UNDP Jobs - 51737- Regional Coordination Specialist

Regional Coordination Specialist

Location :

Panama City, PANAMA

Type of Contract :

FTA International

Starting Date :

01-Jan-2015

Application Deadline :

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

Post Level :

P-3

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.

Under the guidance of the UNDG LAC Chair and the daily supervision of the Regional Coordination Specialist and in coordination with UNDG LAC Secretariat team members, the Regional Coordination Analyst supports the UNDG LAC in the implementation of their work plan.

Duties and Responsibilities

Progress towards regional UNDG planned results supported, including:

Participate in the drafting of the Regional UNDG ’s annual/biannual work plan and budget, in line with the global UNDG's Strategic Priorities; monitor progress towards annual workplan results; provide technical inputs in the drafting of the Annual Progress Reports of the UNDG LAC;
Provide advice, analytical inputs, prepare talking points and briefing notes for UNDG LAC meetings and for the Chair and Regional Directors as requested;
Support the organization of UNDG LAC’s meetings; including preparation, compilation and circulattion of background documents for all agenda items, and provide inputs for the minutes of all meetings, and undertake relevant follow-up on agreed decisions as requested;
Coordinate and follow up on the UNDG LAC Caribbean cooperation strategy focusing in particular on CARICOM; including the revision of the study of the UN presence in the Caribbean and the UNDG LAC proposal for joint areas of work with CARICOM.

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

Assist 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;
Review UNDG documents and policy papers and consolidating relevant feedback and inputs of the Regional UNDG Team; and communications with the RCs, UNCTs and HQs, especially when joint messages or feedback from UNDG regional teams are required;
Contribute to the support offered by the Secretariat to UNCTs on Common Country strategic planning (including analysis, UNDAF, etc.);
Stay abreast of the 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;
Prepare the responses 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.

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

Support the coordination of 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;
Ensure the implementation, database maintenance, follow-up and report back from the annual RC/UNCT performance appraisal exercise (including One80 assessment processes)
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.
Provide technical support to UNDG LAC interagency groups, task teams, project steering committes, etc. (e.g. as articulated in the UNDG LAC annual work plan, to achieve UNDG LAC results, especially related to enhanced coherent regional support to UNCTs.
Lead Special Projects: Initiates, plans and manages special assignments/projects on UNDG LAC initiatives and priorities.
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:

Prepare the monthly publication or UNDG LAC Bulletin, including reaching out to UN agencies to provide input, drafting and designing it.
Support the maintenance and updating of the UNDG LAC segment of the UNDG website, managed by DOCO.
Contribute to 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.
Contribute to building and maintaining knowledge networks and communities of practice.
Assist the UNDG LAC to organize training needs 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.
Lead the organization of the yearly Coordination Officers Workshop and capacity building, including defining the agenda with inputs from the Coordination Officers and DOCO.
Maintain close communications with the Regional Coordination Specialist on any emerging issues that might require the attention of the UNDG LAC Chair and the UNDG LAC team.

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;
Brief and Speech Writing - Ability to prepare quality briefs and/or speeches;
Research (General) - Knowledge of various programme information for research to provide recommendation and guidance to management.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

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

Experience:

5 years of relevant experience at the national or international level in providing management advisory services;
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.