UNDP Jobs - 48770- Programme Specialist/Deputy Programme Manager GROL

Programme Specialist/Deputy Programme Manager GROL and PREP (2 Positions)

Location :

Mogadishu, SOMALIA

Type of Contract :

FTA International

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

25-Aug-14 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

P-4

Duration of Initial Contract :

One Year

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

One Year (with possible extension)

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 Somalia’s Country Programme Document (2011-2015), has four specific outcomes:

Outcome one “Somali women and men are better able to build peace and manage conflict”;
Outcome two “Somali women and men, girls and boys benefit from more inclusive, equitable and accountable governance, improved services, human security, access to justice and human rights”;
Outcome three “Somali women and men benefit from increased sustainable livelihood opportunities and improved natural resources management”;
Outcome four “Somali women and men attain greater gender equality and are empowered”.

Within this framework, the Governance and Rule of Law Programme (GROL) supports primarily the achievement of Outcome 2 of the Country Programme (2011-2015): “Somali women and men, girls and boys, benefit from more inclusive, equitable and accountable governance, improved services, human security, access to justice and human rights. The Poverty Reduction and Environmental Protection (PREP) programme supports the achievement of Outcome 3: “Somali women and men benefit from increased sustainable livelihood opportunities and improved natural resources management:

The GROL/PREP Programme responds directly to three of the four outcome areas outlined in the new country programme: capacity-building for peace and human security, strengthened governance and rule of law institutions, systems, practices and services, and gender equality. Project areas currently include local governance, institution building, access to justice, police and community safety.

With a particular focus on women, youth, and other vulnerable groups, UNDP’s PREP programme strives to: enhance the livelihoods of all Somalis; promote economic recovery; increase institutional capacity for development planning; enable advocacy efforts by Somali communities; engage the private sector; encourage sustainable management of natural resources; help build resilience to climate change; and mitigate the impacts of disasters and risks.

UNDP is currently working with national bodies and international partners to develop the next generation of its programme anchored within the Federal Government of Somalia’s New Deal Compact, signed on 16 September 2013in Brussels, which is seen as a roadmap for promoting statebuilding and peacebuilding over the next three years. This framework provides a strategic plan towards stability and peace across Somalia. To this end, the New Deal lays out five Peacebuilding and State-Building Goals (PSGs) which focus on inclusive political processes, security, justice, economic foundations and revenue and services. The changes introduced by the New Deal will improve UNDP’s strategic role as a development partner. Each UNDP project develops strategies to align to the country’s PSGs, providing robust support which will spur transformative change and lasting peace.

Under the direct supervision of the Programme Manager, the Programme Specialist /Deputy Programme Manager will be responsible for programme portfolio daily management, accountability and oversight, partnership building and resource mobilization as well as promoting innovations, advocacy and knowledge building within the programme portfolio. S/he fosters synergies across the thematic areas of the GROL/PREP programmes and aligns them to CPD Outcomes and new Deal Compact. The incumbent provides reporting support to ensure that all reports produced are of high quality and meet the standards required by the donors and counterparts. S/he also provides quality assurance to programme/project boards, and high-quality advisory services to project teams where necessary in order to improve empirical-based monitoring and reporting against proper baselines in both a qualitative and quantitative respect. S/he liaises with UNDP’s Planning and Partnership Unit (PPU) to ensure that projects’ evaluations and audits are implemented and developed according to schedules, findings and recommendations.

The Programme Specialist / Deputy Programme Manager coordinates activities of Programme Management staff and supervises the GROL/PREP other programme specialists and associates. S/he works in close collaboration with the operations team, programme staff in other UNDP units, UN Agencies, UNDP HQ staff, Government officials, technical advisors and experts, multi-lateral and bi-lateral donors and civil society ensuring successful UNDP programme implementation and continuous innovations in her/his key areas of responsibilities..

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of Key Functions:

Programme Accountability and Oversight;
Advisory Services and Technical Expertise;
Programme Management;
Partnership building and Resource Mobilization;
Innovations, Advocacy and Knowledge Building;
Monitoring and Evaluation of impact and delivery.

Ensure effective programme accountability and oversight, focusing on the achievement of the following results:

Ensures that programme activities respond to the development needs of Somalia and are in accordance with the national and sub-national priorities as articulated in the Country Programme Document (CPD) 2011-2015 and all relevant national and sub-national strategies;
Ensures accountability of the GROL/PREP programme to donors and counterparts throughout the delivery of outcome-level results and management of programme resources;
Ensures strict and consistent application of UNDP rules and regulations and ensuring the implementation of clear accountability mechanisms throughout the programmes portfolio;
Participates in internal control mechanisms for adherence to UNDP rules and regulations in contracts, assets, procurement, recruitment, etc. as required;
Provides quality assurance to the programme/project boards by carrying out objective and independent programme oversight and monitoring functions;
Oversees the implementation of the CO monitoring and evaluation plan as it relates to programme;
Ensures synergies and complementarity between the GROL/PREP programme and other units in UNDP Somalia to achieve CPD outcomes.

Ensures provision of high-quality advisory services and technical expertise, focusing on the achievement of the following results:

Provides technical support and advice for programme implementation to project teams and counterparts on the current and newly emerging poverty reduction, local economic development, trade and private sector development, environment, sustainable energy and climate change issues;
Identifies policy-driven issues, best practices and lessons learned on at global, regional and national level and ensure these are integrated into the programme planning and implementation;
Advises on the design and implementation of coherent institutional capacity development strategies by the Programme Pillars ensuring these strategies contribute to the national development plans where they exist;
Proactively identifies risks and challenges to the on-going operations of the GROL/ PREP programme and provides project teams on mitigation strategies;
Provides policy advice to programme manager, senior CO management, government counterparts, donors and other partners on issues related to GROL/PREP.

Ensure effective programme management, focusing on the achievement of the following results:

In close consultation with PPU, ensures the elaboration of coherent work plans and budgets for all activities in the Programme portfolio and the continuous monitoring of project work plans;
Ensures timely and adequate reporting against plans in consultation with PPU, including providing timely and articulate progress reports and inputs to the Strategic Results Framework and Results Oriented Annual Report;
Preparation of high quality project documents and proposals, and encouraging adequate peer review of the same through established mechanisms (LPAC);
Ensures that the 6 programme pillars coordinate their implementations at the field level and contribute to the expected outcomes of the CPD;
Ensures that each programme pillar establishes management information which allows the efficient and effective collection of outcome-level data including sex and age-segregated data so that programme monitoring and evaluation can take place and progress can be measured;
Guides the development of GROL/ PREP communication strategy and tools including fact sheets and brochures in close collaboration with the project teams and with CO communication unit;
Supervises the national programme specialists and programme associates and ensure their individual PMDs/Annual Evaluations are aligned with the overall vision of the programme and support delivery of programme outcomes;
Represents the GROL/ PREP programme, as requested by the Programme Manager;
Drafts, maintains and supports the implementation of programme evaluation and audit plans. Support the drafting of TORs for internal evaluations and audits;
Champions for the achievement of Country Programme Outcome 3 and ensure the effective application of RBM tools for Programme effectiveness and achievement of results.

Promotes partnership building and resource mobilization, focusing on the achievement of the following results:

Advises on the preparation and clearance of agreements with partners (donors, government, CSOs, UN agencies and other partners) in close coordination with PPU;
Develops mechanisms and instruments for selection of appropriate government and civil society partners in the implementation of the programme pillars;
Coordinates the GROL/ PREP programme resource mobilization efforts in conjunction with PPU;
Facilitates the engagement with non-traditional donors to support the programme;
Leads and coordinates partner surveys and consolidation of the programme response and follow-up when and as required;
Undertakes conflict sensitive analysis and perception surveys to determine what public needs, views and priorities are with regard to GROL/ PREP;
Forges closer linkages with the other UN offices, programmes, agencies and entities, and other international and national stakeholders concerned with or providing assistance on GROL/ PREP issues to Somalia; Lead the development of Joint Programme Documents when needed.

Ensures innovation, advocacy and knowledge building within the programme, focusing on the achievement of the following results:

Identifies new ideas and opportunities for the development of new interventions in the area of poverty reduction and environment protection, and facilitates the alignment of the GROL/PREP programme with the new emerging priorities in the light of the political transition in Somalia and the implementation of the Provisional Federal Constitution;
Promotes GROL/PREP programme, ensuring maximum and appropriate levels of visibility and public awareness on results of the ongoing activities, and positioning UNDP as a neutral actor with high quality policy advice;
Provides leadership on poverty reduction and environment protection issues within the framework of United Nations Somalia Assistance strategy (UNSAS) Outcome 3, Internal Strategic Framework (ISF), and other coordination structures;
Ensures that lessons learned and best practices in the area of poverty reduction and environment protection are captured and documented to inform wider policies and programmes and facilitate replication elsewhere;
Leads proactive showcasing of the programme activities in regional and international for a and knowledge dissemination through existing UNDP global practice networks;
Leads the development of new ways of engaging with non-state actors including traditional structures in the delivery of the poverty reduction and environment protection strategies;
Supports capacity- and knowledge building of national counterparts;
Promotes a knowledge sharing and learning culture in the CO and, in particular, within the GROL/PREP Programme.

Programme Monitoring and Evaluation:

Designs with the relevant UNDP units and the donors, tools and methodologies to ensure the proper monitoring of activities and the evaluation of the impact of the GROL/PREP Projects;
Carry out on site evaluations and provide recommendations of changes and redirection of project activites;
Conduct meetings with the different National authorities and local partners to jointly evaluate the lessons and benchmarks of the accomplishments of the Projects;
Advise on the status of the delivery and financial status of the projects.

Impact of Results

Evidenced results will take the form of a quality integration of the work currently being developed in separate fashion by projects. Enhanced impact will also be manifest in the more streamlined and comprehensive character of the capacity development assistance provided to counterparts as a product of the merger and a smooth transition to its implementation.

Competencies

Functional Competencies:

Advocacy/Advancing A Policy-Oriented Agenda:

Creates effective advocacy strategies;
Performs analysis of political situations and scenarios, and contributes to the formulation of institutional responses.

Results-Based Programme Development and Management:

Assesses project performance to identify success factors and incorporates best practices into project work;
Researches linkages across programme activities to identify critical points of integration;
Monitors specific stages of projects/programme implementation;
Analyses 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.

Building Strategic Partnerships:

Effectively networks with partners seizing opportunities to build strategic alliances relevant to UNDP’s mandate and strategic agenda;
Identifies needs and interventions for capacity building of counterparts, clients and potential partners;
Promotes UNDP’s agenda in inter-agency meetings.

Innovation and Marketing New Approaches:

Seeks a broad range of perspectives in developing project proposals;
Identifies new approaches and promotes their use in other situations;
Creates an environment that fosters innovation and innovative thinking;
Makes the case for innovative ideas from the team with own supervisor.

Resource Mobilization (Field Duty Stations):

Analyses information on potential bilateral donors and national counterparts to recommend a strategic approach;
Identifies and compiles lessons learned;
Develops a resource mobilization strategy at the country level.

Promoting Organizational Learning and Knowledge Sharing:

Makes the case for innovative ideas documenting successes and building them into the design of new approaches;
Identifies new approaches and strategies that promote the use of tools and mechanisms.

Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise:

Understands more advanced aspects of primary area of specialization as well as the fundamental concepts of related disciplines;
Keeps abreast of new developments in area of professional discipline and job knowledge and seeks to develop him/herself professionally;
Demonstrates comprehensive knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments;
Demonstrates comprehensive understanding and knowledge of the current guidelines and project management tools and utilizes these regularly in work assignments.

Global Leadership and Advocacy for UNDP’s Goals:

Performed analysis of political situations and scenarios, and contributes to the formulation of institutional responses;
Uses the opportunity to bring forward and disseminate materials for global advocacy work and adapts it for use at country level.

Client Orientation:

Anticipates client needs;
Works towards creating an enabling environment for a smooth relationship between the clients and service provider;
Demonstrates understanding of client’s perspective;
Solicits feedback on service provision and quality.

Core Competencies:

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.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Master’s Degree or equivalent in Public Administration, Economics, Political Sciences, Social Sciences, Natural Resources Management or any related field.

Experience:

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/programmes;
Proven experience in partnership building and networking;
Excellent knowledge of and experience with RBM methodologies and tools (project and programme management, design, monitoring and evaluation and report writing);
Experience in governance and public sector management in developing countries and/or poverty reduction programming, early recovery, environmental management, private sector development . Post-conflict experience is an asset.
Experience in programme management, including project formulation, implementation and reporting is an asset;
Thorough knowledge of Atlas and UNDP procedures is an asset;
Knowledge and experience in Somalia is an asset;
Experience with UNDP preferred;
Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages, experience in handling of web-based management systems.

Language:

Fluency in written and spoken English is required.