LocationsBy Martin Namasaka
Lars Tushuizen: The Systems Thinker with a Strategist’s Mind and a Reformer’s Heart
June 21, 2025
Walk into Lars’ office at UNDP, and the scent hits you before anything else, freshly brewed coffee, bold and invigorating, much like the man himself. His desk is orderly, the space calm, yet buzzing with quiet purpose. Behind him, a glowing photo of a single light bulb takes center stage, not just a piece of art, but a symbol of how he works: always chasing clarity, sparking innovation, and staying laser-focused on what matters. And then there’s the shelf. Amid awards sits a framed poster that says it all: “If someone says you drink too much coffee, walk away. You don’t need that kind of negativity in your life.”
Over the past two decades at the United Nations, Lars has quietly led some of its most meaningful transformations, earning a Long Service Award from Secretary-General António Guterres and a reputation as a strategic architect of change. From stabilizing near-collapsing programmes to unlocking millions in renewable energy investments, he has consistently delivered bold, people-focused reforms that make UN initiatives smarter, leaner, and more impactful.
When we sit down one thing becomes immediately clear: Lars is a systems thinker with a strategist’s mind and a reformer’s heart. His true strength lies in connecting the dots between systems and people, building bold partnerships, scaling innovative solutions in renewable energy, and ensuring disability inclusion isn’t an afterthought but a foundation. Whether he’s rallying the private sector behind disability-inclusive development or crafting a new programme, Lars brings a rare blend of vision, grit, and results.
“When we talk about reform, it’s not about tweaking systems—it’s about unlocking impact,” he says. And that’s what Lars is doing: not just making the UN more efficient—but making it more relevant, more human, and more future-fit.
You’ve led some of the UN’s most ambitious reform efforts. What drives your approach to change—and where did this passion come from?
For me, reform isn’t about bureaucracy—it’s about breaking through it. It’s about asking: what’s getting in the way of impact, and how do we change that? Whether I’m streamlining a process or building a programme from the ground up, my core question is always: how can this serve people better?
That drive started early. Growing up in the Netherlands, surrounded by systems that worked—clean streets, punctual buses—you develop an instinct to fix inefficiencies. At KPMG, working in the oil and gas sector, I dove into process design and cost management. It was intense and fast-paced, but what really clicked for me was this: operational excellence wasn’t just about savings—it was about unlocking value.
When I joined the UN, that value took on new meaning. In the private sector, inefficiency costs money. In development, it costs lives. Reform means making sure every dollar does the most good. That’s what keeps me going.
One moment that crystallized this was in Eswatini. The office had serious issues with financial sustainability (the money required to keep the office open). To address the issue, I spent some of my own money to join a private sector event on renewable energy, an area where I felt there was opportunity to mobilise resources and use partnerships with private sector firms. That trip sparked a conversation with the Italian government, eventually leading to a €4 million investment in microgrids and solar power. Today, some of the main hospitals in Eswatini are powered by clean energy. Babies are born under solar lights, not candles which dramatically reduced the risk for the mom to die from complications on the operating table. That’s reform rooted in purpose.
You’ve worked across sectors and continents. What’s the common thread in your approach?
People—and the systems that support them. Reform isn’t just a technical puzzle; it’s a human one. People resist change for valid reasons. My job is to understand those reasons, build trust, and align incentives to make change possible.
In Papua New Guinea, we created the ONE Fund—a single, performance-based funding pool with joint workplans across UN agencies. It replaced duplicative agreements and inefficiencies with one budget, one report, and clear accountability. Donors loved it as it reduced costs while at the same time made it easier to engage with the UN. Australia reallocated funds to reward agencies that participated. The fund slashed labour costs, improved results, and built trust. But more than anything, it proved that when people are connected to purpose—and performance is rewarded—transformation sticks.
You're passionate about energy and disability inclusion. Why do those issues matter to you?
Access to energy is a human right. Without it, hospitals fail, schools close, futures dim. Renewable energy and microgrids aren’t just technical fixes—they’re about dignity, opportunity, and equity. That’s why I’ve fought hard to bring clean power to underserved communities.
Disability inclusion follows the same logic. Too often, people with disabilities are the last to benefit from development—but they should be among the first. At UNDP, we’re embedding inclusion into the design of our programmes. Because inclusion doesn’t happen by default—it happens by leadership.
Do you think the UN would be more sustainable if it worked more like the private sector?
(Laughs) Yes—but with nuance. The UN isn’t here to chase profits; we’re here for impact, and that mission is non-negotiable. But structurally, we’re not so different from the private sector—we have systems, hierarchies, and accountability mechanisms. What’s often missing is the urgency to evolve. In many parts of the UN, change can feel like a threat instead of an opportunity.
The private sector thrives on results. Performance is tracked, rewarded, and constantly improved, which drives innovation and agility. At the UN, we have the moral authority and purpose—but without strong incentives and clear accountability, we risk stagnation. That’s where I focus my energy: designing systems and cultures that motivate people to work smarter, faster, and more collaboratively.
We don’t need to become the private sector. But we can—and should—borrow its discipline: clear goals, faster decision-making, and sharper accountability. When you combine that with the UN’s values and purpose, you create a model that’s not only sustainable but deeply impactful. That’s where real, lasting reform lives.
How does UNDP help governments and partners build long-term institutional capacity?
When UNDP supports governments, it’s never just about fixing inefficiencies, it’s about establishing systems that unlock lasting impact. During my time working with one of the UN’s leading change agents, Jens Wandel, I led a team of 32 to design and implement some of the UN system’s most transformative tools: the Business Operations Strategy (BOS), the Common Back Office (CBO), and the global shared services model. These initiatives have been recognized by the Secretary-General in annual reports, highlighting nearly half a billion dollars in savings and cost avoidance, with the BOS alone accounting for about a quarter of this amount—$104 million USD per year. This significant saving now funds critical programmes in climate action, gender equality, and more, with resources left to spare.
However, I always emphasize that efficiency is not the goal, effectiveness is. Efficiency serves as the fuel, but effectiveness is the destination. When we launched the BOS, many viewed it as the endgame. Yet we were already looking beyond, towards the CBO. Progress never stops. A strong strategist anticipates the next step: building performance-based institutions that don’t just function but deliver measurable outcomes. This vision drives me to create structures where performance truly matters, impact is continuously assessed, and the systems we build sustain their service to people long after our involvement ends.
The exciting part is that the principles we apply within the UN are highly transferable to national governments, where challenges mirror our own issues like misaligned incentives, resistance to change, and structural inefficiencies. But with the right tools, committed champions, and a mindset geared toward transformation, these challenges become opportunities to fundamentally shift how institutions operate and deliver for their people.
How can tools like performance dashboards, operational strategies, and shared services transform how UNDP works?
Tools like performance dashboards, operational strategies, and shared services can transform how UNDP operates, and shape how governments manage their own systems. But their impact depends on more than just implementation. Without tying these tools to incentives and behavior change, they risk becoming decorative, good-looking, but ineffective.
We’ve seen their power when used strategically. In one case, by linking performance to resources, we cut labour costs by 69%, improved outcomes, and built trust. Dashboards played a big role everyone could see their performance and what they stood to gain. But the real transformation was behavioral. Change became tangible. Success became visible. That’s what builds momentum.
UNDP is building on this approach. Our new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, Quantum is moving us from slow, manual processes to real-time, end-to-end digital operations. Dashboards powered by Quantum are supporting smarter, faster decision-making. But data doesn’t drive change on its own. The real value lies in turning data into insight and insight into action.
That’s why dashboards must start with people. In Kenya and the DRC, I’ve seen how different users, procurement teams, programme staff, senior managers need different data to make better decisions. So, we ask first: what does each team need to know to do their job better? When we get that right, the dashboards become powerful tools for accountability and progress.
Take procurement for example. We track lead times from requisition to payment, targeting 75–80% on-time performance. The system timestamps every step, allowing us to pinpoint bottlenecks, fix issues collaboratively, and raise standards over time. This isn’t about overnight results—it’s about consistent, supported improvement. Leadership plays a key role here. As my mentor Michael Keating, former United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Afghanistan - once said, “leading change isn’t about barking orders—it’s about empathy. If teams feel safe, they try, fail, learn, and grow. And that’s when innovation happens.”
This mindset is already transforming how we operate. UNDP’s Global Shared Services Centres (GSSCs) now generate more income through cost recovery than we receive in core resources. By scaling Country-Based Operations (CBOs) and integrating GSSC services, we’re positioning UNDP as the operational backbone of the UN—efficient, scalable, and reliable. That enables other UN agencies to focus on their mandates while we power their delivery.
But systems alone aren’t enough. Labour accounts for 70% of UN spending—yet we often only optimize the other 30%. Real transformation means rethinking roles, reskilling teams, and having honest conversations about performance. That’s hard—but its where lasting change begins.
To make change stick, we need four things:
Visionary, steady leadership
Upfront investment—because, as we say in the Netherlands, “the cost comes before the benefit.”
The right people—empathetic leaders who understand human behavior
And a willingness to let go of the old to make room for the new
Change is possible. We’ve seen it. But it takes courage, patience, and a commitment to move from good intentions to great execution.
As the conversation winds down, and as I leave his office, the scent of coffee lingering in the air, you can’t help but feel inspired—by his vision, his dedication, and his unwavering belief that, with the right systems and mindset, we can create a better, more efficient world.
So, the next time someone tells you you’re drinking too much coffee, remember Lars’ advice: walk away. You don’t need that kind of negativity in your life. What you need is a clear vision, a strong system, and maybe, just maybe, another cup of coffee.
