UNDP Jobs - 51949- Policy Advisor, Economic Recovery

Policy Advisor, Economic Recovery

Location :

New York, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Type of Contract :

FTA International

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

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

Post Level :

P-5

Duration of Initial Contract :

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.

Reporting to the Team Leader, Livelihoods and Economic Recovery in New York, the Policy Advisor based in HQ leads the collaborative process of policy development, applied research and programmes on economic revitalization and development in fragile and conflict situations, and disaster/post disaster settings, also ensuring macro-micro policy linkages of UNDP’s work on livelihoods and economic recovery. S/he works with teams across UNDP’s Regional Hubs, Country Offices and Global Policy Centers, overseeing the development of substantive approaches, products and tools on economic recovery/development issues to support policy and programming services to UNDP Country Offices. This guidance is informed by the empirical perspectives of programmatic and partnership dimensions at the country level. Working closely with the Development Planning and Inclusive Sustainable Growth and Environment and Natural Capital policy teams, the Policy Advisor has an understanding of the distributional impacts of economic policies for the poor and vulnerable including women and youth. Within BPPS, the Policy Advisor coordinates efforts on economic recovery/development with the Governance and Conflict, the Climate Change and Disaster Resilience and Gender policy teams.

The Policy Advisor advances results, the credibility and recognition of the organization’s programmes in the thematic area. S/he is responsible for leading the following:

Policy Formulation and Development;
Policy Advice and Programme Support Delivery;
Overall Management and Resource Mobilization;
Partnerships, Representation and Advocacy;
Knowledge Management.

Duties and Responsibilities

Policy Formulation and Development

Guide UNDP’s work on economic revitalization and development, including coordination of UNDP’s economic recovery programme efforts, into a coherent policy and programming framework in support of the implementation of the UNDP Strategic Plan;
Lead and coordinate production of global policy guidance, in close collaboration with BPPS strategic policy and positioning team, global policy guidance on the economic impacts of conflict and disasters, including with respect to human, physical, environment, financial and natural capital; economic factors that heighten the risk of crisis recurrence, and the role of the state/ institutions in facilitating economic recovery and development in crisis and post crisis countries;
Design policy initiatives for different contexts on key emerging policy agendas, in particular, legacies of crisis on the economy and livelihoods, indigenous drivers of post crisis recovery, macroeconomic policy considerations in post crisis recovery, and economic recovery and role of the state, in collaboration with policy teams in the Regional Hubs bringing in perspectives and knowledge from Country Offices and the regions;
Coordinate and commission new applied research on economic recovery issues that inform UNDP economic and livelihoods programming in collaboration with the Global Policy Centers, including on distributional impacts of policies for the poor and vulnerable; and
Guide the quality assurance of policy services and foster policy innovation on economic recovery and development to enhance programme delivery in crisis and non-crisis situations.

Policy Advice/ Programme Support Delivery

Lead in the compilation and analysis of crisis and post crisis economic recovery and development focusing on key economic indicators, in particular post crisis economic growth, economic structure and infrastructure, demography and environment, economic stabilization and government capacity, business and financial sector environment, and poverty and inequality to inform UNDP’s contribution to recovery and development in post crisis situations;
Coordinates UNDP’s efforts to develop policy and programming efforts for economic recovery and rapid return to long term sustainable development pathway that secure the determinants of sustainable livelihoods and jobs generating post crisis economic recovery and development;
Provide guidance and input to teams in Regional Hubs in their provision of policy advisory services to country offices on all economic recovery/development programming efforts, including on entrepreneurial and business recovery and development, private sector recovery and development, macro-micro policy linkages, MAF implementation and SDGs baseline and goal setting, helping them to ensure relevance of the services provided to country and regional context including crisis situations;
In collaboration with the BPPS teams the Regional Hubs, deliver technical policy advice and programme support that responds to country office needs related to economic recovery and development, including through the provision of capacity building and backstopping, and leadership of UNDP’s work with the private sector and women’s economic empowerment in crisis and post crisis settings;
Support the use of integrated multi-disciplinary approaches, including through Development Solutions Teams (DSTs), to meet policy and programming needs in line with corporate guidance and standards; and
Liaise with the CRU to ensure a rapid and well-coordinated response to economic recovery from crisis situations and provide related contributions to UNDP SURGE for country offices.

Overall Management and Resource Mobilization

In collaboration with BERA lead resource mobilization to support the delivery of UNDP results related to economic recovery and development issues in crisis and post crisis situations;
Establish and maintain an enabling environment for harmonious working relationships and team-building, by promoting consistent and constructive communication, open information sharing, and coordination among all staff; and
Where relevant, ensure that Performance Assessments are carried out according to UNDP procedures.

Partnerships, Representation and Advocacy

Mobilize, foster and strengthen strategic partnerships with UN entities and other relevant bodies, including with UN DESA, ILO, and the World Bank, and provide substantive inputs to those partnerships in support of UNDP initiatives focusing on sustainable economic development outcomes;
Represent UNDP and engage in UN interagency coordination as well as in other fora with the aim to advance UNDP’s strategic agenda on economic recovery and development, in particular in New Deal (PSG 4), Donor Committee on Enterprise Development, Business for Peace initiatives; and
Advocate policy and positioning of UNDP on economic impacts of conflict and disasters and economic recovery approaches in various fora, including academia and civil society.

Knowledge Management

Guide and coordinate cross-regional exchange of knowledge by collaborating with policy teams in Regional Hubs to research, develop and share knowledge-based tools and guidance to help influence/advance policy dialogue on economic recovery and development, including private sector development in crisis and post crisis situations and present such material at various fora; and
Oversee the knowledge extraction, analysis, documentation, codification of results/lessons learned regarding pro poor approaches to economic recovery and livelihoods in crisis and post crisis situations , ensuring that knowledge sharing and content management is in line with guidelines and performed using corporate tools.

Competencies

Core Competencies:

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:

Economic Recovery

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

Economics (General)

Knowledge of economics concepts, principles and policies and ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations in particular fragile states /post crisis situations.

Recovery Policy And Planning

Ability to establish mechanisms, processes, resources in readiness to disaster/crisis response.

Representation

Ability to productively share UNDP knowledge and activities (at UN and other venues).

Resource Mobilization

Ability to identify and organize programmes and projects to implement solutions and generate resources.

Partnerships

Ability to engage with other agencies and forge productive working relationships;

Secondary:

Jobs and Livelihoods

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

Advocacy

Ability to advocate a point of view and influence others.

Knowledge Management

Ability to efficiently handle and share information and knowledge.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

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

Experience:

10 years of professional work experience providing policy advice and pioneering approaches on economic recovery and development in fragile states contexts /crisis and post crisis. Strong analytical skills in economic and social dimensions of sustainable development;
Experience working in developing and fragile states /country settings is required and experience in crisis contexts is a major asset.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in English, both written and oral is required;
Working knowledge of French is highly desirable.