Background

In 2011, UNDP started a new five-year programme that aims to deliver recovery and development assistance to Somalia.   The programme is based on priorities identified by Somalia authorities.   The strategy focuses on making progress towards peace and state building, and meeting people’s recovery needs by addressing gender issues, boosting social services, improving livelihoods, reducing poverty, promoting good governance and improving human security.   To implement the UNDP Somalia Country Programme 2011 – 2015 UNDP Somalia comprises two main programme clusters: (a) Governance and Rule of Law Programme (GROL); and (b) Poverty Reduction and Environment Protection Programme (PREP). The GROL Programme responds to the priorities identified by Somalia authorities and focuses on six inter-related and mutually thematic areas which are all essential to the strengthening of governance and the rule of law in Somalia at national, regional and local levels. These are: fostering inclusive political processes, strengthening core institutional functions and systems, improving access to justice and the judicial systems, strengthening police and security sector governance, enabling resilient local governance and service delivery, and enhancing community security and resilience. The overall objective is that Somali women and men benefit from more inclusive, responsive governance that enables improved service delivery and enhances peace. 

Under the guidance and direct supervision of the Programme Manager, the Programme Specialist is responsible for management of UNDP programme within the thematic/sectoral areas of GROL. The Programme Specialist analyzes political, social and economic trends with particular attention to gender issues and leads formulation, management and evaluation of programme activities within his/her portfolio andprovides policy advice services.

The Programme Specialist supervises and leads programme support staff, and coordinates activities of the projects’ staff. The Programme Specialist works in close collaboration with the operations team, programme staff in other UN Agencies and Mission, UNDP HQs staff and Government officials, technical advisors and experts, multi-lateral and bi-lateral donors and civil society ensuring successful UNDP programme implementation.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Implementation of programme strategies in the areas of the GROL Programme;
• Provide support in management of the GROL components of the Country Programme;
• Ensure effective oversight of the Programme, in particular Monitoring and Evaluation and Reporting. Provide operational advice to the projects within the programme;
• Creation of strategic partnerships and implementation of the resource mobilization strategy;
  
• Provision of top quality policy advice services to the Government and facilitation of knowledge building and management.

• Thorough gender sensitive analysis and research of the political, social and economic situation in the country and preparation of substantive inputs to CPD and other policy and project documents;
• Identification of areas for support and interventions within the thematic/sectoral areas assigned;
• CO business processes mapping and preparation of the content of internal Standard Operating Procedures in Results Management;
• Coordinate key programme strategies and results for programme components, ensure that is it is line with the Programme document, Country Programme Document and other strategic processes;
• Advise on the development of gender sensitive country practice strategies in the area of Governance and Rule of Law Programme;
• Provide Specific input to the design, implementation and coordination of projects in the Programme area, and assist project formulation and technical missions as required;
• Ensure that integration of cross cutting issues, such as peace building, gender and HIV/AID in to the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of programme/project activities;
• Identify new areas of support and facilitation implementation of new initiatives;
• Coordination donors and partner steering committee/project boards, prepared programme briefs and updates for partners.

Ensures effective management of the Country Programme within the thematic/sectoral areas assigned focusing on quality control from formulation to implementation of the country programme achieving the following results:

• Effective application of RBM tools, establishment of management targets in Balance Score Cards (BSC) and monitoring achievement of results;
• Design and formulation of CO programme within the area of responsibility, translating UNDP’s priorities into local interventions. Coordination of programme implementation with the executing agencies. Introduction of performance indicators/ success criteria, cost recovery, targets and milestones;
• Initiation of a project, presentation of the project to Project Appraisal Committee(LPAC), finalization of contribution agreement; determination of required revisions; coordination of the mandatory and budget re-phasing exercises, closure of projects through review. Programme Specialist can perform functions of Manager Level 1 in Atlas for POs and vouchers approval, participates in recruitment processes for projects;
• Financial and substantive monitoring and evaluation of the projects, identification of operational and financial problems, development of solutions. Participation in audit of projects;
• Follow up on audit recommendations. All exceptions are timely reported;
• Aggregate reports are regularly prepared on activities, outputs and outcomes. Preparation of donor reports.

Ensure effective oversight of the Programme, in particular Monitoring and Evaluation and Reporting, focusing on quality control in every step from formulation to closure of projects in the programme portfolio, in close coordination with the sub office programme and project teams:

• Ensure quality assurance of project management through the review of relevant project and programme documents, draft annual and quarterly workplans, tracking of progress of programme activities;
• Design and manage an outcome monitoring system for the programme including effective indicators for all cross-cutting issues in collaboration with the Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, and oversee record monitoring in Atlas
• Ensure proper recording of risks in Atlas, in line with the UNDP Result Based Management guide;
• Prepare, or coordinate the preparation of proper reports to donors on programme implementation, review project reporting and report on the progress towards outcomes and impact, ensuring quality control and accurate reporting on results as well as constraints, particularly through efficient and regular communication with colleagues in the sub-offices;
• Assess programme impact on men and women, effectiveness and the programme environment, including making suggestions for timely readjustment to the portfolio. 

Provide operational advice to the projects within the programme focusing on the achievement of the following results:

• Prepare implementation-related agreement with partners for the implementation of specific project outputs;
• Track delivery of the various components of programme and advise the Programme Manager on the financial progress of the portfolio;
• Resource mobilization and cost recovery by ensuring the appropriate attention to UNDP’s costs in the negotiation of cost sharing agreements with Donors;
• Identify solutions for operational and financial problems;
• Participate in the identification and competitive selection of appropriate implementing partners;
• Act as the GROL focal point for interaction with the Programme Planning Unit (PPU).

Ensures creation of strategic partnerships and implementation of the resource mobilization strategy in cooperation with the PPU focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Development of partnerships with the UN Agencies, IFI’s, government institutions, bi-lateral and multi-lateral donors, private sector, civil society in the specific thematic areas based on strategic goals of UNDP, country needs and donors’ priorities;
• Analysis and research of information on donors, preparation of substantive briefs on possible areas of cooperation, identification of opportunities for initiation of new projects, active contribution to the overall office effort in resource mobilization;
• Contribute to the building of synergies between project and programmes within the portfolio as well as foster synergies, closer collaboration, integration and knowledge sharing with other programme areas;
• Contribute to external information sharing by ensuring relevant information about the programme area on the UNDP website, information brochures, presentation to partners, responding to ad hoc requests, etc.

Ensures provision of top quality programmatic advisory services and facilitation of knowledge building and management focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Identification of sources of information related to policy-driven issues. Identification and synthesis of best practices and lessons learnt directly linked to programme country policy goals;
• Support to development of policies and institutions that will address the country problems and needs in collaboration with the Government and other strategic partners;
• Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice;
• Organization of trainings for the operations/ projects staff on programme issues;
• Provide recommendations and programme/policy advice to UNDP and Government counterparts on issues related to GROL programmes;
• In undertaking the above, ensure the fullest engagement and participation of women and youth, to further ensure the mainstreaming of gender perspective as appropriate for UNDP crisis prevention and recovery efforts.

The key results have an impact on the success of country programme within specific areas of cooperation. In particular, the key results have an impact on the design, operation and programming of activities, creation of strategic partnerships as well as reaching resource mobilization targets.

Competencies

Functional Competencies:          

• Identifies and communicates relevant information for a variety of audiences for advocating UNDP’s mandate.

• Assesses project performance to identify success factors and incorporates best practices into project work;
• Contributes to gender analysis of all project interventions;
• Researches linkages across programme activities to identify critical points of integration;
• Monitors specific stages of projects/programme implementation;
• Analyzes country situation to identify opportunities for project development;
• Participates in the formulation of project proposals and ensures substantive rigor in the design and application of proven successful approaches and drafts proposals accordingly.

• Maintains an established network of contacts for general information sharing and to remain up-to-date on partnership related issues;
• Analyzes and selects materials for strengthening strategic alliances with partners and stakeholders.

• Generates new ideas and proposes new, more effective ways of doing things, including how to promote gender equality effectively within the project portfolio;
• Documents and analyses innovative strategies/best practices/new approaches.

• Analyzes information/databases on potential and actual donors;
• Develops a database of project profiles. Identifies opportunities for project proposals for presentation to donors.

• Generates new ideas and approaches, researches best practices and proposes new, more effective ways of doing things , including how to promote gender equality effectively within the project portfolio.Documents and analyses innovative strategies and new approaches.

• Understands and applies fundamental concepts and principles of a professional discipline or technical specialty relating to the position;
• Possesses basic knowledge of organizational policies and procedures relating to the position and applies them consistently in work tasks;
• Strives to keep job knowledge up-to-date through self-directed study and other means of learning;
• Demonstrates good knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments;
• Demonstrates in-depth understanding and knowledge of the current guidelines and project management tools and utilizes these regularly in work assignments.

• Identifies and communicates relevant information for advocacy for UNDP’s goals for a variety of audiences;
• Identifies and takes advantage of opportunities for advocating for UNDP’s mandate.

• Researches potential solutions to internal and external client needs and reports back in a timely, succinct and appropriate fashion;
• Organizes and prioritizes work schedule to meet client needs and deadlines;
• Anticipates client needs and addresses them promptly.

• Demonstrating/safeguarding ethics and integrity;
  
• Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment;
• Self-development, initiative-taking;
• Acting as a team player and facilitating team work;
• Facilitating and encouraging open communication in the team, communicating effectively;
• Creating synergies through self-control;
• Managing conflict;
• Learning and sharing knowledge and encourage the learning of others. Promoting learning and knowledge management/sharing is the responsibility of each staff member;
• Informed and transparent decision making;
• Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
• Advocates and promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Treats all people fairly without favoritism.

Required Skills and Experience

• Master’s Degree or equivalent in Business Administration, Public Administration, Economics, Political Sciences, Social Sciences, Development Studies or related field;
• First level University degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Economics, Political Sciences, Social Sciences or related field combined with 7 years of experience may be considered in lieu of advanced university degree.

• 5 years of relevant experience with Master degree or first level university degree with 7 years of relevant experience at the national or international level in providing management advisory services, hands-on experience in design, monitoring and evaluation of development projects;
• Previous work experience with UNDP is an asset;
• Experience with ensuring gender mainstreaming into project design is desirable;
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages, experience in handling of web based management systems.

• Fluency in English and Somali is required.

•  Women are strongly encouraged to apply.