UNDP Jobs

Background

The Bureau for Development Policy (BDP) is UNDP’s policy Bureau and backbone of the global practices.  BDP has a key role to play in helping country offices to accelerate human development through strengthening the practice areas within UNDP’s programmes.  BDP supports the development and design of projects that are responsive, effective and contribute to the national-level policies and results.  Driven by demand, BDP provides tools, analysis and capacities for country offices to make a real difference in UNDP’s practice areas.

BDP supports UNDP’s 2008-2013 Strategic Plan, focusing on 6 thematic areas: Poverty Reduction, Governance, Environment and Energy, HIV/AIDS, Capacity Development, and Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment.  

HIV, Health and Development Approach

UNDP is a founding cosponsor of the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), a partner of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and a co-sponsor of several other international health partnerships. UNDP’s work on HIV, health and development leverages the organization’s core strengths and mandates in human development, governance and capacity development to complement the efforts of specialist health-focused UN agencies.  UNDP delivers three types of support to countries in HIV, health and development. 

First, UNDP helps countries to mainstream attention to HIV and health into action on gender, poverty and the broader effort to achieve and sustain the Millennium Development Goals.  For example, UNDP works with countries to understand the social and economic factors that play a crucial role in driving health and disease, and to respond to such dynamics with appropriate policies and programmes outside the health sector. UNDP also promotes specific action on the needs and rights of women and girls as they relate to HIV.

Second, UNDP works with partners to address the interactions between governance, human rights and health responses.   Sometimes this is done through focused or specialized programmes, such as promoting attention to the role of legal environments (law and access to justice) in facilitating stronger HIV responses, including the use of flexibilities in intellectual property and human rights law to lower the cost of drugs and diagnostics and to increase access to HIV-related treatment.  UNDP also works to empower and include people living with HIV and marginalized populations who are disproportionately affected by HIV - also known as key populations - such as sex workers, men who have sex with men, transgender people.  Beyond these focused efforts, UNDP plays a key role in ensuring attention to HIV and health within broader governance and rights initiatives, including support to district and municipal action on MDGs, strengthening of national human rights institutions and increasing access to justice for marginalized populations.

Third, as a trusted, long-term partner with extensive operational experience, UNDP supports countries in effective implementation of complex, multilateral and multisectoral health projects, while simultaneously investing in capacity development so that national and local partners can assume these responsibilities over time. The UNDP/Global Fund partnership is an important part of this work, facilitating access to resources for action on MDG 6 by countries that face constraints in directly receiving and managing such funding.  UNDP partners with countries in crisis/post-crisis situations, those with weak institutional capacity or governance challenges, and countries under sanctions. When requested, UNDP acts as interim Principal Recipient in these settings, working with national partners and the Global Fund to improve management, implementation and oversight of Global Fund grants, while simultaneously developing national capacity for governments or local entities to be able to assume the Principal Recipient role over time.

As of early 2012, UNDP served as the Principal Recipient for 65 active grants funded by the Global Fund in 29 countries. UNDP also provides capacity support to a number of national entities managing Global Fund grants directly and Country Coordinating Mechanisms. In its role as Principal Recipient, UNDP is responsible for the financial and programmatic management of the grant, as well as the procurement of health and non-health products. In all cases, the implementation of the grants must be done in accordance with UNDP policies and procedures, as well as the policies and guidelines of the Global Fund. Given the importance of the partnership with the Global Fund, UNDP continues to strive towards providing high value-added services to governments and the Global Fund, both in its role as the PR, and increasingly as a significant technical partner to governments implementing Global Fund grants.

Under the overall guidance and supervision of the Cluster Leader, Global Fund Partnership Team, the Programme Specialist will be based in Geneva and will be working as part of a team responsible for the strategic relationship with the Global Fund. In particular, the Programme Specialist will focus on providing support to Global Fund portfolios in Africa and the Arab States. In addition, he/she will be working with global teams based in Copenhagen for procurement issues and New York for finance related issues.

• 1. Provide technical advice and quality assurance to UNDP Country Offices in the preparation of their work plans, budgets, audit plans, monitoring and evaluation plans and procurement and supply management (PSM) plans in close consultation with the Senior Procurement Advisor in Copenhagen for each stage of the grant life cycle and supporting Country Offices in implementation of audit recommendations ensuring professionalism in support. ?
• Expected Results: Advise Country Offices on required processes from the time that the grant proposals are approved by the Global Fund Board through the grant life cycle and assist Country Offices during grant negotiations ensuring that terms and conditions of proposed Grant Agreements are acceptable to UNDP and support Country Office implementation of audit findings. 

• 2. Monitor grants financial and programmatic delivery for Global Fund-financed programmes in close collaboration with Finance Specialist (New York) and support Country Offices in reallocating funds when required to maximize programmes overall results.
• Expected Results: Review the periodic progress updates and financial reports and monitor the financial delivery and performance of the programmes on an ongoing basis contributing to tracking tools; assist Country Offices to re-programme grants on an as-needed basis to ensure effective delivery of results, in accordance with the policies and procedures of the Global Fund. Recommend the expansion of effective activities when cost-savings are identified to Country Offices to achieve greater results and serve as a liaison with the Global Fund Secretariat on re-programming as required.

• 3. Provide technical advice on the range of capacity development services that UNDP Country Offices can provide to government and national entities in the implementation and oversight of Global Fund-financed programmes (support to Principal Recipient, Sub-recipient activities) to facilitate strong grant performance and timely transfer of the PR function to government and national entities.
  
• Expected Results: Assist Country Offices in the development of capacity support strategies aimed at assisting national entities in the implementation and oversight of Global Fund-financed programmes during proposal development and throughout the grant life cycle. Support Country Offices in the development of capacity development (CD) strategies aimed at assisting governments and national entities to implement and assume the PR role.  Guide in cost-recovery mechanisms to ensure that appropriate Implementation Support Service (ISS) and General Management (GMS) costs are negotiated into Project Documents and ensure access to appropriate tools and resources required to support government and national entities in the implementation and oversight of their Global Fund programmes and for timely transfer of UNDP’s PR role.

• 4. Develop and maintain strong professional relationships with the Global Fund Secretariat, Regional Bureaus and Country Offices and lead partnership building with regional and local partners to support effective programme implementation and oversight. 
  
• Expected Results: Periodic joint field missions with Global Fund on country-specific issues and sharing UNDP’s field experience with the Global Fund; influence further development of Global Fund policies and procedures; and apply an integrated and holistic approach to the practice area and ensure cross-practice and cross-regional collaboration linking to global experiences.

• 5. Promote and work closely with the Global Fund Partnership Team to clarify and streamline UNDP policies and procedures as well as risk management strategies, in order to facilitate the efficient implementation of the Global Fund-financed programmes.
• Expected Results: Continuous implications assessment of UNDP’s internal policies and procedures on the implementation and oversight of Global Fund programmes, guide in planning of UNDP training with respect to UNDP policies and procedures.

• 6. Advocate and work closely with County Offices to contribute to knowledge sharing and development of systems and tools for effective implementation of Global Fund and capacity development of government and national entities and to reflect regional and local experiences and case evidence into formulation of policy and support the definition and communication of UN/UNDP’s global policy position in the practice areas.
• Expected Results: Contribute to further development of systems, processes, tools and methods relevant to UNDP in the Principal Recipient role/support to PR role (capacity development); institutionalize best practices and knowledge sharing among Country Offices and with partners; and actively participate and contribute to presentations to the Organizational Performance Group, briefing notes, relevant UNDP and external networking  and knowledge sharing events.   

Corporate:

• Demonstrates integrity and fairness, by modeling the UN/UNDPs values and ethical standards.
• Promotes the vision, mission and strategic goals of UNDP.
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

Functional:

• Programme management and demonstrated capacity in leading implementation of complex development programmes.
• Good analytical skills, in particular sound understanding of UNDP rule and regulations and a sound understanding of the framework of UNDP’s cooperation with the Global Fund.
• Knowledge of HIV/AIDS, Malaria and TB epidemics.
• Strong negotiation and communication skills, including ability to produce high quality practical advisory notes and knowledge products, represent the organization and present global policies, norms and tools.
• Professional and/or academic experience in one or more of the areas of practice/thematic area.

Managing Relationships:

• Demonstrated well developed people management and organizational skills.
• Excellent negotiating and networking skills.

Communication:

• Demonstrates strong oral and written communication skills. 
• Excellent interpersonal and networking skills.

Client Orientation:

• Builds strong relationships with clients and external actors. 
• Focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to critical feedback. 
• Ability to build and sustain effective partnerships with Global Fund, UN Agencies and main constituents, advocate effectively, communicate sensitively across different constituencies.

Planning and Organizing:

• Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities. 
• Promotes knowledge management in UNDP and a learning environment in the office through leadership and personal example. 
• Capacity to work under tight deadlines, manage stress and adapt to rapidly evolving situations.

Building Trust:

• Ability to work in a multi-cultural environment with sound understanding and capability to empower and develop the capacity of national counterparts.
• Ability to work in a matrixed team and coordinate activities with Global Fund Partnership team, other bureaus and country level staff.

Judgment/Decision-Making

• Mature judgment and initiative.

Knowledge Management and Learning:

• Ability to strongly promote and build knowledge products.
• Promotes knowledge management in UNDP and a learning environment in the office through leadership and personal example.
• Seeks and applies knowledge, information and best practices from within and outside of UNDP.

• Master's degree in relevant field including public health, public/business administration or international development studies.

• Minimum of 7 years of progressive relevant professional experience as well as a proven professional record in leading implementation of complex programmes.
• Work experience from a developing country highly desirable.
• Knowledge and experience in working with UN agencies and the Global Fund an advantage.

• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English and French; working knowledge of Arabic an asset.

• Willingness to travel to UNDP Country Offices in special development situation.