Background
Duties and Responsibilities
The Research Associate will perform the following tasks:
- Performing background research (qualitative and quantitative) on human development issues;
- Provision of technical support on key project interventions, which include providing support to COs preparing National Human Development Reports in the Asia Pacific region and any other publications;
- Supporting design, implementation and analysis for different activities of the Centre;
- Provision of research assistance activities for all the initiatives of the Centre;
- Provision of support on preparation of different types of executive documents derived from the advisory activities provided by the Unit to the COs;
- Maintain and regularly update lists for national and internationals experts, resource persons and institutions working on human development;
- Organize and arrange support for events and initiatives organized by the Centre;
- Any other task assigned by the supervisor.
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:
Advocacy/Advancing a Policy-Oriented Agenda - Research and Analysis:
- Keeps updated in his/her area of substantive expertise;
- Documents and analyses innovative strategies and new approaches;
- Analyses ongoing trends, evolving needs and emerging issues to identify appropriate responses for capacity building;
- Reviews documents and materials intended for use within and outside the organization in order to ensure consistency and validity of messages.
- 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;
- Keeps abreast of new developments in area of professional discipline and job knowledge and seeks to develop him/herself professionally.
- Develops positive ties with civil society and other stakeholders to build/strengthen UNDP’s mandate
- Establishes and nurtures positive communication with partners.
- Organizes and prioritizes work schedule to meet client needs and deadlines;
- Establishes, builds and sustains effective relationships within the work unit and with internal and external clients.
- Good knowledge of the key concerns and challenges facing policy makers and development practitioners in the area of human development;
- Highly effective at securing relevant information through desk research; effective at applying web search tools and conventions;
- Motivated, energetic, thorough, and responsive to the needs of the e-group members;
- Excellent drafting skills;
- Excellent analytical, organizational and presentational skills.
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
- A minimum of Post-graduate Degree in Economics, Political Science, Sociology or related field.
Experience:
- Minimum 3 years of experience in carrying out desk research. Knowledge regarding human development, social policy, inequalities and exclusion is desirable;
- General experience in information technology tools.
Language:
- Excellent command of English;
- Knowledge of other languages is an added advantage.
Remuneration package is INR 70,389/- per annum (taxable).