UNDP Jobs - 11714- Country Advisor

Country Advisor

Location :

New York, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Type of Contract :

FTA International

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

17-Jan-10 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

P-5

Duration of Initial Contract :

1 year (renewable)

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

General Context:

Encompassing 45 countries, RBA is UNDP’s largest Regional Bureau, with almost one third of the countries in crisis or post-crisis situations. To help the Africa region overcome its development challenges, UNDP’s strategic goal in Africa is to develop the region’s capacity to promote pro-poor growth and accountability (CD-PGA), as a strategy for accelerating its progress towards achieving the MDGs. Achieving this strategic goal requires a refocusing of UNDP’s resources in the region on capacity development, and strengthening its own internal capacity in required substantive and managerial areas. The RBA Strategy and Management Review conducted in mid-2006 recommended far-reaching managerial changes for UNDP in Africa to achieve this goal, including by enhancing its standards of efficiency and accountability in a number of key functions including: i) Innovative region-wide strategic thinking, advocacy and partnerships; ii) translation of corporate and RBA strategies and goals into successful capacity development results on the ground; iii) more strategic partnerships and support to UN reform; and iv) continuous upgrading and enhancement of in-house substantive and managerial effectiveness and accountability.

Post-specific Context

To meet the above challenges, the RBA Strategy and Management Review recommended an RBA HQ structure comprising a Directorate, and four Divisions, namely: i) Policy and Strategy (PSD); ii) Country Operations (2 geographical Divisions -CODs), and iii) UN Support and Partnerships (UNSP). In view of Africa’s development challenges, the scope and depth of work of the CODs is complex. It requires a mastery of a broad range of developmental issues, as well as considerable change management expertise, to provide Country Offices with the support they need to translate the strategy into effective capacity development initiatives and results. It also requires permanent interaction between the Bureau and sister UN Agencies at managerial and operational levels to promote joint programming and support UN reform.
To meet these challenges, a new organisational structure has been put in place requiring, among other things, the relocation of the Country Operations Divisions to the Africa region to strengthen their proximity to field realities, and promote operational synergies with other UN agencies and other field-based partners. In this regard, and in line with the corporate decision to strengthen oversight functions in New York, programming related functions will be needed at HQ to enhance the Director’s oversight over country programming and provide the CODs with the HQ liaison they will need to stay abreast of HQ-led initiatives, and provide input to ongoing reflections.
The Country Advisor based in New York remains a full member of the team of the Deputy Director for Country Operations to whom he/she reports. He/She provides the DRD/COD with all the information he/she needs to remain permanently grounded in corporate policies and strategies and in the regional-wide strategy of the Bureau. She/he ensures that HQ units have at all times the analytical information they need to play their quality assurance, compliance with corporate policy oversight roles. The Country Advisor in New York operates under the guidance of and delegated authority from DRD of his/her sub-region, with his/her activities covering the entire portfolio of Country Offices in his/her sub-region or cluster of assignment. S/he liaises with the Policy Advisors in PSD and UNSP to provide inputs to the Country Briefs on UNDP programming matters. S/he further liaises with all Central Bureaux units that have a role to play in providing country support, to ensure that information and inputs regarding the countries in his/her cluster are properly coordinated.
The nature of the tasks of the New York based Country Advisor differ from those of the Region-based Country Advisors in that he/she plays more of a coordinating and liaison role for 22 or 23 countries. Among other things, he/she creates and manages coordination and information support systems to ensure that nothing regarding any of these countries falls in-between the cracks at Headquarters. For his/her part, the region-based Country Advisors carry out more in-depth analytical and support work for about one third (on average 7) COs in his/her portfolio.

Duties and Responsibilities

Managerial Functions:

The Country Advisor in New York supervises one Programme Associate in line with established UN and UNDP management norms, rules and regulations, and in conformity with UNDP’s accountability framework for managers.

Technical functions:

Serve as focal point, and provide operational liaison between the CODs on all matters requiring representation and/or direct intervention from UNDP Headquarters;
Strengthen RBA/HQ compliance oversight of CO accountability for programme and management results;
Monitor through the COD and report to the Bureau on Country Office accountability for programme and management results;

Serve as focal point, and provide operational liaison between the CODs on all matters requiring representation and/or direct intervention from UNDP Headquarters;

Liaises with relevant HQ units, the EB Secretariat to keep the COD and Country Offices in his/her sub-region of responsibility regularly informed on new programme-related developments and their implications for country-level programming;
Ensures that CODs are permanently apprised of all ongoing discussions in NY regarding issues that are likely to impact on country programming;
Monitors and reports back to CODs on HQ mechanisms and processes for the clearance of CO programming instruments (CCA, UNDAF, CDP, reports of independent evaluation reports, etc.).
Creates and manages proper information and coordination systems in liaison with the COD to ensure that the COD has full access all information it needs from HQ;
Ensures that all programme and managerial performance information on countries in his/her sub-region of assignment is available to enable RBA/HQ and corporate UNDP play their corporate oversight functions.
Represents the CODs in HQ operational-level meetings including inter-agency and other meetings that have a bearing on COD activities, providing systematic feedback to them.

Expected results:

Timely flow of information between HQ and the CODs;
CO interests fully represented at the level of UNDP and UN policy processes;
Timely clearances of programming and management-related submissions to HQ from COs;
Enhanced coordination of HQ inputs into CO support.

Strengthen RBA/HQ compliance oversight of CO accountability for programme and management results;

Maintains at RBA HQ to share with other UNDP units as required regularly updated and comprehensive performance related briefs on Country Office under his/her responsibility with a focus on the status of programme implementation;
Liaises with the RBA/PSD Policy Advisors to maintain up-to-date briefs on the social, political, and economic performance of countries under his/her control.
Organizes HQ review of programming documents (CCA-UNDAFs and CPDs) from his/her sub-region of responsibility, and ensures that HQ comments are duly communicated to the CODs and the concerned and fully taken into account in subsequent revisions;
Represents the CODs in PACs of other Regional Bureaux, and in other programme-related meetings concerning RBA Country Offices under their responsibility, to which RBA is invited, sharing outcomes with CODs and COs;

Expected key Results: For the COs in his/her portfolio:

Enhanced RBA capacity to produce in a timely manner the statutory reports and other information required at corporate level as part of the Regional Director’s accountability to the Administrator;
Timely and comprehensive availability of analytical programme and management related information on CO performance;
Strengthened managerial compliance and accountability as measured by BOM/DOF indicators.

Monitor through the COD and report to the Bureau on Country Office accountability for programme and management results;

Works closely with the CODs and other RBA Units to provide programme-related inputs to the Bureau’s CO performance oversight, using mutually agreed results frameworks, performance indicators and targets;
Prepares, participates in, and monitors implementation of recommendations emerging from HQ Scans of Country Offices in his/her sub-region of responsibility;
Oversees CO compliance with established corporate standards, guidelines and schedules for country programming, closely examining all country programme-related documents and submitting them for clearance by the Director;
Follows up and reports to the Bureau on outstanding oversight issues related to programme and project management, consulting closely with central units and with the RBA Evaluation Advisors;
Liaises with the RBA Directorate, OSG and other relevant HQ Units to address risk assessment and management linked to programme/project implementation, and provides feedback to CODs;
Assesses CO DEX submissions for compliance and quality and follows up on clearances and approvals at Headquarters;
Continuously monitors and reports to the Director on DEX implementation performance in the countries and regional projects under his/her sub-region of responsibility, to ensure full compliance by with programme MRE guidelines;

Expected results:

Timely follow-up with Central Bureaux Units and with Implementing Agency HQ on programme managerial issues requiring UNDP HQ attention to be resolved;
Full compliance by COs with agreed results as provided for in the accountability framework;
Full compliance by COs with the DEX guidelines;

Impact of Results
As a key member of PSD overseeing CO quality and timeliness compliance with corporate programming standards, the role of the NY-based Country Advisors is critical for

the timeliness and quality of programme-related processes and documents submitted for UNDP HQ and Executive Board approval;
the quality of support from RBA Headquarters to Country Offices;
meeting the Regional Director’s accountability requirements with regard to programme results;

Competencies

Corporate Competencies

Demonstrated commitment to UNDP’s mission, vision and values.
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability. The candidate selected will be required to take UNDP’s mandatory training on UN Programme on the Prevention of Harassment, Sexual Harassment and Abuse of Authority within two months of their assuming their functions in this position.

Functional Competencies

Strategic thinking cognitive ability;
Capacity to operated effectively under pressure;
Demonstrated negotiating, cultural sensitivity and diplomatic skills;
Demonstrated well-developed people management and organisational skills;
Team-building and team membership skills;
Ability to conceptualize and convey strategic vision;
Capacity to organize information, tools, and resources to support achievement of strategic objectives;
Designs and implements policies and procedures for planning and acting effectively;
Ability to leverage information technology, executive information systems, management techniques and tools for optimal office performance;
Strong international, communication and presentation skills;

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Advanced University degree in a development-related area of study.

Experience:

At least 10 years of active participation or leadership in a position with programme management responsibilities; Experience with oversight and support to management operations and managerial change processes.

Language Requirements:

Excellent written and spoken communication skills in both French and English