seemed appropriate. In the casea reported, Special Service Agreement8 were granted to full-time worker8 who could not (then) be employed as regular rtaff memberr. The 300 Ierier of the United Nationa Staff Ruler would not have been appliceble either in ca8e8 where the period of rervice exceeded 8iX conrecutive monthr. Further, a8 indicated by the title of these Staff Rule8, the 300 Series predomin8ntly aim at meeting special needa, such aa for conferences. 165. Apart from the fact that the field office concerned tried to circumvent exirting ruler, we are of the opinion that the isrue i8 a more gener81 one, rime there ia no adequate contractual device at hand to engage the rervfcer of contractor8 for a limited amount of time and without a career perrpective. Currently, the benefit8 otherwise related to service in the United Rations, such aa -46- allowances, social security and annual leave are withheld from the incumbents, even though they basically perform the same duties as staff members, at times, for several years. We bel.ieve that there is a strong need to review the traditional system of contracts, which has not been adjusted so far to fit current demands for flexibility, This is also part of the problem related to the hiring of consultants, 166. For the time being, it should, however, be ensured that the United Nations Staff Rules are complied with at field office level. 167. The Administration agreed with our observation that there is no adequate contractual device at hand for hiring short-term staff and has commenced a review of the contractual system in UNDP with a view to responding to the needs of a changing labour market. With respect to monitoring the compliance with United Nations Staff Rules, it was pointed out that local personnel officers would be 
**Analysis**
The text discusses the employment practices and contractual systems within the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). It highlights the need to review the traditional system of contracts to fit current demands for flexibility, particularly in regards to hiring short-term staff. The text also mentions the withholding of benefits from certain employees, which is a labor-related issue.

**Category**
Employment