UNDP Jobs - 45356- Director, International Centre for Human Developme

Director, International Centre for Human Development

Location :

New Delhi, INDIA

Type of Contract :

FTA International

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

20-Apr-14 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

D-1

Duration of Initial Contract :

One year with possibility of extension

Languages Required :

Expected Duration of Assignment :

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

UNDP is the custodian agency of the UN’s global network on development with a substantive mandate for supporting people centered development in the 177 countries around the world in which it operates. Since the publication of the first Human Development Report in 1990, UNDP has promoted Human Development providing an alternative people-centric view of development. The paradigm has gained wide acceptance globally and is now used to inform policy at various levels of government across the world. Under the leadership of the Ministry of Human Resource Development in the Government of India, UNDP has facilitated the establishment of an International Centre of Human Development (IC4HD) in New Delhi with the aim of promoting human development reporting and policy-making through training, show-casing and sharing national human development achievements, disseminating sub-national human development practices and promoting knowledge exchange with other countries. In support of this, the Centre will provide UNDP country offices and partners throughout the region with training, promote regional capacity building initiatives, which allow UNDP, governments and other development partners to identify, create and share knowledge relevant to solving development challenges from a human development perspective and support the elaboration of National Human Development Reports within the region.

Duties and Responsibilities

Overall Management:

The Director will report directly to the UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative and will be guided by the direction of the Centre’s Advisory Board. The Director will collaborate with the Manager, Asia Pacific Regional Centre on activities relating to national human development reports in the Asia Pacific region.

Convening and Coordination:

The Director will play a key role in convening and coordinating stakeholders on human development issues by:

Convening high level policy dialogues among leading researchers, policy-makers and practitioners, civil society representatives, in the field of public services;
Coordinating the research work of the Center with other institutions to maximize capacities on human development issues and to avoid effort duplication;
Identifying speakers, resource persons, documentation experts for events;
Ensuring quality documentation and its dissemination in various forms and forums;
Undertaking any relevant supporting activities identified by the UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative.

Within the overall vision for the Center, the Director will be responsible for:

Providing strategic leadership and vision, as well as ensuring cutting-edge knowledge production and dissemination;
Convening resource persons, thought leaders, practitioners from across public, private, civil society and academicians;
Supporting the preparation of Human Development Reports in countries in the Asia Pacific region;
Building partnerships, outreach and communication, including to specialized thematic communities of practitioners in the subject area;
Liaising between UNDP India, Indian Institute of Advanced Study, the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India and other stakeholders;
Advocating the Centre with governments, donors, international financial institutions and within the UN system;
Mobilizing resources over the medium-term for the Center and its programmatic activities;
Ensuring close collaboration and coordination with other relevant UNDP units, in particular the Asia Pacific Regional Centre of the Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, Human Development Report Office and UNDP programmes and initiatives that may wish to draw upon the expertise of the Center.

Technical and Policy Advisory Services:

The Director will be responsible for providing intellectual leadership on human development approach to policies and programmes by:

Developing high quality training modules and courses on human development for policy-makers, officials and practitioners;
Applying and adapting participatory tools for measuring human development programmes and disseminating these widely through human development networks;
Providing high quality policy advisory services on the application of the human development approach in policies and programmes;
Identifying emerging issues, analyzing new approaches and promoting cutting edge knowledge for the benefit of UNDP, and national governments;
Identifying strategic opportunities to use the human development approach to address region and country specific issues;
Initiating policy dialogues on how to translate policy recommendations in Human Development Reports into action;
Directing the Centre’s substantive support to UNDP Country Offices through desk-based work and missions including guidance and reviews of Human Development Reports and expert referrals;
Facilitating knowledge capture and the leveraging and linking of national, regional and global know-how on human development;
Organizing internal and external networks or communities of practice engaging prominent experts in government, non-government organizations, think tanks, private agencies, international development organizations and the wider UN systems;

Partnerships and Resources:

The Director will play a key role in forging partnerships on human development and mobilizing financial and human resources for the medium-term work of the Centre by:

Developing and maintaining strong relationships with key policy makers and partners, including senior-level officials of the Government of India, parliamentarians, and representatives of civil society organizations (CSOs), think-tanks and the academic community, private corporations, and the media to promote the strategic interests of IC4HD;
Contributing to the development of external and internal networks that support the effective implementation of corporate strategies, policies and procedures for new global partnerships on human development;
Mobilizing human, technical and financial resources from international development organizations, non-government organizations and the private sector to support the medium-term work of the Centre;
Establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with Country Offices and governments which request support for national human development initiatives;
Providing support to UNDP Regional Bureaux and Country Offices on human development-related South-South cooperation.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
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 ;

Functional Competencies:

Knowledge Management and Learning

Identifies and understands human development concept, its nomenclature;
Views development issues with a broad human development lens;
Promotes knowledge sharing and learning culture in the office;
Shares knowledge and experience and contributes to UNDP practice areas;
Demonstrates coaching/mentoring skills, regularly providing helpful feedback and advice to others in the office;
Develops systems for structuring, codifying and providing access to information and knowledge;

Development and Operational Effectiveness:

Ability to provide input to business processes re-engineering, implementation of new system, including new IT based systems;
Good knowledge of Results Management principles;
Ability to perform a variety of standard task related to results management, including screening and collecting of project documentation, entering projects data in relevant online system an, supporting revisions, filing, provision of information

Leadership and Self-Management:

Focuses on results for the client and responds positively to feedback;
Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
Remains calm, in control and good humored even under pressure;
Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Master’s degree (Ph.D. an advantage) in economics or a relevant social science with a development focus. Specialization in international economic development preferred.

Experience:

At least 15 years of relevant work experience is required;
Demonstrated track-record in training and capacity development;
Experience in collaborative research with a human development orientation;
Experience in facilitation thematic e-discussions with a human development focus;
Demonstrated track record of supporting UNDP country offices on technical and policy advisory issues an advantage;
Knowledge of human development issues and concepts, HDRs, the MDGs and how to analyze issues from a human development perspective;
Work experience in translating human development analysis into action;
Strong written and oral communication skills; analytical writing with ability to conceptualize and articulate human development issues among experts, policy makers, media and civil society;
Demonstrated skills in team work involving a multi-disciplinary environment;
Knowledge and experience in the use of standard office software and statistical packages;
Experience working with UN agencies in supporting policy research activities an advantage

Language Requirements:

Fluency in English, both written and oral;
Knowledge of another UN language desirable.