Strategic Realignment Program

WIPO's Strategic Realignment Program was launched on October 1, 2008, when Director General Francis Gurry took office. It aims to review and realign the Organization's strategic goals, objectives, structures, programs and resources, so as to enable WIPO, as the leading intergovernmental body for intellectual property, to fulfill its mandate more effectively within a rapidly evolving external environment.

The process is expected to take up to two years to complete.  These web pages will be updated regularly in order to keep Member States and other stakeholders informed of plans and progress.

A three-stream approach

The realignment process seeks to address, in parallel, the following three overlapping “streams” of organizational improvement:

Stream 1: Changing the corporate culture

This stream will focus on encouraging a performance culture through the introduction of improved results-based management, evaluation and appraisal processes.  It will also promote a culture of customer service; and of value for money.

Stream 2: Re-engineering horizontal business processes

In order to improve service levels and efficiencies, and to prepare for the introduction of an IT-based Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, the core administrative and management processes, which underpin WIPO's ability to function efficiently, will be reviewed and re-designed. These include notably human resources processes; IT systems; procurement; budgetary and financial processes.

Stream 3: Restructuring programs and resources in line with the strategic goals

The Revised Program and Budget 2008/09, which was approved by WIPO's Member States in December 2009, established a new strategic framework, in which WIPO's program structure was realigned in relation to nine re-defined strategic-level goals. 

This is being followed by an on-going, sector-by-sector review to define the organizational structures, staffing, skills and budgetary resources required to deliver those strategic goals.