UNDP Jobs - 51736- Regional Coordination Specialist, RBLAC

Regional Coordination Specialist, RBLAC

Location :

New York, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Type of Contract :

FTA International

Starting Date :

01-Jan-2015

Application Deadline :

04-Dec-14 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

P-4

Duration of Initial Contract :

1 year

Languages Required :

English Spanish

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 Regional United Nations Development Group Team for Latin America and the Caribbean (UNDG LAC) is led and chaired by the UNDP Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, on behalf of the Chair of the UNDG (UNDP Administrator). The UNDG LAC is composed by 20 members, including the Chair, from 19 regional offices of the UN agencies, funds and programmes: FAO, ILO, OCHA, OHCHR, PAHO/WHO, UNAIDS, UNDP, UNEP, UNFPA, UN-HABITAT, UNHCR, UNICEF, UNIDO, UNISDR, UNESCO, UN WOMEN, UNODC, UNOPS, and WFP. The UNDG LAC is supported by a UNDG LAC secretariat that is located in New York, USA and Panama City, Panama.

The UNDG LAC provides strategic guidance, policy advice, technical support and oversight to UN’s country level operational activities led by the UN Resident Coordinators (RCs) and UN Country Teams (UNCTs). The regional UNDG supports efforts such as achieving national development goals including the Millennium Declaration and MDGs, and help enhance effectiveness and efficiency of RC/UNCTs’ coordination functions and UN programming coherence. The work of the UNDG LAC is guided by the General Assembly’s 2012 quadrennial comprehensive policy review (QCPR) of UN operational activities for development, and the global UNDG’s Strategic Priorities for 2013-2016.

Working under the direct supervision of the Chair, in support of the Regional UNDG LAC Team, the assigned Regional Coordination Specialist has responsibility to work with the UNDG LAC to support and help coordinate the design, development, management, and monitoring of UNDG LAC activities to achieve outcomes as articulated in the UNDG LAC Annual Workplan.

The Regional Coordination Specialist, will work under the supervision of the UNDG LAC Chair and provide guidance and support in the day to day management of the UNDG LAC Secretariat based in Panama. As one of the members of the Secretariat of the UNDG LAC, the Regional Coordination Specialist will promote partnership, and synergy with the UNDG agencies to achieve results stipulated in the UNDG LAC work plan.

Duties and Responsibilities

Progress towards regional UNDG planned results supported, including:

Prepare the Regional UNDG ’s annual/biannual work plan and budget, in line with the global UNDG's Strategic Priorities; support the UNDG LAC to monitor progress towards annual workplan results; draft the Annual Progress Reports of the UNDG LAC;
Coordinate the preparation of advice, analytical inputs, talking points and briefing notes for UNDG LAC meetings and for the Chair and Regional Directors as requested;
Organize UNDG LAC’s meetings; including preparation, compilation and circulation of background documents for all agenda items, and prepare minutes of all meetings and undertake relevant follow-up on agreed decisions;
Ensure follow up on key process and work plan outputs, with agency focal points to support the achievement of results.

Support provided to the UNDG Regional Chair, the Regional UNDG and UN Country Teams and Resident Coordinators on UN collaboration and reform, including:

Assist and advice the UNDG LAC in ensuring that the latest UN Reform directives and initiatives are implemented, monitored and reported including regional oversight functions, quality service and advice (QSA), joint programming, resource mobilization strategies, strengthened country level coordination support, post crisis, and other UN Reform mandates;
Assist and advice the UNDG LAC Team in reviewing UNDG documents and policy papers and consolidating relevant feedback and inputs of the Regional UNDG Team; and prepare communications on these issues for the RCs, UNCTs and HQs, especially when joint messages or feedback from UNDG regional teams are required;
Coordinate the support offered by the Secretariat to UNCTs on Common Country strategic planning (including analysis and UNDAF, etc.);
Stay abreast of developments in the consultations and negotiations on the Post 2015 Development Agenda and related debates, share relevant information with stakeholders, and facilitate support and inputs to national and regional processes, as required.
Support the UNDG LAC in developing a shared regional identity, and focus on regional development challenges, positioning the UNDG as a partner;
Coordinate response to inquiries from the field and other stakeholders on UNDG related issues, including HACT, UNDAF, Joint Programming, QCPR implementation, the MDGs, the Post 2015 Agenda, etc;
Support the UNDG LAC Chair in providing inputs and advice to UNDP Administrator in her function as UNDG Chair on key system issues and concerns from the LAC region and issues of key importance for UNDG LAC.

Strengthened strategic partnerships in support of UNDG Strategic Priorities and UNDG LAC work plan implementation, including by:

Coordinate the quality support and advice (QSA) function of the UNDG LAC and its PSG for CCA/UNDAF formulation, implementation and M&E in the region;
Organize the RC appraisal process according to established guidelines and support the UNDG LAC to ensure the implementation, database maintenance, follow-up and report back from the annual RC/UNCT performance appraisal exercise (including One80 assessment processes);
Assist the UNDG LAC with the mobilization of financial and human resources (e.g. from global UNDG initiatives, or JPO donor countries);
If requested by the UNDG LAC, assist the regional technical support staff to facilitate coherent inter-agency processes to coordinate substantive and technical inputs into UNCT programme development and implementation, ensuring substantive monitoring;
Support inter-agency initiatives and regional focal points (e.g. UNDG LAC task teams, thematic working groups, project steering committees, etc), as articulated in the UNDG LAC annual workplan, to achieve UNDG LAC results, especially related to enhanced coherent regional support to UNCTs and completion;
Assist the UNDG LAC Peer Support Group (PSG) as needed to develop and implement the PSG annual work plan.

Knowledge building and management facilitated, including:

Oversee the preparation of the monthly publication or the UNDG LAC Bulletin, and support the UNDG LAC Chair in preparing regular updates for RCs and UNCTs, also seeking inputs from the field via de Coordination Officers;
Maintain and update the UNDG LAC segment of the UNDG website, managed by DOCO;
Oversee, on behalf of the UNDG LAC Chair, the establishment of electronic and other mechanisms for UN regional and country level stakeholders to access relevant UNS resources on UN coordination, UNDG LAC initiatives and priorities;
Assist the UNDG LAC to organize trainings as needed to sensitize staff of emerging UN reform priorities in collaboration with UNDOCO, UN System Staff College and PSG, to strengthen inter-agency coordination and spirit towards the principles of harmonization and simplification; serve as a resource person in UNDG LAC organized/facilitated training, upon request
Maintain close communications with all 26 RC’s Offices in the region; assist the RCOs in the region with organization of annual regional coordination officers workshops; troubleshoot and provide on-demand support to RCs and UNCTs;
Function as the key liaison with DOCO to ensure an optimal communication flow and pro-active management of emerging issues within the Regional UNDG Team;
Serve as the first point of entry for RCs/UNCTs and Regional UNDG Teams and work in collaboration with DOCO’s Regional Liaison Advisors who support the UNDG at the global level;
Manage and provide day to day supervision of the UNDG LAC Secretariat Team, including distribution of tasks, preparation of an internal work plan and follow up on agreed outputs.

Competencies

Core:

Innovation - Ability to make new and useful ideas work;
Leadership - Ability to persuade others to follow;
People Management - Ability to improve performance and satisfaction;
Communication - Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform;
Delivery - Ability to get things done.

Technical/Functional:

Primary

UN System - Knowledge of the UN System and ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations;
Relationship Management / Partnerships - Ability to engage with other parties, agencies, donors, and other development stakeholders and forge productive working relationships;
Advocacy - Ability to advocate a point of view and influence others;
Resource Mobilization - Ability to identify and organize programmes and projects to implement solutions and generate resources;
Results-based Management - Ability to manage programmes and projects with a strategy aimed at improved performance and demonstrable results.

Secondary

Knowledge Management - Ability to efficiently handle and share information and knowledge;
Quality Assurance - Ability to perform administrative and procedural activities to insure that quality requirements and goals are fulfilled;
Research (General) - Knowledge of various programme information for research to provide recommendation and guidance to management;
Brief and Speech Writing - Ability to prepare quality briefs and/or speeches.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Master’s Degree or equivalent in Economics, Social Sciences, International Relations, Political Sciences or related field.

Experience:

7 years of relevant experience at the national or international level in providing management advisory services;
Field experience in a country office;
Experience in and understanding of the design, monitoring and evaluation of development projects, the development-humanitarian spectrum, and organizational change processes;
Knowledge about the UN, the QCPR, the UNDG, Delivering as One, the Standard Operating Procedures, and RC systems would be an advantage;
Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages required; experience in handling of web based management systems an asset.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in English and Spanish is required;
Proficiency in French and/or Portuguese an asset.