Background

The UN Secretary-General established the UN SDG Action Campaign to inspire people and organizations from all backgrounds and every part of the world to take actions to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, while holding decision-makers to account for progress society-wide. The UN SDG Action Campaign is hosted and supported by UNDP and is based in Bonn (Germany) with a lean team that marshals rapid support for new initiatives as opportunities arise and provides partners with on-demand strategic creative services that inspire local SDG action.

The UN SDG Action Campaign is working closely with cities and local governments to showcase how they are actively contributing to implement Agenda 2030, accelerating transformative action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals for all, and everywhere.

Within this context, the UN SDG Action Campaign is seeking to recruit a Planning and Capacity Development Analyst to maximize UNDP efforts to support local and regional governments innovating SDG local action.

Local and regional governments are already responsible of over 65% of the SDG targets, most of them linked to basic service provision from water, sanitation, mobility, climate action, health or education. Cities and territories are playing a big part on the implementation of SDGs, that are becoming a new tool for strategic planning and budgeting in the mid to long-term. The planning and capacity development analyst will support UNDP Country Office working with municipalities around the world to exchange experiences, generate knowledge about the latest local development trends and collect data about city innovation to upscale and replicate such innovations. The Analyst will also ensure that the experience generated by the Global Mayors Challenge is shared, upscaled and communicate worldwide.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Planning and Capacity Development Analyst will provide support in the following areas:

  • Analyse project data and link with SDG targets and Agenda 2030 narrative.
  • Organize exchange of experiences amongst participating local governments and partners.
  • Provide technical support to the Global Mayors Challenge in designing training activities.
  • Design training and capacity development packages for local governments on planning and management of local SDG actions.
  • Support project implementation and replication of experiences of local governments within the UNDP network of Country Office supporting municipalities globally.
  • Responding to specific demands from UNDP Country Offices for information regarding SDG local implementation, including innovative basic service delivery though research, elaboration of policy documents and compilation of ready-to use information to support project implementation.
  • Collect information about how local and regional governments are innovating in basic service delivery, strategic and urban planning, municipal management and finance, local infrastructure development and assets, etc. for informed decision making at local level.
  • Guide beneficiary UNDP cities in capacity gap assessment, need identification and implementation of capacity development activities.
  • Provide back-up to the project operations team, including additional support to procurement processes including preparation and management of RFQs, ITBs or RFPs, receipt of quotations, bids or proposals, their evaluation, negotiation of certain conditions of contracts in full compliance with UNDP rules and regulations.
  • Support the Operations Specialist in their day-to-day implementation of the project: ensuring that all activities are prepared in a timely manner and implemented in accordance with stated outcomes and performance indicators;
  • Assist the Operations Specialist to prepare and timely submission of technical and progress reports to the donor, partners, and UNDP;
  • Assist the Operations Specialist supervision of the project team, including leave monitoring and regular reporting.

Institutional Arrangement:

The Planning and Capacity Development Analyst will report to the Operations and Quality Assurance Specialist, based in Bonn (Germany), working closely with UNDP Country Office in Rwanda.

Competencies

Core:

Achieve Results:Scale up solutions and simplifies processes, balances speed and accuracy in doing work.
Think Innovatively:Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic/integrated thinking.
Learn Continuously:Go outside comfort zone, learn from others and support their learning.
Adapt with Agility:Adapt processes/approaches to new situations, involve others in change process.
Act with Determination:Able to persevere and deal with multiple sources of pressure simultaneously.
Engage and Partner:Is facilitator/integrator, bring people together, build/maintain coalitions/partnerships.
Enable Diversity and Inclusion:Facilitate conversations to bridge differences, considres in decision making.

 

Cross-Functional & Technical Competencies:

Thematic AreaNameDefinition
Business Direction & StrategyStrategic Thinking
  • Ability to develop effective strategies and prioritised plans in line with UNDP’s objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, potential risks and opportunities; linking the vision to reality on the ground, and creating tangible solution.
Business DevelopmentKnowledge Generation
  • Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need.
Business ManagementResults-based Management
  • Ability to manage programmes and projects with a focus on improved performance and demonstrable results.

Digital and InnovationInnovation Capacity Building
  • Ability to define and create the conditions for trying out new ways of working or introducing new problem solving approaches to an organisation.

  • Ability to develop, manage and evaluate a learning curriculum that raises awareness, builds confidence, strengthens innovation capabilities around a certain method, tool or technique; or helps develop an innovation mindset.
  • Ability to create the authorising environment (mandate, incentives) to embed and spread new ways of working.
  • In-depth knowledge of one or more innovation methods, broad knowledge of innovation processes and innovation management.
  • Ability to align a learning and development strategy with broader innovation strategy.

     

 Data Collection
  • Being skilled in Data Sorting, Data Cleaning, Survey Administration, Presentation and Reporting including collection of Real-Time Data

Audit & InvestigationProcurement Concepts, Processes & Management
  • Knowledge of procurement processes and management.
HR People Strategy and PlanningOrganization Design and Development
  • Knowledge of the organisational design and development theory (i.e. enabling organization's performance through the design of structures, frameworks, systems, policies and metrics, as well as building and developing its culture, capability, values, behaviours, and relationships); understanding of macro trends that impact the design of organizations (e.g. sustainability, geopolitical, demographic, technology); knowledge of organisational design and development diagnostic tools; ability to 'scenario plan' for longer term organization design and development; ability to manage the development of capability/competency frameworks and maps. 

Required Skills and Experience

Min. Education requirements

  • Master’s Degree in Business, Law, Public Administration, Political Science, Urban Planning, International Development, or any related field; or a
  • Bachelor’s degree in Business, Law, Public Administration, Political Science, Urban Planning, INternational Development or related field, with two (2) years of relevant work experience is required.

Min. years of relevant work experience

  • A minimum of two (2) years with Bachelor’s Degree of relevant work experience in project management at international level is required.

Required skills

  • Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) is required.

Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section

  • Understanding of UN/UNDP rules and procedures, and experience in the organization’s operational activities, including UNDP Country Office experience is an asset.
  • Proven experience in working with local governments and their associations is an asset.
  • Proven professional experience focusing on client management and working with a diverse team will be an asset.
  • Experience in coordinating multicultural teams based in different countries will be an asset. 
  • Proven exposure to procurement operations in a multilateral/international organization, and experience with development of tender documents, management of procurement processes, bid evaluation, submission of cases to Oversight Committees and contract management is an asset.

Required Language(s)

  • Fluency in the English language is required.
  • Working knowledge of another UN language is an asset.

Professional Certificates

  • Having a Specialized Certification in Procurement (CIPS2), is an asset.

The following documents shall be required from the participants:

  • Personal CV - indicating all part positions held and their main underlying functions, their durations, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the candidate and at least three (3) references.
  • Cover letter - indicating why the candidate considers him/herself to be suitable for the position.