UNDP Jobs - 56552- Regional Specialist (Development and Mine Action)

Regional Specialist (Development and Mine Action)

Location :

Istanbul, TURKEY

Type of Contract :

FTA International

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

08-Jun-15 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

P-4

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 Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance to support the results of UNDP’s Strategic Plan. BPPS’s staff provides technical advice to Country Offices; advocates for UNDP corporate messages, represents UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora including public-private dialogues, government and civil society dialogues, South-South and Triangular cooperation initiatives, and engages in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas. BPPS works closely with UNDP’s Crisis Response Unit (CRU) to support emergency and crisis response. BPPS ensures that issues of risk are fully integrated into UNDP’s development programmes. BPPS assists UNDP and partners to achieve higher quality development results through an integrated approach that links results based management and performance monitoring with more effective and new ways of working. BPPS supports UNDP and partners to be more innovative, knowledge and data driven including in its programme support efforts.

Reporting and Job Purpose

The Regional Specialist, Development and Mine Action (D & MA) reports to the Regional Cluster Leader, Sustainable Development, in the Regional Hub in Istanbul, for regional level activities and to the Team Leader, Livelihoods and Economic Recovery in New York, for global level interventions/assignments.

Due to the UNDP focus on governance dimensions of mine action and development, the Regional Specialist, Development and Mine Action will report to the Peace Building and Governance Cluster Team Leader in the Region as a second supervisor. Where the D&MA works in other regions s/he will report to the respective Sustainable Development/Inclusive Growth Cluster Leader.

The Regional Specialist, Development and Mine Action, based in Istanbul is a lead expert in the subject matter and a member of a global team on development and mine action. S/he is responsible for contributing substantive advice, technical and programmatic expertise, advocacy, partnership building and knowledge to the thematic area of Development and Mine Action across a range of crisis, early recovery, recovery, and development settings within the Europe and Commonwealth of Independent States (ECIS) and other Regions as may be required from time to time. Key technical and programmatic areas of support will in particular be on socio-economic recovery and development as well as governance of mine action for development. In collaboration with other Advisors and Specialists in the Regional Hubs, HQ, Country Offices and Global Policy Centers, s/he is responsible for providing policy and programme advisory services to Country Offices and oversees the utilization of products and tools in the thematic area of Development and Mine Action. S/he does this in response to requests from Country Offices in collaboration with the Country Support team and the Integration and Coordination Teams from the Regional Bureaux. S/he provides technical support to the RB strategic oversight over CO and regional programmes, as well as coordinated support to CO and the RB in their representation in New York. S/He monitors and analyses development trends, activities and evaluation results in the CO and sub-region within his/her portfolio and offers substantive recommendations to inform future corporate decisions and enhance CO, sub-regional and regional programming results and performance. S/He provides substantive support to the RB’s coordination and representation on complex development and crisis issues, by proactively engaging with internal and external stakeholders. S/he serves as the liaison for partnerships based in Istanbul or the ECIS region, and through Country Offices for partnerships based in other Regions as ay be required on issues related to Development and Mine Action, in close contact and coordination with colleagues in New York, Geneva as well as in Addis Ababa when relevant, ensuring UNDP work with partners promotes both short and long-term solutions to mitigate the impact of landmines and other explosive remnants of war and enhances the impact of mine action in areas of jobs and livelihoods, reintegration, recovery, socio-economic development, governance, institutional development/strengthening, disaster risk reduction, management of natural resources, protection, conflict prevention, etc.

S/he advocates and collaborates with teams across UNDP’s Regional Hubs, Country Offices and Global Policy Centers, to provide quality policy services and deliver technical advice which maintain and advance UNDP’s intellectual leadership and coherence in the area of Development and Mine Action, ensure Mine Action contribute effectively and efficiently to reaching UNDP SP outcomes, and that this contribution is captured.

S/he will work closely with the other specialists and advisors, advocating for UNDP new vision of Development of Mine Action, ensuring Development of Mine Action is integrated in country and regional assessments and responses where relevant. S/he will also coordinate with relevant agencies for joint assessments, to ensure synergies, identify and avoid gaps.

Working to ensure quality and coherent policy and programme advisory services within the Europe and Commonwealth of Independent States and across other regions as well as alignment with the Strategic Plan, the Regional Development and Mine Action Specialist advances results, the credibility and recognition of the organization’s programmes in the thematic area.

S/he is responsible for leading the following:

Programme Support and Policy Advice;
Support Policy Research and Development;
Policy Positioning and Representation;
Partnerships and Resource Mobilization;
Knowledge Management.

Duties and Responsibilities

Functions / Key Results Expected

Summary of Key Functions:

Programme Support and Policy Advice

Provide programme support on D&MA to Country Offices, helping them to ensure relevance of the services provided to country and regional context including crisis situations, in close collaboration with livelihoods/economic recovery/governance/institutional development and strengthening and other, context-relevant, specialists;
Deliver technical policy advice and programme support, in collaboration with other teams in the Regional Hubs and HQ, that responds to country office needs on D&MA assessment and baselines, development planning, implementation and monitoring, including through the provision of capacity building and backstopping;
Develop and manage regional programmes and initiatives;
Recommend and lead integrated multi-disciplinary approaches, including Development Solutions Teams (DSTs), to deliver advisory services / programming needs in line with emerging client needs;
Identify and recommend to management new opportunities for policy advisory directions and roles;
Identify mission-critical roles for thematic area in crisis and conflict responses and, provide timely technical policy and programme advice for crisis situations in response to requests coordinated by CRU;
Liaise with the CRU to provide related contributions to UNDP SURGE for country offices; and
Ensure proper coordination with the country support team in the Regional Hub.

Support Policy Development:

Lead the integration of UNDP’s work on D&MA within the regions into a coherent policy and programming framework that encompasses livelihoods/economic recovery/governance/institutional development and strengthening and other outcomes where relevant in support of the implementation of the UNDP Strategic Plan;
Advise the Team/Cluster Leaders in the Regional Hubs and in New York, on policy gaps and opportunities for development of overall team priorities and work plans, working closely with the other specialists/advisors;
Design policy initiatives for relevant contexts on emerging policy agendas collaborating with policy teams in HQ and communicating and representing perspectives and knowledge from Country Offices and the regions;
Critically assess and measure policy services in the designated area and recommend to COs, HQ and Hub Management new policy and strategic alignment options; and
Foster policy innovation in the specific thematic area to enhance programme delivery.

Resource Management and Mobilization:

In collaboration with the other Programme Specialist, D&MA based in Addis, Amman and New York D&MA and in close collaboration with CO colleagues

Manage the formulation and implementation of substantive work plans for each of the four regions;
Critically assess delivery and performance against emerging trends and thinking in the thematic area;
Ensure adherence to the relevant business processes and the delivery of high-quality outputs on time;
In collaboration with BERA, the Team Leaders in Istanbul and D&MA Advisor based in New York and Geneva, seek and identify partnership and funding opportunities; and oversee the preparation of funding proposals, donor briefings and presentations in support of resource mobilization efforts; and
Establish and maintain an enabling environment for harmonious working relationships and team-building, by promoting consistent and constructive communication, open information sharing, and coordination among all staff.

Partnerships, Representation and Advocacy:

In collaboration with the other Programme Specialist, D&MA based in Addis, Amman and New York D&MA and in close collaboration with UNDP HQ and CO colleagues

Mobilize, foster and strengthen strategic partnerships with UN entities and other relevant regional bodies and provide substantive inputs to those partnerships in support of UNDP initiatives on D&MA;
At regional level, represent or delegate UNDP CO specialists to engage in UN interagency coordination as well as in other fora with the aim to advance UNDP’s strategic agenda in the thematic area; and
Advocate policy and positioning of this thematic area in various regional or global fora and through programme efforts, including academia and civil society.

Knowledge Management:

Oversee the knowledge extraction, analysis, documentation, codification of results/lessons learned in the specific thematic area, ensuring that knowledge sharing and content management is in line with guidelines and performed using corporate tools; and
Guide and coordinate cross-regional exchange of knowledge by collaborating with policy teams in HQ to research, develop and share knowledge-based tools and guidance to help influence/advance policy dialogue in the thematic area and present such material at various fora.

Impact of Results

As a result of the work in the development and mine action work stream, UNDP will:

Translate mine action into sustainable development dividends in the form of jobs, livelihoods and socioeconomic development;
Strengthen national institutions that help facilitate acceleration of development benefits through the use of previously landmine affected areas, and focusing on poverty stricken victims of landmines.

Competencies

Innovation:

Ability to make new and useful ideas work.

Leadership:

Ability to persuade others to follow.

People Management:

Ability to improve performance and satisfaction.

Communication:

Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform.

Delivery:

Ability to get things done.

Technical/Functional:

Primary:

Development and Mine Action:

Knowledge of recovery and development impacts of landmines and other explosive remnants of war on people, communities, countries and regions;
Knowledge of programming and impact of mine action on recovery, development, governance, institutional building and natural resources management.

Socioeconomic Development:

Knowledge of recovery and economic livelihoods and development concepts and programming;
Local development boards and planning;
Scaling up pilots, institutionalization of approaches and quality management process;
Gender lens programming.

Governance/Institutional support:

Knowledge of governance and institutional building/strengthening in post crisis recovery and development contexts;
Experience working with host governments and civil society;
Aid coordination and effectiveness;
Transparency;
Gender.

Development planning and analysis:

Ability to undertake analysis for development planning in mine affected or previously mine affected areas to inform national development frameworks;
Knowledge of MDGs and Post 2015 Development agenda and ability to integrate this thematic area.

Results-based Management:

Ability to manage programmes and projects with a strategy aimed at improved performance and demonstrable results.

Knowledge Management:

Ability to capture, develop, share and effectively use information and knowledge.

Relationship Management / Partnerships:

Ability to engage with other parties, agencies, donors, and other development stakeholders and forge productive working relationships.

Secondary:

Resource Mobilization:

Ability to identify and organize programmes and projects to implement solutions and generate resources.

Monitoring & Evaluation:

Knowledge of methodologies, tools, systems and apply practical experience in planning, monitoring, evaluating and reporting and ability to apply to practical situations.

Trends and emerging areas analytics:

Ability to scan the horizon and identify approaches and initiatives to bring into policy and programme design.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in development economics, business administration, social sciences or related disciplines.

Experience:

At least seven years of progressively responsible development experience in development cooperation and mine action at the international level;
Professional work experience providing policy advice and programme support, advancing the development and implementation of governance, sustainable recovery and development approaches in different country and development contexts;
Demonstrated strong advocacy and analytical skills;
Experience at regional and country levels with UNDP multi-disciplinary programming and interagency work an asset;
Several years’ experience working in developing mine- or explosive-remnants-of-war-affected country settings, managing early recovery and development programmes, is required; and
Experience in crisis contexts is an asset.

Language:

Fluency in English, both written and oral;
Working knowledge of another UN language (French, Arabic, Russian) is an asset.