Background

The United Nations Capital Development Programme (UNCDF) is a UN organization with a capital mandate (unique in the UN System) focused on reducing poverty and achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) first and foremost in the least developed countries (“LDC”s).   To support the realization of UNCDF’s Strategic Plan and drive the rapid expansion of the organization’s capacity to assist LDCs to meet their graduation goals, respond to LDC demand for its services, and increase its geographical coverage of and average investment size in LDCs, UNCDF will pursue coherent strategic policy positioning and partnership development.  The Directorate/Partnerships and Strategic Policy group will lead this approach which will encompass specific, and interlinked, strategies for partnerships, messaging, branding and communications, and resource mobilization, which capitalize on mandate-specific partnership building, strategic policy positioning, inter-governmental/client relations, and specific business development opportunities.

By the end of 2015 the international community is expected to endorse a new sustainable development agenda that will replace the existing Millennium Development Goals. This will likely be accompanied by a new financing framework to be adopted at the 2015 UN Financing for Development summit. Responding to this new generation of global development goals will require new development results expectations, partner alliances and opportunities, and financing instruments.  Localizing the goals and assisting LDCs to meet graduation targets will require strong synergies between policy, practice and knowledge generation.  The Advisor/Strategic Policy will be responsible for driving the articulation of UNCDF’s positioning in the inter-governmental arena, and for ensuring strong and coherent strategic policy positioning and messaging emanating from, and driving, UNCDF’s practices and partnerships. 

The key responsibilities of this position are:

• Spearhead UNCDF analysis and positioning related to key inter-governmental processes, including the SDGs (post-2015), Financing For Development Agendas, and LDC Graduation;
• Articulate overall policy messaging and narrative to drive coherence throughout UNCDF
• Support Senior Management in the development of corporate and normative policies and strategies;
• Support quality control and approval processes of corporate publications and knowledge-management.
• Spearhead high priority corporate knowledge management and advocacy activities, and advice / support senior managers in their own policy and advocacy activities.

The incumbent will report directly to the UNCDF Executive Secretary on certain inter-governmental matters, and to the Head/Partnerships Group for day to day management.  The Advisor/Strategic Policy will direct a small team and work closely with other colleagues in the Partnerships Group in the UNCDF Directorate, with the heads of UNCDF’s two practice areas, and with the Evaluation Unit.  The incumbent will have overall coordinating responsibilities for positioning of UNCDF in the inter-governmental policy arena, including ensuring internal and external linkages across UNCDF for the development and representation of those policy positions, and consistency of messaging across practices, regions, and partners.

The position will be based at UNCDF headquarters in New York.

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of key functions:

Analysis and positioning related to key inter-governmental processes, including the SDGs/post-2015, Financing For Development Agenda, South-South, and LDC Graduation;

• Monitor and engage in key/relevant inter-governmental processes;
• Spearhead UNCDF analytical work to support SDG/post-2015 positioning;
• Spearhead UNCDF analytical work to support FFD positioning;
• Articulate UNCDF’s role in supporting LDC graduation;
• Develop policy dialogue with colleagues in UNDP, UNDG, UNDESA, ONOSSC, OHRLLS and other key actors within and outside the UN system (including Dev. Banks, Academia, Think-Tanks, Foundations);
• Provide analysis in the nexus of policy and UNCDF performance, identifying areas worthy of deeper study and learning;
• Support the ES/DES in the preparation of public interventions, including speech writing;
• Carry out analysis on development issues/new areas as requested;
• Coordinate with other colleagues in Partnerships to ensure policy positioning and partnership intelligence are iterative, and fully support UNCDF’s relations with donors.

Support Senior Management in the development and implementation of corporate and normative policies and strategies;

• Lead the review and implementation of UNCDF’s internal policies and strategies (e.g., Geographic Strategy, Publications Strategy, Knowledge Strategy);
• Support the implementation, revision and drafting of key corporate/normative Policies and Strategies as requested by the ES and to ensure relevance of UNDP normative policy/POPP to UNCDF (e.g., environmental and social safeguards, private sector due diligence, women’s empowerment and gender equity);
• Identify areas for policy positioning based on evolution in external environment and/or emerging performance issues related to the UNCDF Strategic Framework;
• Support the preparation and follow up of UNCDF’s Coordination and Coherence Committee (CCC);
• Actively participate in corporate appraisal of Project Documents (PACs) notably to ensure consistency with critical normative policy dimensions (e.g., environmental and social safeguards, women’s empowerment and gender equity);
• Support the development of UNCDF information systems (internal and external).

Support quality control and coordinate approval processes of corporate publications and knowledge-management.

• Coordinate the preparation and monitoring of UNCDF’s rolling Publications Plans and of UNCDF’s Publications Board;
• Coordinate the drafting and/or provide substantive support to key corporate publications;
• Exercise quality control on publications and knowledge products including those presented for approval to UNCDF’s Publications Board;
• Provide content and support to UNCDF’s Annual Report, internet and intranet sites and social media;
• Lead drafting of strategic publications, knowledge products, op eds, etc.

Manage a small team within the broader Partnerships Group in the UNCDF Directorate, and work collaboratively and iteratively across Units to drive policy, coherence, common messaging, and strategic knowledge management across the practices.

Impact of Results

As UNCDF’s lead on strategic policy and inter-governmental positioning, the incumbent’s work will have a direct impact on UNCDF’s global visibility, its perceived relevance to LDC groups and their post-2015 development and graduation goals, and UNCDF’s positioning within the UN and broader development architecture in its mandated areas of work.  Effective execution of the job description will have a direct impact on UNCDF’s success in negotiating new and innovative partnership and resource arrangements under the new SDG/FfD regime that are relevant to its capital mandate and promise to provide real scaled up models for client countries.

Competencies

Core competencies:

• Demonstrates and promotes the highest standards of integrity, impartiality, fairness and incorruptibility in all matters affecting his/her work, acting as a role model for all staff;
• Advocates and promotes the vision, mission and strategic goals of the UN;
• Treats all people fairly and without favoritism;
• Ensures an organizational environment that respects diversity, gender equality and cultural sensitivity, and fosters openness to diverse perspectives;
• Builds staff competence, creating an environment of creativity and innovation; empowers and motivates team members;
• Builds, motivates and promotes effective team(s); supports and promotes inter-agency cooperation and recognizes participation of staff in cross-functional and inter-agency teams;
• Communicates strategic direction to team(s) and external stakeholders effectively; creates an environment of open communication, and encourages others to be diplomatic and use tact;
• Makes difficult and sensitive decisions clearly and appropriately, ensuring criteria and reasons for important decisions are communicated and explained to those affected;
• Creates, promotes and supports an enabling environment for  knowledge-sharing and learning in the organization; captures personal and team learning that makes it accessible to others;
• Acts as role model for positive handling of situations of potential conflict within and outside the organization.

Functional:

• Demonstrate strong advocacy and communication skills and proven track record of successful knowledge, policy and advocacy  activities at high levels of government and society;
• Demonstrated ability to design promotional and knowledge building and knowledge sharing programmes;
• In-depth substantive knowledge and understanding of knowledge management concepts, systems, technologies, methodologies and tools;
• Demonstrates strong technical and practical leadership and knowledge in issues relating to UNCDF’s role in financial inclusion and local development;
• Ability to integrate knowledge management within the broader strategic, policy and operational objectives of the organization;
• Demonstrated understanding of the strategic direction and context of the organization in terms of  knowledge management requirements, and ensures knowledge management policies and practices support the achievement of organizational goals;
• Demonstrated ability to provide change advice, and to develop and/or manage implementation of  change strategies/processes in the unit/team;
• Leads effort to design, develop and implement strategic plan for  knowledge management systems, based on best practices and links with communication and organizational learning, to help the organization achieve strategic objectives;
• Keeps abreast of new developments in knowledge management;
• Ability to speak and write clearly and convincingly, adapting style and content to difference audiences; ability to explain complex concepts in layman’s terms;
• Excellent oral and written communications and negotiation skills;
• Excellent presentation skills;
• Proven ability to advise and develop strategic and operational solutions with clients that will add value to the organization’s programme and operations;
• Proven ability to collaborate with colleagues and partners to create and apply knowledge that will help parties achieve development objectives within the regional and country contexts;
• Advocates through internal networks the demonstrable value of KM systems to facilitate achievement of organizational goals;
• Shares knowledge and experience with UN colleagues and wide variety of partners;
• Makes valuable practice contributions to UNCDF’s knowledge, policy and advocacy agenda.

Managerial and Behavioural:

Leadership:

• Ability to lead and manage teams in absence of formal reporting relationships;
• Ability to work collaboratively with sophisticated, diverse high level groups;
• Ability to develop clear strategy and lead strategic planning and implementation of work plan with high level, global colleagues.

Task Management

• Provides quality outputs in a timely manner;
• Analyzes problems carefully and logically, leading to fact-based and practical recommendations.

Managing Complexity

• Manages different projects effectively;
• Develops innovative solutions.

Learning and People Development

• Provides constructive coaching and feedback;
• Promotes learning environment in Unit/Office.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Master’s degree in economics, finance, business, public administration or related field

Experience:

• A minimum of 10 years’ experience in international development, research, advocacy, and policy development;
• Proven ability to operate effectively at very senior levels;
• Proven ability to manage diverse and complex tasks;
• Experience in organizing and coordination of a wide variety of meetings, conferences, events and other activities in professional context;
• Proven track record in building strategic partnerships and resource mobilization; Demonstrated ability to develop and cultivate inter-agency  and other professional networks and partnerships;
• Technical knowledge of inclusive finance and local development an asset.

Language requirements:

• Strong writing and speaking abilities in English;
• Another UN official language is an asset.

Note:

Applicants are strongly encouraged to upload (as a *pdf attachment) the completed and signed UNDP Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded from http://sas.undp.org/Documents/P11_Personal_history_form.docx. Completion of all the fields is required.