Head of Resident Coordinator's Office in Iraq

Brian Mau, the Head of the Resident Coordinator’s Office in Iraq, has been instrumental in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic since the onset of the crisis. Due to the lockdown measures and the Baghdad airport closure, the UN country team could not deliver lifesaving programs around the country. They were unable to rotate in new staff, and the UN clinic lacked the capacity to test and treat potential COVID-19 cases even if flights resumed. 

While working tirelessly to arrange special charter flights to rotate international UN agency staff, Brian also got the agencies to pool their resources to buy a PCR machine and hire more medical personnel for the clinic. Each agency put in their contributions, and new staff trickled back into the country, which kept aid moving, especially for the most vulnerable and displaced population.  Having noticed the challenges in managing complex data through the reporting systems that analyze development results, Brian kickstarted a network on data and results for the Arab States. By reaching out to Resident Coordinator’s Offices in the Arab State region, he convened a meeting of the Data Management Officers in the other Resident Coordinator Offices for the first time, which soon evolved into a community of practice that still meets to troubleshoot and enhance results reporting.