ENGINEERING STANDARDIZATION AND DESIGN CENTRE

NEWSLETTER
Engineering Standardization and
Design Centre Every engineer, in every mission,
March 2009 United Nations Logistics Base should have access pending on the
Volume 1, Issue 1 Brindisi, Italy approval of the respective Chief
esdc@un.org
Engineer.
© 2009 ESDC

Introducing the first In order to have access, simply forward

Inside the ESDC
Introducing the first ever
the approval from your Chief Engineer
ever Engineering
to your local CITS administrator who
will send you the link.
Database and future
Online Library Once the database link is established,

1 Engineering Database and

future Online Library Christian Henze
data can be downloaded but also
uploaded. In addition, feedback can be
provided for any file if e.g. useful or
What is GROOVE ? WELCOME to the first edition of a
2 And why do Engineers
need a virtual workspace ?
newsletter that will be circulated from
time to time in order to keep all
not. The ESDC continues to update and
expand on data that is currently in the
database to include information that
The expected Impact of engineers and friends updated on covers all aspects of engineering works
2 the HQ and CAMP
Planning Templates
developments in the Engineering
Standardization and Design Centre.
in field missions. Furthermore, the
ESDC is closely monitoring all mission
The ESDC built and maintains the replicas and notifying CITS when any
Who is building my camp
3 in the future ?
The new SOR Templates
newly established Engineering
Database; the centralized database
within DFS Engineering for collecting,
irregularity is noticed.

The ESDC and Mission screening and storing all relevant

3 Support engineering data in order to support
engineers in all missions. In the future,
Who is “running” the the ESDC will also run an Online
4 ESDC ? Standards Library in which the ESDC
collects, screens and updates all relevant
international standards and guidelines.
The Online Standards Library is
designated to streamline engineering
design in field missions while
maintaining international standards for Engineering Database (Lotus Notes)
construction, safety and environmental
considerations. But, this library will not A guideline on how to use and work
come before the budget 2009/10 has with the database is also included and
been approved. However, the additionally available in the ESDC
Engineering Database is currently workspace in Groove*.
accessed by users in all field missions,
UNLB and UNHQ with data being [*Please read next article for more information

exchanged (uploaded and downloaded) about Groove.]

on a daily basis.

1 . . . . . . . . . 3 please consider the environment before printing this newsletter

March 2009
What is GROOVE ?
And why do
Engineers need a
Virtual workspace ?
Christian Henze
“GROOVE is an easy to use, peer to
peer desktop collaboration client that
allows the creation of customizable
workspaces that facilitate sharing of
documents that are automatically
synchronized with all the members of a
given workspace. Any changes made
while offline will automatically be
synchronized when next online.
Groove is all about bringing teams
together seamlessly regardless of
geographic location, bandwidth
restrictions and allowing a fully
collaborative experience for all users.”
The ESDC has established the first ever
Engineering Virtual Workspace using
Groove software;
where field engineers at various
locations around the globe can connect,
discuss ideas and challenges and
exchange data of even very large
volumes with ease and in real time.
Since the workspace is web based
engineers can connect even in the
absence of sufficient UN-network
coverage in remote locations. Through
this workspace all urgently required
data can be easily accessed and
information and correspondence
exchanged. Currently, engineers from
UNHQ and up to 20 field missions
including nearly all chief engineers
participate in this workspace and
2 . . . . . . . . . .
exchange information and ideas. The
ESDC is planning to extend this
workspace to all mission engineers in
the future.
In order to have access, simply forward
the approval from your Chief Engineer
to the ESDC. We will then check with
CITS NY for available Groove licenses
and invite you to the workspace.
Workspaces could also be considered as
a kind of HELPDESK where field
missions address their needs and receive
support from other missions and the
ESDC. So far, in addition to the
Engineering Database that serves
missions as first source to download
data, the ESDC supported various
missions by providing specific required
data through the workspace. In addition,
the ESDC created an extra workspace
for the UN Somalia Planning Team and
provided information in order to
establish any future UN mission in
Somalia.
ESDC workspace - Files
ESDC workspace - Sketchpad
3 please consider the environment before printing this newsletter
ESDC-Newsletter
ESDC workspace - Images
The expected Impact
of the HQ & CAMP
Planning Templates
Christian Henze and Pamela Treveri
The ESDC has already developed
merged Trial HQ and Camp Planning
Templates that provide all Engineering
data required to plan a Mission HQ,
Police HQ, Force HQ, Logbase, FPU
and Military camps incl. Level 1 and 2
Hospitals in accordance with UN-
DPKO guidelines. Consequently,
Engineering could quickly provide,
justify and support all Engineering
related costs & budgets and identify
which systems contracts have to be
amended beforehand. In addition, as
these templates have been linked with
all existing Engineering systems
contracts, design elements and samples,
etc.. any engineer in the field should be
able to forecast the necessary material
and equipment. The templates are being
developed with the aim of facilitating
engineering sections in all missions to
be able to place accurate demands from
SDS or directly through systems
contracts, construct camps, facilities and
infrastructure to common standards in a
timely and cost efficient manner.
This would safe resources and also
reduce costs by streamlining assets and
equipment as well as reducing costs
related to premature write offs of badly
requisitioned engineering assets. A
standardized template is also a very
March 2009
efficient and accurate tool for tracking
requisitions and related costs.
The ESDC has already used the current
template (Version 1-06) to provide
valuable Engineering cost planning data
to the ‘Somalia Evaluation and Planning
team’.
ESDC Camp Planning Template V 1-06
ESDC HQ Planning Template V 1-06
So what will be the impact?
These templates are important tools to
support Engineering Sections in field
missions to standardize and improve
design, streamline assets and
equipment, provide easy and dynamic
exchange of information and expertise
between engineers and increase savings
in costs and time.
In consideration of the overwhelming
positive feedback received from the
Chief Engineer Workshop and several
field missions thus far, the ESDC will
extend and further develop these
Planning Templates.
Please note that the ESDC has
developed “User Guides”, based on
Power Point, to explain through brief
and easy instructions the use of the:
3 please consider the environment before printing this newsletter
- Engineering Database (Lotus)
- ESDC Workspace (Groove)
- Camp and HQ Planning Templates
Who is building my
camp in the future ?
The new SOR
Templates
Sunari Silva
Currently, the ESDC is developing two
Standardized Statements of
Requirements (SOR) for outsourcing
the construction of engineering
installations in field missions and for
procuring labour for maintenance of
engineering services. Typically in a
mission environment, the construction
of camps and other installations is often
challenged by tight deadlines which do
not allow adequate time for the planning
and designing stages. This sometimes
results in badly planned and
implemented projects, wastage of
materials and assets, non compliance of
UN guidelines and even missed
deadlines.
Therefore, a Standardized Statement of
Requirements (SOR) would facilitate
the quick and efficient outsourcing of
urgently needed works where missions
need to be set up or expanded within
critical time constraints in the face of
changing priorities and in the absence of
required expertise on the ground. With
such SORs a single engineer or
planning officer in the field would be
able to quickly provide all required
documents with only minimal time
spent on the planning and design stages.
The SORs for outsourcing construction
works (currently the ESDC is
developing six design packages) will
cover basic camp installations such as
the erection of prefabs, ablutions, septic
. . . . . . . . . . .
ESDC-Newsletter
tanks/soak pits, pathways and security
installations as e.g. fencing and
watchtowers. Later on, this SOR can be
further expanded by adding more design
packages for various engineering works
in the field as e.g. T-walls and retainer
basins for generators.
Field engineers can offer their input by
letting the ESDC know which design
packages are critically needed in the
field.
The second SOR being developed is for
procuring labour for engineering
maintenance services. This is a
particularly useful tool since it allows
for the provision of skilled and
unskilled personnel through a local
systems contract and reduces and/or
eliminates the need to hire Individual
Contractors (ICs) in the field avoiding
the hassles and complications related to
same. Once awarded such a contract
would allow the mission to request as
required the types and numbers of
workers as/when needed.
Both SORs currently being developed
will be out in initial trial versions in the
coming months. In keeping with the
organization’s move towards
streamlining, these SORs will also
promote standardization of design in
accordance with international standards
and DPKO/DFS guidelines for
engineering works in all field missions.
They will be periodically updated and
improved as required.
The ESDC and
Mission Support
Christian Henze
The ESDC is on standby in order to
support any mission engineer activity on
site in order to
(1) enhance mission engineer
productivity by using ESDC products
and/or
3
March 2009
(2) provide direct support to newly
established missions.
Furthermore, the ESDC is working
closely with the Plans Unit at
Engineering HQ on scope of works,
design and implementation of cost
efficient new and/or green technologies
as e.g. re-usage of grey/black water,
solar and photovoltaic power for
inclusion into new systems contracts
and is participating in respective
prototype inspections.
In this regard, the ESDC conducted
together with the Plans Units already
several Prototype Inspections for
Systems Contracts as e.g. for the newly
established Caravan Soft Wall
Buildings contract (tents, warehouses
and hangars), the new Ablution
Containers and Prefabricated HQ
Structures.
In this context, as the Engineering
Database, Engineering Online Library
and ESDC Virtual Workspace (and
other relevant virtual workspaces) can
be operated/maintained from any point
in the world; the ESDC would still be
operational irrelevant if sitting in UNLB
or temporary located in missions.
Who is “running” the
ESDC ?
Pamela Treveri and Paola De Mauro
Christian Henze, the Chief of the Unit,
studied Architecture in Germany and
Real Estate Economy in Denmark and
Germany. His last assignment was with
the European Maritime Safety Agency
(EMSA) in Portugal as Head of Section
Facilities and Logistics.
In the past, he worked for a General
Contractor in Great Britain as Project
Manager, the UN-DPKO in Haiti
(MINUSTAH) in Engineering as Head
of the Projects Unit, the United Nations
Office for Project Services (UNOPS) in
Afghanistan as Senior Building
Engineer, the Organization for Security
4 . . . . . . . . . .
and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in
Kosovo as Construction Engineer, the
NATO-Kosovo Force (KFOR) in
Kosovo as Military Engineer and in
several Engineering Companies in
Germany.
Christian Henze-----_
Sunari Silva, the Deputy Chief studied
Architecture, Planning & Building
Systems in New York City, Sri Lanka
and Denmark. She has over 10 years of
experience working in architecture and
engineering consultancies, non profit
housing organizations and within the
UN common system in North America,
Africa, Asia & Europe. Her last
assignment was with UNMIL where she
was the Chief of the Planning and
Design Unit of the Engineering Section.
Her experience ranges from planning &
design to construction supervision,
project management, environmental
control & green building management.
Sunari Silva
Pamela Treveri, the Engineering
Assistant of the Unit, took her master
degree in Engineering at “Politecnico di
Torino”, Italy. Before joining the United
Nations, she worked in the Materials
Engineering Department of an applied
multidisciplinary research and advanced
industrial engineering centre, in Italy,
carrying out activities of applied
3 please consider the environment before printing this newsletter
ESDC-Newsletter
research on FRP (Fiber Reinforced
Polymer) Composites and encouraging
the development/technological transfer
of innovative products and processes in
the civil engineering field.
In the past she worked in several private
engineering firms. She joined the
United Nations in October 2007 and
arrived in the ESDC after a short
cooperation with the Engineering
Section Project Unit, at UNLB.
Pamela Treveri
Paola De Mauro, the Architectural
Assistant of the Unit, an Italian architect
coming out the Polytechnic of Milan
and Valencia (Spain), specialized in
urbanism, city planning and building
restoration. Her professional experience
started in the North of Italy as freelance
architect, designing residential and
commercial buildings and restoring old
ones. She arrived in Brindisi in July
2001 working as city planner. She
jointed the United Nations in September
2003 as Technical Designer of the
UNLB Engineering Section, where she
was responsible for project and contract
management, tender evaluation and
contractors’ supervision.
Paola De Mauro----__