UNDP Jobs - 59305- Section Chief (Livelihoods and Resilience Programm

Section Chief (Livelihoods and Resilience Programme Unit)

Location :

Kabul, AFGHANISTAN

Type of Contract :

TA International

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

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

Post Level :

P-4

Duration of Initial Contract :

Six Months (with possibility of extension)

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 Afghanistan Mission statement

UNDP supports stabilization, state building, governance and development priorities in Afghanistan. UNDP support, in partnership with the Government, the United Nations system, the donor community and other development stakeholders, has contributed to institutional development efforts leading to positive impact on the lives of Afghan citizens. Over the years UNDP support has spanned such milestone efforts as the adoption of the Constitution; Presidential, Parliamentary and Provincial Council elections; institutional development through capacity-building to the legislative, the judicial and executive arms of the state, and key ministries, Government agencies and commissions at the national and subnational levels. UNDP has played a key role in the management of the Law and Order Trust Fund, which supports the Government in developing and maintaining the national police force and in efforts to stabilize the internal security environment. Major demobilization, disarmament and rehabilitation and area-based livelihoods and reconstruction programmes have taken place nationwide. UNDP Programmes in Afghanistan have benefited from the very active support of donors. UNDP Afghanistan is committed to the highest standards of transparency and accountability and works in close coordination with the United Nations Mission in Afghanistan and the UN system as a whole to maximize the impact of its development efforts on the ground.

Organizational Context

In the context of a comprehensive change management process, UNDP Afghanistan is reorganizing its programme structure by merging the Sustainable Development and the rural development components of the Sub-National Governance portfolios under one programme focusing on sustainable local development. The focus of the new programme portfolio will be on addressing the high levels of poverty and vulnerability through livelihoods development, protection of the environment, promotion of gender equality and community participation - focusing on women and youth, who face greater poverty and are more vulnerable. The total volume of the portfolio is approx. USD 30 million for the year 2015.

To ensure a smooth merger and a speedy development of the programme portfolio, a Section Chief of programme unit is recruited for a period of 6 months (with the possibility of extension) to implement the merger of the two teams and portfolios. The Section Chief of Unit ensures effective management of the project portfolio and leads the development of the new pipeline initiatives ensuring consistency with UNDP´s programme strategies and priorities.

The Section Chief of Programme Unit works under the overall guidance of the Country Director, and the direct supervision of the Senior Deputy Country Director – Programmes, and in close collaboration with the other Programme Units, the Operations teams, Programme staff in other UN Agencies, UNDP HQs staff and Government officials, technical advisors and experts, multi-lateral and bi-lateral donors and civil society to successfully implement the UNDP programme. S/he provides top quality advice to Government and partners in the area of work.

Note: UNDP Afghanistan reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP Afghanistan at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and education requirements.

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of key functions:

Ensure the strategic direction of the UNDP programme in the area of resilience and livelihoods;
Ensure effective and speedy development of the programme pipeline, efficient merger of portfolios and management of the sustainable development programme and supervision of the Programme Team focusing on quality control of the full programming cycle;
Establish and maintain strategic partnerships and supports resources mobilization;
Ensure provision of top quality advisory services and facilitation of knowledge building and management.

Ensures the strategic direction of the UNDP programme in the area of resilience and livelihoods, focusing on achievement of following results:

Conducts thorough analysis of the political, social and economic situation in the country and collaborative preparation/revision of project documents, AWP and other documents in the area of work;
Ensure operationalization of UNDAF/CPD though ongoing and new programmes and projects and in collaboration with the main partners and other UN Agencies. Identifies opportunities for new programme/project development including joint programming with UN agencies;
Identifies, in close collaboration with national and international partners, strategic programme areas of cooperation;
Plans and implements a smooth and strategic merger of the sustainable development and the local economic development components of the sub-national governance programmes as regards ongoing and pipeline initiatives;
Develops and revises programme strategies taking into consideration the new programmatic focus, best practice and lessons learnt from implementation. Ensures contribution of results of the project portfolio to the programme results through ongoing monitoring and adjustments;
Continuously monitors and analyses the programme context and carries out timely readjustment of programme and projects;
Controls the workflows in the Programme Unit and substantively contributes to improving of business processes, efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the Programme processes and structures.

Ensures effective and speedy development of the programme pipeline, efficient merger of portfolios and management of the sustainable development programme and supervision of the Programme team, focusing on achievement of following results:

Implements a smooth merger of the two project teams managing and supervising the Team sensitively during the process. Advises and guides team members. Ensures ongoing quality control and oversight;
Efficiently and speedily formulates and finalizes formulation of the new projects within programme area translating UNDP country priorities into project interventions; Ensures that projects are formulated according UNDP´s best practice, and with full involvement of all relevant partners;
Provides strategic oversight of planning, budgeting, implementation and monitoring and evaluation of the programme. Coordinates programme implementation with executing agencies. Ensures use of financial resources in accordance with UNDP rules and regulations and with donor agreements;
Ensures effective application of UNDP RBM tools. Establishes management targets and monitors achievement of results and effective monitoring and evaluation of the portfolio;
Assesses stage of implementation, and ensures finalization of implementation, of audit recommendations of all projects within Portfolio;
Ensures and coordinates reporting and monitoring within the portfolio;
Reviews stage of finalization and ensures timely preparation of reports in accordance with UNDP´s requirements and donor agreements;
Ensures cross-programmatic results and implementation synergies through coordination of project conceptualisation and planning with other programmes and projects.

Establishes and maintains strategic partnerships and supports resources mobilization, focusing on achievement of the following results:

Implements CO partnerships and resource mobilization strategy to achieve programme outcomes;
Researches and analyses information on existing and new partners;
Develops ideas and concepts for possible areas of cooperation;
Establishes close working relationships and creates programmatic linkages with relevant government agencies; UN Agencies, IFI’s, bi-lateral and multi-lateral donors, private sector and civil society;
Determines programmatic areas of co-operation based on UNDP´s strategic goals, country needs and donor priorities;
Identifies funding opportunities for ongoing and new projects;
Undertakes discussions with possible donors;
Represents UNDP in donor meetings in the area of work.

Ensures provision of top quality advisory services and facilitation of knowledge building and management, focusing on achievement of the following results:

Identifies sources of information related to policy-driven issues; identifies and synthesizes best practices and lessons learned directly linked to programme country policy goals;
Coordinates and ensures integration in project design the development of policies, institutions and advocacy that will address the country problems and needs in collaboration with the Government and other strategic partners;
Supports the establishment of advocacy networks at national level and linked to international networks. Implements relevant, high-impact advocacy campaigns with key partners;
Ensures that lessons learned from projects are captured and recorded into the CO knowledge networks;
Ensure Programme Team´s contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice;
Builds capacities of national staff and mentors staff in the area of work;
Ensures provision of top quality advisory services and facilitation of knowledge building.

Impact of Results

The effective reorganization of the portfolio to ensure a better focus on increasing resilience and improving sustainable livelihoods, and the formulation of new projects will have a substantive impact on achieving the results and improving the overall success of UNDP´s country programme, and reaching UNDAF/CPD goals. In particular, the key results have an impact on the design, operation and programming of activities, creation of strategic partnerships as well as reaching resource mobilization targets.

Competencies

Core Competencies:

Promotes ethics and integrity and creates organisational precedents;
Builds support and political acumen;
Builds staff competence and creates an environment of creativity and innovation;
Builds and promotes effective teams;
Creates and promotes environment for open communications;
Leverages conflict in the interest of UNDP and sets standards;
Shares knowledge across the organisation and builds a culture of knowledge sharing and learning.

Functional Competencies:

Building strategic partnerships:

Identifying and building new partnerships;
Effectively networks with partners seizing opportunities to build strategic alliances relevant to UNDP´s mandate and strategic agenda;
Sensitises UN partners, donors and other international organisations to UNDP´s strategic agenda identifying areas for joint efforts;
Develops positive ties with civil society to build/strengthen UNDP´s mandate;
Displays initiative, sets challenging outputs and willingly accepts new work assignments;
Takes responsibility for achieving agreed outputs within set deadlines and strives until successful outputs are achieved;
Promotes UNDP´s agenda in inter-agency meetings.

Resource mobilization:

Implementing resource mobilization strategies;
Analyses information on potential donors and national counterparts to develop strategic approach;
Identifies and compiles lessons learnt;
Promotes and encourages CO action with local missions of donor countries and appropriate Government authorities for increased contribution to UNDP resources, including cost-sharing modalities;
Identifies country needs and develops proposals to be presented to donors and Governments;
Develops resource mobilization strategies.

Job knowledge/technical expertise:

In-depth knowledge of the subject matter;
Understands more advanced aspects of primary area of specialization as well as the fundamental concepts of related disciplines;
Serves as internal consultant in the area of expertise and shares knowledge with staff;
Continues to seek new and improved methods and systems for accomplishing the work of the unit;
Keeps abreast of the new developments in the area of professional discipline and job knowledge and seeks to development him/herself professionally;
Demonstrates comprehensive knowledge of information technology and applies it;
Demonstrates comprehensive understanding and knowledge of the current guidelines; and project management tools and utilizes these regularly in work assignments.

Innovation and marketing new approaches:

Developing new approaches;
Seeks a broad range of perspectives in developing project proposals;
Generates innovative ideas and effective solutions to problems;
Looks at experience critically, drawing lessons, and building them into design of new approaches;
Identifies new approaches and promotes their use in other situations;
Documents successes and uses them project positive image;
Creates an environment that fosters innovation and innovative thinking;
Makes the case for innovative ideas from the team with own supervisor.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Master’s Degree or equivalent in Business Administration, Public Administration, Environment, Natural Resource Management, Economics, Political Sciences, Social Sciences or related field;
Prince2 training and certification, RMG are desirable.

Experience:

Minimum of 7 years of progressively advancing experience in programme and project management in international development organizations and/or bilateral development agencies. Experience with UN system is an asset;
Experience in working at the country level and in post-conflict environments;
Managerial experience including experience in leading multi-cultural teams Sound understanding and capability to empower and develop the capacity of national counterparts. Good understanding of change management in the context of programme in required;
Proven programmatic management experience with sound knowledge of all aspects of the project cycle (design, implementation, monitoring & evaluation);
Requisite skills in effective fundraising, resources mobilization and donor relations;
Proven experience in partnership building and networking.

Language:

Fluency in the written and spoken English.

Application procedure

Interested and qualified International candidates should apply on-line through the UNDP Jobs site at http://www.af.undp.org/content/afghanistan/en/home/operations/jobs/ and please ensure that to fill up and upload Personal History Form-P.11 which is available at http://www.af.undp.org/content/afghanistan/en/home/operations/jobs/ in the relevant field of the on-line application

Incomplete applications or applications received after the closing date will not be given consideration. Please note that only applicants who are short-listed will be contacted.

For more detailed information about UNDP Afghanistan please visit our website at www.undp.org.af

Successful candidates must be prepared to start work within 6 weeks of the offer of appointment.

Qualified female candidates are highly encouraged to apply.