UNDP Jobs - 52159- Re-advertisement - Chief Technical Advisor

Re-advertisement - Chief Technical Advisor - Strengthening Public Sector Human Resources Management

Location :

Sana'a, YEMEN

Type of Contract :

FTA International

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

03-Feb-15 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

P-5

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

Candidates who previously applied need not re-apply.

Within the overall framework of the Gulf Cooperation Council Agreement Implementation Mechanism, the Transitional Program for Stabilization and Development 2012-2014 (TPSD), and the Mutual Accountability Framework (MAF), Pillar III - Good Governance, Rule of Law, and Human Rights - the Government of Yemen (GoY) committed itself to implement the "Program to remove ghost workers and double dippers in the civil service, military, and security."

The GoY sought the technical expertise of UNDP to conduct an assessment of the existing capacity of the Ministry of Civil Service to complete the biometric registration of all public employees and devise an action plan to remove ghost workers and double dippers. Endorsed by GoY on 18/9/2013 and presented at the Friends of Yemen meeting held on 25/9/2013, the plan provides a detailed roadmap to accelerate the implementation of the foreseen program. Without immediate funding allocated to the implementation of this roadmap, UNDP teamed up with the Executive Bureau to design this project document on the basis of the approved roadmap.

The Project Purpose/Specific Objectives are:

The Ministry of Civil Service has built a sustainable and secure web based public sector human resources central database, collating all public sector staff data, providing a consolidated accurate balance of all public sector entities human resources databases;
Double dippers and ghost workers are eliminated from the Yemeni public sector, and are unlikely to re-appear due to consistent implementation of human resources staffing policies that are in accordance with the law, backed with accordingly designed public sector HR procedures and guidelines;
The consolidated organization structure of the public sector in Yemen, central, federal, regional, and local, is progressively organized by an public sector HR management environment that is professional, effectively organized, trained, and answering to MoCS, legally backed policy, templates, guidelines and procedures.

Within this support effort, UNDP Yemen looks to hire a Chief Technical Advisor to support the Government of Yemen to strengthen the public sector human resources management system and support the elimination of double dippers and ghost workers from the Yemeni public sector.

Duties and Responsibilities

Working under the supervision of the UNDP Governance Team Leader and the Minister of Civil Service of the Republic of Yemen the Chief Technical Advisor (CTA) will be responsible for providing high level and continuous technical advice to the government in relation to UNDP’s support to public and civil service reform, and for making sure that this support is coordinated and integrated with the components of UNDP’s democratic governance and policy work. The CTA will also coach the national counterparts with regard to all aspects of civil service and public administration reform, sequencing of interventions, human resources development systems, monitoring and evaluation.

He/ She will also be responsible for assisting in the preparation of work plans in conjunction with national counterparts, to coordinate reporting against these work plans and tracking the project's critical path, providing substantive support to the organization of all Project Activities, including intensive management of the senior miniterial stakeholders group, quality assuring the (minimal four) reform implementation reform units, liaising with all counterparts, preparing and contributing to an ongoing program formulation exercise, intensive human resources development implementation, monitoring Program activities and reporting to UNDP’s management on progress and results achieved by the Program activities.

Summary of key functions:

Day-to-day operational management of the project in particular the planning, and management of project activities, and report on project results and outcomes;
Managing the multi-stakeholder inter-ministerial high-level working group driving the overall public sector wide Human Resources Management modernization;
Managing and quality assuring the sectoral ministerial working groups selected for Reform Implementation Management Unit Support;
Establishing and quality assuring the implementation activities of the minimal four Reform Implementation Management Units;
Provide technical assistance to the MoCS Human Resources Department and the linked inter-ministerial working group developing the HR Manual and related HR legal and regulatory papers;
Managing and quality assurance the project's critical path, while overseeing the performance of +20 local experts assigned in RIMUs covering the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Interior, the selected Governor's Office, and the Prime Minister's Office;
Planning the activities of the project and monitor progress against the initial quality criteria;
Monitoring and update the risks and issues logs according to Project Board decisions;
Monitoring events as determined in the visibility & communication plan, and update the plan as required;
Monitoring financial resources and accounting to ensure accuracy and reliability of financial reports;
Managing the transfer of project documents, files (equipment and materials where applicable) to appropriate authorities;
Proper financial and administrative management of the Multi-Donor fund and report to donors regularly;
Providing technical advice in the design and implementation of project activities;
Providing the necessary technical advice to ensure proper design and implementation of project activities;
The design of annual work plans, time lines for specific activities and budgets;
Drafting ToRs and work specifications, identify appropriate National and international consultants and supervise performance of defined tasks;
Ensuring good coordination and collaboration with suppliers, senior beneficiaries and other implementing partners;
Liaising with UNDP, donors and other stakeholders and the Project Board to assure the overall direction and integrity of the project;
Identifying and obtaining any support and advice required for the management, planning and control of the project;
Providing progress reports to the Project Board, or through other oversight mechanisms established;
Providing briefings and written reports to UNDP senior management, donors and other stakeholders;
Overseeing the development of the Project Quarterly Progress Report (progress against planned activities), and submit the report to the Project Board;
Overseeing the development of the Annual review report, and submit the report to the Project Board;
Ensuring that all Atlas accessible reporting items are met and reported against in coordination with the UNDP Programme Officer;
Providing all assistance and information for Project Evaluators. Developing the organizational chart of the project and identifying required skills and functions, and, in collaboration with UNDP CO, preparing the Terms of Reference, participating in the recruitment process of project staff and in the identification of short-term experts;
Human Resources Management will also require the CTA to provide guidance and coaching to project, staff, identify their deliverables and assess their performance;
Undertake any activity as required by the Project and the UNDP CO
Coordinate with UNDP Governance Team in supporting public administrative reforms as they relate to decentralization and local governance; as relevant particularly to strengthening of local governments’ and administrations’ performance in local development planning and budgeting, and service delivery;
Preparation of Terms of Reference and design for such events as training (curricula, courses, schedules), conferences and workshops, and to consult and advise the UNDP and the government on the joint approval and sign-off of these design documents and selection of government candidates

Duties and Responsibilities:

Technical advice on civil service reform, especially in the field of Human Resources Development.

Technical Support will be provided on the following:

Public Administration and civil service reform change management initiatives, focus will considerable be placed on modernization of Human Resources Management, including the design of a full Human Resources Manual covering the whole public sector;
Support the Ministry of Civil Service other relevant government counterparts on the planning, sequencing and prioritization of the project components, while supporting the chair of the anticipated high level inter-ministerial stakeholders group (minimal deputy-ministers);
Support the Ministry of Civil Service and other relevant government counterparts, including the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Interior, on how to reach maximum impact of the project;
Support the Ministry of Civil Service with the development of research materials, options for policy analysis as well as in the preparation of the HR Manual, the design of a new HR Department Structure at the MoCS, and RIMU material;
Support the government on the design and implementation approaches to achieve the objectives and outputs specified in the annual work plans;
Advise on the need, timing and nature of short term technical assistance required;
Advise on any changes in the scope of the project’s outputs and activities as they emerge in the course of the implementation of the project.
Provide support to the Ministry of Civil Service in assuring confidentiality of progress with sensitive stakeholders: the Ministry of Defence, and the Ministry of Interior; and
Provide support to the Ministry of Civil Service in tactical approaches that touch upon eliminating corruption as a consequence of cleaning ghost workers from the civil service staff registry;

Knowledge transfer

Facilitate the national, regional and international transfer of know-how and experiences in the area of Governance and Public Administration/Civil Service reform, as well as public human resources management principles, and related capacity development;
Ensure that Yemen’s experiences with regard to public administration and civil service reform and related capacity development efforts are shared with UNDP’s networks and with other stakeholders inside and outside Yemen;
Ensure that all policy papers etc are directly linked with the NDC outcomes and assure that those issues, e.g. gender procedures, are clearly defended in the new to be designed HR Manual;
Drive the process of assuring that public HR policy changes are placed in a critical path route towards assuring inclusion in the legal framework, c.q. the Civil Service Law;
Drive opportunities with the World Bank and the IMF assuring that the Ministry of Finance is fully involved with the inter-ministerial stakeholder working group, especially from an angle of anticipated adjustments to the Civil Service Law, salary scaling, pay-and grading exercises, budgetary adjustments as a consequence of the elimination of double dippers, and ghost workers, etc.
Establishment, hands-on management, training, and quality assurance of the Reform Implementation Management Units within initially the PMO, the MoCS, the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Interior, and one to be selected Governor's Office;
To provide information and guidance to consultants working for the project and to brief interested donors, NGO’s or foreign missions on UNDP activities under the project; and
To lecture to government officials on selected topics in areas covered by the project as required.

Donor coordination/resource mobilization

Support the government and the UNDP in the functions of donor coordination, coordination of related donor funded projects in the area of civil service and public administration reform, and training;
Support the UNDP in mobilizing additional funding to the governance unit and to the civil service reform component in particular; and
Provide other such advice and support as may be required by the UNDP and the government as is to be expected in a dynamic process of change.

Competencies

Functional Competencies:

Building Strategic Partnerships

Maintains and establishes network of contacts with national counterparts and development partners for information sharing and responding to capacity development request;
Analyzes and selects materials for strengthening strategic alliances with partners and stakeholders
Built inter-ministerial high-level working group, at least at deputy-minister level, driving the agenda towards a completely newly initiated Human Resources Manual.

Advancing A Policy-Oriented Agenda- preparing information for policy input

Identifies and communicates relevant information for a variety of audiences for advocating UNDP’s mandate.
Delivering the HR Manual, addressing the NDC outcomes, and assuring that all aspects of the public sector are driven towards modernization in a realistic change implementation methodology, including for example a Code of Ethics for the whole public sector;
Drive the Reform Implementation Management Unit approach towards policy adjustments within selected core-institution(s), sector ministries, and decentralized entities: the new Federal entities, and the Governors' Offices.

Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise

Demonstrates good knowledge of Civil Service Reform strategies, and good understanding on Public Human Resources Development issues;
Understanding and experience with government wide modern Public Administration, and Civil Service Reform mechanisms, e.g. OECD material;
Capacity to lead high-level inter-ministerial stakeholder working group(s);
Experience with Reform Implementation Management Units;
Demonstrates good knowledge of Civil Service Training Policy development and its application.

Client Orientation -Establishing effective client relationships

Researches potential solutions to internal and external client needs and reports back in a timely, succinct and appropriate fashion;
Organizes and prioritizes work schedule to meet client needs and deadlines.

Core Competencies:

Demonstrates integrity and fairness by modeling UN values and ethical standards;
Displays cultural and gender sensitivity and adaptability;
Treats all people fairly and without favoritism; and
Shows strong corporate commitment.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Masters Degree in Public/Business Administration or a related social science.

Experience:

At least 10 years of relevant professional experience performing a similar technical assistance role on public administration/ civil service reforms and change management;
Of which, at least 5 years experience with government wide public administration and civil service reform projects; hands-on experience with civil service commissions, and reform implementation management units are an additional asset;
Of which at least 5 years in a senior position in an international development role in public administration or civil service reform, including team leader experience;
Strategic vision: high level understanding of complex bureaucratic organizations and challenges they present for effective government action;
Experience with Public Sector and Civil Service Human Resources Management techniques and tools is of crucial importance; Training experience is equally important;
Experience working at the highest level of government and understanding of protocol, related to cultural norms of driving and facilitating change processes at the highest level of government, with a range of government of institutions with different perspectives;
Experience with training and development in particular in challenging, post-conflict, and transitional environments. Previous work experience in the Arab Region is an asset;
Strong project management cycle expertise, capability to track the project's critical path, risk adjustments, and progress monitoring;
Excellent analytical and interpersonal skills including oral and written communication.

Language Requirements:

English fluency, both written and oral;
Knowledge of Arabic is an asset.