UNDP Jobs - 55034- Programme Specialist - UNDP/DPA Joint Programme o

Programme Specialist - UNDP/DPA Joint Programme on Building National Capacities for Conflict Prevention

Location :

New York, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Type of Contract :

FTA International

Starting Date :

01-May-2015

Application Deadline :

01-Apr-15 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

P-3

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 Joint UNDP-DPA Programme on Building National Capacities for Conflict Prevention supports national initiatives that contribute to the prevention and transformation of conflicts. The Joint Programme seeks to:

Develop strategic conflict prevention initiatives at the country level, including through the deployment of Peace and Development Advisors (PDAs);
Provide targeted assistance for specific facilitation activities jointly undertaken in nonmission settings;
Support joint assessment, analysis, and “knowledge development” by the United Nations Department of Political Affairs and the United Nations Development Programme, in the context of support for joint country level initiatives;
Provide short-term support for conflict and/or political analysis through deployment of advisors in priority/crisis countries;
Develop and support the application of new skills, capacities, and tools amongst the PDA cadre and other conflict prevention specialists, including through training, knowledge management, and continued engagement with Resident Coordinators and UN Country Teams in complex political situations.

Overseen and guided by a Steering Committee co-chaired by DPA and UNDP/BPPS, the Joint UNDP/DPA Programme is supported by a Technical Committee comprised of working level representatives of DPA, and UNDP. The Joint UNDP/DPA Programme is seeking to recruit a Programme Specialist to coordinate the partnership through the provision of analytical and secretariat support and day-to-day management of the Programme. The position is to be hosted by UNDP/BPPS.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the guidance of the Technical Committee, the Programme Specialist will coordinate the partnership through the provision of analytical and secretariat support while ensuring the effective day-to-day management of the Joint UNDP/DPA Programme. While under the direct supervision of the Team Leader, Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding, the Programme Specialist will liaise closely with UNDP and DPA Co-Chairs of the Technical Committee, to undertake the following key functions:

Assist relevant DPA and UNDP staff and focal points with the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of, and reporting on, the support provided through the Joint Programme, including staff located in UNDP Regional Hubs;
Oversee and develop advocacy and communication materials pertaining to the Joint Programme, coordinating and developing lessons learned, good practice papers, and other working papers pertaining to the work of PDAs and the support provided through the Joint UNDP/DPA Programme, more broadly;
Support day-to-day financial management of Joint Programme, and provide programmatic support to relevant country focal points in the Conflict Prevention Group as appropriate;
Coordinate and support engagement with current and prospective donors and other partners;
Support information-sharing and exchange between HQ, UNDP Regional Hubs, and country level, and within and between UNDP and DPA, including support to the PDA community of practice.

Programme Management, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting:

Support the implementation of governance structures of the Joint Programme concerning requests for support and PDA reporting;
Analyze and synthesize PDA reports and identify common trends, opportunities, and challenges experienced by PDAs with a view to informing appropriate HQ support;
Coordinate the Joint Programme’s responses emanating from Global and Regional PDA Retreats and training activities, meetings of Resident Coordinators, and other relevant fora;
Work closely with UNDP and DPA counterparts to develop and provide training support to PDAs Identify, recommend and develop creative solutions to enhance the efficiency of the Joint Programme;
Engage closely with UNDP/BPPS, UNDP Regional Hubs, and DPA Regional and Thematic Divisions to ensure coherence and coordination when engaging with Resident Coordinators, UN Country Teams, PDAs, and other stakeholders on issues pertaining to the Joint UNDP/DPA Programme.

Produce advocacy and communication materials pertaining to the Joint UNDP/DPA Programme:

Coordinate the development of the Joint UND/DPA Programme’s Annual Report, providing an overview of activities conducted and reflecting on the impact of support provided;
Draft advocacy and best practice materials working closely with PDAs, as well as relevant DPA and UNDP colleagues;
Document and catalogue good practices emanating from Joint UNDP/DPA Programme support, and work with UN agencies and external partners on developing and disseminating other materials pertaining to the work of PDAs and support provided through the Joint UNDP/DPA Programme, as appropriate.

Support day-to-day programmatic and financial management of Joint Programme:

Support the day-to-day financial management of the Joint Programme, and facilitate the provision of all information relevant to support effective decision-making amongst Technical Committee members, and of UNDP/BPPS’s Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding Team;
Track the activities of the Joint Programme for purposes of collating and documenting successes and lessons learned;
Provide secretariat support, including the drafting of the agenda, provision of relevant background materials, and preparation of the minutes of the meetings, to the Technical Committee and the Steering Committee.

Coordinate and support engagement with current and prospective donors and other partners:

Coordinate proposals, reports, and correspondence with donors on behalf of the Joint UNDP/DPA Programme;
Coordinate and support engagement with UN partners, including the Peacebuilding support Office and United Nations Volunteers, to ensure coherent and complementary support to country-level;
Engage with non-UN partners to identify and strengthen support to PDAs and to identify other areas of possible collaboration.

Support information-sharing, exchange and collaboration:

Coordinate closely with UNDP/BPPS Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding Team and other UNDP/BPPS Technical Teams, as relevant, to ensure effective reporting on activities implemented under the Joint Programme and appropriate exchange of information;
Support members of the Technical Committee to ensure coordination among UNDP Regional Bureaux and DPA Regional Divisions, as appropriate, to exchange information, ensure coherence of support, and to develop public information materials on the joint programme;
Support PDA learning, peer exchanges, and communities of practice for PDAs;
Lead coordination and planning of bi-annual Global PDA Retreats, the ‘Montreux’ process of bi-annual retreats for Resident Coordinators and other senior UN officials, PDA orientation and induction training, and other training and community of practice events, as required.

Competencies

Functional Competencies:

Development and Operational Effectiveness

Ability to contribute to strategic planning and reporting;
Ability to lead formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development programmes and projects, as well as mobilize resources;
Strong IT skills.

Knowledge Management and Learning

Promotes a knowledge-sharing and learning culture in the office;
In-depth knowledge in practice area, complemented by ability to undertake research and analysis;
Actively works towards continuing personal learning and development in one or more Practice Area, acts on learning plan and applies newly acquired skills;
Advocates for innovative ideas documenting successes and building them into the design of new approaches;
Seeks to capture lessons learned, reflects on positive and negative experiences to feed into improved performance both at an individual and organizational level.

Management and Leadership:

Demonstrates strong oral and written communication skills;
Focuses on impact and results and responds positively to feedback;
Takes responsibility for achieving agreed outputs for him/ herself and willingly set deadlines and strives until successful outputs are achieved;
Displays initiative, sets challenging outputs for him/ herself and willingly accepts new work assignments;
Leads teams effectively and shows conflict resolution skills;
Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
Demonstrates strong relationships with colleagues, clients, and external actors;
Remains calm, in control and good humored even under pressure;
Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities;
Proven ability to manage programmes and assigned portfolio.

Corporate Competencies:

Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of the Joint UNDP-DPA Programme, UNDP, DPA, and the United Nations writ large;
Displays sensitivity and adaptability towards culture, gender, religion, race, nationality, and age differences;
Acts in an ethical manner, treating all people fairly;
Communicates information and ideas effectively, contributing as a team-member and an individual;
Promotes and encourages a culture of learning and sharing of knowledge;
Reaches conclusions and makes decisions in an open, transparent, and participatory manner.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Master’s level degree in International Relations, Economics/ Management, Development Studies or related field;
Additional qualifications and certification related to conflict prevention is desirable.

Experience:

At least 5 years of relevant experience in programme activities for UNDP or another international organization, including programme management and/or coordination of inter-agency processes and partnerships on areas related conflict prevention, mediation, and peacebuilding;
Experience working in programme management,including familiarity with communicating and coordinating with staff from across the UN system and field offices, as required;
Knowledge and first-hand experience in supporting UN’s work in conflict prevention is highly desirable.

Language Requirements:

Excellent writing, editing, and oral communication skills in English is required;
Proficiency in at least one other UN official language is desirable.