UNDP Jobs - 60782- Programme Specialist (Transitions, SPGP)

Programme Specialist (Transitions, SPGP)

Location :

New York, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Type of Contract :

FTA International

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

23-Oct-15 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

P-3

Duration of Initial Contract :

Languages Required :

Expected Duration of Assignment :

More than a year

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.

The Strategic Policy and Global Positioning (SPGP) Unit within BPPS has primary objective to lead UNDP’s policy research agenda, policy incubation, provide forward-looking analysis, identify emerging development trends in multiple contexts (including crisis) and collaborate with academia and think tanks to advance UNDP’s contribution to global policy debates and the implementation of UNDP’s Strategic Plan.

UN transitions are high on the agenda as a number of peacekeeping and special political missions are currently planning for or undergoing drawdown, reconfiguration and withdrawal processes that greatly affect the presence and work of the wider. It is critical that these processes are planned and managed in a joint and coherent manner by UN actors on the ground with Headquarters support.

In response to increased requests from UN field presences for transition related support, UNDP, DPKO/DFS and DPA are implementing the joint project “UN Transitions in Mission Settings”. Drawing on guidance provided by the Secretary-General’s Policy on UN Transitions in the context of mission drawdown and withdrawal, the project seeks to ensure that UN transition processes at headquarters and in the field are more efficient with reduced transaction costs and more effective through better support to host countries, thereby supporting the sustainability of peacebuilding achievements.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the guidance of the Project Steering Committee, through the Project Management Team, the Programme Specialist will produce knowledge products, provide country support and ensure the effective day-to-day management of the joint project on UN transitions in mission settings. While under the direct supervision of the Team Leader, Risk, Resilience, and Fragility in Strategic Policy Unit with a second reporting line to the Team Leader, Knowledge Management and Guidance Team in the Policy and Best Practices Service (DPKO-DFS, the Programme Specialist will liaise closely with the Project Management Team, to undertake the following key functions:

Provide support to peacekeeping and special political missions and UNDP country offices in the planning for transitions;
Undertake lessons learned studies on key transitions issues in line with requirements in the field;
Prepare, develop, and facilitate training on transition related issues;
Provide briefings on UN transitions to UNHQ staff and Member States;
Support day-to-day management including the financial management of the joint project.

Provide support to peacekeeping missions, special political missions and UNDP Country Offices in the transition planning process

Provide guidance to missions and UNDP Country Offices on the transition process in line with the Policy on UN Transitions, UNDP Guidance and drawing on lessons learned from ongoing and previous transitions;
Support the formulation of benchmarks and strategic objectives against which progress towards peace consolidation can be measured;
Support the development and improvement of conceptual and technical frameworks to monitor peace consolidation by missions and the UN Country Team;
Support the formulation of resource mobilization strategies to fund ongoing peacebuilding priority activities.

Undertake lessons learned activities on key transition issues

Conduct a lessons learned study on the closure of field offices drawing on previous mission closures and ongoing transitions in Haiti and Liberia;
Conduct a lessons learned study on the security drawdown in Haiti and Liberia and its implications for national and UN partners;

Prepare, develop, and facilitate training on transition related issues

Design and deliver tailored “in-country” trainings on UN Transitions targeting mission and UNCT staff;
Design and deliver training on benchmarking and monitoring peace consolidation for mission and UNCT staff;

Provide briefings on UN transitions to UNHQ staff and Member States

Prepare and provide briefings to various Member State fora, as requested;
Provide briefings on UN transitions as part of UN senior managers induction programme;
Provide briefings to UN Integrated Task Forces at UNHQ on policy requirements, lessons learned and good practices related to transitions;
Participate and contribute to the annual workshop of UN Strategic Planners through presentations on UN transitions and related issues;

Support the management of the project

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 Project Committee members;
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 Project Management Team and the Steering Committee.

Competencies

Core

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.

Delivering results:

Ability to get things done.

Technical/Functional

Primary:

Development and Operational Effectiveness:

Ability to contribute to strategic planning and reporting; formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development programmes and projects, as well as mobilize resources;
Ability to demonstrate strong IT, oral and written communication skills; focuses on impact and results and responds positively to feedback;
Ability to take responsibility for achieving agreed outputs for him/ herself and willingly set deadlines and strives until successful outputs are achieved and display initiative;

Knowledge Management and Learning:

Ability to promote a knowledge-sharing and learning culture in the office;
Ability to work towards continuing personal learning and development in one or more practice areas, acts on learning plan and applies newly acquired skills;
Ability to advocate innovative ideas documenting successes and building them into the design of new approaches and capture lessons learned, reflects on positive and negative experiences to feed into improved performance both at an individual and organizational level.

Advocacy/Advancing a Policy-Oriented Agenda:

Ability to analyze and create messages and strategies;
Ability to contribute to the elaboration of advocacy strategies by identifying and prioritizing audiences and communication means;
Ability to use the opportunity to bring forward and disseminate materials for advocacy work.

Promoting Organizational learning and knowledge sharing:

Ability to develop tools and mechanisms;
Ability to make the case for innovative ideas documenting successes and building them into the design of new approaches;
Ability to Identify new approaches and strategies that promote the use of tools and mechanisms.

Job knowledge/technical expertise:

Ability to possess in-depth knowledge of the practice area, complemented by ability to undertake research and analysis;
Ability to understand more advanced aspects of crisis prevention, recovery and peace building, as well as the fundamental concepts of related disciplines;
Ability to keep abreast of new developments in areas of crisis prevention, recovery and peace building and develop him/herself professionally.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in development economics, political science, international development and/or management and coordination.

Experience:

At least five years of relevant work experience in development, political and/or peacekeeping;
Experience working in programme management, including familiarity with communicating and coordinating with staff from across the UN system and field offices, is required;
Knowledge and first-hand experience in supporting UN transitions is highly desirable;
Experience working on knowledge management and organizational learning processes is highly desirable.

Language Requirements:

Excellent knowledge of English, including writing and oral skills;
Proficiency in at least one other UN official language is desirable.