Background

Under the guidance and direct supervision of the Head of RCO, the Resident Coordination Advisor (RCA) reinforces the capacity of the Resident Coordinator and the UN Country Team to deliver an integrated and more effective UN programme of recovery and development assistance to Puntland. The RCA provides field-based support for joint planning, programming and implementation and provision of coordination services to the UN, Government of Puntland and wider international community. The role has a challenging scope and requires substantial experience working with development and humanitarian agencies and other partners in insecure and complex environments. The Resident Coordination Advisor supervises and leads the staff of the RC Office in Puntland. The Resident Coordination Advisor works in close collaboration with the programme units and operations officers of UN agencies based in the three main cities of Puntland, RCO staff in Nairobi and Somaliland, Puntland government officials, technical advisors and experts, multi-lateral and bi-lateral donors and civil society ensuring successful and transparent coordination of UN activities.

The Resident Coordinator’s Office (RCO) supports the Resident Coordinator and UN Country Team (UNCT) to increase the effectiveness of the UN’s programmes in Somalia by encouraging greater coherence, strategic analysis and planning. As part of the RCO’s overall purpose, the Puntland Office aims to increase effectiveness of the programmes of the UN entities in Puntland by encouraging greater coherence. The practical aims are to:

• Improve coordination within the UN
• Reduce the burden on the government
• Promote national development priorities and coordination structures
  

Puntland is located in the northeast region of Somalia, north of South Central Somalia, bordered by Ethiopia, and the Somaliland region of Somalia. Puntland was founded in 1998 by the composition of local clans. It is characterized by relative stability, which has enabled the UN to increase its presence. Continued relative peace and stability, a participatory democratization process, combined with a remarkable recovery effort in the creation of a vibrant, emerging, though still fragile, economy signal a renewed opportunity for development engagement in Puntland. 

Somalia provides a unique challenge in aid coordination. The country requires a complex mix of relief, recovery, and development interventions in an insecure and unpredictable operating environment. Despite historical instability, the UN and World Bank undertook a Joint Needs Assessment (JNA) in 2006-7 which led to a 2008-2012 Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP). In response to the RDP, the UN first produced a joint UN Transition Plan for Somalia from 2008-2010 which was followed by a UN Somali Assistance Strategy (UNSAS) for 2011-2015.

The 2011-2015 UNSAS provides a five-year framework for the UN’s humanitarian, recovery and development work and is premised on the need for a longer-term commitment to Somalia. It is based on the Somali priorities agreed in the RDP and linked to MDGs.

After the RDP and the UNSAS expire, the UN will continue to work towards the realization of Somali goals through locally-owned development plans.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Coordinate the activities of the UN in Puntland, establish and lead field coordination mechanisms and identify reporting structures; working closely with national and international staff of UN agencies, under the leadership of the RC
• Lead development and implementation of UN plans in Puntland, in support of the UN agencies, ensuring alignment with Puntland plans and priorities through wide-ranging consultations with key partners.
• Lead and maintain strategic partnerships with all key players in the Government including the highest levels in a complex political environment; maintain excellent direct relations with a range of external partners such as donors, civil society and NGOs
• Provide advice and support to the Head of the RC Office, the RC/ and the UNCT in ensuring that programme and operational decisions are taken in the best interests of the people of Puntland
• Manage the Resident Coordinator’s Office in Puntland

Coordinate the activities of the UN in Puntland, establish and lead field coordination mechanisms and identify reporting structures; working closely with national and international staff of UN agencies, under the leadership of the RC:

• Coordinate the recovery and development activities of the UN agencies organizing and chairing coordination meetings, ensuring follow-up on decisions taken, common solutions to shared problems and information sharing to improve the effectiveness, efficiency and outreach of the UN programmes in Puntland
• Ensure appropriate UN participation and contribution to national planning processes and structures
• Promote Gender Equality through: support to the UNCT Senior Gender Advisor; field support to the Gender Theme Group and UN Women based in Nairobi; ensuring Gender is promoted in UN development plans, in Puntland UN publications and with partners
• Support or lead the work of other cross-cutting working groups
• Handle official UN affairs on behalf of the UNCT, the RC and the RC Office; Represent the UNCT and RC when so requested
• Provide feedback and suggestions on security related issues affecting the operations of the UN agencies in the Area Security Management Team; Act as Areas Security Coordinator a.i. when requested
• Liaise closely with OCHA to ensure complementarities in programme development, coordination mechanisms and field presence in the areas of recovery and development. In coordination with OCHA, support the CAP process with the regional dimension
• Facilitate division of responsibilities between agencies for joint UN activities including joint work plan activities, joint programme activities and joint projects of the UN system
• Support various UN organized missions to the field, including the routine visits of the RC, the bi-annual visits of the UNCT, a number of donor missions and follow-up to these meetings
• Facilitate and support the implementation of the Harmonization and Simplification agenda
• Contribute to knowledge sharing amongst UN staff on issues relating to the UN Reform Agenda and post conflict transition
• Ensure that regional disparities, inter-sectoral linkages, and cross-cutting issues are taken into account in UN activities for recovery and reconstruction, including promoting conflict-sensitive approaches
• Contribute, on behalf of the UNCT, in efforts to establish and strengthen coordination and implementation as well as monitoring mechanisms of joint funding mechanisms and report progress of UN activities in the region

Lead implementation of joint UN development plans in Puntland, in support of the UN agency Leads, ensuring alignment with Puntland plans and priorities through wide-ranging consultations with key partners:

• Coordinate implementation of the UN plans in Puntland, including regular information sharing with UN outcome groups and external stakeholders, providing guidance to outcome leads, supporting the M&E process and keeping benchmarks on target
• Contribute to efforts to establish and strengthen coordination and implementation as well as monitoring mechanisms
• Facilitate external meetings for each outcome group with external partners including the Puntland authorities and civil society to monitor progress and identify milestones
• Provide briefings to new UN colleagues in Puntland, external partners and incoming missions
• Promote Gender Equality by ensuring Gender is realized as a cross-cutting issue

Lead and maintain strategic partnerships with all key players in the Government including the highest levels in a complex political environment; maintain excellent direct relations with a range of external partners such as donors, civil society and NGOs:

• Serve as the focal point to the Puntland authorities on all matters related to the UN in Puntland
• Provide advice to ministries and government entities on key functions and processes, in particular on aid coordination structures, aid effectiveness principles and international agreements and standards
• Provide advice, and consolidate UN comments on the design of different government policies
• Identify and suggest possible capacity building support measures for ministries and other government institutions
• Promote national and local ownership of programmes through increased consultation and participation of key stakeholders at all hierarchical and representational levels
• Support and conduct UN-NGO coordination
• Provide substantive inputs, political/operational guidance and logistical support to donor missions and missions of appropriate external experts

Provide advice and support to the Head of the RC Office, the UNCT and the RC in ensuring that programme and operational decisions are taken in the best interests of the people of Puntland:

• Provide regular updates, guidance, reports and support to the Resident Coordinator and the RC Office in Nairobi on recovery, development and political issues and events in Puntland
• Organize all RC missions to Puntland, proposing agendas, drafting talking points and background notes, coordinating with the Puntland authorities and other relevant partners
• Preparation of official communications, letters, etc.
• Support the work of consultants on various issues, including providing substantive regional briefings and inputs, facilitating relevant missions and meetings
• Advise, train and guide new RCO staff on RCO issues when required
• Support the Head of the RC Office, the RC and UNCT in developing and implementing a strategy to engage bilateral and multilateral donors on support to national priorities
• Support the RC in the development and implementation of a UN strategy on common services and common premises in Puntland

• Lead the RC Sub-Office including the management of RCO staff
• Oversee day-to-day activities to ensure that the RCO workplan is implemented and UNDP administrative and operational policies are adhered to
• Identify surge capacity and training needs
• Undertake other tasks as may be requested by the Head of RC Office or the RC

The key results will have an impact on the success of the UN Country Team and UN Puntland activities, strengthening of overall coordination capacity, implementation of the UN System reform and partnerships with local authorities. In particular, the key results will have an impact on the design and operation of UN activities, implementation of the UN plans and support Somali-owned strategies, priorities and coordination structures.

Competencies

Functional Competencies:          

• Creates effective advocacy strategies
• Contributes to the elaboration of advocacy strategies by identifying and prioritizing audiences and communication means
• Performs analysis of political situations and scenarios, and contributes to the formulation of institutional responses

• Identifies country needs and strategies using a fact-based approach
• Sets performance standards, monitors progress and intervenes at an early stage to ensure results are in accordance with agreed-upon quality and timeframes and reports on it
• Makes use of a variety of resources based on UN/UNCT priorities to achieve results, such as cross-functional teams, secondments and developmental assignments, and collaborative funding approaches
• Oversees and documents the process of strategy formulation for programmes at country level

• Effectively networks with partners seizing opportunities to build strategic alliances relevant to UN/UNCT’s strategic agenda
• Sensitizes UN Partners, donors and other international organizations to the UN/UNCT’sstrategic agenda, identifying areas for joint efforts
• Develops positive ties with civil society to build/strengthen UN/UNCT’s mandate
• Identifies needs and interventions for capacity building of counterparts, clients and potential partners
• Effectively attentive to programmatic synergies in inter-agency meetings

• Seeks a broad range of perspectives in developing project proposals
• Generates for regional and innovative ideas and effective solutions to problems
• Looks at experience critically, drawing lessons, and building them into the design of new approaches
• Identifies new approaches and promotes their use in other situations
• Documents successes and uses them to project a positive image

• Develops detailed knowledge and understanding of key donors, their priorities and areas of interest and adapts content and approach of resource mobilization activities to their requirements
• Builds and maintains relationships with donors demonstrating professionalism in providing advice and information on UN activities and sensitivity to donor concerns

• Makes the case for innovative ideas documenting successes and building them into the design of new approaches
• Identifies new approaches and strategies that promote the use of tools and mechanisms

• Understands more advanced aspects of primary area of specialization as well as the fundamental concepts of related disciplines
• Serves as internal consultant in the area of expertise and shares knowledge with staff
• Continues to seeks new and improved methods and systems for accomplishing the work of the unit
• Keeps abreast of new developments in area of professional discipline and job knowledge and seeks to develop him/herself professionally
• Demonstrates comprehensive knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments
• Demonstrates comprehensive understanding and knowledge of the current guidelines and project management tools and utilizes these regularly in work assignments

• Performed analysis of political situations and scenarios, and contributes to the formulation of institutional responses
• Uses the opportunity to bring forward and disseminate materials for global advocacy work and adapts it for use at country level

• Anticipates client needs
• Works towards creating an enabling environment for a smooth relationship between the clients and service provider
• Demonstrates understanding of client’s perspective

• Promoting ethics and integrity, creating organizational precedents
• Building support and political acumen
• Building staff competence, creating an environment of creativity and innovation
• Building and promoting effective teams
• Creating and promoting enabling environment for open communication
• Creating an emotionally intelligent organization
• Leveraging conflict in the interests of UNDP & setting standards
• Sharing knowledge across the organization and building a culture of knowledge sharing and learning.
• Promoting learning and knowledge management/sharing is the responsibility of each staff member.
• Fair and transparent decision making; calculated risk-taking

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Masters Degree or higher in Development, International Relations, Political Science, Economics or a related subject

• A minimum of 7 years progressive professional work experience in coordination and provision of management advisory services in post-conflict countries is required
• Sound hands-on experience in crisis or post-conflict countries is required
• Experience in Islamic societies and/or in Africa and the Arab worlds is an advantage
• Experience representing and mediating across complex stakeholders and establishing inter-relationships among international organization and national governments is required
• Proven experience in challenging transition and development coordination and resource mobilization is required
• Sound knowledge of the UN system’s procedures and operational activities for development is an advantage
• Hands-on experience in design, monitoring and evaluation of development projects is desirable
• Familiarity with the UN Reform Agenda is desirable