UNDP Jobs - 51959- Programme Advisor and Team Leader Inclusive Growth

Programme Advisor and Team Leader Inclusive Growth

Location :

Addis Ababa, ETHIOPIA

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. The Cluster on Inclusive and Sustainable Growth and Development (hereafter Sustainable Development) focuses on integrating UNDP’s economic, social and environmental work into a coherent, sustainable development policy and programming framework. It seeks to provide an integrated package of services covering all strands of sustainable development, including on integrated development planning and inclusive and sustainable growth, sustainable livelihoods and economic recovery in crisis and post crisis situations and natural capital and the environment. Within the auspices of the Post 2015 agenda, this Cluster’s work will address inter alia poverty, economic growth, employment and livelihoods, social inclusion and equality, recovery in post crisis countries, the management of ecosystems and biodiversity, marine resources, extractive industries and chemicals.

Reporting to the Chief of Profession for Sustainable Development and the Regional Hub Director in Addis Ababa, the Programme Advisor and Team Leader, Inclusive Growth, is a lead expert in the area of sustainable development –covering economic, social and environmental sustainability. S/he leads a team of Specialists working in this area based in the Regional Hub. In collaboration with other Advisors and Specialists in the Regional Hub, HQ, Country Offices and Global Policy Centers, s/he is responsible for coordinating policy and programme advisory services to Country Offices and oversees the utilization of products and tools in the arena of sustainable development. S/he does this in response to requests from country offices and under the guidance of the Country Support team, and in collaboration with the vertical fund teams in the Regional Hub. S/he will oversee implementation of the MDG Acceleration Framework (MAF) and subsequently the transition to an SDG support framework across countries in Africa including in crisis and post crisis situations. Working to ensure quality policy and programme advisory services within their region and across other regions as well as alignment with the Strategic Plan, the Programme Advisor advances the credibility and recognition of the organization’s programmes in the above thematic area. S/he is responsible for leading the following:

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

Duties and Responsibilities

Programme Support and Policy Advice:

Lead the BPPS team working in the thematic area of sustainable development in the Regional Hub in the provision of programme support to Country Offices, helping them to ensure the relevance of the services provided given the country and regional context.
Deliver technical policy advice and programme support, in collaboration with other teams in the Regional Hubs and HQ, that responds to country office needs, including through the provision of capacity building and backstopping;
Develop and manage regional programmes and initiatives;
Identify and recommend to management new opportunities for policy advisory directions and roles;
Identify mission-critical roles for thematic area in crisis and conflict responses and, provide timely technical policy and programme advice for crisis situations in response to requests coordinated by CRU; and
Ensure proper coordination with the country support team in the Regional Hub.

Support Policy Development

Lead the integration of UNDP’s work on sustainable development within the region into a coherent policy and programming framework in support of the implementation of the UNDP Strategic Plan;
Advise the Chief of Profession for Sustainable Development, the Regional Director and relevant Team Leaders in HQ on policy gaps and opportunities for development of overall team priorities and workplans;
Design policy initiatives for relevant contexts on emerging policy agendas collaborating with policy teams in HQ and communicating and representing perspectives and knowledge from Country Offices and the regions;
Critically assess and measure policy services in the designated area and recommend to COs, HQ and Hub Management new policy and strategic alignment options; and
Foster policy innovation in the specific thematic areas to enhance programme delivery.

Overall Management and Resource Mobilization:

Set the direction for the team including roles and responsibilities, accountability and reporting;
Lead and manage staff in the team in the formulation and implementation of the substantive work plan of the team and oversee staff accountability;
Ensure that the technical capacity of the policy advisors and specialists managed is optimally aligned with business needs and that team members are encouraged to seek new client opportunities and amplify the value and reputation of BPPS in the thematic area;
Ensure that the work of the team is conducted in accordance with relevant business processes and that high-quality outputs are delivered on time;
In collaboration with BERA, the Regional Hub Director and the Chief of Profession for Sustainable Development, seek and identify partnership and funding opportunities; and oversee the preparation of funding proposals, donor briefings and presentations in support of resource mobilization efforts;
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.

Partnerships, Representation and Advocacy

Mobilize, foster and strengthen strategic partnerships with UN entities and other relevant regional bodies, including UNECA, AU, ILO, World Bank and the AfDB, as well as Regional Economic Communities, as relevant, and provide substantive inputs to those partnerships in support of UNDP initiatives;
Represent UNDP and engage in UN interagency coordination as well as in other fora with the aim to advance UNDP’s strategic agenda in the thematic areas; and
Advocate policy and positioning of this thematic area in various fora and through programme efforts, including academia and civil society.

Knowledge Management

Oversee the knowledge extraction, analysis, documentation, codification of results/lessons learned in the specific thematic areas (development planning, economic recovery and livelihoods and natural capital and the environment) ensuring that knowledge sharing and content management is in line with guidelines and performed using corporate tools; and
Guide and coordinate cross-regional exchange of knowledge by collaborating with policy teams in HQ to research, develop and share knowledge-based tools and guidance to help influence/advance policy dialogue in the thematic area and present such material at various fora.

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

Social Inclusion:

Knowledge of inclusive growth, decent employment and social protection concepts, principles and issues and the ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations.

Sustainable Development:

Knowledge of sustainable development concepts, principles and issues and the ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations, covering the economic, social and environmental dimensions;
Natural Capital and Environment Knowledge of environment management processes at the national and local level and the ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations.

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 others and forge productive working relationships.

Secondary

Trends and emerging areas analytics;
Ability to scan the horizon and identify approaches and initiatives to bring into policy and programme design.

Programme Management:

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

Knowledge Management:

Ability to efficiently handle and share information and knowledge.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

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

Experience:

10 years of professional work experience, including leading teams, providing policy advice and pioneering approaches on multidimensional poverty and inequality measurement and targeting, in different development contexts.
Strong analytical skills in economic and social dimensions of sustainable development.
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 required;
Working knowledge of French an asset.