UNDP Jobs - 55253- Policy Analyst

Policy Analyst

Location :

Bangkok, THAILAND

Type of Contract :

FTA International

Starting Date :

01-Jul-2015

Application Deadline :

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

Post Level :

P-2

Duration of Initial Contract :

1 year (Renewable subject to good performance and availability of funds)

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

UNDP is the UN's global development network advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP’s vision is to support countries in achieving the simultaneous eradication of poverty and significant reduction of inequalities and exclusion.

To strengthen inclusive and effective governance, the UNDP Strategic Plan focuses on ensuring participation and voice in pursuit of equitable access to development opportunities, and working with poor and other excluded groups as agents of their own development. The plan includes the following outcomes to achieve effective governance: (i) citizen expectations for voice, development, the rule of law and accountability are met by stronger systems of democratic governance; and (ii) countries have strengthened institutions to progressively deliver universal access to basic services.

UNDP’s work on HIV, health and development leverages the organization’s core strengths and mandates in governance, human development, and capacity development. The Asia Pacific HIV, Health and Development team is based in the UNDP Regional Hub in Bangkok, Thailand. It works to address development challenges relating to HIV and health, and to support integrated and multi-sectorial responses that protect the rights of people living with and affected by HIV, including sexual minorities. The Regional Hub also provides advisory and technical support to UNDP Country Offices and regional partners.

The ‘Being LGBT in Asia’ initiative is a regional partnership between UNDP, the Swedish Embassy in Bangkok and USAID, implemented by the HIV, Health and Development Team. The initiative is aimed at advancing the well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, and reducing inequality and marginalization on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. The initiative is a collaboration with civil society, and engages national and regional institutions to advance protective laws and policies, and empower civil society. It supports policy and operational research, and strategy development among vulnerable groups and a range of key stakeholders at national and regional level. Between 2012 and 2014, in the first phase of the initiative, UNDP and USAID implemented a landmark review and analysis of LGBT circumstances across 18 Asian countries. It found that LGBT people suffer not only from unsupportive policies and laws, but also high levels of stigma and discrimination, affecting every aspect of people's lives, from families and the workplace to law enforcement, the media and health and education services.

The Policy Analyst will work in the UNDP regional HIV, Health and Development team to provide policy inputs to the Being LGBT in Asia initiative, reporting to the Team Leader and to the Policy Advisor on HIV, Health, Human Rights and Sexual Diversity. The primary purpose of this position is to provide technical support, and collaborate with regional and national civil society partners and institutions.

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of key functions:

Policy Research and Development:

Provide technical support and inputs to the initiative focusing on human rights, civil society strengthening, and sexual orientation and gender identity;
Provide research support for the purpose of producing relevant analysis and guidance;
Conduct data analysis, document evidence and research findings to distill relevant lessons in support of policy and strategy initiatives on LGBT issues and human rights;

Policy Advice/ Programme Support Delivery:

Provide relevant input to the team by analyzing data to foster policy innovation to enhance programme delivery;
Participate in the development of LGBT activities for different contexts on key emerging policy agendas, by drafting applicable documents, preparing presentations, and drafting components of briefings and speeches;

Partnerships and Resource Mobilization:

Provide analysis and research to support mobilizing, fostering and strengthening strategic partnerships with civil society, National Human Rights Institutions and other relevant bodies and provide inputs to those partnerships in support of UNDP LGBT and human rights initiatives;
Provide inputs and compile relevant data related to regional external partnerships, including to fulfill corporate and donor reporting, advocacy and information-sharing requirements;
Provide research and written materials to support the formulation of partnership strategies with UN and external partner institutions, including governments, National Human Rights Institutions, private sector, academia, NGOs, and CSOs.

Knowledge Management:

Support the preparation of reports on activities and results in accordance with agreed deliverables and timelines;
Perform knowledge extraction, analysis, documentation, codification of results/lessons learned in the specific thematic area, to support knowledge management in the thematic area.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

Demonstrates commitment to UNDP’s mission, vision and values;
Displays cultural, gender, sexual orientation, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
Treats all people fairly without favouritism;
Building staff competence, creating an environment of creativity and innovation;
Sharing knowledge across the organization and building a culture of knowledge sharing and learning.

Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise:

Exhibits a good knowledge of human rights standards, principles, legal and political advancement of sexual orientation and gender identity issues at the international and regional levels;
Demonstrates a good understanding of regional institutional mechanisms processes to influence political agendas in Asia-Pacific;
Excellent research, policy analysis and written skills, with analytic capacity and ability to synthesize project outputs and relevant findings for the preparation of quality project reports;
Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work in a multicultural, multinational, multi-stakeholder setting and demonstrable ability to motivate people and work in a team setting.

Results-Based Programme Development and Management:

Provides information and documentation on specific stages of projects/programme implementation;
Provides background information to identify opportunities for project development and helps drafting proposals;
Participates in the formulation of project proposals.

Building Strategic Partnerships:

Effectively networks with partners seizing opportunities to build strategic alliances relevant to UNDP’s mandate and strategic agenda;
Identifies needs and interventions for capacity building of counterparts, clients and potential partners;
Promotes UNDP’s agenda in inter-agency meetings.

Client Orientation:

Anticipates client needs;
Works towards creating an enabling environment for a smooth relationship between the clients and service provider;
Demonstrates understanding of client’s perspective;
Solicits feedback on service provision and quality.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Master’s level or post graduate diploma in areas such as Social Sciences, Public Health, Law, Public Administration or a related field, is required.

Experience:

At least two (2) years of relevant work experience;
Good understanding of health, governance, and human rights issues related vulnerable groups;
Experience working with LGBT Community Based Organizations is an asset.

Language Requirements:

Excellent English proficiency (oral and written).