UNDP Jobs - 51946- Programme Specialist, Employment Generation

Programme Specialist, Employment Generation

Location :

Amman, JORDAN

Type of Contract :

FTA International

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

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

Post Level :

P-3

Duration of Initial Contract :

One year renewable

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 Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance to support the results of UNDP’s Strategic Plan. BPPS’s staff provides technical advice to Country Offices; advocates for UNDP corporate messages, represents UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora including public-private dialogues, government and civil society dialogues, South-South and Triangular cooperation initiatives, and engages in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas. BPPS works closely with UNDP’s Crisis Response Unit (CRU) to support emergency and crisis response. BPPS ensures that issues of risk are fully integrated into UNDP’s development programmes. BPPS assists UNDP and partners to achieve higher quality development results through an integrated approach that links results based management and performance monitoring with more effective and new ways of working. BPPS supports UNDP and partners to be more innovative, knowledge and data driven including in its programme support efforts.

The Programme Specialist, Employment Generation based in Amman is responsible for contributing policy and programme advisory services to Country Offices and utilizing the products and tools relevant to the thematic area of Employment Generation. S/he acts in response to requests from country offices and in collaboration with the integration and coordination team and all BPPS policy and programme support teams. In crisis and post-crisis settings, s/he ensures that employment generation contributes to achievement of early recovery and a rapid return to sustainable development, and works closely with the Development Planning & Inclusive Sustainable Growth, and Natural Capital and Environment specialists to ensure that environmental sustainability and long term development planning are taken into account as early as possible. Working to ensure the execution of quality and coherent policy and programme advisory services within their region and across other regions as well as alignment with the Strategic Plan, the Programme Specialist advances the mission of the UNDP and increases the credibility and recognition in this thematic area. Under the overall guidance of the relevant team leader in the Regional Hub and the direct supervision of the line manager as designated by the team leader, Under the overall guidance of the relevant team leader in the Regional Hub and the direct supervision of the line manager as designated by the team leader, s/he is responsible for performing and contributing to the following:

Programme Support and Policy Advice;
Policy Research and Development;
Policy Positioning and Representation;
Partnerships and Resource Mobilization;
Knowledge Management.

Duties and Responsibilities

Programme Support and Policy Advice

Conduct relevant analysis and guidance and prepare initial drafts of technical policy advice and programme support documents that responds to country office needs on livelihoods and employment generation;
Support country offices in integrating policy advice in country programme frameworks and projects with a focus on livelihoods and employment generation, including, where relevant, for displacement situations;
Prepare materials to support the application of integrated multi-disciplinary approaches, including through participation in Development Solutions Teams (DSTs), to meet policy and programming needs in line with corporate guidance and standards;
Provide support to roll out and application of relevant risk management tools across country typologies to inform the design and implementation of livelihoods and employment programmes;
Incorporate gender equality and human rights’-based approach in policy and programming work;
Supports the development and implementation of the UNDP Early Recovery Policy, the livelihoods and reintegration sector of UNDP signature products, and identification of complementary policies and guidance to facilitate UNDP’s work on early recovery, including in ER (Gap) Clusters in cooperation with the CRU and other teams in the Regional hub; and
Supports UNDP SURGE programming for country offices on livelihoods and employment in crisis and post crisis settings.

Support Policy Development

Conduct analysis of data, case evidence and research findings to distill relevant lessons from projects and programmes to support policy development and innovation on livelihoods and employment;
Review and assess policies in relevant thematic area with the objective to identify gaps and opportunities for development of new policies and to guide the overall team priorities and workplans, on livelihoods and employment generation, including private sector recovery and development;
Contribute to development of guidance in the specific thematic area of livelihoods and employment, and related tools for the implementation of global policy standards, including coordinating testing and rolling out of tools and methodologies;
Take part in the process of analyzing, improving and adapting policies for different contexts on key emerging policy agendas based on policy initiatives designed;
Provide context input to support the quality assurance of policy services and foster policy innovation in the specific thematic area of livelihoods and employment to enhance programme delivery.

Policy Positioning and Representation

Conduct research and analysis and draft materials to support mobilizing, fostering and strengthening strategic partnerships with UN entities and other relevant bodies;
Draft and aid the development of briefings and speeches, as applicable, especially for country-specific meetings;
Prepare materials to aid in advocating the importance of the thematic area of livelihoods and employment in various fora, including academia and civil society, with a view to deepen related political commitment and related reforms; and
Support team’s engagement in UN interagency coordination in relevant policy areas by providing research insight in specific thematic area of livelihoods and employment, especially when country-focused.

Partnerships and Resource Mobilization

Undertake research for partnership building and resource mobilization, developing first draft of papers and marketing materials, and participating in relevant country-focused external meetings, in line with the Bureau’s partnership and resource mobilization strategy;
Perform analysis and research to support the implementation of regional partnership strategies with UN and external partner institutions, including governments, private sector, academia, NGOs, and CSOs; and
Participate in relevant external meetings, including resource mobilization, partnership and advocacy activities with UN partners, permanent missions, and external stakeholders.

Knowledge Management

Keep an up-to-date library of knowledge related to the thematic area at region-specific level and proactively share documents with team members and respond to their specific requests for information; and

Contribute to the development and review of knowledge products in close coordination with HQ and Regional Hub teams by analyzing and sharing lessons learnt and programme evaluation results.

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:

Jobs and Livelihoods

Knowledge of livelihoods and the ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations.

Economic Recovery

Knowledge of Economic Recovery concepts and the ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations.

Entrepreneurship

Knowledge of Entrepreneurship in the developing world and ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations.

Research

Knowledge of various programme information for research to provide recommendation and guidance to management.

Partnerships

Ability to engage with other agencies, donors, and other development stakeholders and forge productive working relationships;

Knowledge Management

Ability to capture, develop, share and effectively use information and knowledge.

Secondary:

Displaced Communities/Populations

Knowledge of displaced communities/populations issues and solutions and ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations;

Project and Programme Management

Ability to plan, organize, and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals;

Report and Brief Writing

Ability to prepare quality reports and briefs.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in development economics, business administration, social sciences or related disciplines.

Experience:

5 years of professional work experience providing policy advice and programme support in the general area of Livelihoods, Employment Generation and/or Economic Development in different development contexts. Experience working in developing country settings is required and experience in crisis contexts is an asset.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in English, both written and oral;
Working knowledge of another UN language preferably relevant to the region in which this position is based is an asset.