UNITED NATIONS NATIONS UNIES

2009
NATIONAL COMPETITIVE
RECRUITMENT EXAMINATION
(P-1/P-2)









Notice and application form are also available for download from:

www.un.org/Depts/OHRM/examin/exam.htm (in English)
www.un.org/french/Depts/OHRM/examin/fexam.htm (in French)
(05-August-2008)
1
UNITED NATIONS SECRETARIAT
2009 NATIONAL COMPETITIVE RECRUITMENT EXAMINATION FOR
JUNIOR PROFESSIONAL OFFICERS (P-1/P-2)

Outline of the Exam

1. The United Nations Secretariat announces that a
competitive examination will be held under the
direction of a United Nations Board of Examiners to
recruit nationals of selected member states at the junior
professional level (P-1/P-2) for employment at United
Nations offices.*

2. The examination will be held in the following
disciplines:

Administration
Economics
Finance
Information Technology
Public Information
Security
Social Affairs
Statistics

3. A general description of the duties performed in
these disciplines and specific academic qualifications
required are given in Annex I of this announcement.

Eligibility

4. This examination is open to men and women who
are nationals of the member states participating in the
2009 National Competitive Recruitment Examination.
Qualified women are particularly encouraged to apply.

5. Applicants should hold at least a first-level
university degree relevant to the discipline in which
they would like to take the examination. Furthermore,
applicants should not be more than 32 years old on 31
December 2009 (should be born on 1 January 1977 or
after). Fluency in either English or French is required.

6. In instances where a large number of applications
are received by the Board of Examiners (more than 40
per discipline in a given country), the Board reserves
the right to admit to the examination only the most
qualified candidates based on a review of the
qualifications which are over and above the minimum
entrance criteria set out in paragraphs 4 and 5. These
include, but are not limited to, advanced university
degrees, diplomas or certificates; knowledge of
additional official languages of the United Nations
(English/French, Arabic, Chinese, Russian and
Spanish); a broader spectrum of work experience or
any published works.



Procedure of the Examination

7. The examination will consist of a written
examination and an interview.

8. The written examination consists of the following
two parts:

(a) a general paper which tests drafting skills (forty-
five minutes); and

(b) a specialized paper (three hours and forty-five
minutes) which tests the substantive knowledge of the
particular discipline that the candidate is applying for.

In cases of high number of candidates sitting for the
exam in a given occupational group, the essay section
of the specialized paper will be eliminatory.

9. The written examination questions are given in
English and French, the two working languages of the
Secretariat. Candidates must write their answers for
the general paper in English or French. However, they
may write their answers for the specialized paper in
English, French or any of the other four official
languages of the Secretariat, i.e. Arabic, Chinese,
Russian or Spanish.

10. The written examinations will tentatively take
place on 24 February 2009. The exact time will be
announced in the convocation notification referred to
in paragraph 29 of this announcement.

11. Travel expenses to and from the site of the written
examination are NOT paid by the United Nations.

12. On the basis of performance in the written
examination, the Board of Examiners will invite
selected candidates to the interview, which will
normally take place in the second half of 2009.

13. The interview will be conducted in English or
French, the two working languages of the Secretariat.



___________
* Major United Nations offices are located in Addis Ababa,
Beirut, Bangkok, Geneva, Mexico, Nairobi, New York,
Santiago and Vienna
2
14. The travel of candidates to and from the location
of the interview will be at the expense of the United
Nations in accordance with its rules.


15. Following the completion of the interviews, the
Board of Examiners will recommend to the Assistant
Secretary-General for Human Resources Management
the most suitable candidates.

16. Successful candidates will be placed on a reserve
list of qualified candidates.

17. The decisions of the Board of Examiners
regarding the results will be final and are not subject to
appeal. The Board does NOT release individual
results.

18. Successful candidates recruited at the P-2 level
will serve at the UN Headquarters in New York or at
other duty stations in Africa, Asia, Europe or Latin
America. Junior Professionals Officers will be
subject to a mandatory Managed Reassignment
Programme. The purpose of the Programme is to
provide Junior Professional staff with enhanced
orientation, training, mobility and career support
during the first five years of service at the
Professional level, in order to facilitate their
adjustment and to accelerate the learning period
leading to productive work and job satisfaction as
international civil servants. To this effect, staff
members included in the Programme shall obtain
experience in two different functions during their first
five years of service.

UN Salary and Benefits

19. For a staff member without dependents, the
annual starting salary will normally be between
US$43,662 and US$55,924 net of income tax. In
addition, staff members are entitled to a post
adjustment, which varies according to the cost of
living of each duty station (for example, it is currently
between US$26,983 and US$34,561 per year in New
York). For a staff member with dependents, the
annual starting salary will be between US$46,549 and
US$59,967. (In New York, the post adjustment for
staff members with dependents is currently between
US$28,767 and US$37,060.)

20. In addition, staff members are entitled to the
following benefits:

(a) Dependency benefits: at present, US$ 1,780 per
year for each eligible child;

(b) Participation in the United Nations Joint Staff
Pension Fund. The staff member contributes 7.9% of
the pensionable remuneration and the United Nations
contributes twice this rate. The Pension Fund provides
disability, retirement and survivors benefits as well as
lump sum withdrawals;

(c) Medical and dental insurance contribution. The
United Nations contributes the greater portion of the
premiums, which depend on the plan selected and on
the family status. As an example, currently at
Headquarters, the staff member can pay between
2.63% and 8.29% of his/her "medical net" salary
(gross salary less staff assessment plus some
allowances).

21. Staff members who are assigned to a duty station
which is not in their home country are also entitled to:

(a) Education grant and education grant travel per
scholastic year for each eligible dependent child;

(b) Home leave to their country of nationality every
two years, with the travel expenses of the staff member
and his or her spouse and eligible dependent children
paid by the United Nations. The first home leave is
granted only if the staff member's service is expected
to continue at least six months beyond the initial two-
year appointment.

22. Staff members who are internationally recruited
to the duty station may also be entitled to:

(a) Assignment grant at the time of recruitment and
repatriation grant upon separation. The assignment
grant is based on the Daily Subsistence Allowance rate
set for each duty station. The repatriation grant can be
as high as 58% of the quoted net salary depending on
the length of continuous service away from the home
country and family status;

(b) Removal of household effects, depending on the
duty station. Up to 8,150 kilograms are allowed for
the removal of household effects;

(c) Rental subsidy of up to 40% of the actual rent if
the rent exceeds a specified percentage of the staff
members emoluments and if the rent falls within
reasonable maximum rent levels.

23. The determination of salary of individual
successful candidates is based on their level of
academic qualifications and the length of their
progressive and relevant professional experience.

24. UN staff members are entitled to 30 days of paid
leave a year. In addition, staff is also eligible for
other leave entitlements such as 16 weeks of
3
maternity leave as well as paternity, family, adoption,
sickness and sabbatical leave.


Application Procedure

25. All those who believe in the purposes and ideals
of the United Nations and who wish to participate in
the competitive examination are requested to fill out
accurately and completely, in English or French, the
application form, which is included in this
announcement. Please detach the application form
from this announcement before sending it.
Application forms are also available on the Internet
(www.un.org/Depts/OHRM/examin/exam.htm)

26. Candidates should submit their application once
only and by one medium only. DO NOT send a
separate copy by e-mail, fax or regular mail. An
acknowledgement of receipt of the application form,
along with an application number assigned to each
applicant, will be sent to the applicants by e-mail, fax
or mail within 30 days. Our preferred mode of
communication is by e-mail; therefore, please
remember to indicate your e-mail when applying. You
are strongly encouraged to apply as early as
possible. Candidates should keep a proof of
submission of their application, for example a copy of
the e-mail including the date of submission. In the
event that they do not receive an acknowledgement of
receipt within 30 days, candidates should resubmit
their application together with the proof of their first
submission.

27. The decision of the Board of Examiners regarding
admission to the examination will be based on a
careful review of the application. In order to be
considered, applicants must meet the minimum
entrance criteria set forth in paragraphs 4 and 5. The
Board will subsequently assess the qualifications of the
candidates in accordance with the provisions of
paragraph 6 above, if applicable, to decide on whether
applicants should be admitted to the examination.

28. The decision of the Board of Examiners regarding
admission to the examination as well as the discipline
for which one is convoked is final and NOT subject to
appeal.

29. All candidates will receive notification regarding
their admission to the written examination. Applicants
may also check the listing of application numbers, as
described in paragraph 26, on the Internet by the end
of December to find out if they are admitted to the
written examination. For candidates that are convoked
to the written examination, the notification will include
information such as the exact date, time and site of the
written examination.

30. Candidates who participate in the written
examination will be notified of the results upon
completion of the marking of the written examination.
Those who are successful in the written examination
will receive instructions for the interview.

31. Applicants are responsible for promptly informing
the United Nations in writing of any changes in their
address. Failure to do so may result in candidates
either not being convoked in time or not being
convoked at all.

32. The completed application form must be received
by the Examinations and Tests Section in New York
no later than 31 October 2008:





UNITED NATIONS
2009 NCRE, Room S-2575E
Examinations and Tests Section, OHRM
New York, NY 10017, U.S.A.
OR
Fax: (+1) (212) 963-3683
OR
E-mail: [email protected]

Late or incomplete applications will NOT be
considered.

You are strongly encouraged to apply as early as
possible due to the high volume of mail received.
We will not be able to answer specific questions
through e-mail or other means. Please consult the
frequently asked questions link in our web site.

4
ANNEX I

DESCRIPTION OF DISCIPLINES


Administration

Work performed within this group relates to a wide
range of assignments in the provision of staff support to
the internal operations and projects of the organization.
These various areas of support include, but are not
limited to, the following:
1. Management of staff resources, which includes work
concerned with formulating and implementing policies
relating to the management of human resources for the
Organization and conducting programmes concerning
staff recruitment, training, career development,
promotion, compensation, benefits and staff-
management relations;
2. Budget analysis, which includes work concerned
with reviewing the budgetary requirements of the
Organization and making recommendations on the
appropriation of funding levels and revenue projections;
3. Management analysis, which includes work
concerned with reviewing, examining and evaluating
organizational structures and management systems; it
also includes recommendations to line management
regarding changes in organizational structure,
management of physical, financial, and human
resources, organization methods, procedures, forms and
records management to promote efficiency within units;
4. Procurement management, which includes work
concerned with negotiating and contracting for the
purchase or rental of equipment, products, supplies and
services;
5. Administrative support, which includes work of a
general administrative nature concerned with providing
staff services for management such as personnel
processing, budget preparation control, housekeeping
and supplies;
6. General Service management, which includes work
concerned with the management, maintenance and
security of the physical plant facilities, communication
systems and transportation systems of the Organization;
the direction of activities of staff engaged in the
operation and maintenance of equipment and facilities,
and arranging and monitoring the work of outside
contractors in this area;
7. Project administration includes work concerned with
providing staff support to the Organization's technical
assistance, disaster relief and economic development
projects. Duties include preparing budgets for projects,
purchasing supplies, developing staffing requirements
and work plans, mobilizing relief in a disaster situation,
arranging such other services necessary to facilitate
completion of projects, and researching and developing
disaster relief plans in cooperation with other countries.
Acceptable first-level university degrees for
consideration by the Board for candidates applying in
Administration are as follows: Public or Business
Administration, Commerce, Marketing, Human
Resources Management or other relevant discipline.

Economics

Work performed within this occupation relates to a
wide range of assignments in which theoretical and
practical economic services are provided to the
Organization. The tasks of the occupation vary
considerably depending upon the assignment and
include, but are not limited to, the following: planning,
designing and conducting research in a variety of
economic areas, such as international monetary reform,
agricultural and mineral commodities trade, multilateral
trade negotiations, insurance, the impact of external
financing, balance of payments, tariffs and restricted
business practices on corporations on trade; development
and modifications of economic models to provide long-
range forecasting and the costs and benefits of alternative
world development strategies; conducting seminars and
meetings for countries on economic problems; planning,
developing and monitoring technical assistance projects
in economic areas for developing countries.

Acceptable first-level university degrees for
consideration by the Board for candidates applying in
Economics are as follows: macroeconomics,
microeconomics, international trade, political economy,
econometrics, development planning and analysis,
economic development and growth, and public
economics. Training in fundamental economic theory is
a basic requirement.

Finance

Work performed within this discipline relates to a
wide range of assignments in which accounting and
auditing services are provided to the Organisation. The
tasks of the discipline vary considerably and include, but
are not limited to, the following: preparing financial
statements about various operations at regular intervals;
analysing and modifying accounting systems; approving
payment of vouchers for vendors, freight, consultants and
travel; approving payrolls; preparing cash-flow
projections, financial compliance and operational auditing
of accounts, programmes and funds; analysing and
recommending modifications to financial control
procedures and management practice; auditing contracts
to assure completion of service; drafting audit reports.

Acceptable first-level university degrees for
consideration by the Board for candidates applying in
5
Finance are as follows: accounting, actuarial sciences,
auditing, business administration (with evidence of
having studied modules in auditing, accounting or
finance), finance, management (with courses in
accounting, auditing or finance), and international
business. Any of the following experiences would be an
advantage: 2-3 years working experience in a business or
governmental environment in an accounting, budgeting or
financial capacity; 2-3 years working experience in a
management auditing/consulting firm; 2-3 years working
experience in an engineering or project management
capacity evaluating cost/benefit elements or capital
project management.

Information Technology

Work performed within this occupation relates to a
wide range of assignments in the development and
operation of computer-based information systems,
including analysis, programming and operation support,
for computer systems which touch, directly or indirectly,
many parts of the Organization. The duties of the
occupation vary considerably and may include, but not
be limited to, some of the following: analysing various
informational problems in conjunction with personnel of
organizational units and making recommendations on the
feasibility and cost benefits of the application of
information technology to the problem; selecting
appropriate language, techniques and methods for a
system; preparing system and programme
documentation; testing, modifying and supervising
installation of systems and programmes; reviewing the
acquisition of information technology equipment;
supervising and coordinating the coding of data; writing
of computer programmes; monitoring of computer and
peripheral machine operations.

Acceptable first-level university degrees for
consideration by the Board for candidates applying in
Information Technology are as follows: computer
science (engineering, programming, software
development, or theory), information technology,
information management, informatics,
telecommunications, and artificial intelligence. For
candidates who have no first-level university degree in
any of the above-mentioned fields but have at least two
years professional experience in these fields, the degree
may be substituted by one of the following first-level
university degrees: electrical engineering, electronics,
mathematics, physics, robotics, or statistics.

Public Information

Work performed within this field relates to a wide
range of assignments in producing and disseminating
information about the United Nations, its aims and
activities and its policies and programmes to the
information media of the world, other organizations and
to the general public. These various services include,
but are not limited to, the following:

1. Press and publications
(a) Press activities - includes work concerned with
preparing press releases about the United Nations and
its activities, preparing background material about
meetings and work programmes of the Organization,
arranging facilities for the information media,
conducting briefings and answering questions about the
Organization for the world press.
(b) Publications - includes the preparation of booklets,
pamphlets, leaflets, magazines and printed materials
about the work of the Organization.

2. Audio-visual media - includes work concerned with
the production of radio and television programmes,
films, photos and posters about the Organization and its
activities. The work involves script writing, interviews,
selection of narrators and technical staff, and the co-
ordination of the technical aspects to ensure completion
and timely distribution of the product to the appropriate
facilities. It also includes the preparation of visual
displays and exhibits.

3. Public relations and liaison - includes work
concerned with informing and educating the public
through educational institutions and non-governmental
organizations about the Organization and its activities.
This involves the preparation and conducting of
lectures and seminars about the Organization,
answering public inquiries and providing kits of
information material, operating network of the
Information Centres, conducting fellowship and
internship programmes, arranging seminars and
encounters with journalists both at Headquarters and in
the field.
Acceptable first-level university degrees for
consideration by the Board for candidates applying in
Public Information are as follows: communication,
journalism, media studies, new media and web design,
press, and public relations. Furthermore, candidates
with first-level university degree in a field relevant to
the work of the Organization, i.e., political science,
international relations, modern history, social science,
economics, legal affairs, may be considered provided
they have relevant working experience in public
information as journalist, television, video or radio
producer, web site designer, public relations officer or
specialist in new media.

Security

Within limits of delegated authority, the Associate
Security Officer may be responsible for the following
duties:
Preparation of draft security plans for specific areas of
operations; Conduct of security assessments, in
accordance with the UN Security Risk Management
6
model, to ensure the safety of staff to enter or return to a
location where actual or suspected problems exist;
Investigate and prepare reports on minor cases of theft,
illegal entry, assault, or other incidents when the extent
of the infraction is readily determinable; Development of
drafts of specific security threat and risk assessments
associated with threats by criminal, terrorist or extremist
groups to the UN Organizations system and its individual
components. The assessments include electronic crime
tracing and determination of the severity and possible
impact on the Organization; Development and
enhancement, at the local level, of the methodology for
risk assessments, maintenance of databases of threats and
associated risks; Timely distribution of assessment of
risks to UN duty stations and field offices affected by
identified threats; Coordination of assessment activities
with the appropriate focal points within the Department
of Safety and Security as well as security focal points of
UN systems organizations; On-site coordination of
specific security operations, including but not limited to:
VIP visits, evacuation and relocation, convoy movements
and response to incidents or emergencies (including
those involving casualties); Assist in recruitment,
training and supervision of junior staff; Acting in a
higher level capacity in the temporary absence of more
senior security professionals.

Are considered acceptable: First-level university degrees
(Bachelors or equivalent) in relevant field such as
criminology, criminal justice, security management or
related field. Military or police academy training
equivalent to a first-level university degree will also be
considered. At least 2 years of progressively responsible
experience related to military, police or security
occupations. Experience in security analysis and
assessments and forensic computer evaluations an asset.

Social Affairs

Work performed within this occupation relates to a
wide range of assignments in which social development
and welfare services are provided to the Organization.
The tasks of the occupation vary considerably
depending upon the assignment and include, but are not
limited to, the following: preparation of research reports
in a variety of welfare subject areas, such as crime
prevention and criminal justice, institutional
development and popular participation, social
integration and welfare, promotion of equality of men
and women, rural development, family planning, youth,
rehabilitation of disabled persons, the aging, migrant
workers, and development of paraprofessionals;
conducting seminars and meetings for countries on
social welfare problems; developing and monitoring
technical assistance projects in social welfare areas for
developing countries; monitoring illicit drug traffic and
preparing research reports about drug movement in the
world; interpreting provisions of narcotics-control
treaties; assisting farmers to find replacement crops for
narcotics; developing and monitoring technical
assistance projects to control narcotics.

Acceptable first-level university degrees for
consideration by the Board for candidates applying in
Social Affairs are as follows: Sociology, Social
Science, Rural Development, Women Issues, Human
Geography, Anthropology, Development Studies,
Environmental Studies, Labour Issues, Public Policy or
other relevant discipline.

Statistics

Work performed within this discipline relates to a
wide range of assignments in which statistical services
are provided to the Organization. The tasks of the
occupation vary considerably depending upon the
assignment and include, but are not limited to, the
following: preparing and designing questionnaires or
other research instruments for the collection of statistical
data from Member States for the statistical yearbooks
and other publications giving comparative world-wide
statistics; more generally: collecting, processing and
disseminating data from Member States; providing
technical assistance to developing countries to assist
them in strengthening their national statistical capacity;
assisting Member States in developing standardized
statistical classifications, definitions and methods in such
areas as economic statistics, like industrial, energy and
trade statistics and national accounts and environment,
social statistics, demography; developing statistical
methods for data validation and estimation; conducting
research in the area of index calculation and seasonal
adjustments.

Acceptable first-level, preferably advanced,
university degree for consideration by the Board for
candidates applying in Statistics are as follows: Statistics,
Mathematics, Economics with a specialization in statistics
and/or econometrics, Social Sciences with a specialization
in statistics, Demography. Any of the following
experiences would be an advantage: 1-2 years working
experience with a National Statistical Office; 1-2 years
working experience in environmental, social,
demographic, energy, trade or economics statistics.
7
ANNEX II
EXAMINATION SAMPLES

SPECIALIZED PAPER

ADMINISTRATION

Essays
A. The primary responsibility of the purchasing
function in a large organisation is to obtain the highest
quality products, meeting specifications, at the lowest
possible price. Given these basic terms of reference, a
procurement officer must carefully review each
requisition and make a determination as to whether or
not a potential exists for savings or cost reductions and
to take appropriate steps to achieve this objective.
Describe five ways of achieving savings in the
procurement process. Briefly explain a serious
problem which can be encountered in each of the five
ways you selected.
B. You are the personnel officer in the local
office of an international organization located in a
large city. The turnover of locally recruited general
service personnel is abnormally high. In fact, it is
higher than for all other employers: private - state
owned or transnationals. Consequences of turnover
were strongly criticized in an external audit report on
the efficiency of the organization's local office. This
report stated "The level of turnover is significant
because it is expensive and leads to lost productivity. It
is costly because every time an employee leaves, the
organization must incur recruitment and training costs.
It is costly because there is a period of time which it
takes for all new employees to reach their peak
effectiveness. During this time, the employee makes
mistakes. A strong effort must be made to avoid this
waste of resources".
You know why the turnover is occurring: the pay of
employees has been low for years. In the meantime
new industry has come to the region. Since the
population hasn't increased that much, the salary
structure of private industry has risen to attract
people. This was mentioned in previous internal
personnel reports, but the increase of the international
organization's salaries has lagged. The organization
too often gets those employees who cannot obtain
employment elsewhere. They join the organization
and remain for a period of time. Once they are
trained, they leave for better jobs. A small number of
problem staff have had to be terminated at
considerable cost to the organization.
What the organization does have is a very generous
package of benefits. In fact, it is more generous than
that of the other employers in the area. While
employees have left for a raise in pay, the result of a
survey taken by the organization indicates that the
former employees now employed outside the
organization have fewer fringe benefits, including
less medical insurance coverage, lower pension
benefits, less sick leave, fewer paid holidays and
also a smaller allowance for childrens' education
benefits. The organization has, however, been
unsuccessful in communicating this situation to its
staff now on board.
Your office and you have already tried to
encourage supervisors to discuss this situation with
their staff but in most cases, supervisors have failed
to do so. Their excuse is that the benefits are
complicated and difficult to explain particularly to
new staff, many of whom do not show interest in
benefits.
You are requested by your supervisor, the chief of
personnel, to prepare a detailed programme of
action to improve on the current turnover situation.
Explain your detailed plan of action including the
target groups which you would address, what
procedures you would recommend to be followed
and how you would go about implementing such a
plan.
Questions
1. Briefly explain three different recruitment
interview techniques.
2. Identify three situations in which a binding
purchase contract can be terminated without penalty
or damage to any of the parties to it?
3. In a situation of a mandatory reassignment
from one duty station to another, outline the
components of a fair compensation package.
4. What is budgetary control? What is the
difference between budgetary control and
management control?
5. Before entering into a major contract what
steps can a procurement officer take to establish the
contractor's reliability and capacity to execute the
contract?
6. Briefly explain the main components of a
career development programme in a public sector
organisation.
7. Cite five factors which you would consider
in deciding whether to buy or lease equipment.
8. Identify and briefly discuss three
approaches in overcoming resistance to change in
administrative organizations.

8
9. Give three advantages of an effective
communication system between managers and
employees.
10. Identify and briefly discuss three major
advantages of introducing electronic data processing
equipment to assist in management functions.
List of topics

Suggested reading list: basic textbooks and
periodicals in the field of administration.

The following topics should be covered:
- Administration
- Budget
- Management
- Medium-term plan
- Personnel questions
- Principles of administration and management
- Procurement
- Recruitment and training
- Human resources development
- Programme planning, budgeting, monitoring and
evaluation

9



FINANCE

Essays

A. Using the following trial balance and
adjustments, prepare a Balance Sheet as of 30 June
1994:
Debits Credits
Trial balance, 30 June 1994 (Dollars) (Dollars)

Cash 10,789
Investments 60,000
Pledged contributions unpaid 251,200
Accounts receivable 1,713
Salary advance 5,000
Salaries 38,689
Travel 5,058
Miscellaneous operating expenditures 17,204
Supplies 8,531
Fellowship/Training expenditures 22,836
Printing 2,700
Unpaid expenditures (unliquidated obligations) 19,325
Prepaid insurance 300
Unliquidated obligations payable 19,325
Income from pledged contributions 200,000
Interest income 3,247
Public donations 10,000
Accounts payable 2,921
Fund balance 1 January 1994 207,852
_______ ______
443,345 443,345

Adjustments:

1. $3,000 of the $5,000 salary advances granted
has been earned by staff members during the month of
June 1994.

2. The unpaid pledged contribution of the
Government of Country X was paid in cash on 28 June
through the UNDP office and the Resident
Representative sent a cable request to have the amount
reflected in the statements. The cash contribution was
transferred to Chemical Bank, New York by cable.

3. The cost of insurance premium which was
paid in advance on 1 January was for a one-year
policy. Fifty percent of the value of the prepaid
insurance had expired.

4. The United Nations received a firm pledge
for a contribution of $50,000 from the Government of
Country X on 30 June 1994 through the Economic
Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
which was not yet included in the trial balance.



B. As part of an overall review and study of a
major computerized Electronic Data Processing (EDP)
financial system, what are the procedures which
should be performed by an independent auditor to
evaluate internal controls?


Questions

1. Andrew & Associates of the United States
forwarded merchandise to JMB International of Japan.
Andrew billed JMB 22,000 yen for shipping charges
on 16 March 1994, with payment due 15 April 1994.

Assume that on 16 March 1994, 1 yen = $.44 and that
on 15 April, 1 yen = $.41. Prepare the journal entries
on Andrew's books to record the sale to and
subsequent payment from JMB International.

2. A firm needs $85,000 cash. A local bank will
make a one-year loan but requires a 15%
compensatory balance (the company would ordinarily
keep a zero balance since the balance maintained in the
account earns no interest). If the stated rate of interest
is 12%, what is the effective cost?

3. The High Company obtained a short term
loan for $80,000 from the Centrum Bank on 1
December. The loan term was 60 days with an annual
interest rate of 9.5%. On the maturity date the note
was renewed for a further 30 days at an interest rate of
10.25%. On this date High Company issued a check to
pay the interest for the accrued interest. At the end of
the 30 days High Company issued a check to pay for
the final amount owing to the Bank, including the
principal.

a) Prepare entries to record the issue of the note.
b) Assume that at the end of each month High
Company recorded in its books the accrual of interest.
Prepare month end entries.
c) Show entries for the check issued on the first
maturity date.
d) Show entries for the check issued at the
second maturity date.

4. Enumerate four items you would expect to
find in an auditor's permanent audit file.

5. What should an auditor be looking for, or
trying to ascertain, during his examination of accounts
receivable at balance date?

6. An international organization has local
offices located in many countries with different
exchange rate systems. The local offices hold bank

10
accounts in local currencies but the unit of account for
the entire organization is in US dollars.

a) Discuss the possible financial implications of
foreign exchange differences (including a fall or rise in
the local currency, and a fall or rise in the US dollar).

b) Briefly discuss the following exchange rate
policies:
(i) a managed floating exchange rate;
(ii) a fixed exchange rate linked to a basket of
currencies; and
(iii) a fixed exchange rate backed by a currency board
system.

7. A truck was purchased on 1 January 1994, for
$20,000 with no resale value. It will be depreciated for
8 years using the straight-line method. Show how the
Truck account and the related Accumulated
Depreciation account would appear on the balance
sheet on (a) 31 December 1994; (b) 31 December
1995.

8. Indicate four actions you would include
within your audit programme to verify the accuracy of
the accounts payable appearing in the balance sheet.



List of topics


Suggested reading includes basic textbooks and
periodicals in the field of finance covering the
following topics:

- Accounting
- Auditing
- Financial administration
- Investments
- Treasury


11
ECONOMICS

Essays

A. The debt-servicing problem of developing
countries has been a matter of continuing concern
since the early 1980s. What are the factors that
contributed to the problem? What were the domestic
effects of rising external debts? What measures have
been undertaken to alleviate this problem? What kinds
of policies would you recommend for alleviating the
balance of payments difficulties of affected countries?

B. There have been serious disagreements in the
literature on economic development as to the strategies
that developing countries should follow to foster the
development process. Two unsettled issues refer to:
(1) the advantages of stressing agriculture or of
fostering industrialization; (2) policies that take as
given the current income distribution and depend on a
trickle-down of the fruits of economic growth to the
poorer segments of the population, as against a
strategy heavily oriented towards meeting basic needs.
Discuss in detail these two controversies and how the
current world economic situation affects them.

C. What are the main determinants of the
international division of labour? In which types of
economic activity has this division of labour
progressed the most and what are its global
advantages? Give examples based on the experiences
of one or more countries.

Questions

1. The industrial development of developing
countries is hampered by their lack of technologies.
Give two major reasons with brief explanations as to
why the developing countries lack access to
appropriate technology.

2. Briefly explain why capital formation is
considered to be an essential ingredient of economic
expansion and diversification.

3. Suppose you are given a set of differential rates of
inflation for a group of market-type economies. What
effects might such differences have on exchange rates
in the short and long run under flexible and fixed
exchange rate systems?

4. Specify under which conditions a country can
show a current account surplus at the same time as a
trade balance deficit. Specify also the conditions
under which the current and trade accounts are in
deficit while the overall balance of payments is in
surplus. Briefly discuss.

5. If the income elasticity of imports in a developing
country is 1.75 and GNP is growing at 7 percent per
annum, at what rate would you expect real imports to
grow on average? Give two reasons why the growth
of imports tends to out-strip the growth of GNP and
exports in developing countries. Discuss three
possible policies designed to curb the rate of growth of
imports.

6. Discuss the economic rationale and the goodness
of statistical fit of the statistically estimated
relationship set out below. Would the estimated
relationship suggest policy recommendations?

C
t
: 100.27 + 0.73 Y
t
- 1.25 r
t - 1

2

R = 0.922
DW = 1.73
n = 37
(1.06) (4.17) (-0.35)

C
t
: private consumption in real terms;

Y
t
: personal disposable income deflated by the
consumer price index;

r
t
: Nominal interest rate minus the rate of
increase in consumer prices;

2

R: coefficient of determination adjusted for
degrees of freedom;

DW: Durbin-Watson statistic;

t: time;

n: number of observations.

In parentheses are the values of the T-statistic.

7. An investment project is expected to yield, in
constant dollars, returns of $100, $100 and $1,100 at
the end of 1, 2 and 3 years respectively and nothing
thereafter. If the investment costs $1,000 now, would
it be profitable at an expected real interest rate of 8
percent per annum? 12 percent?

8. Given a fiscal deficit, describe two ways in which
such a deficit could be financed and explain whether
each way would have different impacts on the
economy.

9. It is said that, under fixed exchange rates,
countries lose control over monetary policy, while
under flexible exchange rates they have full control
over this policy instrument. Explain briefly your
agreement or disagreement with this statement.


12
10. Many countries in the world are seeking to
privatise their public sector enterprises. What
difficulties do you see for a developing country in such
privatisation?

List of topics

Suggested reading includes basic textbooks and
periodicals in the field of economics covering the
following topics:

- Fundamental economics concepts
- National income and price indices
- Consumption, saving and investment
- Fiscal policies and taxation
- Inflation and unemployment

- Money supply and demand
- Supply and demand concepts
- Competition and monopoly
- International trade - comparative advantage
- Transnational corporations
- Tariffs quotas and free trade
- International finance
- Growth and development
- Income distribution
- Resources and environmental economics

Candidates should be able to deal with economics
questions related to developing countries, economies
in transition and western economies.










13
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY



Essays


A. Enumerate and explain the 7 layers of the OSI
model. Give examples where possible.

B. You are supervising an Information Technology
Helpdesk in a duty station with approximately 300 PCs
connected to one LAN. Your management has
received reports that the performance of the Helpdesk
(response rate) has decreased over the last 6 months.
The staffing level of the Helpdesk has remained the
same over that time.

You have been requested to provide a justification for
the decrease in the response rate. List and elaborate on
factors that have an impact on the performance of a
helpdesk.

C. You are responsible for developing the selection
criteria, which will serve as a basis for the future
acquisition of software packages by a large
international organization.

The organization has no clear methodology for
acquiring software packages.

You were asked by your supervisor to develop a
comprehensive list of criteria to be evaluated and the
questions to be raised in assessing these criteria.

Prepare a list of five of these criteria. For each
criterion on your list, prepare four questions, which
you would include in assessing software packages.



Questions


l. Describe the main functions performed by
telecommunications control software.

2. a) Describe briefly the concept of a Virtual Private
Network (VPN).
b) Compare a VPN and the traditional WAN.
c) What is a site-to-site VPN?


3. What purposes are served by thorough programme
documentation?

4. The UNIX operating system was designed a long
time ago. It is only recently that its use became
widespread. Briefly explain why this happened.

5. Discuss briefly 3 issues related to software
distribution through local area network. Give 1
example for each.

6. Explain briefly the concept of virtual memory.
Explain briefly if there is any special consideration to
be taken by the programmer when structuring an
application to be run in a system using virtual memory.

7. Describe the terms Disaster Recovery and
Business Continuity and briefly outline measures to
implement these concepts in a non profit organization
such as the United Nations.

8. Cite and briefly describe 5 security measures
aimed to prevent unauthorized access to a network
through its INTERNET connection.



List of topics


Suggested reading includes basic textbooks and
periodicals in the field of electronic data processing
covering the following topics:

- Fundamentals of electronic data processing
- Computer system architecture
- Fundamentals of programming and analysis
- Operating system functions and facilities
- Basic concepts of data base management systems
- Network security
- Standard textbooks and course materials, as well
as reference manuals available from hardware and
software suppliers

14
PUBLIC INFORMATION


Essays

A. As an information officer you have been requested
to summarize the following excerpts from a press
conference of the President of the General Assembly.
The press release should be prepared in journalistic
style and should not exceed one page and a half (450
to 500 words).

QUESTION: A main objective of the entire United
Nations - the General Assembly, the Security Council
and the Secretariat - is to help maintain peace in the
world. Yet, the General Assembly did not make a
single move on world crisis situation. Is that a
deficiency in the General Assembly which you
omitted in making your suggestions?

The PRESIDENT: I do not think that it is a deficiency;
it is recognition of the realities in the world. Here
again, the United Nations, and in particular, the
General Assembly, is a clear reflection of those
realities which we face in the world today, whether we
like them or not. In addition, the General Assembly, as
we all know, is not a legislative parliament; it is an
assembly of States, and in order to be able to discuss a
problem, you require at least one delegation to take the
initiative to bring something before the Assembly by
moving to put a point on the agenda, by moving a
resolution or by moving in a Committee to bring
something to the plenary Assembly thereafter.
Those areas to which you have addressed your
question are, I am sure, in the minds of many, if not
all, but the fact that General Assembly did not address
those questions is, in my view - I am repeating myself
- first, a recognition of the realities that are out there in
the world but, secondly, not a bad mark on this present
General Assembly session. The Assembly is free in its
decision as to what to discuss, and when on some
occasions it wisely decides not to debate, that is its
own prerogative.

QUESTION: Following up an earlier question, Mr.
President, do you see wishfulness or duplicity in the
notion that global negotiations on economics can
succeed before the success of global negotiations on
political unity?

The PRESIDENT: I think the two questions of
political and economic solutions for the world's
problems are very closely connected, and that is why
we talk so often - and I am one of those who is doing
that - of the necessity of generating political will in
order to come to an agreement on the question of
global negotiations, which, in fact, is a question of
negotiating on a restructuring of the world economic
system or of international economic relation. That is
specified in General Assembly resolution 34/138,
which is the basis for the attempts to get the global
negotiations going.
There is a very close interrelationship between
political problems and economic problems, at least to
the extent that it requires a determination on the part
of all - and I mean both North and South - to come to
an agreement on the remaining issues which keep us
from launching the global negotiations.

QUESTION: Your use of the expression "political
will" and my use of the expression "political unity";
are these the same?

The PRESIDENT: No, they are not the same; but if I
might ask you a question, I do not quite understand
what you mean by political unity: of whom? Of the
United Nations as a body?

QUESTION: Yes, assuming that the United Nations is
really not united in any political sense.

The PRESIDENT: In that sense, I hope at least that
the leaders in the countries which are interested in
global negotiations are ready to go ahead with this
very important exercise even without achieving
political unity as you describe it. We have been
striving for political unity, I think, ever since the time
of the League of Nations, and certainly during the
lifetime of the United Nations, and I do not dispute the
observation that you have made that the United
Nations, on occasions, is not entirely united.

QUESTION: Mr. President, which issue did you have
in mind when you said that it was possible to avoid
unnecessary confrontation and major setbacks in many
fields? Do you think that it would be a good idea, for
the sake of saving time, to have a debate in the
Assembly on Palestine and Middle East instead of
having a debate on each one of those questions?

The PRESIDENT: Well, that is a two-pronged
question. First, I should like to refer again to points
such as those I mentioned earlier, but also the fact that
we have had a larger number, compared to previous
Assemblies, of resolutions adopted by consensus.
Certainly, that was the case especially with the First
Committee items.
Now I have forgotten the second half of your question.

QUESTION: The question was, would you be in
favour of having one debate on Palestine and the
Middle East instead of one on each?

The PRESIDENT: Yes, I should indeed be in favour
of grouping items. That was one proposal that the
ambassadors made last year, and it was also contained
in the Secretary - General's report to last year's session
of the General Assembly. It was also put before the
General Committee, and it never passed the General
Committee. I am speaking of a grouping of items
under one heading. To give one example, I think one

15
could very well see grouping all the items in the First
Committee that deal with nuclear-free zones or zones
of peace all under one heading, instead of each one
being addressed separately. That would also go, in my
view, for items that relate to the Middle East, in
whatever fashion.

QUESTION: We all recognize how efficiently you
have handled the Assembly here. You have had a great
opportunity to observe the efforts that go into
attacking these issues and what comes out as a result.
Recently there has been public criticism of the United
Nations. Do you think that criticism is fair?

The PRESIDENT: I do not know to which criticism
you are referring, but let me give you a general answer
that I hope will satisfy you. An Organization like the
United Nations is bound to be criticized. The question
here is, is it positive, constructive criticism or is it an
attempt to destroy the Organization.Having pointed to
that distinction, I would say that any constructive
criticism should be welcome. The other kind of
criticism should be dealt with, either by responding to
it or by pointing to the performance of the United
Nations as a whole. Again, I think I mentioned this
when I came to you on my first or second day of
office. I think it is unfair that public opinion - the
media and the parliaments and, sometimes,
Governments - when they look at the United Nations
as a system, single out the General Assembly and the
Security Council, because that is where the action is,
that is where the drama is and that is where the story
is, and very seldom report on the activities of the
specialized forums, which, in my view, are doing an
excellent job - most of them, if not all of them.

B. Rewrite the following cuts as a 5-minute radio item
to be included in a UN radio news programme.

"HUMAN RIGHTS DAY was observed in New York
on Tuesday (10 December) at a meeting of United
Nations staff in honour of colleagues who have been
detained or in other ways been denied their human
rights. Secretary General Perez de Cuellar reminded
the staff it was against the background of the horrors
of the Second World War that representatives of the
nations of the world had formulated the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights. The decades since then,
he added, had not brought universal recognition of the
inherent dignity and inalienable right of the human
person.
He noted that, earlier in the day, he had attended an
exhibition at United Nations headquarters depicting
that most infamous attack against human life and
dignity which was called Auschwitz. Mr. Perez de
Cuellar told the staff that "in our own house" there had
been painful reminders of human rights violations."
"The United Nations Economic and Social Council,
ECOSOC, ended its second regular session of 1985
after approving a draft agreement between the United
Nations and the United Nations Industrial
Development Organisation, UNIDO, which was
recently converted into a specialized agency. It also
recommended that the Assembly do likewise at the
earliest opportunity. Recognizing the coordinating
role and comprehensive responsibilities of the General
Assembly and the Economic and Social Council, the
agreement lays out avenues of cooperation between
the agency and the United Nations, and establishes
UNIDO's pre-eminence in the field of upgrading the
industrial systems of the developing countries."
"A resolution on help to student refugees in southern
Africa expressed appreciation for the contribution of
Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland and Zambia in granting
asylum, and asked the High Commissioner and
Secretary-General to organize a suitable assistance
programme for those refugees.
The social committee has adopted, without a vote, a
resolution on the Genocide Convention, urging
countries thathave not already joined to do so without
delay. Another resolution adopted without a vote
called for the establishment of a Voluntary Fund for
Indigenous Populations - to provide financial help to
representatives of indigenous communities to take part
in the deliberations of a working group that is devoted
to their concerns."
"The Assembly's Economic Committee has adopted
draft resolutions on special economic assistance
programmes, and an International Volunteer Day, on
the report of the Trade and Development Board, on the
role of personnel in the development process, on
technical cooperation among developing countries,
and on coordination within the United Nations system.
On special programmes of economic assistance, the
draft adopted would have the Assembly ask the
Secretary -General report to it in 1986 on ways and
means of enhancing efficiency in the implementation
of decisions taken by intergovernmental bodies.
By another draft, the Assembly would invite
Governments to observe the fifth of December as an
International Volunteer Day every year, and would
urge them to stress the importance of volunteer
service. On technical cooperation among developing
countries, the Assembly would request the
organisations in the United Nations system to take
action to ensure the implementation of the decisions of
the High- Level Committee on the Review of
Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries."

C. An observer from a non-governmental organization
has written to the director of the United Nations
information centre where you serve requesting that the
centre issue a press statement on a major meeting
organized by the nongovernmental organization in
which local government officials participated. The
topics covered in the meetingi ncluded human rights,
the rights of the disabled, water pollution in the region
and the successes of the nongovernmental
organization in dealing with refugees.

Draft a letter for the director's signature in response to
this request.

16
Questions

1. The United Nations has a potential worldwide
audience.
What segment of the audience should be the target of
documentary films?

2. What steps would you take to publicize a newly
released United Nations film?

3. Why is it important for the United Nations to
disseminate its own information?

4. You have been requested to make recommendations
concerning the best ways to publicize a UN
international year. Identify and discuss six such ways.

5. Prepare a list of six relevant questions for a
radio/television interview with the Chairman of the
Preparatory Committee for the Third Special Session
of the United Nations General Assembly devoted to
Disarmament.

6. You are working on radio, film and television
productions for the United Nations. These productions
are either distributed to established information outlets
or used by the United Nations itself. You have to
report about your audiences and about the impact your
productions have on them without resorting to an
outside agency. How would you go about this task and
where would you get the necessary data?

7. In what ways do you think public information can
help to preserve the environment?

8. Which medium of mass communication is the one
most widely used in developing countries, and why?

9. You are asked to organize a two-day encounter for
professional journalists from 12 Asian countries on the
situation in Cambodia. The purpose of this encounter
is that the media, in their home countries, could better
inform the public on this issue. Outline a programme
for the two-day session which would include at least
five activities, the objective being that the participants
would cover this issue on a regular basis through local
media channels.

10. Briefly comment on "a new, more just and more
effective world information and communication
order." In what way would such a new order differ
from the traditional situation?










List of topics

Suggested reading includes basic textbooks and
periodicals
in the field of public information covering the
following
topics:
- Information technology
- International communication problems
- Journalist/press work
- News production
- Photo and visual material production
- Public information materials published and
disseminated by the U.N. and its agencies
- Public resolutions
-Public services provided by international
organizations
- Radio work
- The work of news agencies
- TV work
-Video and film production

17
SECURITY


Essays
A. You have just taken over your new position as an
Assistant Chief of Security in a country which is prone
to natural disasters, including earthquakes, hurricanes,
floods and mud-slides. The UN presence in the country
employs about 800 staff, both nationals and expatriate.
It includes a number of agencies who have offices and
project sites in remote rural areas as well as main
offices in the capital. Your supervisor has asked you to
develop a plan to prepare for such events, with the main
aim being to avoid any loss of life amongst UN staff
and their families. Your plan should include
contingency preparations and response in the event of a
disaster actually occurring. He has asked you to
provide him with a brief outline of what your plan will
cover before you start on the detailed work.
Requirement: prepare a note for your supervisor
outlining your proposed plan.
B. You are in charge of security at a large UN
compound which houses the offices of several different
UN organizations. Many of these offices need to be
accessible to visitors, including senior government
officials, diplomats from embassies, and activists of
local community groups. The compound is also
entered every day by some 150 local workers who are
employed in the canteens, as cleaners and maintenance
staff, or by contracting firms who carry out repairs and
office modifications. The Director of Administration
informs you that an unacceptable quantity of office
equipment and personal belongings has been
disappearing from offices over the last few weeks. He
says that the senior management are requesting you to
take action to control the situation. You would like to
meet with the senior management and propose a
number of options for them to consider. Describe the
options which you would present to the senior
managers, giving the advantages and disadvantages of
each.
C. You are a Field Security Adviser for an
international agency which has a large field office in the
capital of country X. Country X is experiencing
unstable political conditions caused by tensions that
exist between its majority political group and its
minority political groups. Sometimes these tensions
result in violence, however inter- group riots rarely
happen suddenly or without warning. They are the
product of tensions that accumulate over a period of
time.
The major projects carried out by your agency in
Country X are all designed to benefit the most deprived
inhabitants of the worst slum areas in the capital. The
projects include education and sports for street children,
income generation schemes to alleviate the high
unemployment situation, soup kitchens for the destitute,
and health, sanitation and clean water projects to reduce
the spread of disease. These slum areas are fertile
recruiting grounds for the extremist elements of all
political factions (most of which are based on ethnicity,
rather than ideology). Your concern is intensified
because the field office employs many local personnel
representing rival groups.
Although your agency has deservedly been praised for
what it has achieved in these areas, there have also been
occasions when perceived injustices in the distribution
of assistance has led to angry demonstrations against
your colleagues, and even, on two occasions in the last
six months, attempts to enter and occupy the field
office. These two attempts were fortunately prevented
by a robust response from the local police (too robust
according to some human rights activists), however the
economic situation has led to delays in paying the
salaries of government employees, including the police.
Tensions have risen further in anticipation of a re-run of
the parliamentary elections which have been negotiated
by international mediators following allegations of
widespread fraud. In addition to the possibility of street
violence, there have been rumours that some factions
are setting up militias, recruiting from the most
alienated young men in the slums, in order to carry out
acts of greater violence.
Your agency senior management team has been
discussing whether to continue with some, all or none of
the projects in the slums over the election period, and
has asked you to provide a security risk assessment to
help them to make decisions.
Describe how you would go about carrying out the
security risk assessment. How would you collect and
assess information? What factors would you take into
consideration, or give the greatest emphasis to? How
would you assess the risk of certain events taking place?
How would you develop recommendations for reducing
the risks to staff to acceptable levels? What choices
need to be made by the senior managers?


18
Questions
1. What is the primary purpose of keeping statistics
on the location, nature and frequency of security/safety
incidents?
2. Officer conduct at the scene of a demonstration or
crowd disturbance is often an important factor in
restoring order. List three of the most important rules
that you would establish for security officers to deal
with a disturbance of this nature.
3. List the advantages and disadvantages of using
electronic monitoring devices to secure the perimeter of
premises.
4. As a general rule, when a subordinate makes an
error he or she should be quickly and publicly corrected
so that others can learn from the mistake.
a. Do you agree with this approach? If so, explain
why.
b. If not, explain how you would handle the
situation.
5. Assuming a 40 hour work week, 8 hour shifts, 6
official holidays, 5 days of sick leave, 10 days of annual
leave, and an average annual salary of $13,000:
a. How many security officers would be required
to establish and maintain a permanent 24-hour a
day guard post?
b. What would be the salary cost of establishing
such a post?
6. There has been an accident with a gas cooker in
the office canteen kitchen and a number of kitchen staff
have been injured, two apparently seriously. You arrive
at the canteen to find scenes of panic and chaos, with
nobody in charge, some hysterical screaming, and some
materials still on fire. How would you handle the
situation? What are your priorities?
7. . You are in a duty station where the local media
has recently reported a number of assaults, both sexual
and robbery, against women returning from work. The
staff welfare officer asks you to give a presentation to
female colleagues on what they can do to avoid
becoming victims. Outline your talk.
8. List 10 priority areas that should be covered in
training a new security officer. Briefly describe which
training method should be used for each area listed.

List of topics
For the preparation of the specialized part of the
examination, candidates are encouraged to study
general literature and periodicals on:
- Security
- Law enforcement
- Safety
- Fire fighting and fire prevention
It is also advisable for candidates to possess a general
knowledge of activities and programmes carried out by
UN agencies and NGOs, particularly in the field.


19
SOCIAL AFFAIRS

Essays

A. Limiting the role of government has been a recent
trend common to many economies. Discuss the causes
and modalities of this trend and assess its significance
in resolving developmental problems of developing
countries.

B. Discuss major social development issues that are
currently attracting significant notice from many
governments and the international community.

C. Incomes and material living conditions in
developed countries have improved greatly since
World War II; simultaneously, the countries'
indicators of social malaise such as divorces,
substance abuses and suicides have also risen.
Discuss.

Questions

1. In recent years, there have been significant changes
in migration. Briefly discuss the changes in the pattern
of population movements.

2. Outline major policy options available to
governments of developing countries to alter or
modify the size distribution of their national income.
Give three specific examples.

3. Modern communications and information
technologies are becoming increasingly accessible.
This modernization will accelerate redeployment of
human resources and the consequent social changes.
Briefly discuss any changes you have already
observed and those you anticipate for the future.

4. Growing unemployment among young people is a
significant concern in developing countries. Briefly
discuss three major policy responses by these
governments to improve this condition.

5. What are the principal characteristics of poverty
groups? What do these characteristics reveal about the
feasibility of a poverty focused development strategy?

6. How can governments of developing countries
improve government spending on health in their
countries? Give three examples.

7. List and briefly explain the objectives of three
events that constitute "milestones" in the United
Nations activities in the area of the advancement of
women.

8. In some developing countries national food
selfsufficiency will not necessarily eliminate hunger
and malnutrition. Suggest three actions to reduce food
insecurity.

List of topics

Suggested reading includes basic textbooks and
periodicals in the field of social affairs covering the
following topics:




















List of documents

- Declaration on Social Progress and Development,
United Nations
- Human development reports, UNDP
- International Covenant on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights, United Nations
- Major reports of FAO, ILO, UNAIDS, UNESCO,
UNHCR, the World Bank, WHO, etc. Visit their
website
- Millennium Declaration
- Reports of major UN conferences and summits such
as the World Summit for Social Development, 24
th

Special session of the GA, 2000; Fourth World
Conference on Women and 23rd Special session of the
GA 2000; World Summit on Sustainable
Development, 2002; International Conference on
Finincing for Development, 2002, etc.
- Reports of the Secretary-General on the
Implementaion of the UN Millennium Declaration,
A/57/270, A/58/...
- Reports on the World Social Situation, 2001, 2003,
United Nations
- Road map towards the implementaion of the UN
Millennium Declaration, A/56/326
- The State of the World's Children, UNICEF
- UNRISD (United Nations Research Institute for
Social Development) publications, www. unrisd.org
- World Population Plan of Action, United Nations
- Aging
- Child labour
-Community development
- Crime
- Drug abuse
- Education
- Family
- Gender equality
- Health
- HIV/AIDS
- Housing
- Hunger and malnutrition
-Human resources development
- Indigenous people
- Migration

- Persons with disabilities
- Population/demography
- Poverty reduction
- Refugees
- Research methods
- Role of NGOs
- Rural development
- Social development
- Social integration
- Social protection
- Statistics
- Unemployment
- Urbanization
- Women
- Youth


20
STATISTICS

Essays

A. The computer manufacturing industry in a country produces basically two classes of computers. An annual
price survey of the industry includes two models of each class (see table below). Model 1a was discontinued
after 2002, and it was replaced in the survey sample by a slightly upgraded version, called Model 1a+. The
results of the survey from 2000 to 2002 are as follows:


Price (US$) of surveyed computer models
2000 2001 2002
Computers of class 1
Model 1a
1,500 1,450
Model 1a+
1,350
Model 1b
1,200 1,180 1,180
Computers of class 2
Model 2a
425 400 410
Model 2b
540 550 550

Estimated number of computers sold (in thousands)
2000 2001 2002
Computers of class 1
Model 1a
20 35
Model 1a+
40
Model 1b
10 15 15
Computers of class 2
Model 2a
360 350 370
Model 2b
140 140 130


Characteristics of computer models of class 1 included in the survey
Model 1a Model 1a+ Model 1b
Hard Disk 40GB 80GB 80GB
Mflops
*
201 201 185
*
Millions of floating point operations per second


1) The chained Laspeyres and Paasche price index number formula are (where p stands for price and q for
quantity):

( )

=
1 1
1
1 , 1
t t
t t
t t t
q p
q p
q P . ( )

=
t t
t t
t t t
q p
q p
q P
1
, 1

Laspeyres Paasche

(a) Calculate the chained Laspeyres and Paasche price indices for each computer class (using
always the previous period as base year).


21
(b) Explain assumptions you make to obtain your results, especially regarding the replacement
of Model 1a with Model 1a+.

2) The national statistical agency also collects information on production of each computer class on an
ongoing basis:

Production shares
2000 2001 2002
Computers of class 1 0.15 0.25 0.23
Computers of class 2 0.85 0.75 0.77


(a) Obtain the aggregate chained Laspeyres and Paasche price indices for computers (i.e.
general price indices for the whole computer industry, setting the previous period as the
base year for the current price index).

(b) According to each of the two chained index formulas, how much has the general level of
prices for computers increased in 2002 as compared to 2000?

(c) How can any difference between the results obtained using Laspeyres and Paasche formulas
be explained?

3) Suppose you have to interpret a time series of production or sales numbers of computers. Why would a
corresponding time series of price indexes be useful? Please explain.

B. You have been asked to construct a questionnaire for a survey on housing. The survey will be
administered door-to-door by interviewers. Your colleagues remind you that respondents often fail to
understand the questions the researcher is trying to ask.

1) What are five common causes of this failure to communicate to the respondent (limit your answer to
five causes)? What can you do to avoid making these mistakes?

In designing the sample for the housing survey you are asked to make sure it is representative of the
population. One of your colleagues suggests that you use clusters in your sample design whilst another
suggests that you should stratify your sample.

2) What effect does clustering and stratification for this sample have on, for instance, the standard
error? Contrast these methods of sampling with simple random sampling.


Questions


1. Suppose

f
Y|X
(y|x) = {

1 x< y <x +1
0 otherwise
and that X has the uniform (0,1) distribution

(a) Find E (Y)
(b) Find f
X|Y
(x|y)
(c) Find P (X + Y < 1)

2. Define the mean, mode and median and show by diagram how they are normally related in a distribution
which is skewed to the right.

3. A bowl contains four lottery tickets with the numbers 111, 221, 212, and 122. One ticket is drawn at
random from the bowl and Ai is the event that 2 is in the ith place,
i = 1, 2, 3.

22

Determine whether A
1
, A
2
, and A
3
are independent.

4. Describe two ways of measuring growth rates of time series and comment on the advantages and
disadvantages of each.

5. Distinguish clearly between systematic errors and random errors in a sample inquiry.

6. In a college class, there are 80 men and 40 women. There are 36 smokers and 84 non-smokers. What is
the likelihood that any student selected at random is a male smoker under the following conditions:

a. If the percentage of smokers among men is the same as the percentage of smokers among women
(i.e. no relationship between sex and smoking)?

b. If the percentage of smokers among men is twice the percentage of smokers among women (i.e.
men are twice as likely to smoke as women)?

7. A national service requires all applicants to undergo a drug screening examination. In a batch of 25
applicants one fails the test. The applicant claims never to have used any drugs. It is known that the
equipment used in the test has been shown empirically to be able to detect the presence of drugs 99% of the
time when the drugs are present. The manufacturer also admits that 5% of the time the equipment detects
drugs even when they are not there. It is also known that at least 90% of those who enlisted in the armed
forces of the country have not used drugs. What, if anything, can be said about the claims of the applicant?

8. The table below shows the number of excellent students (receiving A scores in their exam) and the
number of mediocre students (receiving C scores in their exam) according to three different teachers, Mr. X,
Mr. Y and Mr. Z, that have been asked to mark the same exam.

Test the hypothesis that the number of mediocre students is the same for each teacher (Hint: test
the hypothesis that being excellent or mediocre is independent by the teacher who marked the
exam).

Mr. X Mr. Y Mr. Z Total
Excellent (A) 50 47 56 153
Mediocre (C) 5 14 8 27
Total 55 61 64 180


9. Of the 50 people on a bus, 1/5 opposes the smoking ban on the bus. If 15 of these passengers are selected
at random, without replacement, (a) what is the probability that exactly 5 of them oppose the smoking ban and
(b) what is the expected number of passengers in the sample that opposes the smoking ban?



List of topics

Suggested reading includes basic textbooks or manuals in the field of statistics covering the following topics:

- Probability Theory
- Descriptive Statistics
- Inferential Statistics
- Demographic and Social Statistics
- Economic Statistics




23
EXAMINATION SAMPLES

GENERAL PAPER


Summary

Summarize the following report in your own words. The report should be reduced to approximately one
third of its original length; the summary should have between 200 and 300 words. Failure to meet these
guidelines will result in point loss.

Text
Ecology and economics should push in the same direction. After all, the eco part of each word derives
from the Greek word for home, and the protagonists of both claim to have humanity's welfare as their goal.
Yet environmentalists and economists are often at loggerheads. For economists, the world seems to be getting
better. For many environmentalists, it seems to be getting worse. These environmentalists have developed a
sort of litany of three big environmental fears: natural resources are running out; the population is ever
growing, leaving less and less to eat and the planet's air and water are becoming ever more polluted. Human
activity is thus defiling the earth, and humanity may end up killing itself in the process. The trouble is, the
evidence does not back up this litany. The early environmental movement worried that the mineral resources
on which modern industry depends would run out. Clearly, there must be some limit to the amount of fossil
fuels and metal ores that can be extracted from the earth: the planet, after all, has a finite mass. But that limit is
far greater than many environmentalists would have people believe. Reserves of natural resources have to be
located, a process that costs money. That, not natural scarcity, is the main limit on their availability. However,
known reserves of all fossil fuels, and of most commercially important metals, are now larger than were
believed to be. In the case of oil, for example, reserves that could be extracted at reasonably competitive
prices would keep the world economy running for about 150 years at present consumption rates. Add to that
the fact that the price of solar energy has fallen by half in every decade for the past 30 years, and appears
likely to continue to do so into the future, and energy shortages do not look like a serious threat either to the
economy or to the environment. The population explosion is also turning out to be a bugaboo. As far back as
the end of the 18
th
Century Thomas Malthus claimed that, if unchecked, human population would expand
exponentially, while food production could increase only linearly, by bringing new land into cultivation. He
was wrong. Population growth has turned out to have an internal check: as people grow richer and healthier,
they have smaller families. Indeed, the growth rate of the human population reached its peak, of more than 2%
a year, in the early 1960s. The rate of increase has been declining ever since. It is now 1.26%, and is expected
to fall to 0.46% in 2050. The United Nations estimates that most of the world's population growth will be over
by 2100, with the population stabilising at just below 11 billion. Granted, the threat of pollution is real, but
exaggerated. Many analyses show that air pollution diminishes when a society becomes rich enough to be able
to afford to be concerned about the environment. For London, the city for which the best data are available, air
pollution peaked around 1890. Today, the air is cleaner than it has been since 1585. There is good reason to
believe that this general picture holds true for all developed countries. And, although air pollution is
increasing in many developing countries, they are merely replicating the development of the industrialized
countries. When they grow sufficiently rich they, too, will start to reduce their air pollution. All this
contradicts the litany. Yet opinion polls suggest that many people, in the rich world, at least, nurture the belief
that environmental standards are declining. Scientific funding goes mainly to areas with many problems. That
may be wise policy, but it will also create an impression that many more potential problems exist than is the
case. The attitude of the media is also a factor in the distortion. People are clearly more curious about bad
news than good. Newspapers and broadcasters are there to provide what the public wants. That, however, can
lead to significant distortions of perception. To replace the litany with facts is crucial if people want to make
the best possible decisions for the future.