Antecedentes

The continuing and rapid rise of HIV infection among men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender people; the marginalization people of diverse sexual orientation and gender identities, and their extremely low access to information and services regarding prevention and treatment; and the presence of punitive laws across the region are among the complex challenges raised by the ever-growing AIDS epidemic in South Asia. The Commission on AIDS in Asia further notes that in the worst case scenario, 50% of all new infections will be caused by male-to-male sex by 2020, little over a decade from now. The main high-risk behaviours for MSM are the frequency of unprotected anal sex with regular and commercial male partners. To address this issue, community-based organizations in South Asia successfully formulated and submitted a multi-country proposal to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund) under the Round 9 Call for Proposals.

UNDP is a key partner to the Global Fund to Fights AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (the Global Fund) and serves as interim Principal Recipient (PR) of last resort. In December 2012, the South Asia Country Coordinating Mechanism Steering Committee (CCM SC) requested that UNDP Asia Pacific Regional Centre (APRC) assume the PR role for the Phase 2 of the South Asia Multi-Country Global Fund HIV Round 9 Grant (MSA-910-G01-H) grant (the Grant). The overall goal of the Grant is to reduce the impact of HIV on MSM and transgender people. In its role as the PR, UNDP is responsible for the financial and programmatic management of the MSA grant (the Programme) as well as for the procurement of pharmaceuticals health and non-health products. In all areas of implementation, UNDP provides capacity development services to relevant institutions, sub-recipients and implementing partners.

The Grant will support regional advocacy initiatives and country level advocacy and capacity building activities with civil society partners in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Afghanistan and Pakistan also have HIV service delivery components. Two regional community Sub-recipients (SRs) s include the Asia Pacific Coalition on Male Sexual Health (APCOM) and Asia Pacific Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (APN+) and the country sub-recipients (SRs) include Youth Health and Development Organization (Afghanistan), Bandhu Social Welfare Society (Bangladesh), National AIDS Control Programme (Bhutan), Blue Diamond Society (Nepal) and Naz Male Health Alliance (Pakistan); with SRs to be selected for India and Sri Lanka.

UNDP’s HIV, Health and Development Regional Practice Team in Asia and the Pacific, situated within the UNDP APRC in Bangkok, Thailand, seeks to address the human development, governance, human rights, gender and trans-border challenges of HIV in the region. We assist countries and regional stakeholders to implement HIV responses that are integrated, involve key sectors of government and civil society and promote human rights and gender equality. In doing so, we ensure that HIV responses are addressed within the broader poverty reduction strategies, and support countries to respond to the key social drivers of their HIV epidemics such as status of women, their economic empowerment, the protection of human rights, and the legal environment.

Central to our work is strengthening partnerships between affected communities, governments and development partners to ensure more effective and inclusive governance of HIV responses. We support the development of policies and programmes that reduce the vulnerability of key populations and help people who are impacted by the epidemic. These efforts include removal of punitive laws and practices that undermine effective responses to HIV among MSM and transgender people.

Practice Approach: HIV, Health and Development Practice
UNDP is a founding co-sponsor of the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). The UNAIDS division of labour provides the framework for UNDP’s response to the AIDS epidemic. UNDP’s work on HIV, health and development is organized into three main streams of work, as follows:

• Mainstreaming, Gender and MDGs;
• Governance, Human Rights and Vulnerable Groups ;
• Global Fund Partnership: Implementation Support and Capacity Development.

The Regional Practice Team works closely with the UNDP country offices in the region, as well as the national governments, regional intergovernmental institutions such as South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), and community advocacy networks including APCOM, APN+ and Youth Voices Count (YVC); specifically in the areas of policy and programme development, policy advocacy, leadership, capacity development, South-South cooperation, and management of Global Fund grants.

Under the guidance of the Regional Policy Advisor in UNDP APRC, the Grant/Programme Manager is the manager for the Programme and advisor to Senior Management on all aspects of the Programme, specifically s/he will lead, supervise and coordinate the daily activities, and provide strategic direction for the development and provision of support services in the implementation of Programme, in order to assure: (i) the achievement of planned targets; (ii) the effective and transparent execution of the financial resources of the Programme; and (iii) the effective coordination with national programmes funded by the Global Fund. The Grant/Programme Manager will also provide technical leadership to the implementation of the Grant, in coordination with UN Agencies, civil society, donors and other technical partners, to ensure that the implemented Programme will contribute to the broader regional strategy.

For the implementation of the Programme, UNDP APRC has established a Programme Management Unit (PMU) that will coordinate the implementation of the Grant and provide general guidance of the Global Fund policies and procedures to all UNDP Country Offices and SRs participating in the implementation of the activities.

Deberes y responsabilidades

Implementation of the Round 9 Multi-Country South Asia HIV Global Fund Grant focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Oversee and provide strategic direction for programme planning, management, monitoring and oversight ;
• Coordinate and supervise the administrative, financial, procurement and programmatic management of the Global Fund Grant, in accordance with UNDP rules and procedures;
• Oversee and coordinate programmatic and financial management and reporting of the Global Fund Grant in seven countries in the South Asia region;
• Develop and regularly review a risk management matrix for the Programme in consultation with SRs and technical partners;
• Establish effective operating procedures related to the management of Global Fund Grant and oversee their compliance during the duration of the Programme;
• In coordination with the SRs and all technical partners, ensure timely execution of the Grant in compliance with the Grant Agreement with the Global Fund;
• Ensure that projects managed by the SRs are executed according to action plans and within established budgets, in accordance with the UNDP-SR Agreements;
• Advise SRs on Community Systems Strengthening (CSS) strategies to facilitate results-based implementation of programme activities;
• Provide oversight on programmatic impact and ensure the reporting accuracy;
• Ensure timely submission of financial and activity reports by the SRs as well as adequate financial management of allocated resources;
• Oversee timely preparation of reports for the Global Fund and the Local Fund Agent (LFA);
• Coordinate with corporate UNDP services to ensure that expected results are delivered in a timely manner.

Support in the implementation of the capacity building plan

• Assess needs of the SRs and assist in reinforcing capacities for effective programme implementation;
• Coordinate the design of the capacity development plan of SRs;
• Provide support to the implementation of the capacity development plan for SRs;
• Promote knowledge sharing and coaching among the SRs within the region;
• Participate in CCM SC meetings and provide CSS support to the CCM SC members; 
• Coordinate the organization of information events, fora in the area of CSS.

Ensures facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing in the UNDP focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Organization of trainings for the SRs and other stakeholders;
• Disseminate best practices for management of CSS initiatives at the country level;
• Share experience and best practices of the Round 9 HIV South Asia programme activities;
• Share and distributing knowledge products from the Round 9 HIV South Asia programme;
• Participate in relevant regional workshops and consultations; 
• Access and share global best practices with other local and international stakeholders and ensure their incorporation into the health portfolio and project design process.

Partnership and Coordination 

• Coordinate with the South Asia CCM SC and the UN Regional Interagency Taskforce on AIDS (UN RITA)and national stakeholders including, but not limited to, the National AIDS Control programmes, national PRs, UNDP Country Offices and UN Joint Teams.
• Maintain regular communication with the UNDP HIV, Health and Development Group, Global Fund Secretariat and Local Fund Agent;
• Coordinate and build effective partnerships with CCM SC, regional stakeholders, including regional community advocacy networks to exchange critical and technical information and resolve programme implementation issues to ensure results are achieved as planned; and 
•  Maintain regular communication with the National AIDS Control Programmes, national Global Fund PRs and SRs, UN Agencies and other stakeholders to exchange critical and technical information and resolve programme implementation issues to ensure results are achieved as planned.

Competencias

Corporate:

• Demonstrates integrity and fairness, by modelling the UNDP 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: 

• Good analytical skills, ability to identify strategic information of relevance to UNDP in both operational and higher-level policy changed by the Global Fund;
• Knowledge of HIV, Malaria and TB epidemics, as well as international health financing;
• Knowledge of social determinants of health approaches ;
• Familiarity with work processes and functions of WHO ;
• Strong negotiation and communication skills, including ability to produce high quality 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 practice/thematic area.

Managing Relationships:

• Demonstrated well-developed people management and organizational skills;
• Excellent negotiating and networking skills.

Communication: 

• Demonstrates strong oral and written communication skills;
• Excellent interpersonal and networking skills.

Client Orientation: 

• Builds strong relationships with clients and external actors;
• Focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to critical feedback;
• Ability to build and sustain effective partnerships with Global Fund, WHO and other UN Agencies and main constituents, advocate effectively, communicate sensitively across different constituencies.

Planning and Organizing: 

• Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities;
• Promotes knowledge management in UNDP and a learning environment in the office through leadership and personal example;
• Capacity to work under tight deadlines, manage stress and adapt to rapidly evolving situations.

Building Trust: 

• Ability to work in a multi-cultural environment with sound understanding and capability to empower and develop the capacity of national counterparts;
• Ability to work in a matrix team and coordinate activities with Global Fund Partnership team, other bureaus and country level staff.

Judgment/Decision-Making 

• Mature jugement and initiative.

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.

Habilidades y experiencia requeridas

Education:

• Master’s degree in Public Health, Economics, International Development, Public Administration or any development related field and/or a degree in medical sciences or project management.

Work experience:

• Minimum 7 years experience in the project management/public health, with 2 years in an international setting
• Experience in project management in complex environments;
• Experience in partnership building and management with multi-stakeholders, including health, human rights, donor and civil society organizations;
• Knowledge of programming related to people of diverse sexual orientation and gender identity is an asset;
• Knowledge and experience in working with UNDP and/or UN agencies and the Global Fund an advantage 
• Experience in South Asia is highly desirable.

Language requirement:

• Fluency in English with good verbal and written skills.
• Fluency in a South Asian language will be a strong asset

Remark: Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.