与其同行支助小组的作用相比，区域办事处在区域协作平台方面的作用界定得更为宽泛39. 与区域办事处在同行支助小组方面的作用相比，管理问责框架对区域办事处在区域协作平台方面的作用界定得更加宽泛，对工作方式的描述也不很精确。除了在三方联合秘书处中的作用外，管理问责框架还将区域办事处的作用界定为包括两项职能：(a) 促进平台与驻地协调员/国家工作队之间的互动；(b) 协调与平台的互动协作，通过专题联盟等向驻地协调员/国家工作队提供获得区域专门知识和战略咨询的机会，并促进平台成员提供指导和支持。然而，该框架没有具体说明如何履行这两大职能。在实践中，区域办事处工作人员认为他们在平台秘书处的工作主要是行政性的，例如包括：组织平台会议的后勤工作；帮助设计平台会议议程；编写背景文件；在平台会议上做记录；编制工作计划供平台副主席和成员批准并跟踪计划的执行情况。在所有五个区域，受访的平台成员确认，发展协调办公室履行的秘书处职责包括这些活动，而且这些活动对平台的运作非常重要。然而，平台成员(包括副主席)表示，区域办事处应更好地向平台(和专题联盟)阐明驻地协调员的需求，并利用平台的专门知识。
In contrast to their peer support group role, the regional offices’ role with regard to the regional collaborative platforms was more broadly defined 39. Compared to their role with regard to the peer support group, the role of the regional offices with regard to the regional collaborative platforms was more broadly defined in the management accountability framework, and the means of working were not as precisely described. In addition to their role in the tripartite joint secretariat, the management accountability framework defines the regional offices’ role as encompassing two functions: (a) facilitating interaction between the platforms and resident coordinators/country teams and (b) coordinating engagement with the platform, providing resident coordinators/country teams with access to regional expertise and strategic advice, including through the issue-based coalitions, and facilitating guidance and support from platform members. However, the framework does not specify how these two broad functions will be fulfilled. In practice, regional office staff described their work in the platform secretariat as primarily administrative, including, for example: organizing the logistics of the platform meetings; helping to design platform meeting agendas; preparing background documents; taking notes at platform meetings; and preparing workplans for approval by the platform vice-chairs and membership and tracking their implementation. In all five regions, interviewed platform members confirmed that the secretariat ro le fulfilled by the Development Coordination Office encompassed those activities, and that they were important to the functioning of the platforms. However, platform members (including the vice-chairs) said that the regional offices should better articulate resident coordinator needs to the platforms (and the issue-based coalitions) and leverage platform expertise.