Beirut International Model United Nations: Conference-Planning System Custom Case Solution & Analysis

Part 1: Evidence Brief (Case Researcher)

Financial Metrics:

• Conference budget constraints: Fixed registration fees per delegate (variable by tier).
• Operating costs: Venue rental, catering, printing, and administrative overhead.
• Data Gap: Lack of historical profit-and-loss statements for previous iterations.

Operational Facts:

• Process: Manual, spreadsheet-based coordination of delegate registration, committee assignments, and scheduling.
• Capacity: Limited by manual processing speed; high error rate in room allocation and scheduling conflicts.
• Geography: Beirut-based coordination; international participants require visa and travel logistics.

Stakeholder Positions:

• Organizing Committee (OC): Seeks efficiency and professionalization of the planning process.
• Delegates: Demand accurate information, timely updates, and seamless committee integration.
• University Partners: Concerned with reputation risk and logistical failures.

Information Gaps:

• No clear quantification of labor hours spent on manual administrative tasks.
• Absence of technical requirements for a proposed automated system.

Part 2: Strategic Analysis (Strategic Analyst)

Core Strategic Question: How can BIMUN transition from ad-hoc manual planning to a scalable, reliable digital architecture while maintaining the high-touch engagement expected of a UN simulation?

Structural Analysis (Value Chain Framework):

• Inbound Logistics: Registration and document submission are currently bottlenecks. Digital intake is mandatory.
• Operations: Committee room management is prone to human error. Logic-based scheduling is the primary requirement.
• Service: Delegate experience is tied to communication speed. Automated notification systems are required.

Strategic Options:

• Option 1: Custom Software Development. High upfront cost, perfectly tailored to BIMUN logic. High risk of technical debt and maintenance burden.
• Option 2: Modular SaaS Integration. Use existing event management platforms (e.g., Cvent or specialized MUN software). Lower cost, faster deployment, potential for feature gaps.
• Option 3: Process Re-engineering (No-Code). Build internal workflows using low-code tools (Airtable/Zapier). Moderate effort, high flexibility, internal ownership.

Preliminary Recommendation: Option 3. It balances agility with cost-efficiency, allowing the OC to refine processes before committing to expensive proprietary software.

Part 3: Implementation Roadmap (Operations Specialist)

Critical Path:

• Phase 1: Workflow Audit (Weeks 1-2). Map every touchpoint from registration to committee assignment.
• Phase 2: Tool Selection (Weeks 3-4). Deploy low-code database for centralized data storage.
• Phase 3: Pilot Testing (Weeks 5-8). Simulate one committee to identify data flow errors.

Key Constraints:

• Data Literacy: The OC lacks dedicated technical staff. Training is required.
• Change Management: Long-standing members may resist abandoning traditional spreadsheets.

Risk-Adjusted Strategy: Maintain a manual backup system for the first conference cycle to ensure continuity if the automated system fails.

Part 4: Executive Review (Executive Critic)

BLUF: BIMUN is failing to scale because it treats process as an administrative burden rather than a strategic asset. The shift to a low-code automated system is necessary to reduce error rates and improve delegate retention. However, the plan lacks a clear mechanism for data security and privacy, which is a material risk given the international nature of participants. The recommendation is approved with the condition that data privacy protocols are established before Phase 2.

Dangerous Assumption: The assumption that student volunteers can maintain a low-code database. High turnover among volunteers could lead to undocumented technical processes.

Unaddressed Risks:

• Data Privacy: Handling sensitive international passport and contact information in a custom database increases liability.
• System Fragility: Reliance on a single "tech-savvy" volunteer creates a single point of failure.

Unconsidered Alternative: Outsourcing the administrative logistics to an event management firm. This would increase costs but remove the technical burden from the student organizers, allowing them to focus on conference quality.

Verdict: APPROVED FOR LEADERSHIP REVIEW.