a safe and healthy working environment which contributes to the self-fulfilment of staff. Maintaining and enhancing the health of IOM’s workforce helps in ensuring efficient productivity. The IOM staff members are IOM’s greatest asset. 

OHU is dedicated to promoting and maintaining the highest degree of physical and mental health of all employees. It improves the health of staff, prevents and cares for work-related illnesses and accidents, provides early interventions for those who develop health conditions, thus preventing avoidable absence due to sickness, facilitates access to health care structures and monitors the health of staff throughout their employment. 

Human Resources Advisory Services (HRAS)  

The Human Resources Advisory Services Unit provides global support to Regional and Country Offices throughout the human resources cycle, training opportunities and the promotion of good practices for the administration of locally recruited personnel. HRAS promotes global compliance of human resources management by aligning it with the policies, rules, and regulations applicable in each case and in coordination with Headquarters for the development of human resources policies for the Organization. 

Panama Financial Review and Support Services (PFRS) 

The Panama Financial Review and Support Services Unit is mainly responsible for two fundamental areas:  the Regional Accounting Support and the PRISM Central Support Team.  PFRS also offers global services, with a focus on the Latin American and Caribbean region and endorses financial reporting for all L3 emergency projects. 

Regional Accounting Support (RAS) 

The RAS team performs advisory functions, review and support to the Country Offices, the Manila Administrative Centre and Headquarters in Geneva, and the endorsement of financial reports of L3-level emergency projects. It is responsible for validating Country Office accounts, reviewing and reconciling accounts, monitoring and paying outstanding accounts, bank reconciliations, as well as supporting offices with monthly and annual closings. It also assists in the coordination of financial information of projects, opening and closing of projects.RAS provides offices with advice and support for audit recommendations on financial and accounting matters. 

Some of the revisions that are performed in RAS are: 

1. Monitoring and reviewing of accounting accounts for monthly closing. 
2. Review of the accounts of the offices. 
3. Review and endorsement of financial reports for donors. 
4. Monitoring and review of office projects. 
5. The main objective of the reviews is to ensure the integrity and transparency of IOM's financial reporting, ensuring compliance with financial rules and regulations. 

The unit also conducts face-to-face and virtual trainings for financial staff, group or personalized, on various accounting topics in English and Spanish, in coordination with the Regional Offices. 

PRISM Central Support Team (PCST) 

The unit in Panama manages and maintains data in the PRISM accounting system, such as accounts, donor and supplier information, bank accounts, project codes, general project information, among others. It works in close coordination with the PCST unit in Manila. PCST also ensures the consistency and accuracy of centralized data for easy financial reporting. 

Office of Staff Security (OSS) 

In recent years, the International Organization for Migration has found itself operating in increasingly insecure areas of the world. Recognizing this, as well as its institutional responsibility for staff and asset safety and security, IOM first joined the UN Security Management System (UNSMS) in 1998 through a Memorandum of Agreement with the United Nations Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS), formerly the UN Security Coordinator (UNSECORD). 

As IOM continues to be a part of the UNSMS, in 2002, the Organization established the Office of Staff Security (OSS), formerly known as the Staff Security Unit (SSU), to strengthen its capacity in security management, as mandated by the IOM Member States under Council Resolution 1076. IOM’s membership in the UNSMS was further strengthened as the Organization became a UN-related organization in September 2016.   OSS is IOM’s focal point on safety and security policy management and operational support to enable the safest and most effective implementation of the Organization’s programmes and activities.  

Under the Office of the Director General (ODG), OSS Headquarters is based in Geneva, Switzerland, while the 24/7 Operations Centre is based in Manila, Philippines with a back-up office in Panama City, Panama. The Regional Offices are in Dakar, Nairobi, Pretoria, Cairo, Geneva, Bangkok, and Panama City. 

Mission  

The Office of Staff Security (OSS) is responsible for providing leadership on safety and security policy management and operational support to enable the safest and most effective implementation of IOM programmes and activities. 

Vision  

Our vision is that of a world where IOM staff, offices and resources are safe and secure, thus enabling and enhancing the ability of IOM’s programme delivery in the protection and well-being of migrants. This vision will be achieved through the implementation of "effective staff and security risk management”. 

To enable programme delivery while taking into consideration organizational duty of care and due diligence, with the associated management accountability, OSS is focused on its current global support services namely: 

Security Risk Management 

• UNSMS-certified security trainings 
• Security updates and advice to the ODG, RO, CO and sub-offices 
• Global Operations Centre with 24/7 Communications Centre 
• Hostage Incident Management coordination 
• Business Continuity Plan advice and coordination 
• Air travel safety advice and coordination  
• Timely and effective emergency response 
• Rapid deployment of security personnel 
• Continued engagement with the Inter-Agency Security Management Network (IASMN) 
• A robust leadership role within the UNSMS 
• Pioneer in the development and deployment of SCAAN (Security Communications and Analysis Network) as an effective enhanced security technology tool in the UNSMS 
• Operational staff security capacity building 
• Staff safety and security policy development 
• Security-related services within Procurement and Finance 

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) 

The Information and Communications Technology Service Centre in Panama was established in 2013 to provide quality, cost-effective bilingual technical support to all IOM Regional Offices and Country Offices in the Americas. Since then, the scope of the Global User Support (GUS) Unit has expanded to provide services globally. 

In 2015, the Service Centre established the Infrastructure and Networks Unit to provide network and system design, infrastructure project execution, advanced scaling support, as well as training and consulting services to all IOM offices worldwide. 

The Service Centre provides additional support, such as recruiting and training local ICT staff for country offices, facilitating the procurement of hardware and software, and providing advice and approval to projects that include an IT component.  One of the most important services provided is Emergency Response to support IOM's humanitarian aid operations following natural disasters (such as earthquakes or hurricanes). 

Since its inception, the ICT Service Centre in Panama has been driven by a strategy of providing high-efficiency and quality services to our colleagues and, more importantly, supporting the operations and services provided to IOM migrants and beneficiaries around the world. 

Contract Law Division (LEGCR) 

The Contract Law Division (LEGCR) provides legal advice on all kinds of contracts necessary for IOM’s operations and activities, including public and private donor funding agreements, contracts for the purchase of goods and services, project implementation agreements and cooperation agreements with partners. LEGCR supports missions and headquarters units to structure agreements, including suggesting correct templates to use and advising on appropriate contractual provisions, assists with contractual negotiations and advises on contractual disputes when they arise. Subject areas covered include funding conditions, financial reporting issues, intellectual property rights, contractor's non-performance, and termination. Members of the team are available to provide training and assist missions through duty travels. Certain contracts require LEG approval before signature, as set out in IN/99 Rev. 2. The Contract Law Division Head is based in Geneva whereas the team is based in Manila and Panama. 

Staff Development & Learning (SDL) 

IOM is committed to enabling a learning culture and fostering an environment of the highest levels of competence and integrity through a process of continuous improvement and focused staff support. IOM’s greatest asset is its human capital. The future success of IOM is significantly influenced by having a robust staff development and learning programme that is on par with organizational growth that enables the Organization to attract, retain, motivate its staff members. 

Resources Management Unit (RMU) 

An important factor in IOM's good reputation with its Member States and donors is the careful management of mandated resources. As IOM continues to grow in response to the challenges of global migration, the organization’s needs increase in the same way. 

The Resources Management Unit provides services within the areas of procurement and logistics, accounting and finance, treasury, and human resources; and its main functions are the following: 

1. Formulate and propose to the Country Office and Panama (Global) Administrative Centre the guidelines and directives related to the policies and regulations of the organization. 
2. Plan, direct and supervise the processes of the administrative systems of human resources, accounting, treasury, purchasing and logistics, in accordance with the corresponding policies in force. 
3. Direct the processes of acquisition of goods and services by signing the respective contracts. 
4. Ensure the conservation and maintenance of fixed assets and carry out the physical inventory of the Country Office and PAC.  
5. Provide support to the Country Office in the budgetary execution of the Projects in coordination with the Regional Offices and Headquarters. 
6. Program, direct, coordinate and supervise the fulfillment of activities related to finance and accounting in accordance with the regulations and policies of the organization. 
7. Coordinate, direct, and guide the Country Office and PAC, in the Human Resources processes from the beginning to the end and, in turn, provide advice and support on related issues based on the rules and policies of the organization.

Within each process, it is the task of RMU to carefully assess the companies that offer quality products and services, ensure timely delivery and propose favorable payment terms after delivery, as well as ensure the well-being of the organization's staff (such as providing permanent advice to staff members on various issues in case of doubts), and, at the same time, maintain controls and records related to accounting, finance and internal procedures.

Contact information

IOM Panama
Calle Vicente Bonilla, Edificio 110, Ciudad del Saber, Clayton
0819-00017 Panamá
Tel: +507.305.3350
Email: PAC@iom.int