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.
Independent Evaluation Office of UNDP
The Independent Evaluation Office (IEO) works to enhance the development effectiveness of UNDP. The IEO contributes to UNDP’s organizational accountability and learning by conducting strategic, independent evaluations and setting standards and guidelines on evaluation for the organization. IEO’s work is guided by the UNDP Evaluation Policy and the Norms and Standards of the United Nations Evaluation Group (UNEG).
The IEO has five Workstreams: Country Programme Evaluation; Corporate and Thematic Evaluation; Capacity Development and Decentralized Evaluation; Knowledge and Data Management, and Synthesis and Lessons.
Institutional Arrangement
The Coordination Consultant will be supervised by the Chief of Section for the Synthesis & Lessons section and will work in close collaboration with other units of IEO.
Duties and Responsibilities
Scope of Work
The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015 (A/RES/70/1), are at the core of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The SDGs set ambitious targets for achievement within the current decade.
The IEO has recently launched a series of synthesis studies to systematically analyse evaluative evidence on key areas under the five pillars of the Sustainable Development Goals. These are: Peace, People, Planet, Prosperity and Partnership – known as the “5P”. The series will be delivered by a Global Coalition on Evaluation Evidence, and will provide policy recommendations to achieve the goals in the last five years before 2030, and beyond. As of October 2022, the “Coalition” consists of 23 United Nations agencies, six bilateral partners, and several evaluation networks, who inform the direction of the series and the conduct of the synthesis, and provide time, evidence and other resources to the exercise.
The first synthesis in the series – covering the Partnership Pillar – is currently underway, and the remaining four pillars will follow shortly after. All syntheses will be completed within 2023-2024.
UNDP seeks a Coordination Consultant to facilitate the 5P syntheses. S/he will support the 5P Steering Committee and management groups, helping to organise and track the inputs from the Coalition Members, and will work with the IEO 5P focal person to manage external teams conducting the syntheses. S/he will also support dissemination of the Synthesis findings, working closely with IEO lead evaluators and consultants to arrange events. The work of the Coordination Consultant will be guided by UNEG and IEO professional standards, guidance and manuals.
The specific tasks include, but are not limited to, the following:
• Run the secretariat to the Global Coalition for Evaluative Evidence for the SDGs. This will include: Implement the overall partnerships and engagement strategy for the initiative, convene regular meetings and handle communications with the management groups for each synthesis exercise, maintain meeting minutes and records, organize workplans and sequence calendars.
• Support data collation and preparation for synthesis: Identify relevant evaluations, research and studies, assess them for inclusion/exclusion, screen for quality, and extract relevant data.
• Upon request, help with synthesizing knowledge, comparing and contrasting the findings of impact evaluations and reviews, assessing their quality and the strength of their recommendations, and providing a summary of the evidence.
• Support the IEO Synthesis Manager and Lead Evaluators in monitoring their budgets and expenditures, preparing documentation for recruitment, payments and performance evaluation, and supporting budget revisions as needed.
• Prepare inputs for synthesis reports and annexes, providing formatting support and developing limited content relevant to processes.
• Support the planning and management of dissemination events for each of the 5 syntheses.
The coordination consultant will work as a member of the Synthesis & Lessons section, in support of efficient and effective execution of work planned through the Global Coalition for Evaluative Evidence for the SDGs and high-quality evidence syntheses.
Competencies
Core Competencies
• Vision, Mission: Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
• Integrity: Demonstrates integrity by modelling UN values and ethical standards;
• 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. Acts as a team player and facilitate teamwork; and Maintains confidentiality.
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: Facilitate conversations to bridge differences, considers in decision making
Functional Competencies
• Coordination, teamwork and communication skills.
• Drive for results and ability to work under pressure.
• Analytical skills, including ability to collect reliable, valid and accurate data and information; and quickly digest and analyze a diverse range of information and data collected from varied sources.
• Use of Microsoft Office Word, Excel, PowerPoint, TEAMS, SharePoint.
• Ability to prioritize tasks; and plan, organize, and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals (project management skills).
Development and Operational Effectiveness
• Strong oral and written communication skills;
• Time management and ability to handle a large volume of work.
Required Skills and Experience
Min. Academic Education
Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent in Social Sciences, Economics, Public Administration, Political Science, International Relations, or other relevant areas.
Min. Years of Relevant Work Experience
A minimum of 2 years of experience in coordinating complex processes involving multiple actors, preferably in the field of evaluation or research for international development;
• Demonstrated ability to organize own work, and work of others according to deadlines.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment with staff and partners with differing experience and skills and in different geographic locations.
• Knowledge of latest international development issues in UNDP’s areas of work (e.g., poverty reduction, democratic governance, human rights, environment and natural resources management, climate change, disaster risk reduction and resilience, gender equality and women’s empowerment).
• Prior work experience at or familiarity with the work of UNDP and/or other UN agencies.
• Partnership building and coordination and resource mobilization experience is an advantage
• Proven track record in managing for results, including monitoring budgets and expenditures.
• Experience in using computer and office software packages, web-based data management systems.
Desired Additional Skills and Competencies
Additional working knowledge of French and/or Spanish is preferred. Competence in other UN languages is an asset.
Required Language(s) (at working level)
English