UNDP Jobs - 33535- Policy Advisor and Team Leader, Effective Developm

Policy Advisor and Team Leader, Effective Development Cooperation

Location :

New York, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Type of Contract :

FTA International

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

05-Nov-12 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

P-5

Duration of Initial Contract :

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

Organizational Context

UNDP’s Strategic Plan (2008 – 2013) defines capacity development as the overarching UNDP contribution to programme countries, and the development effectiveness principles of national ownership, effective aid management, and South-South cooperation serve to guide UNDP interventions. Within this UNDP plays a key role in strengthening national aid coordination and management for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The Strategic Plan and the 2008 regionalization framework articulate the corporate requirement to bring timely and effective substantive and technical services to UNDP country offices through a strengthened practice architecture at global, regional and country levels. The Bureau for Development Policy (BDP) provides the foundation for UNDP’s global substantive practices with a practice architecture that serves as a framework for better organizing UNDP to provide consistent policy advisory services, more relevant and substantive policy knowledge, better linking of policy, programming, and capacity development. It plays a key role in helping countries to reach their development goals and is responsible for articulating UNDP’s global policy on developmental issues using evidence gathered through country applications, regional experiences and global interactions. It helps countries through a network of country offices that it helps connect to the best of knowledge and human resources on various thematic issues, in the design and implementation of programmes and projects that effectively contribute to the national-level policies and results.

The Knowledge, Innovation and Capacity Group (KICG) delivers a core set of services and solutions to the organization and UNDP’s ultimate clients within the following areas:

Fostering innovation –ensuring that the latest innovation expertise and methodologies are systematically identified, tested and made available.
Capacity development for sustainable development, equity and national resilience by providing support for policy development and strategic choices, evidence gathering , tools and guidance, learning and technical support
Knowledge sharing and management: internally as a core internal capacity and externally as a service delivery requirement of all UNDP interventions.

Thematic Approach

UNDP’s capacity development approach recognizes that the principles of effective development cooperation are aiming at making cooperation effective in terms of sustainable results based on enhanced national capacities and effective institutions. It focuses on working closely with other United Nations entities, as well as with global, regional and national partners to support nationally owned and -led development efforts through: i) country-facing design and implementation of capacity development and aid management/coordination policies and strategies; ii) support to donor/government coordination and mutual accountability frameworks; iii) strengthening peer learning and South to South knowledge exchange; and iv) facilitation of developing country outreach and participation in the regional and global dialogue on aid and development cooperation related issues. The broad objective of this approach is to scale up national and local capacities for more sustainable and integrated development results to address the Millennium Declaration and MDGs.

UNDP has a strong track record in the area of promoting effective development cooperation. In the framework of its global project “Capacity Development for Aid Effectiveness – Strengthened National Capacities to Coordinate and Manage Aid” (2009 – 2013), the organization seeks to scale up support to programme countries’ capacities to receive, manage and use cooperation as one of the instruments at their disposal to achieve their development objectives. This includes ensuring that accurate data pertaining to ODA inflows is available in real time to governments for effective planning; having adequate mutual accountability arrangements between ODA providers and partners, and among partners; and linking up with the effective institutions agenda to ensure that country systems are brought into play in the planning and implementation of development programmes.

The next phase of the programme, 2012-2013, reflects the learning and challenges encountered in past phases, the lessons learnt from the Paris Declaration/Accra Agenda for Action process, and the outcomes of the Busan High Level Forum that was held in 2011. It will focus on the comparative advantages of UNDP in strengthening country capacities to manage and coordinate development cooperation, and especially ODA, and to strengthen peer learning, South-South cooperation and knowledge sharing. It will further assist countries in shaping and participating in the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation which will be formed as per the Busan Partnership document, and where UNDP, together with the OECD, will play a leading role to support its effective functioning.

UNDP’s Effective Development Cooperation Cluster in the Knowledge, Innovation and Capacity Group (KICG) is responsible for implementing the global project on effective development cooperation, in collaboration with the UNDP regional support centres, the UNDP community of practice on aid effectiveness, as well as with programme countries and other partners. Collaboration with programme countries in the development of relevant toolkits, the customization of programme and project outputs and peer learning is key to the success of the initiative. Global and regional partnerships with the OECD DAC, the World Bank, UN DESA, regional development banks and other actors are key to leveraging the programme’s work with countries.

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of Functions:

The Policy Advisor and Team Leader, Effective Development Cooperation, will work under the supervision of the KICG Director or his/her designate and be part of the KICG senior advisory team. He/she will collaborate closely colleagues in UNDP regional service centres, country offices and UN country teams. He/She will be responsible for:

Providing policy advice and cutting-edge knowledge and support to developing countries’ institutional capacities to coordinate and manage development cooperation for development results, with particular focus on the implementation of global commitments on effective institutions, transparency, mutual accountability and results;
Supporting Resident Coordinators/UN Country Teams (RCs/UNCTs) in brokering dialogue around effective development cooperation and in supporting initiatives that improve the quality of information on development cooperation in programme countries;
Fostering peer learning and South-South cooperation, by undertaking concrete steps to facilitate peer learning processes and platforms at regional and global levels;
Ensuring that UNDP positions and policy advice contribute to regional and global policy dialogues on effective development cooperation, including the UN Financing for Development (FfD) process and the UN ECOSOC
Development Cooperation Forum (DCF), and cooperate closely with the OECD on supporting the effective functioning of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation;
Providing policy advice to UNDP senior management on effective development cooperation in close collaboration with UNDP Country Offices and UNCTs, UNDP regional centers, and relevant UNDP HQ bureaux and units, especially BERA and BCPR;
Managing the effective development cooperation cluster in KICG and facilitate the UNDP Community of Practice on effective development cooperation.

Providing policy advice and cutting-edge knowledge and support to developing countries’ institutional capacities to coordinate and manage development cooperation for development results, with particular focus on the implementation of global commitments on effective institutions, transparency, mutual accountability and results, taking into account different contexts and typologies of countries and using South-South cooperation and knowledge sharing/peer learning. In particular, support should focus on strengthening national capacities to:

Assume national ownership of the development cooperation coordination process, manage national coordination mechanisms and ensure policy coherence;
Manage different cooperation modalities and use IT-based, cost-effective and transparent aid information management systems to monitor financial flows and resource allocation in line with strategic development plans and public financial management;
Enable and facilitate mutual accountability mechanisms for development results, and form country-driven frameworks or compacts for effective development cooperation with the identification of appropriate results and indicators.

Supporting RCs/UNCTs in brokering dialogue around effective development cooperation and in supporting initiatives that improve the quality of information on development cooperation in programme countries, through:

Expert support to the strengthening of country partnership and mutual accountability frameworks based on lessons learnt from the Paris/Accra and Busan processes and outcomes, as well as on the conceptual UN framework of FfD;
Expert support on effective development cooperation to UNCTs and according support to the RC for UN positioning in the country-level development cooperation environment;
Close collaboration with UN DESA (in support of the UN DCF) to enable inclusive global policy dialogue and to ensure global policy and knowledge gains’ concrete reflection in regional, sub-regional and country contexts, with particular focus on strengthening mutual accountability for development results.

Fostering peer learning and South-South cooperation, by undertaking concrete steps to facilitate peer learning processes and platforms at regional level, through:

Support capacity development of non-DAC donors and emerging assistance providers to share their experience and expertise with others;
Support the further development of the Africa Platform for Development Effectiveness, continuous support to the Capacity Development for Development Effectiveness in Asia-Pacific and strengthened partnership with other regional networks and platforms.

Ensuring that UNDP positions and policy advice contribute to regional and global policy dialogues on effective development cooperation, including the UN Financing for Development (FfD) process and the UN ECOSOC Development Cooperation Forum (DCF), and cooperate closely with the OECD on supporting the effective functioning of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation:

At the UN, ensure linkages with the UN FfD process and the UN DCF, through substantive contributions and close collaboration with UN DESA;
With the OECD, support the effective functioning of the Global Partnership for Effective Development Cooperation and the implementation of Busan commitments and actions;
Facilitate developing countries’ participation in the global and regional policy dialogue and support their substantive engagement in global and regional processes.

Providing policy advice to UNDP senior management on effective development cooperation, in close collaboration relevant UNDP HQ bureaux and units, especially BERA and BCPR, and with UNDP regional centers and Country Offices:

Facilitate knowledge sharing of UNDP’s regional and country-level efforts to support effective development cooperation and feed these experiences into global dialogues.

Managing the effective development cooperation cluster in KICG and facilitate the UNDP Community of Practice on effective development cooperation, through:

Lead and manage KICG’s cluster on effective development cooperation;
Mobilize resources and develop partnerships to further the implementation of the global project on capacity development for aid effectiveness, including for UNDP’s support function to the Global Partnership,
Facilitate the community of practice on effective development cooperation, including regional and thematic subgroups.

Competencies

Corporate:

Demonstrates integrity and fairness, by modeling the UN/UNDP’s 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:

Ability to apply various practice/thematic area related development theories to the specific context, including translating practice principles into effective policy and programme interventions in the field;
Substantive knowledge of practice area and ability to link knowledge to UN/UNDP global policies, treaties, processes and frameworks;
Capacity to interact with senior officials and credibly influence senior decision makers in UNDP programme countries and other international development organizations;
Strong analytical, negotiation and communication skills, including ability to produce high quality practical advisory reports 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 the practice/thematic area.

Leadership:

Demonstrated ability to think strategically and to provide credible leadership;
Innovative approaches/experience on global development issues;
Demonstrated intellectual leadership and ability to integrate knowledge with broader strategic overview and cooperate vision;
Managerial/leadership experience and decision-making skills with track record of mature judgments;
Ability to conceptualize and convey strategic vision from the spectrum of development experience;
Knowledge and expertise/recognized expert in practice area;
Proven ability to lead a practice area and drive for results;
Demonstrated ability to be accountable for practice’s global policies.

Managing Relationships:

Demonstrated well developed people management and organizational management skills;
Ability to manage teams, creating an enabling environment, mentoring and developing staff;
Negotiating and networking skills with strong partnerships in academia, technical organizations and as a recognized expert in the practice area;
Resource mobilization and partnering skills and the ability to accept accountability for management of large volume of financial resources.

Managing Complexity:

Ability to address global development issues;
Substantive knowledge and understanding of development cooperation with the ability to support the practice architecture of UNDP and inter-disciplinary issues;
Demonstrated substantive leadership and ability to integrate knowledge with broader strategic, policy and operational objectives;
A sound global network of institutional and individual contracts.

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;
Provides constructive coaching and feedback

Judgment/Decision-Making:

Mature judgment and initiative;
Proven ability to provide strategic direction in practice area;
Independent judgment and discretion in advising on handling major policy issues and challenges, uses diplomacy and tact to achieve results.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Master’s degree in international relations, economics, social sciences or another relevant field.

Experience:

10 years of international cooperation experience at different levels;
Extensive hands-on proven experience in delivering results on effective development cooperation;
Experience on developing substantive policy on effective development cooperation;
Experience, knowledge and professional credibility, as well as senior-level working experience in a multilateral or civil society organization in both developed and developing countries;
Extensive network of partners within the development cooperation communities of practice;
Proven track record of partnerships with governments, NGOs, CSOs;
A sound track record of extensive national/international working experience with increasing managerial responsibilities in the development arena and UNDP’s policies on effective development cooperation;
Experience in leading and managing knowledge product development and dissemination.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in English.
Working knowledge of French and any other UN language is desirable.