UNDP Jobs - 10478- Knowledge Management Team Leader

Knowledge Management Team Leader

Location :

Dakar, SENEGAL

Type of Contract :

FTA International

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

11-Jun-09 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

P-5

Duration of Initial Contract :

1 year

Languages Required :

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 Bureau for Development Policy (BDP) provides the foundation for UNDP’s global substantive practices. BDP provides the tools, analysis and capacities that country offices need to make a real difference in UNDP’s practice areas. Accordingly, BDP is the corporate sponsor of Knowledge Management for UNDP and is responsible for ensuring that knowledge created at any level of the organisation will be made available to all staff to enhance organisational effectiveness. It does this through the Knowledge Management Group (KMG), a corporate service which provides a core set of knowledge sharing solutions to the entire organization; and through advisory services to UNDP Country Offices, Regional Practice Groups and UN regional offices. All activities of the KMG will support the goals and outcomes established in UNDP’s Strategic Plan 2008-2011.

A Knowledge Management Team Leader (KMTL) will be assigned to each of the 6 Regional Service Centres (RSCs).The KMTL in the RSCs represents the KMG Team at the regional level and will ensure that the Regional KM team works consistently towards the goals and outcomes established for the KMG. The KMTL will support the implementation of the corporate Knowledge Strategy and the development of knowledge management (KM) capabilities in the country offices in the region. The KMTL manages and supervises the Knowledge Management Team at the RSC that supports regional practices in their knowledge management work, provides Country Office and regional level services, and training and Help desk functions for knowledge management. The KMTL will plan his/her work jointly with the Director, KM Group in NY and the Deputy Regional Director (DRD) at the RSC or their designated representative(s). The Key Result Areas (KRAs) and assessment of the RCA will be jointly agreed and monitored.

Regional Context

UNDP is currently undergoing a series of important changes. First of all, there is increased emphasis within the organisation on accountability, internal controls, risk management and results based management. Moreover, continued importance is given to staff capacity development and Knowledge sharing and these compounded changes pose new opportunities and challenges for managers and staff. Despite some measurable progresses, the West and Central Africa (WCA) sub-region is still facing very urgent and somehow critical problem of development. The main challenge confronting countries in the sub-region seems to be lack of capacity to address and implement the conditions related the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). In perspective to make the MDG achievable in West and Central Africa, urgency has been underscored recently to adopt in ASRO-WCA an integrated approach between the practices that could lead to more efficient and coordinated support to countries toward the MDGs achievement. In this context, the Knowledge Management is central to capture lessons learnt and best practices on development issues in ASRO-WCA countries. Knowledge is thus one of the pillars of capacity in Africa in general and in the West & Central Africa in particular, and investing in the links between capacity development and KM will contribute to the systematization and devolution of knowledge in support of development interventions based on global-to-local linkages. There is a need to address the challenge of what has been termed as a 'knowledge gap', particularly at sub-national levels by enhancing the capacity of various stakeholders, including the local communities, to draw on and utilize ‘global’ information and knowledge resources to support the attainment of development outcomes.

To this end the Africa Sub-Regional Office for Western and Central Africa (ASRO-WCA) will take measures to implement a platform to facilitate the exchange of knowledge based on a commonly agreed set of value propositions across the sub-region for the development of capacities of different stakeholder groups for results on development priorities. The KMTL will therefore be required to take a lead in the development of an appropriate strategy in this regard, within the framework of UNDP's corporate KM strategy, and provide support for cross-cutting knowledge services that serve as a unifying platform for ASRO-WCA's work in the region.

Duties and Responsibilities

Knowledge Management and Services

Support the Corporate Knowledge Strategy and corporate knowledge system, Teamworks.
Represent the Knowledge Management Service Centre at the Regional Level managing all regional KM matters and requests from CO and RSC for KM support and services.
Manage the Knowledge Management Team in the RSC.
Provide input into strategic planning and the realignment of UNDP business processes associated with the implementation of the KMSC and regional knowledge management services.
Advocate for adoption and implementation of KM corporate standard products and services; support the rollout of corporate KM initiatives; and at the same time provide feedback on regional needs that feed into the identification of such products and services.
Manage delivery of regional KM services to Country Offices, as well as to the RSC practice and cross practice teams, including Regional KM priorities.
Co-ordinate Regional KM activities with other regional centres and with HQ.
Act as a liaison between country office and regional needs and the development and implementation of corporate products and services at the country office and regional level.
Develop and implement a Regional KM Strategy in coherence with the corporate strategy and in line with regional needs.
Monitor business needs and identify opportunities for the development of new KM products and services in response to new needs.
Report on KMG delivery and system usage.

Contributions to policy advisory services, programme support and delivery

Provide training and outreach on corporate KM products and services to the RSC, COs and UNCT; and other UN agencies in the region.
Advise the DRD, PLs, including in cross-cutting areas, on global knowledge management strategies and regional knowledge management needs and opportunities.
Support policy advisory and regional programme delivery through knowledge management advice.
Advocate and provide training for knowledge management functions to enable all staff to share knowledge in operational activities.
Ensure that knowledge management is appropriately integrated into the RSC business processes and the job description of personnel.

Learning

Promote practical synergies between Knowledge Management and learning including the corporate learning and knowledge management platforms.

Outreach

Foster relations with external Knowledge Management professionals and institutions in the region, including donors, UN system agencies and civil society organizations, in support of knowledge management, in consultation with and/or in response to requests from Country Offices where these partnerships are being forged and fostered.
Promote the work of the KMG.
Represent UNDP in working level inter-agency meetings on KM in the region; build partnerships with other UN system organizations, in consultation with the Country Office concerned, where relevant, in support of the objectives of the KMSC.

The KMTL’s role will strengthen knowledge management services at UNDP, and improve the quality, effectiveness and delivery of knowledge services to the UNCT the Resident Co-ordination system and UNDP COs, and UNDPs development services in the region, as outlined in the Strategic Plan 2008-2011.

Competencies

Corporate:

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

Functional:

Knowledge Management

Demonstrated capacity to strongly promote knowledge sharing and knowledge products and systems;
Ability to provide advocacy, outreach and capacity development on knowledge management systems;
Ability to implement change and to get consensus and collaboration across many business units;
Ability to explain complex concepts in layman's language;
Understanding of on-line business processes and workflow structures;
Capacity to define user policies and draft localized user guidelines;
Thorough understanding of current Knowledge Management technologies, including Web and Enterprise 2.0;
Proven familiarity with Social Networking, blogs, wikis functions and features and new communication technologies such as Instant Messaging, etc.

Leadership

Strong managerial/leadership experience and decision-making skills;
Ability to conceptualize and convey strategic vision from the spectrum of development experience;
Knowledge and expertise in UNDP’s programming processes;
Ability to recognize opportunities.

Managing Relationships

Demonstrated well developed people management and organizational skills;
Strong ability to manage teams; creating an enabling environment, mentoring and developing staff;
Excellent negotiating and networking skills;
Strong resource mobilization and partnering skills.

Managing Complexity

Ability to address regional development issues;
Substantive knowledge and understanding of development cooperation and knowledge management with the ability to support the practice architecture of UNDP and inter-disciplinary issues;
Demonstrated substantive leadership and ability to integrate knowledge with broader strategic, policy and operational objectives;
A sound global network of institutional and individual contacts.

Judgment/Decision-Making

Mature judgment and initiative;
Proven ability to provide strategic direction in knowledge areas;
Independent judgment and discretion in advising on handling major policy issues and challenges.

Learning

Ability to promote a learning environment in the office through leadership and personal example;
Ability to apply knowledge, information and best practices from within and outside of UNDP;
Ability to provide constructive coaching and feedback.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

An advanced university degree in a knowledge management and/or development related area – (Information, Communication, Economics, Public Policy, Development Management, International Relations, Business Administration etc.)

Experience:

10 years of overall relevant professional experience, including in knowledge management.
Experience in developing/managing knowledge management systems/programmes.
Advanced experience with current KM technologies, including Web and Enterprise 2.0. A track record of extensive national/international working experience with increasing managerial responsibilities in the development arena.

Language Requirements:

Fluency (both written and verbal) in French.
Working knowledge of English required.
Working knowledge of another UN language desirable.