UNDP Jobs - 57809- Strategic Planning Advisor

Strategic Planning Advisor

Location :

Bangui, CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

Type of Contract :

FTA International

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

17-Aug-15 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

P-5

Duration of Initial Contract :

1 year

Languages Required :

English French

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 on-going conflict in the Central African Republic and the resulting humanitarian challenges have highlighted the fragility of peace in the country. While the immediate diplomatic focus will remain on bringing peace back to the country, longer-term efforts to avoid another conflict and re-build the CAR will require significant support from the international community. Even though the current political, security, and development dynamics make achieving results difficult, the United Nations (UN) remains a natural interlocutor to facilitate international engagement in support of ending the conflict and achieving peace and security in the country.

The mandate of the Integrated Office of the DSRSG/RC/HC is to ensure a coherent, integrated approach and coordination between the United Nations Country Team (composed of 13 agencies), MINUSCA, and humanitarian partners, in the planning and implementation of the UN peacekeeping, development and humanitarian mandates. The DSRSG/RC/HC in CAR coordinates the operations of the UN agencies and is directly responsible for MINUSCA’s pillar of Civil Affairs, Gender, HIV/AIDS and Elections.. The DSRSG/RC/HC is also entrusted with the overall responsibility to move the aid effectiveness agenda and donor coordination forward.

Under the direct supervision of the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator (DSRSG/RC/HC), the Strategic Planning Adviser provides advice and support to the DSRSG/RC/HC in his strategic leadership role in priority setting and evidence-based programming for results. The incumbent will help the DSRSG/RC/HC ensure joint efforts, including with the peacekeeping mission, are coordinated and maximized as the UN assists CAR in delivering on its peace-building priorities. The incumbent's main duties and responsibilities are as follow.

Duties and Responsibilities

UN strategic positioning:

Advise the DSRSG/RC/HC on areas of strategic focus, prioritization and appropriately tailored implementation mechanisms to ensure alignment between national priorities and UN comparative advantage;
Identify high impact opportunities and provide substantive inputs to promote UN engagement in upstream policy and programme dialogues and coordinate the development of UN policy papers, position papers, and key messages for joint UN advocacy in areas that may call for a coordinated response;
Advise and support the planning, development, implementation, M&E and reporting for key strategic documents, including the Common Country Analysis (CCA), Country Assessment, and UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) in consultation and coordination with the PMT and other relevant stakeholders;
Provide recommendations to the DSRSG/RC/HC and the UN Country Team on UN reform ‘Delivering as One’ and UNDG policies, guidelines and tools;
Facilitate and coordinate quality of UN contributions to internal and external medium to long term needs assessment exercises and other similar analytical work;
Support and facilitate the definition of the UN strategy, role and common priorities;
Support various coordination mechanisms including support to lead agencies of Thematic groups and Inter-Agency task forces;
Work with the political actors in the country to ensure a coordinated and complementary approach to recovery and reconciliation.

Aid Effectiveness and UN coordination:

Advise the DSRSG/RC/HC on aid effectiveness challenges and solutions in the context of CAR;
Support the UN Country Team in improving performance against Paris Declaration indicators, and advise strengthened UN alignment, harmonization, results orientation, and accountability;
Serve as the UN focal point for Government counterparts in the area of aid effectiveness and donor coordination;
Support the DSRSG/RC/HC in identifying opportunities for joint strategies between the UN Country Team and MINUSCA to maximize the collective impact of the UN’s activities in the country;
Liaise with OCHA and MINUSCA, to ensure complementarity in policy advice to the DSRSG/RC/HC;
Facilitate strategic, programmatic and operational support to strengthening the linkage between humanitarian and development activities.

Strengthening UN strategic response through joint programming, monitoring and evaluation and reporting:

Lead inter-agency efforts to develop a joint Action Plan (including a results and M&E framework) that informs the UN and stakeholders of the UN’s top programmatic and operational priorities in CAR;
Coordinate inputs for periodic monitoring and report on progress and results against the action plan’s benchmarks and indicators;
Identify high impact opportunities and potential areas for joint programming, and provide strategic and technical advice on the development and implementation of joint programmes;
Prepare and coordinate UN Country Team inputs to MINUSCA analytical and reporting processes (for example SRSG briefs and reports of the Secretary General) to ensure common analysis and representation of UN wide issues;
Ensure that advice and information on cross-cutting issues is coordinated with all relevant components of UNCT. Ensure effective functioning of coherent communications with United Nations Headquarters in New York;
Strengthen the RCO’s information and reporting systems, ensuring efficient flows of information between the DSRSG/RC/RR/HC and the UNCT as well as the UN Global system including DOCO;
Monitor the relevant development in the Security Council and within the Peace and Security Departments on the United Nations HQ;
Within the joint programming, support the elaboration, negotiation and implementation of these programmes through concrete and immediate support on operational and substantive issues as required.

Enhancing strategic partnerships for better results:

Provide advice and support to the DSRSG/RC/HC and the UNCT in ensuring that programme and operational decisions are taken in the best interests of the people of CAR;
Support the DSRSG/RC/HC in developing and nurturing strategic partnerships with relevant stakeholders including Government, UN agencies, development partners, NGOs, FBOs and the private sector to strengthen UN leadership, improve the coherence of collective support to national priorities, and assist with resource mobilization for joint plans;
Provide input and guidance to the development of funding mechanisms;
Maintain close working relationships with MINUSCA to ensure a coordinated and complementary approach to peace consolidation in CAR;
Liaise with UN headquarters personnel working on issues handled by DPKO, DOCO, and PBSO to ensure reporting is targeted and coherent, and to facilitate approval processes for key planning documents and reports;
Undertake other tasks as may be requested by the DSRSG/RC/HC.

Management of the RC Unit:

Supervise and provide guidance to the staff members of the Coordination Unit;
Coordinate all activities emanating from the RC Unit, set priorities, develop the work plan and ensure follow-up and feed-back;
Support the RC in identifying resources for coordination activities and ensure budgeting, reporting and management of resources;
Provide direction and guidance on the transition from humanitarian to recovery and development led coordination;
Establish and implement adequate internal controls to ensure the integrity of financial transaction and reports, consistently apply rules and regulations in financial management;
Prepare proposals for the allocation of RC and UNDG funds. Monitor and control the usage of these funds, review transactions and prepare expenditure reports;
Liaise and coordinate with the Development Operations Coordination Office (DOCO) on headquarters queries and policy advice related to UN reform policy.

Impact of results:

Main results have an impact on the overall success of program, strategic objectives and purpose of the UN System’s support to CAR as follows:

The UNS’ coordination capacities and implementation of operational activities are reinforced;
The relevance, coherence and efficiency of the UN action as well as the visibility of its contributions to national policies dialogue and strategies are reinforced;
The strategic partnerships, resources mobilization as well as the impact of programs and projects funded by the UNS are reinforced;
The Joint Programming is promoted and reinforced.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
Advocates and promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UN;
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

Functional Competencies:

Strategic vision and strong analytical capabilities - Good political judgment;
Demonstrated tracked record of strategic planning;
Extensive knowledge of UN system, procedures and operational activities;
Dependability, reliability and initiative;
Demonstrated ability to design and implement information and knowledge management systems;
Recent country and/or regional experience in capacity development;
Proven advocacy skills in complex policy environments.

Researching, Planning and Organizing:

Excellent research, analytical planning, organizational and management skills;
Ability to plan own work and coordinate the work of others;
Capacity to deliver tasks on time and to meet goals, including in highly pressured, insecure environments;
Manages conflicting priorities and / or with limited supervision;
Develops innovative approaches to deal with complex policy/technical issues.

Managing Relationships:

Ability to work under pressure and to effectively handle multiple tasks without compromising quality, team spirit and positive working relationships;
Cultural sensitivity, strong interpersonal and communication skills;
Ability to work as part of team, and carry responsibilities of the larger team as needed;
Demonstrated well developed people management and organizational skills;
Excellent negotiating and networking skills;
Builds strong relationships with partners, focuses on impact for the client and responds positively to feedback;
Ability to implement new systems and affect staff behavioral / attitudinal change;
Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude.

Judgment/Decision-Making:

Ability to negotiate at decision-making level;
Mature judgment and initiative, combined with a very strong analytical talent;
Proven ability to provide strategic direction in her/his area of expertise;
Independent judgment and discretion in advising on handling major policy issues and challenges;
Strategic vision, strong analytical capabilities and good political judgment;

Knowledge Management and Learning:

Ability to strongly promote and build knowledge products;
Seeks and applies knowledge, information and best practices from within and outside the UN System.

Professionalism:

Conceptual and strategic analytical capacity to analyze and articulate the dimensions of complex issues requiring a coordinated UN response;
Demonstrated problem-solving skills and ability to use sound judgment in applying technical expertise to resolve issues/problems;
Strong leadership and negotiating skills and ability to influence others to reach agreement.

Communications:

Excellent communication (spoken and written) skills, including the ability to convey concepts and recommendations to staff at various levels in stakeholder organizations, both orally and in writing, in a clear, concise style;
Ability to draft/edit a variety of reports, presentations and communications.

Planning & Organizing:

Ability to facilitate and coordinate the work of others, in this case the working groups, work to tight deadlines and handle concurrent projects/activities.

Teamwork:

Very good interpersonal skills, including ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries;
Ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and working relations in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity;
Ability to handle effectively multiple tasks without compromising quality, team spirit and positive working relationships;
Ability to work under pressure with minimum supervision, with efficiency, competence and integrity with people of different national and cultural backgrounds.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

At least a Master Degree preferably in public administration, management, international studies or other relevant field with management experience; or an equivalent combination of relevant education (Bac + 3) with extensive management experience in a related area.

Experience:

Minimum of 10 years of relevant professional experience, 7 years of which must be in the field of international development including experience working in post conflict, peace building and inter-agency settings;
At least 12 years of experience requested for Bac+3 holders;
Experience with resource mobilization and donor coordination;
Extensive experience with strategic advisory, UN coordination, aid effectiveness agenda and UN joint programming and management;
Substantial experience in aid effectiveness, coordination and management in relief, recovery and development;
Experience with UN coordination and understanding of agency mandates, particularly with the UNDG’s guidelines, rules and procedures;
Experience of working with UN agencies, multilaterals, donors, and international NGOs;
Working experience in Africa, particularly in crisis and post conflict countries, would be an asset.

Language Requirements:

Excellent knowledge of French and English.

IT knowledge:

Good knowledge of MS Office environment (Wod, Excel, Powerpoint, etc.) and Internet.