UNDP Jobs - 108236- Policy Specialist, SDG Finance

Policy Specialist, SDG Finance - IPSA 11

Location :

Home-based

Type of Contract :

IPSA (Regular)

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

15-Aug-22 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

IPSA-11

Duration of Initial Contract :

12 months

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

12 months with possibility of extension

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

Instructions to Applicants: Click on the "Apply now" button. Input your information in the appropriate Sections: personal information, language proficiency, education, resume and motivation. Upon completion of the first page, please hit "submit application" tab at the end of the page. Please ensure that CV or P11 and the Cover letter are combined in one file.

The following documents shall be required from the applicants:

Personal CV or P11, indicating all past positions held and their main underlying functions, their durations (month/year), the qualifications, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate, and at least three (3) the most recent professional references of previous supervisors. References may also include peers.

A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page) indicating why the candidate considers him-/herself to be suitable for the position.

Managers may ask (ad hoc) for any other materials relevant to pre-assessing the relevance of their experience, such as reports, presentations, publications, campaigns or other materials.

Office/Unit/Project Description

UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP's Global Policy Network (GPN) provides a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in the Strategic Plan. Within the GPN, the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) is responsible for developing all relevant policy and guidance to support the results of UNDP's Strategic Plan. BPPS staff provide technical advice to Country Offices, advocate for UNDP corporate messages, represent UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora including public-private dialogues, government and civil society dialogues, and engage in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas.

In order to streamline its financial and investment engagement, UNDP launched the Sustainable Finance Hub (SFH), a finance and innovation platform, that draws on a critical mass of UNDP expertise, initiatives, and partnerships to support the mobilization and leveraging of resources for the SDGs and lead the implementation of the new UNDP private sector strategy and other initiatives. SFH is an integral part of both the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) and the Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy (BERA), as well as part of the GPN. The Hub serves as a connector, broker and global coordinator among internal and external actors; curates and manages UNDP’s catalogue of service offers on SDG financing to governments, investors and companies, via the COs, to significantly enhance the scale and impact of UNDP’s work.

Integrated national financing frameworks (INFFs) were first introduced by UN Member States in the 2015 Addis Ababa Action Agenda as a country-led approach to strengthen public and private financing for sustainable development. Today, more than 80 countries are using the INFF approach to integrate financing and national planning, bringing the right people together to make decisions and coordinate action to strengthen SDG financing. 2022 is a crucial year as around half of the countries using the INFF approach will develop their financing strategies this year.

Institutional Arrangement

The Policy Specialist, SDG Finance will work under the supervision of the SDG Finance Specialist in the Sustainable Finance Hub.

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of Work

Under the direct supervision of the SDG Finance Specialist, Sustainable Finance Hub, and working closely with the other team members, the Policy Specialist, SDG Finance will be responsible for the performance of the following functions and duties:

1) Providing quality assurance on financing strategies, development finance assessments and other INFF activities and products:

Contributing to INFF Facility quality assurance and review processes to feed into the development of financing strategies and other INFF building blocks at the country level, applying the IATF INFF methodological guidance.
Leading quality assurance on development finance assessments and INFF assessments and diagnostics.
Developing and maintaining service offers that help governments to develop the technical elements of financing strategies and other INFF building blocks, including working with SDG impact, tax for SDGs, SDG budgeting, insurance and risk financing facility and other SFH teams as they deploy services at the country level.
Contributing to the maintenance of detailed information on the content of financing strategies and other building blocks to facilitate exchange.
Working with UN DESA to feed country experiences into the updates of INFF methodological guidance.
Providing substantive oversight and quality assurance for the engagement of technical experts.

2) Coordinating with regional bureaus, country offices and INFF Facility partners:

Working with INFF focal points in Regional Bureaus and Country Offices to support national INFF processes, from initial setup and assessments through to the finalization and delivery of financing strategies and other building blocks, applying the IATF INFF methodology.
Maintaining a roster of INFF and thematic experts, including arranging contract evaluations and updates.
Working closely with INFF Facility technical coordination unit partners including UN DESA and the OECD to ensure coordinated provision of support and technical inputs to the country level.
Supporting workplanning, monitoring and reporting through the INFF Facility.

3) Delivering training, capacity development and country exchanges:

Developing and delivering training and capacity building activities on INFFs and SFH services, both internally and externally, at the country, regional and global levels.
Coordinating the development of future financing services within the frame of the INFF.
Facilitating INFF Exchanges between countries to share experiences and lessons, organizing global and regional workshops and events.

4) Managing the INFF dashboard and annual INFF survey:

Managing the annual INFF survey to capture comprehensive information on how countries are using INFFs, the progress made and results emerging, including management of the INFF dashboard and underlying database.
Developing summary analysis at the global, regional and country levels including reports, briefings and presentations.
Working with INFF communications lead to develop knowledge products and case studies.
Identifying and sharing innovations within INFF processes.
Providing substantive inputs into global INFF communications.

5) Coordinating strategic engagement with partners:

Leading operational collaboration with external partners supporting INFF implementation.
Managing and developing relationships with other external partners to the INFF Facility.

For more information on UNDP SDG Finance Sector Hub and INFF Activities, please visit https://sdgfinance.undp.org/ and inff.org

Competencies

*Core*
Achieve Results:	LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact
Think Innovatively:	LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems
Learn Continuously:	LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences
Adapt with Agility:	LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands
Act with Determination:	LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results
Engage and Partner:	LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration
Enable Diversity and Inclusion:	LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity

*Thematic Area*	*Name*	*Definition*
Business Direction & Strategy	Negotiation and Influence	Ability to reach an understanding, persuade others, resolve points of difference, gain advantage in the outcome of dialogue, negotiates mutually acceptable solutions through compromise and creates win-win situations
Business Development	Knowledge Generation	Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need
Business Direction & Strategy	Strategic Thinking	Ability to leverage learning from a variety of sources to anticipate and respond to future trends; to demonstrate foresight in order to model what future developments and possible ways forward look like for UNDP
Partnership management	Relationship management	Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understanding
2030 Agenda: Partnerships	SDG Finance	Public Sector Finance (Tax and domestic resource mobilization, public financial management and public expenditure)

Required Skills and Experience

Min. Education requirements	Master’s degree in economics, public policy, social sciences or related discipline is required.
Min. years of relevant work experience	Minimum of 7 years of professional experience in sustainable development financing, policy analysis, public finance, private sector development, strategic planning and budgeting, capacity building and advisory services is required.
Required skills	Experirnce in leading consultations with senior government officials and facilitating discussions among a wide group of stakeholders is required. Demonstrated experience in supporting government agencies or development partners in the area of development finance and public institutional governance and capacity building is required. Excellent writing skills, as demonstrated by previous research/analytical reports/policy notes on relevant topics are required.
Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section	Experience working with government on reforms to public and/or private financing policy is desirable. Excellent data management and analysis skills, including prior experience conducting large surveys is desirable. Experience working on Integrated National Financing Frameworks is desirable. Previous work experience with UNDP / UN in similar functions is an advantage.
Required Language(s)	Proficiency in the English language: excellent verbal, written and editing skills are required. Working knowledge of another UN language is an asset.