UNDP Jobs - 52576- UN Coordination Specialist

UN Coordination Specialist

Location :

Suva, FIJI

Type of Contract :

FTA Local

Starting Date :

01-Mar-2015

Application Deadline :

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

Post Level :

NO-C

Duration of Initial Contract :

1 year

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

Renewable subject to performance and funding.

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

At the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States Forum in Apia, Samoa from 1-4 September 2014 Heads of State and Government and High Level Representatives met and reaffirmed that “small island developing States remain a special case for sustainable development in view of their unique and particular vulnerabilities constrained in meeting their goals in all three dimensions of sustainable development”. At the same time the United Nations is committed to “mainstreaming of the Samoa Pathway and issues related to small island developing States and [working to] enhance the coherence of the issues of those States in United Nations processes, including at the national, regional and global levels, and continue to mobilize international support and resources to support the implementation of the Samoa Pathway by small island developing States.”

In April 2104 the UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board delegation visited the Pacific (Fiji and Samoa) and concluded the need for a stronger and more sustainable UN system and a coherent presence at the country level, highlighting the opportunities and demand for a stronger, more coherent UN in the Pacific. General Assembly resolution 67/266 on the Quadrennial Comprehensive Policy Review (QCPR) 2012-2016 stresses the importance of all member states enhancing system wide coherence as a strategy for improving the effectiveness of the UN development system as a whole and sets new standards in assessing the effectiveness, efficiency and coherence of UN operational activities for development.

A network of Joint Presence Offices (JPOs) coordinated by the UN Resident Coordinator based in Suva, Fiji prevails in nine Pacific Island Countries (PICs) in Palau, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Tonga; Federated Sates of Micronesia (FSM) and Republic of Marshall Islands (RMI); in Kiribati, Vanuatu and Nauru. Papua New Guinea (PNG) has its own UNRC and UNDAF but draws on the technical support provided by the UNDP Pacific Centre and other UN agencies. The UNRC based in Samoa has responsibility for Samoa, Niue, Tokelau and Cook Islands. Increasingly, the network of Joint Presence Offices are being utilized by a broader range of UN agencies for government contacts and advice related to programme development and implementation, security and disaster response, and are seen by their host government’s as the ‘one stop shop’ for contact with the UN system as a whole. Since their establishment in 2008 the role, expectations and workload of the JPOs, the resident Country Development Managers (CDMs) and support staff has grown and changed, as has the demands on the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator based in Suva, Fiji in coordination with the current lead agencies of UNDP, UNICEF, UNFPA and UNWOMEN to support and develop this network of Joint Presence Offices and Country Development Managers in liaison with all agencies active in the Pacific region. This unique model is valued by governments as a step towards a unique One UN encompassing a network of small island developing states and Pacific wide UN coherence.

The position of UN Coordination Specialist (ISC 10 – NOC) is therefore needed in the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator to give continued and increased priority to supporting the Pacific UN Coordination network of Country Development Managers and JPOs, being the primary focal point for CDMs in the UNRCO; with specific priority for guidance and support linked to the development and implementation of the UNDAF cycle, oversight of UNDAF M&E support provided by the RCO team, communication and partnership development; and UN Annual Reporting and UN work planning preparation. Coordination is focussed on the 10 Pacific Small Island Developing States of Fiji, Palau, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Tonga; Federated Sates of Micronesia (FSM), Republic of Marshall Islands (RMI); Kiribati, Vanuatu and Nauru.

Duties and Responsibilities

Provides coordination and advisory services for the elaboration and implementation of the Regional Pacific UNDAF and ensuring efforts to operationalise it jointly, ensuring compliance with RBM principles;

Supports inter-agency M&E efforts for joint programming undertaken by the M&E Officer within the RCO, including support for coordination of relevant country analysis documents, studies, evaluations, reviews and progress reports, compiling, consolidating and analyzing results;
Supports and coordinates the elaboration of common internal tools for programme implementation, monitoring and reporting;
Supports UN Thematic Groups in elaborating AWP and M&E systems based on SMART indicators and other agreed M&E principles for the UNDAF, Results Country for 10 countries and other common UN efforts;
Provides support for the harmonization of UN M&E cycles and processes with those of the Governments and supports preparation of country reviews;
Liaises with UN entities to ensure linkages between all UN programmes;
Provides support to the UN Country Team, the UNDAF Working Groups, and the Country Development Managers in the UN Joint Presence Offices under the responsibility of the UNRC based in Fiji ensuring effective UNDAF implementation, strengthened UN coherence across the Pacific and on adjusting strategies and implementation modalities;
Liaise with the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator in Samoa to ensure streamlined UNDAF implementation, follow up on UNCT actions and decision making and to enhance information and knowledge sharing.

Provides substantial support for the preparation of the Resident Coordinator Annual Report and elaboration of common UNCT work plans;

Supports the elaboration and implementation of the UN Country Team Annual Work Plan;
Supports the preparation of the Resident Coordinator Annual Report and follows up on Performance Appraisal processes;
Follows up on the RCO budget for alignment with UNCT AWP objectives;
Ensure inter-agency contributions for the realization of the UNCT work plan.

Demonstrates the added value of UN collaboration through increased common programming, supporting the UNCT forge effective partnerships;

Coordinates efforts to adopt a common language through mainstreaming of the UN’s programming principles (HRBA, Gender, Environment, RBM, and Capacity Development);
Collects and disseminates global practice in the field of UN coherence, UN coordination and M&E while supporting implementation of these principles locally;
Provides advice on policy and approaches to UN agencies for joint programming;
In cooperation with the CDMs, identifies national policies and institutions that require strengthening to ensure effective UNDAF implementation and provides advice.

Supports resource mobilisation efforts for the implementation of common UN programmes;

Determines resource gaps, compiling financial data and supporting common approaches for resources mobilisation;
Identifies potential donors and partners based on UN programme objectives and partner intervention areas;
Elaborates joint UN resource mobilisation strategies and proposed approaches to develop partnerships with donors, government and civil society;
Supports efforts to mobilize thematic funds and other potential UN funds.

Ensures facilitation of knowledge building and management across the network of UN offices and the UN family in the Pacific focusing on achievement of the following results:

Identification of sources of information related to coordination. Identification and synthesis of best practices and lessons learnt directly linked to country policy goals;
Identification of national policies and institutions that requireS strengthening to ensure effective UNDAF implementation and provision of advice in close consultation with UNCT;
Supports capacity development efforts and provides support / training to UN staff on M&E and current UN policy relevant to UN reform and coherence practices at the regional and country level;
Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.

Competencies

Core Competencies

Promoting ethics and integrity, creating organizational precedents;
Building support and political acumen;
Building staff competence, creating an environment of creativity and innovation;
Building and promoting effective teams;
Creating and promoting enabling environment for open communication;
Creating an emotionally intelligent organization;
Leveraging conflict in the interests of UNDP & setting standards;
Sharing knowledge across the organization and building a culture of knowledge sharing and learning. Promoting learning and knowledge management/sharing is the responsibility of each staff member;
Fair and transparent decision making; calculated risk-taking.

Functional Competencies:

Advocacy/Advancing a Policy-Oriented Agenda (For UN Coordination);
Results-Based Programme Development and Management (For UN Coordination);
Building Strategic Partnerships (For UN Coordination);
Innovation and Marketing New Approaches (For UN Coordination);
Resource Mobilization (For UN Coordination);
Promoting Organizational Learning and Knowledge Sharing (For UN Coordination);
Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise (For UNDP and UN Coordination);
Global Leadership and Advocacy for UNDP’s Goals (For UN Coordination);
Client Orientation.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Master’s Degree or equivalent in Economics, Social Sciences, International Relations, Political Sciences or related field.

Experience:

5 years of relevant experience at the national or international level in providing management advisory services, hands-on experience in design, monitoring and evaluation of development projects;
Knowledge about the UN and RC systems would be an advantage;
Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages, experience in handling of web based management systems.

Language:

Fluent in English.