Background
Under the direct supervision of the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator (DSRSG/RC/HC), the Strategic Advisor provides advice and support to the DSRSG/RC/HC in his strategic leadership role in priority setting and evidence-based programming for results. The incumbent will help the DSRSG/RC/HC ensure joint efforts, including with the peacekeeping mission, are coordinated and maximized as the UN assists South Sudan in delivering on its peace- and statebuilding priorities.
BACKGROUND
South Sudan is one of the most underdeveloped countries in the world and is in a complex period of fragility after decades of war. Outstanding issues between South Sudan and Sudan, dating from the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, have contributed to regional instability and remain unresolved. In addition, the newly independent country faces enormous internal tasks.
South Sudan is a pilot country for the implementation of the New Deal. According to a recent fragility assessment, it ranks lowest among pilot countries on peace- and state-building dimensions (legitimate politics, security, justice, economic foundations, revenue and services). The Government is working towards a compact with international partners to address these challenges.
In a fragile context such as South Sudan, the ability of the UN Country Team to support the achievement of peace- and state-building goals requires joint planning, prioritization and coordination with national partners, development partners, and peacekeepers. The Secretary-General has reaffirmed that joint planning of UN Country Teams and peacekeeping missions should guide the UN’s support to member states.
The UN Country Team in South Sudan has aligned its assistance with the South Sudan Development Plan (SSDP), as well as the Core Functions Initiative, the Peacebuilding Support Plan, and the South Sudan Development Initiative. As the country reviews the SSDP and develops a compact for New Deal implementation, the UN Country Team will adapt its United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF).
Duties and Responsibilities
Reporting to the DSRSG/RC/HC and in close consultation with existing UN coordination mechanisms (Programme Management Team, Operations Management Team, Theme Groups, RCO, etc), the incumbent's main duties and responsibilities are:
Summary of Key functions:
- Advise UN strategic planning and positioning;
- Strengthen UN coordination and coherence;
- Advise the DSRSG/RC/HC on aid effectiveness and support the implementation of the New Deal for international engagement in fragile states;
- Strengthen UN strategic response through joint programming, and monitoring and evaluation framework; and
- Enhance strategic partnerships for better results
Functions/ Expected Results:
UN strategic planning and positioning:
- Advise the DSRSG/RC/HC on areas of strategic focus, prioritization and appropriately tailored implementation mechanisms to ensure alignment between national priorities and UN comparative advantages.
- Identify high impact opportunities and provide substantive inputs to promote UN engagement in upstream policy and programme dialogues and coordinate the development of UN policy papers, position papers, and key messages for joint UN advocacy in areas that may call for a coordinated response.
- Advise and support the planning, development, implementation, M&E and reporting for key strategic documents, including the Common Country Analysis (CCA), Country Assessment, and UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) in consultation and coordination with the PMT and other relevant stakeholders.
- Provide recommendations to the DSRSG/RC/HC and the UN Country Team on UN reform ‘ Delivering as One’ and UNDG policies, guidelines and tools.
Strengthening UN coordination and coherence:
- Support the DSRSG/RC/HC in identifying opportunities for joint strategies and work plans between the UN Country Team and UNMISS to maximize the collective impact of the UN’s activities, and support UN Country Team input to UNMISS’ budgeting and performance review process.
- Support the DSRSG/RC/HC in pursuing the implementation of recommendations from the Review of Civilian Capacities in the Aftermath of Conflict.
- Provide strategic and technical assistance to the UN Country Team and UNMISS on Integrated Mission Planning.
- Prepare and coordinate UN Country Team inputs to UNMISS analytical and reporting processes (for example SRSG briefs and reports of the Secretary General) to ensure common analysis and representation of UN wide issues.
- Liaise with OCHA and UNMISS, to ensure complementarity in policy advice to the DSRSG/RC/HC, and to facilitate strategic, programmatic and operational support to humanitarian and development modalities.
Advise the DSRSG/RC/HC on aid effectiveness and support the implementation of the New Deal for international engagement in fragile states:
- Advise the DSRSG/RC/HC on aid effectiveness challenges and solutions in the context of South Sudan.
- Support the UN Country Team in improving performance against Paris Declaration indicators, and advise strengthened UN alignment, harmonization, results orientation, and accountability.
- Ensure UN Country Team planning processes are aligned with national budgets, national development plans, and partner strategies.
- Lead UN Country Team support to the implementation of the New Deal for international engagement in fragile states, serve as the UN focal point for Government counterparts, and provide consolidated UN support to the planned compact between the Government and its international partners.
Strengthening UN strategic response through joint programming, and monitoring and evaluation frameworks:
- Lead inter-agency efforts to develop a joint strategy document (including a results and M&E framework) that informs the UN and stakeholders of the UN’s top programmatic and operational priorities in South Sudan.
- Coordinate inputs for periodic monitoring and report on progress and results against the strategy’s benchmarks and indicators.
- Identify high impact opportunities and potential areas for joint programming, and provide strategic and technical advice on the development and implementation of joint programmes.
Enhancing strategic partnerships for better results:
- Support the DSRSG/RC/HC in developing and nurturing strategic partnerships with relevant stakeholders including Government (at national and state levels), UN, development partners, NGOs, CBOs, FBOs, the private sector and other stakeholders to strengthen UN leadership, improve the coherence of collective support to national priorities, and assist with resource mobilization for joint plans.
- Provide input and guidance to the development of multi-partners trust funds and other funding mechanisms.
- Represent the DSRSG/RC/HC at meetings, as requested.
- Maintain close working relationships with UNMISS to ensure a coordinated and complementary approach to peace consolidation in South Sudan.
- Liaise with UN headquarters personnel working issues handled by DPKO, DOCO, PBSO, and UNDP to ensure reporting is targeted and coherent, and to facilitate approval processes for key planning documents and reports.
Competencies
Corporate Competencies:
- Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards
- Advocates and promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UN
- Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability
Functional Competencies:
- Strategic vision and strong analytical capabilities. Good political judgment.
- Demonstrated tracked record of strategic planning
- Substantial experience in aid effectiveness, coordination and management in relief, recovery and development
- Experience in development, transition and humanitarian coordination.
- Extensive knowledge of UN system, procedures and operational activities.
- Dependability, reliability and initiative.
- Demonstrated ability to design and implement information and knowledge management systems
- Recent country and/or regional experience in capacity development
- Proven advocacy skills in complex policy environments
Researching, Planning and Organizing:
- Excellent research, analytical planning, organizational and management skills.
- Ability to plan own work and coordinate the work of others
- Capacity to deliver tasks on time and to meet goals, including in highly pressured, insecure environments
- Manages conflicting priorities and / or with limited supervision
- Develops innovative approaches to deal with complex policy/technical issues
Managing Relationships:
- Ability to work under pressure and to effectively handle multiple tasks without compromising quality, team spirit and positive working relationships.
- Cultural sensitivity, strong interpersonal and communication skills.
- Ability to work as part of team, and carry responsibilities of the larger team as needed
- Demonstrated well developed people management and organizational skills
- Excellent negotiating and networking skills
- Builds strong relationships with partners, focuses on impact for the client and responds positively to feedback
- Ability to implement new systems and affect staff behavioral / attitudinal change
- Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude
Judgment/Decision-Making:
- Ability to negotiate at decision-making level.
- Mature judgment and initiative, combined with a very strong analytical talent
- Proven ability to provide strategic direction in her/his area of expertise
- Independent judgment and discretion in advising on handling major policy issues and challenges
Knowledge Management and Learning:
- Ability to strongly promote and build knowledge products
- Seeks and applies knowledge, information and best practices from within and outside the UN System
- Excellent spoken and written communication skills
- Ability to draft/edit a variety of reports, presentations and communications
- Articulates ideas in a clear, concise style
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
- Master's level university degree or higher, in a related field such as but not limited to international relations, social sciences, political science, legal, economics, international development and/or management.
Experience:
- Senior grade advisor with at least 10 years work experience in humanitarian, development and/or transitional operations with significant work experience in the field, ideally in a post-conflict setting.Previous experience in designing of development assistance frameworks, and integrated strategic frameworks between UN Country Teams and peacekeeping missions and will be considered an advantage
- Strategic vision and strong technical and analytical capabilities in the area of development and relief planning, and good political judgement.
- Excellent organizational and management skills and ability to negotiate at decision-making level.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
- Good knowledge of UN system, procedures and operational activities for development and integrated planning processes. Strong knowledge of results-based management, monitoring and evaluation.
- Ability to operate effectively in a changing and complex environment, and to produce results under stress.
- Ability to handle effectively multiple tasks without compromising quality, team spirit and positive working relationships
Language Requirements:
- Excellent knowledge of English, including writing and oral skills.