Efficiency and Transparency

In 2011, the IAEA began implementing the Agency-Wide Information System for Programme Support, or AIPS, covering planning, finance, procurement, project management, human resources and administration. Expected to be fully implemented in 2017, AIPS will replace several dozen disparate and often incompatible information systems with a single enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. Already the new system is greatly improving the IAEA's ability to plan, manage and report on its activities, streamline its business processes and enhance its financial transparency.

The first phase, or "plateau", of AIPS went "live" in January 2011. It covered finance, procurement, asset management and the operational management of the IAEA's programmes and projects.

AIPS's second plateau was completed in June 2013: it covered the management of contacts and suppliers, as well as programme and project planning and monitoring. Thanks to this plateau, the Agency's Programme and Budget are now prepared using AIPS.

AIPS's third plateau, covering human resources and the management of the Agency's payroll, went "live" in 2014. The final plateau, covering the management of travel and meetings, is scheduled for 2016.

One immediate benefit of AIPS is that it has facilitated adoption by the IAEA of International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) for its financial reports starting from 1 January 2011. Based on full accrual accounting, these standards are independently maintained by the International Federation of Accountants and are recognized as being optimal for public sector organizations. Following a 2006 resolution of the UN General Assembly, IPSAS will be adopted by all organizations in the UN system. The IAEA's adoption of IPSAS enhances the compatibility of its financial reporting systems with those of other UN bodies.