Background

UNDP Somalia’s Programme is composed of three main Programme portfolios: Governance and Rule of Law (GROL), Poverty Reduction and Environment Protection (PREP) and Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (GEWE). An important part of UNDP’s programme portfolio is implemented through support from Sub Offices located in Hargeisa (Somaliland) and Garowe (Puntland). 

Under the overall guidance of the Resident Representative (RR), direct supervision of the Country Director (CD) and in coordination with the Deputy Country Director/Programmes (DCD/P) and Deputy Country Director/Operations (DCD/O), the Head of Sub-Office supports the setting of the strategic direction at the local level and oversees all Sub-Office (SO) activities.

The Head of Sub-Office represents the UNDP country programme at the local level and performs management functions.

The Head of Sub-Office leads and supervises the SO staff and project staff working in Garowe, ensuring cross-unit cooperation and coordination. The Head of SO oversees Programme, Operations and Project activities and ensures a client-oriented approach and consistency with UNDP rules and regulations in conformity with the UNDP Internal Control Framework and good management practice. The Head of SO advises the country office senior management on SO programme, cost effectiveness and responses to emerging complex challenges in managing the Sub-Office in his/her area of responsibility.

The incumbent will work closely with internal and external counterparts, including Government, national institutions, civil society, private sector etc, to successfully deliver the UNDP programme at the local level.

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of Key Functions:

Strategic programme planning, coordination and implementation

  • Management of the Sub-Office;
  • Representation and Coordination;
  • Management of communication flow;
  • Partnership building and donor liaison.

Ensures strategic programme planning, coordination and implementation in the geographic area of responsibility of the Sub-Office, focusing on achievement of the following results:

  • Analyses the socio-economic and political situation and trends in the area and identifies opportunities and entry points for UNDP;
  • Advises the Country Director and Deputy Country Director Programme, national counterparts and other aid partners on policies and strategies to adequately respond to transitional recovery and development challenges and needs
  • Provides guidance and manages the overall SO programme development and implementation including planning, budgeting, implementation and monitoring;
  • Ensures overall efficient coordination of programmes/projects including planning processes and timely delivery of results taking into consideration agreed upon work plans with the UNDP country office and consistency with CPD priorities;
  • Ensures identification and promotion of joint programming and planning opportunities;
  • Identifies and develops new programme and project opportunities;
  • Supports capacity building of national counterparts;
  • Oversees project implementation through close monitoring of results. Ensures effective application of RBM tools, management of scorecard targets and other benchmarks;
  • Based on monitoring and evaluation of the recovery and development situation, provides programmatic responses to the deficits in these areas;
  • Responsible for the collaborative yearly planning process for the UNDP Programme together with counterparts
  • Coordinates and follows through on decentralized local evaluations;
  • Ensures full compliance with audit requirements and timely follow-up to audit recommendations;
  • Promotes identification and synthesis of best practices and lessons learned for organizational sharing and learning.

Responsible for effective Office management focusing on achievement of the following results:

  • Ensures smooth running of the Sub-Office, builds an effective SO team, promotes team work and an environment that is conducive to delivering result;s
  • Ensures full responsibility for the appropriate use and management of resources attributed to the Sub-Office by tracking use of financial resources, ensuring the integrity of financial systems and consistent application of the Internal Control Framework and/or rules and regulations. Continually find ways to systematically identify and integrate efficiency gains and cost reductions in all operations of the Sub-Office;
  • Approves contracts and ATLAS transactions under written delegated authority from the Resident Representative and/or Country Director. Has Atlas manager rights as delegated. Responsible for the management of the Sub-Office staff, monitors their performance, completing performance assessments where necessary
  • Ensures timely and regular reporting;
  • In collaboration with the Operations Manager, ensures that the security needs of office and projects are met. Under the supervision of the Country Director and in collaboration with the Security Advisor ensures enforcement of security procedures and MOSS/MORSS requirements in the Sub-Office;
  • Mitigates possible risks and impacts associated with the Sub-Office operations (e.g. logistical, security etc) by proactively designing reduction measures in collaboration with the Security Advisor;
  • Provides leadership in overseeing of effective provision of services to counterparts including fair and transparent procurement, efficient logistics and sound financial management as well as the consistent application of UNDP rules and regulations;
  • Ensures cost-recovery system for the services provided by the Sub office to projects or other agencies in close collaboration with the DCD-O;
  • Builds capacity of the office staff by identifying capacity needs and establishing training/learning programmes.

Responsible for Representation and Coordination in the area focusing on achievement of the following results:

  • Represents UNDP with UNCT and development partners at the local level;
  • In collaboration with the Office of the Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator, provides strong coordination support to UN Agencies, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) national authorities and other organizations through the establishment of a wider consultation process and appropriate fora to enhance coordination between humanitarian and transition-to-development partners, thus strengthening the links between relief, early recovery and development activities;
  • Ensures proper coordination and inputs to Interagency initiatives;
  • Maintains collaboration and coordination with the other Heads of Offices to ensure programmatic integration and sharing of best practices;
  • Maintains regular contact with projects and Programme counterparts in his/her geographic area;
  • Advocates for adherence to UNDP recovery and development principles with a view to enhance community recovery, reintegration of uprooted communities, good governance and human security.

Promotes communication flow in the office focusing on achievement of the following results:

  • Maximizes communication between the various portfolios and ensures that stakeholders (development partners, bilateral and multilateral donors, private sector, civil society, UN agencies and Government agencies) have one consistent UNDP counterpart;
  • Ensures internal communication and coordination at SO level and effective and proactive communication between relevant CO units (both programme and operations units) and the SO;
  • Monitors the perception of UNDP at the local level and suggest media activities that positions UNDP more strategically and effectively as a neutral broker for local development. Enhances local visibility for UNDP in development effectiveness;
  • Ensures that local development results are effectively communicated in collaboration with Communication Office in the country office.

Fosters partnership building and donor liaison focusing on achievement of the following results:

  • Contributes to the development of the CO Partnership and Resource Mobilization strategy, including planning tools to implement the strategy;
  • Identifies new partnerships and strengthens existing ones at the SO level through innovative approaches to partnership development;
  • Encourages ways of increasing Sub-Office funding base such as engaging in resource mobilization efforts in consultation with local counterparts and following-up with donors on local opportunities;
Impact of Results

The Head of the Sub-Office is the UNDP senior representative in the geographic region. The results of the work of the Head of Sub-office greatly impacts on the standing and reputation of the UNDP in Somalia. When requested by the CD/DCD, the Head of Sub-office represents UNDP in international and national forums, liaises with external clients and a broad range of constituencies and UNDP counterparts in the Government, local and international media, civil society as well as counterparts from other international organizations. Within delegated authority, the Head of Garowe office acts as the day-to-day manager of UNDP’s Programme and ensures a coherent dialogue between all parties involved, timely and effective delivery of the UNDP Programme and a proactive response of UNDP to changes in the North west of Somalia region context.

Competencies

Functional Competencies:

Advocacy/Advancing A Policy-Oriented Agenda
  • Dialogues with national counterparts and other stakeholders to strengthen advocacy efforts, incorporating country, regional and global perspectives.
Results-Based Programme Development and Management
  • Ensures the full implementation of country programme and Financial Resources to obtain results.
Building Strategic Partnerships
  • Makes effective use of UNDP’s resources and comparative advantage to strengthen partnerships;
  • Creates networks and promotes initiatives with partner organizations.
Innovation and Marketing New Approaches
  • Creates an environment that fosters innovation and innovative thinking;
  • Conceptualizes more effective approaches to programme development and implementation and to mobilizing and using resources.
Resource Mobilization (Field Duty Stations)
  • Contributes to the development of resource mobilization strategies at SO level;
  • Actively develops partnerships with potential donors and government counterparts in all sectors at country level.
Promoting Organizational Learning and Knowledge Sharing
  • Promotes UNDP as a learning/knowledge sharing organization.
Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise
  • Possesses expert knowledge of advanced concepts in primary discipline, a broad knowledge of related disciplines, as well as an in-depth knowledge of relevant organizational policies and procedures;
  • For managers: applies a broad knowledge of best management practices; defines objectives and work flows, positions reporting relationships in such a way as to obtain optimum effectiveness for the unit/branch ;
  • Keeps abreast of new developments in area of professional discipline and job knowledge and seeks to develop him/herself personally;
  • Demonstrates comprehensive knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments;
  • Demonstrates expert knowledge of the current programme guidelines and project management tools and manages the use of these regularly in work assignments.
Client Orientation
  • Anticipates constraints in the delivery of services and identifies solutions or alternatives;
  • Proactively identifies, develops and discusses solutions for internal and external clients, and persuades management to undertake new projects or services;
  • Advises and develops strategic and operational solutions with clients that add value to UNDP programmes and operations.
Core Competencies:
  • 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;
  • Fair and transparent decision making; calculated risk-taking.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:          
  • Master’s degree in International Development, Social Sciences, Public Administration, Business Administration, or other relevant development areas.

Experience:       

  • 7 years of progressively responsible professional experience in recovery and development affairs, crisis response and prevention, or other related area;
  • Experience in crisis or post conflict countries;
  • Relevant experience in development in a governmental, multilateral organization in a multi-cultural setting;
  • 3 years of senior-level management responsibilities of similar size and complexities including operational management responsibilities;
  • Previous experience with UNDP preferred and good knowledge of UNDP rules and procedures is desirable;
  • Strong diplomatic skills in handling counterpart relations.

Language Requirements:            

  • Strong written and spoken skills of the UN working language of the duty station;
  • A second UN language desirable.