Background

In 2017, the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC) signed a full-fledged global project, with support from the Government of China through the China International Center for Economic and Technical Exchanges (CICETE), to facilitate South-South and triangular cooperation at city level. The project is entitled “South-South and Triangular Cooperation among Maritime Continental Silk Road Cities for Sustainable Development” (in short as “SSTC Silk Road Cities Project”, or “Cities Project”).? The Cities Project aims to leverage the strategic opportunities offered by the “Belt and Road Initiative” (BRI) in advancing sustainable development globally. The Cities Project aligns its support with the engagement and ownership of local authorities and stakeholders. It is designed to provide streamlined services which include demand-driven needs assessment, capacity development, advisory and advocacy, knowledge and technology transfer, expertise exchange, and implementation and co-financing. The overall objective is to support and incubate thematic and sectoral pilot projects.

Under the framework of the Cities Project, CICETE has concluded a letter of agreement with UNOSSC to provide management and reporting services, and oversight support. In 2018, leveraging the broad BRI partnership-base in China, a Project Office has been set up in Beijing, to facilitate project management, partnership building and engagement, resource mobilization, liaison with government counterparts particularly CICETE, and advocacy and communications work. 

In this context, UNOSSC is recruiting a Partnership and Resource Mobilization Advisor to advise the project level partnership building and resource mobilization efforts in China and globally.

Duties and Responsibilities

The incumbent will report day to day to the Project Management Officer (SC) in Beijing under the overall supervision of the Project Manager in New York.

• Advise the development of partnership and resource mobilization strategies in view of project work plan and project board decisions;
• Build and manage partnerships with cities, agencies and institutions from various sectors in line with UNDP rules and regulations particularly risk management process;
• Mobilize financial, human and technical resources from various sectors and entities to support the delivery of project goal and outcome; 
• Mobilize experts and partners to support demand-driven needs assessments;
• Provide guidance and advice to key project stakeholders and partners on UNDP financial, HR and procurement rules and regulations to ensure coordination and compliance in the context of the Cities Project; 
• Support both the Cities Project umbrella and its pilot projects workplan development, implementation and reporting, in line with UNDP rules and policies;
• Facilitate the organization of events and meetings in the Cities Project annual work plan;
• Upon request by supervisor, represent the Cities Project in relevant activities as appropriate; 
• Undertake other work required by supervisor.

Competencies

* Kindly note that the below listed deliverables are provisional and subject to change based on business needs and project work plan updates. 

Required Skills and Experience

Education

• Master’s Degree in international affairs, business administration, law, economics, cross-cultural communication, foreign language studies, international and cross culture studies, social science or a similar and/or related field;

Work Experience

• At least 10 years of?relevant work experience particularly in project implementation, management and/or business administration;
• Prior experience working in international organizations required;
• Experience working in China with public and/or private sector required;
• Experience implementing development projects of various sectors in developing countries other than China highly desired;
• Proficiency in the usage of computer and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.)

Key Competencies

• Planning and Organization

Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies. Identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required. Uses own initiative; Allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work. Strong organizational skills; Close attention to detail; Foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning. Monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary. Uses time efficiently; Works well under pressure; Able to meet tight deadlines and to manage a heavy workload; Persistence and willingness to follow through.

• Communications

Writes clearly and effectively. Listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately. Asks questions to clarify,and exhibits interest in having two-way communication. Communication and advocacy skills;

• Respect for Diversity

Curiosity and desire to work in a complex, international environment. Proven ability to work in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity, including gender and geographical balance. Sensitivity to cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age differences; Respect for, and understanding of, international political processes; Ability to work in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and discretion.

• Integrity

Commitment to United Nations’ mission, vision and values; Ethics and Values: Promotes Ethics and Integrity and creates positive precedents; demonstrates the values of the United Nations in daily activities and behaviours. Acts without consideration of personal gain. Resists undue political pressure in decision-making. Does not abuse power or authority. Stands by decisions that are in the Organization’s interest, even if they are unpopular. Takes prompt action in cases of unprofessional or unethical behaviour.

• Teamwork

Able to function in a team environment; Strong interpersonal skills and flexibility; Self-management and Emotional Intelligence: Creates an emotionally intelligent organization; Team player with the ability to maintain good work relations with individuals of different backgrounds, and to work under pressure; Holds a friendly, approachable and confident manner; Able to take instructions and to learn on the job; Able to cope with criticism; Conflict Management: leverages conflict in the interest of OPGA and sets standards; Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals. Solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others. Places team agenda before personal agenda. Supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position. Shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.

• Creativity

Actively seeks to improve programmes and services. Offers new and different options to solve problems or meet client needs. Promotes and persuades others to consider new ideas. Takes calculated risks on new and unusual ideas; thinks “outside the box”. Takes an interest in new ideas and new ways of doing things. Is not bound by current thinking or traditional approaches.

• Technological Awareness

An excellent working knowledge of IT and all applications relating to communications; Keeps abreast of available technology. Understands applicability and limitations of technology. Actively seeks to apply technology to appropriate tasks. Shows willingness to learn new technology.

• Negotiation and Partnership Building

Strong negotiation skills and ability to build partnerships and mobilize support; Strong initiative and is comfortable to pro-actively reach out to new and existing external partners; Strong skills for reputational risk management.

Application Process

Interested applicants must submit the following documents/information to demonstrate their qualifications:

• Brief cover letter (max 1 page) outlining relevant experience and motivation for role;
• Personal history form (P11) or CV/Resume;(Link: https://pan.baidu.com/s/1cAWmYJre2TS9KKmVjJytgg Code: symu)
• Offeror's Letter and Financial Proposal;(Link: https://pan.baidu.com/s/1pGKG1kMLcdOo9rNbWG3GcA Code: ae5q)
• Contact details of 2 references.

6. Evaluation / Selection Process

Applicant’s CV and cover letter will be assessed against alignment with functional responsibilities and required skills and experience to create a longlist.

For shortlisted candidates, a cumulative analysis method will be used. The award of the Individual Contractors Contract shall be made to the individual contractors whose offer has been evaluated and determined as:

• Responsive/compliant/acceptable, and
• Having received the highest score out of a pre-determined set of weighted technical and financial criteria specific to the solicitation

Technical Criteria; 70%

Applicant interview performance will be evaluated against listed required skills, experience, and competencies.

1. Experience in building partnerships with entities of various nature from developing countries in the context of international development (30 points)
2. Experience in implementing projects of various sectors in developing countries (20 points)
3. Experience in mobilizing human, technical and financial resources in the context of international development (20 points)
4. Experience in working for international organizations, development cooperation agencies or relevant government entities (10 points).
5. Experience in organizing high-level events and interacting with governments, international organizations, and other stakeholders (10 points).
6. Knowledge of UNDP partnership and risk management policies and regulations (10 points).

Financial Criteria; 30%

The following formula will be used to evaluate financial proposal: p = y (µ/z),

• p = points for the financial proposal being evaluated;
• y = maximum number of points for the financial proposal;
• µ = price of the lowest priced proposal;
• z = price of the proposal being evaluated;