UNDP Jobs - 50959- Policy Specialist

Policy Specialist

Location :

New York, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Type of Contract :

FTA International

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

17-Nov-14 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

P-3

Duration of Initial Contract :

One year

Languages Required :

English

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

The Development Operations Coordination Office (DOCO) brings together the UN development system to promote change and innovation to deliver together on sustainable development. DOCO works under the leadership of the UNDG Chair and guidance of the UNDG. The team provides field evidence to inform policy, facilitates the achievement of shared results, and promotes excellence in UN leadership and coordination. The core objective is a relevant and impactful UN contribution to development.

DOCO works in close collaboration with the development, peacebuilding, humanitarian, human rights and administration arms of the UN and its partners, to ensure teamed-up efforts and results through the following:

Ideas, analysis and advocacy on the common normative and operational agenda, including on integrated development policy;
Develop and quality assure UNDG programme and operations methodology and instruments for shared results;
Enable and support UN development system coordination mechanisms at country and regional levels;
Support and share useful field practices on coordination and coherence, that result in improved UN system effectiveness and impact;
Support the UNDG Chair, regional UNDG Chairs, ASG Advisory Group and the UN Resident Coordinators in the discharge of their leadership and coordination responsibilities;
Manage and facilitate inter-agency networks of expertise and knowledge sharing as needed.

The Director provides strategic leadership in DOCO, and advice and guidance to the UNDG Chair; oversees and leads DOCO’s efforts to facilitate and support implementation of UNDG strategic priorities and related coordination goals; and to meet DOCO’s Management and Accountability (M&A) system responsibilities, in furtherance of the QCPR framework. The Director ensures that DOCO meets its responsibilities to enable the UNDG at all levels, to better support national partners in achieving the MDGs/IADGs and other key national development priorities.

The Director is supported by the staff in the Office of the Director. The Office of the Director’s principal orientation is on strategic and longer-term priorities for the UNDG, and the partnerships and collaboration within the UN system and with external partners to support the UNDG agenda. Its internal focus is on the continuous improvement of DOCO’s planning and delivery of support to enable the realization of UNDG strategy and operational priorities.

In meeting these responsibilities, the Director is supported by the Office of the Director. The principle focus and orientation of this team is to support the Director to perform the following functions:

Support to the UNDG Chair and ASG Advisory Group on substantive policy and strategic matters;
The development and refinement of UNDG strategy and relevant GA/ECOSOC resolutions;
Support to UNDG governance, strategic communication, policy data, policy analysis and review for delivery on evidence based reporting; and
The overall strategic management functions of DOCO, including corporate planning and reporting.

The Policy Specialist will report to the Policy Advisor in the Directorate focusing on analytical work while working under the guidance of the Deputy Director in the area of DOCO work plan coordination and implementation oversight. The Policy Specialist shall also work in close cooperation with the Special Assistant to the Director specifically as it relates to the work with the UNDG and its various advisory mechanisms.

The Policy Specialist manages three key service lines within the Directorate supporting its essential strategic leadership roles in DOCO and support to the UNDG: analytics for strategic policy analysis and advisory services; partnerships and communications; strategic planning coordination and DOCO work plan implementation.

The Policy Specialist maintains partnerships with common system counterparts ensuring vital institutional analytics are reliably gathered, analyzed and available to all DOCO strategic policy and analysis users. The Policy Specialist is the data, planning process and implementation hub within the Directorate ensuring its ability to coordinate and adapt strategic planning activities to emerging priorities and provide substantive units relevant, highest quality policy advisory data.

Duties and Responsibilities

Policy, Analytical, and Strategic Support to the Directorate

Conduct research and analyses and prepare analytical briefs in support of UNDG strategic priorities and work plan.
Conduct and maintain analytics on UNDG entity engagement at the field level to support UNDG strategic analyses
Provide substantive inputs and analyses towards the preparation and coordination of briefing notes and background materials for the UNDG Advisory Group and other senior UN officials on matters pertaining to UNDG strategic priorities, work plans and working methods in close coordination with the Special Assistant to the Director;
Provide substantive inputs and analyses towards an effective functioning of the global UNDG by supporting the planning and organizing of UNDG meetings and UNDG Advisory Group meetings (at ASG and Principal level in close collaboration with the Special Assistant to the DOCO Director;
Act as the alternate focal point in the DOCO Directorate for the preparation and coordination of substantive background documentation and meeting reports, in coordination with the Office of the UNDG Chair, UNDG member organizations and relevant units of DOCO.

Strategic Communications with External Partners

Provide substantive research to enrich the input to DOCO strategic communications products with external partners tailored to DOCO’s key stakeholders and partners in collaboration with DOCO’s Knowledge Management Unit and colleagues;
Monitor and provide substantive analyses with regards to the quality assurance of inputs from senior managers and where required draft formal DOCO communications, ensuring consistency of message, current topics and rapid response to stakeholder inquiries and information requests;
Support DOCO interactions with member states, generally, and with donors, specifically, who contribute to DOCO, including through support to the preparation of briefing materials and reports as needed;
Contributes to the quality assurance role of the Directorate for DOCO progress reporting to the UNDG and DOCO unit inputs to meet UN internal and inter-governmental corporate reporting requirements in coordination with DOCO’s Knowledge Management Unit and colleagues, encompassing assessments and lessons learned on coordination, on implementation of the UNDG strategic priorities and in relation to implementation of the Management and Accountability System.

UNDOCO work plan coordination and implementation oversight

Under the guidance of the Deputy Director ensures coordination and following-up with DOCO colleagues/units on results and task bound activities, including annual work planning, to be approved by the Deputy Director, and ensures timely submission of required materials and quality assurance of said deliverables;
Develop and implement a management tracking system and process to allow for effective management in the Directorate of the DOCO work plan and key deliverables that require clearance/approval of Deputy Director/Director;
Coordinate the inter-unit inputs to, and the preparation of, the Directorate’s work planning, budgeting, and reporting on Directorate results; as well as monitor the Directorate’s work plan and budget and provide periodic reporting to Deputy Director;
Provide substantive contributions to the Deputy Director in specific initiatives in support of strengthening DOCO’s ability to deliver effective results in a timely and coordinated manner.

Competencies

Core Competencies:

Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
Contributes effectively to team-based activities, working collaboratively and sharing information openly; works effectively with colleagues inside the UN as well as its partners and other stakeholders to pursue common goals
Facilitates and encourages open communication in the team, communicating effectively;
Remains calm, composed and patient when facing conflict, manages conflict productively, focusing on mutually acceptable solutions;
Takes initiative and seeks opportunities to initiate action;
Actively produces and disseminates new knowledge; creates/contributes to mechanisms to collect and share knowledge;
Actively seeks learning opportunities; demonstrates commitment to ongoing professional development;
Proposes innovative ideas and new solutions to work.

Functional Competencies:

Current knowledge of the global development agenda;
Familiarity with policy research methodology and analytics;
Ability to contribute to the development of approaches to capacity-development, south-south, and normative-operational activities and programming;
Demonstrated skills in contributing effectively in team-based setting, especially in the areas of knowledge-sharing and learning;
Strong skills in networking and on-line and face-to-face facilitation;
Ability to write clearly and convincingly, adapting style/content to different audiences;
Familiarity with, and ability to fully utilize current knowledge management technologies and social media-based systems;
Anticipates clients’ needs; demonstrates understanding of clients’ perspectives; solicits feedback on service provision and quality;
Good knowledge of the workings of the UN system and the UN development system in particular.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Advanced university degree (Master) in political, social, economic, business management or other related social science field is required.

Experience:

At least 5 years of professional experience in the area of social sciences, economics, or development in a multi-national and/or international organization;
Some background in communication and/or external relations function an additional asset;
Experience in working in a developing country, with UN inter-agency collaboration and Resident Coordinator System issues is desirable;
Experience with and a good knowledge of the UN system policies, practices and procedures is desirable.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in oral and written English is required;
Proficiency in another UN working language is desirable.

Important message to all applicants:

Please ensure that you include and upload a signed Personal History Form (P.11) [download form here: http://sas.undp.org/documents/P11_Personal_history_form.docx] with your application. Failure to do so may lead to delays in the screening process and ultimately will disqualify your application from being reviewed.