SURF-WCA provides policy support and knowedge services to 23 UNDP country offices in West and Central Africa. Services include:

1. Technical support for program identification, design, formulation, and review
2. Networking and knowledge sharing
3. Expert referrals and access to technical and programme-related information
4. Documentation and dissemination of comparative experiences

SURF-WCA Policy Specialists from UNDP's Bureau for Development Policy provide support in the following thematic areas:
- Poverty Reduction
- Democratic Governance
- Energy & Environment
- ICT for Development
- HIV/AIDS
- Gender and Development

SURF-WCA also includes outposted experts from:
- Global Environment Facility
- Capacity 2015
- Drylands Development Centre

SURF-WCA policy specialists and experts work closely with a Coordination Unit that insures overall programme coherence and practice implementation, provides knowledge management systems and services and acts as a liason with UNDP country offices and development partners in the sub-region.

The SURF is governed by a Board comprised of Resident Representatives from all UNDP Country Offices in West and Central Africa and representatives of UNDP's Regional Bureau for Africa and the Bureau for Development Policy. Among the board's primary responsibilities are:
- Oversight of SURF activities
- Advice on strategy and the application of policy
- Approval of workplans and administrative reports
- Evaluation of SURF performance

The New UNDP - UNDP is working to strengthen its position as a trusted and leading devolopment partner to programme countries by providing high-quality, innovative, and forward-looking knowledge services. As part of this effort, the Bureau for Development Policy (BDP) helps country offices "provide world class practical policy support where it is needed most - in the field" through the Global SURF System and Knowledge Networks.

The Global SURF System consists of nine Sub-regional Resource Facilities (SURFs) and three thematic centres covering Poverty (Rio de Janeiro), Governance (Oslo) and Drylands (Nairobi). A Policy Support Coordination Unit at UNDP headquarters in New York provides overall SURF System coordination and facilitates global professional networks.