UNDP Jobs - 50924- Support Specialist for SDGs

Support Specialist for SDGs

Location :

Jakarta, INDONESIA

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

17-Nov-2014

Application Deadline :

30-Oct-14 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

National Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

3 months

Languages Required :

Expected Duration of Assignment :

3 months

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

The current UN development agenda is centred on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that were officially established following the Millennium Summit of the UN in 2000. The MDGs encapsulate eight globally agreed goals in the areas of poverty alleviation, education, gender equality and empowerment of women, child and maternal health, environmental sustainability, reducing HIV/AIDS and communicable diseases, and building a global partnership for development. The MDG’s overall target date is 2015.

At the 2010 High Level Plenary Meeting of the UN General Assembly to review progress towards the MDGs, governments called for accelerating progress and for thinking on ways to advance the development agenda beyond 2015. After the 2010 High Level Plenary Meeting, the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has taken several initiatives.The UN System Task Team was established by the Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to support UN system-wide preparations for the Post-2015 UN Development Agenda.

In line with the preparation of Post-2015 Agenda, a proposed outcome of Rio+20 is for policymakers to adopt a series of universal sustainable development goals (SDGs). The purpose of SDGs is to address the broad challenges of poverty eradication, environmental protection and sustainable consumption and production. The SDGs address the shortcomings and challenges of the UN's Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and promise to provide the foundation for a global green economy. The exact content of the SDGs will be decided in the Rio+20 Process and be integrated into the successive framework for MDGs.

The Office of the United Nations Secretary General has initiated an exercise to pilot social development goals (SDGs) at the country level. The main idea is to support a process that can illustrate the feasibility and measurability of sustainable development goals in those areas that are perceived as difficult (such as governance) in a concrete way at the national level, and use the findings to strengthen the argument in the inter-governmental discussions at the global level.

Given the leadership role that Indonesia has played on the Post 2015 High Level Panel, as well as the stage where Indonesia is at in terms of preparing its next Medium Term Development Plan (RPJMN), and the work already underway to introduce green economy indicators and measurements into the RPJMN, Indonesia has expressed their interest to pilot governance-related SDGs. And by conceptualizing the governance SDGs within the context of the RPJMN, the process would not only be useful to the work of the global Open Working Groups but also to Indonesia.

The timeframe to pilot illustrative sustainable development goals will be early 2014 through September 2015. With the intergovernmental process now underway, there is a growing appetite for pragmatic proposals that will support an effective negotiation process, particularly when it comes to targets and indicators. The Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals will begin its writing process in the spring of 2014 and will deliver its report later this year. The President of the General Assembly will also convene a series of High level and thematic debates on these issues over the coming few months. The piloting of illustrative sustainable development goals is designed to feed into this inter-governmental process by providing member states opportunities to explore the feasibility and relevance of goals, targets and indicators before agreeing to them as part of a new sustainable development agenda.

Meanwhile, UNDP will continue to provide support to lagging behind MDG. As health indicators showed slow progress, UNDP is planning to develop a model to response to the governance of health and social protection.

Responding to above initiatives, UNDP will appoint Research Assistants to support the preparation of the Post 2015 Agenda, SDGs, lagging behind MDGs and the governance of health and social protection. Under the guidance of Technical Analyst, Research Assistants will work closely with the Indonesian Government’s MDG Secretariat which has been tasked to facilitate the preparation for the Post 2015 Agenda, SDGs, and lagging behind MDGs; and coordinate and liaise with different sectors in developing the concept for piloting and its implementation.

Under the overall guidance of the Programme Manager of Poverty Reduction and MDGs, and Technical Analyst, Post 2015 Agenda and SDGs, the Research Assistant is providing background research support to Technical Analyst. The Research Assistant will be working with others in DGPRU, other Units within UNDP Indonesia

Duties and Responsibilities

The objective of this assignment itself is to support on information and data gathering related to SDGs, lagging behind MDGs and health governance. The incumbent is also responsible to maintain the information database for the Post 2015 Agenda, SDGs, lagging behind MDGs and the governance of health and social protection for the MDG cluster of DGPRU.

Scope of work:

Liaison with Technical Staff of BAPPENAS, BPS, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Law and Human Rights, Ombudsman, and related government or research inistitutions to get information & related documents;
Perform minor research on lagging behind MDG, and the governance of health and social protection;
Facilitate National Coordination meeting by identifying potential sources of speakers and data related to governance, democracy, legal aid and legal identity;
Facilitate Working Sessions at Aceh and Yogyakarta by identifying potential local sources of speakers and data related to governance, democracy, legal aid and legal identity;
Facilitate meeting arrangement of national coordination meeting and working session by doing the follow up confirmation to speakers and consolidating meeting results and recommendation complementing with background analysis;
Information scanning on new development in SDGs, health governance, governance and democracy issues;
Develop Knowledge Reference Inventory database.

Expected results:

Summary of key document related to RPJMN, UN’s reports, Renstra and others related global and national level debate related to lagging behind MDG, Post 2015 and SDGs, and the governance of health and social protection;
Research paper on lagging behind MDG, and the governance of health and social protection;
Final Agenda of National Coordination meeting and working session including appropriate resource person to lead section on governance, democracy, legal aid and legal identity;
Consolidated results and recommendations of national and sub national consultations (national coordination meeting and working sessions) which embedded background analysis of stakeholder engagement;
Knowledge Reference Inventory database including information on new development in SDGs, health governance and governance and democracy.;

Competencies

Demonstrates commitment to UNDP’s mission, vision and values;
Focuses on result for the client and responds positively to feedback;
Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
Remains calm, in control and good humoured even under pressure;
General knowledge in research and research methodology;
General knowledge of political and economic context in South East Asia;
General knowledge of UNDP work in the region is desirable;
Excellent oral and written communication skills in English and Bahasa Indonesia are essential;
Function well independently, deliver sound analysis and work on-time and ability to work as a member of a multi-professional team.

Required Skills and Experience

Academic Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in Politics, International Relations, Public Policy or related development field;
Master’s degree may be an additional asset.

Experience:

Fresh graduate, preferable possess 3 years of relevant work experience;
Demonstrated experience in involvement in research.

Language:

Fluency in written and spoken English is an absolute necessity;
Fluency in written and spoken Bahasa Indonesia is required.

Application:

For interested candidate and to access confirmation of interest and financial proposal document, please go to the Procurement Notice Ref No. IC/UNDP/DGRPU-SDG/110/2014 with the link below: http://www.id.undp.org/content/indonesia/en/home/operations/procurement.

Please do not send your application through this website. Kindly send your application along with other supporting documents including the technical and financial proposal to the following email address: bids.id@undp.org.