The UPU Strategy 2026–2029 (Dubai cycle) is now in effect. After extensive consultation and regional dialogue, the focus has shifted from reflecting on the needs of the global postal sector to putting the strategy into practice.
The question that will be at the forefront for all member countries at the end of the cycle will be to assess what the Union, as a collective, has worked together to change in these four years.The UPU strategy, adopted by the UPU’s 192 member countries at the Dubai Congress, has set out three goals for the new cycle: leveraging the single postal territory through an effective rules-based system; strengthening the global postal ecosystem through innovations for facilitating communication and trade; and enabling postal development through enhanced cooperation and regionalization.
To give clear implementation direction for this strategy, the Dubai Business Plan translates it into 39 domain work proposals covering the full range of the UPU’s work, with defined outcomes that include measurable key performance indicators (KPIs) with appropriate resourcing.
From activities to results
The Dubai cycle brings two firsts for the Union.
For the first time, the business plan follows a results-based management approach from start to finish. It draws a clear results chain from each activity to what it costs, right up to the strategic outcomes and goals it serves.
That is what makes a results-based budget possible, which member countries asked for at Congress.
Members at Congress welcomed this direction and asked for performance indicators that were even more results-focused. Post-Congress, every indicator in the business plan was reviewed against SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound) criteria, and many were tightened or replaced.
And for the first time, the strategy has its own strategic indicators.
These give a sector-wide view of the progress made towards achieving the Union’s intended results. Underpinning these are the detailed KPIs for each work proposal, which allow members to track implementation progress and achievements. Together, these two levels connect what the Union is doing with what it is trying to achieve.
The aim is to look beyond whether activities were completed and, perhaps more importantly, show members what has improved as a result.
In the Dubai cycle, the focus is on three things: whether activities were delivered on time and as planned, whether the expected results were achieved, and whether those results move the Union towards the changes that members want to see for the sector.
What this means for member countries
For member countries, the practical value of the strategy will be seen through the work of the Union.
Depending on the programme of work, this means enhanced international rules and standards, more reliable and interoperable networks, new digital tools, support for postal reform, focused technical assistance, stronger regional cooperation, or work that helps the sector respond to changes in trade and e-commerce trends.
Not every part of the business plan is equally relevant to all countries. That is to be expected in a Union whose members have varying levels of postal maturity, with very different postal markets, capacities and development needs.
Member countries will also be able to follow progress in a more transparent manner. The strategy implementation report presented at each session of the Council of Administration’s Committee 3 (Strategy, Postal Economics and Markets) allows members to follow implementation progress and focus their efforts where attention is needed. These performance-focused KPIs are also discussed by each Council and committee responsible for them, providing members with a venue for conducting in-depth discussions on performance and potential course corrections.
Learning during the cycle
Implementation also needs to respond to changes in the broader trends and shifts in the macro environment. The assumptions made when the four-year strategy was developed will likely not hold until 2029. Technology, customer expectations, markets and the wider operating environment will continue to evolve.
This is why regular monitoring, reporting and refocusing matter.
The same evidence will be fundamental when the Union begins planning the next strategy beyond Dubai.
For now, the direction has been agreed upon through the UPU Strategy 2026–2029 (Dubai cycle) and the Dubai Business Plan. The next four years are about delivery.
By 2030, we want to be able to look back and see what has changed for the better because of the 2026–2029 strategy.
Learn more about the UPU Strategy 2026–2029 (Dubai cycle) at www.upu.int/en/universal-postal-union/about-upu/strategy.
Akshaya Shivkumar
Institutional Strategy Programme Manager at the UPU International Bureau