UNDP Jobs - 37265- Senior Coordination Officer

Senior Coordination Officer - Governorate's Office (Yemeni nationals only)

Location :

Abyan, YEMEN

Type of Contract :

Service Contract

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

30-Jul-13 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

SB-4

Duration of Initial Contract :

One year

Languages Required :

Arabic English

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

With the signing of the Gulf Cooperation Council Implementation Mechanism on 23 November 2011, Yemen entered into a historic transitional process, the success of which will determine the fate of Yemen for decades to come. The transition aims at creating the basis for national reconciliation, constitutional reform and a lasting socioeconomic recovery process. The Government of Yemen developed a Transitional Stabilisation and Development Plan (TSDP) to provide a ‘road map’ to achieve this end. The TSDP took into account the particular needs of areas in Yemen that have suffered from recent conflict.

Priority 3 of the TSDP identifies, amongst other objectives, the need to:

Restore humanitarian damages by providing humanitarian assistance and compensations to the families of martyrs and treating injured people. Assist IDPs and expand humanitarian efforts to cover affected groups in all regions.
Rehabilitate damaged infrastructure and reconstruction of public facilities and buildings. The priority shall be given to health and education facilities, roads, power and water networks, city streets and rehabilitation of damaged government services. This is in addition to compensating those whose private properties were damaged. This however, is to be achieved without diverting necessary resources from humanitarian and life saving required interventions.
Plan for residual needs as part of the medium and long term to accommodate all needs not met during the transitional period.

Whilst Yemen in general is facing many critical challenges ranging from the political to the humanitarian, the impact of instability and de-development since 2011 is inevitably greatest on the most vulnerable, especially populations directly affected by conflict.

Populations in the governorate of Abyan suffered from under-development, including high levels of food insecurity and mal-nutrition in 2010 before the onset of the additional conflict induced crisis. The conflict between the state, supported by local tribes, and the allied forces of Al’Saria and Al Qaida in the Arab Peninsula between January and June 2012 resulted in the displacement of more than 190,000 registered IDPs to the neighbouring governorates of Aden, Lahj, Shabwa, Hadramout and Al-Baya and an unknown number of the displaced remained unregistered. At the height of displacement 76 schools in Aden alone were occupied by IDPs. An unknown number were displaced within Abyan itself moving from districts directly affected by violence to safer more distant areas. In addition a significant numbers of people remained in their areas of origin throughout the violence.

In June 2012 the state authorities declared a victory over the none state actors and the return of a IDPs began. However, deaths and casualties from Improvised Explosive Devices and Unexploded Ordinance caused a temporary halt to the spontaneous return, until de-contamination of the post conflict areas was undertaken. According to UNHCR clearance of the majority of urban areas from the remnants of war has now facilitated the return of more that 145,000 registered IDPs back to Abyan (85 percent).

The conflict has left behind damaged infrastructure, interrupted public services, land contaminated by mines and loss or damaged to livelihoods.

Governorate Coordination

The Office of the Governor of Abyan is the Government of Yemen authority responsible for post conflict rehabilitation and restoration. In addition the Governor’s Office seeks to facilitate the improvement of conditions in Abyan beyond those prior to the conflict. Indeed the under-development of Abyan Governorate, unemployment and the lack of services were key triggers of the conflict and must be addressed if cycles of violence are to be broken.

Although resources remain limited a wide number of actors have begun or are planning to deliver support to Abyan. The number and diversity of stakeholders presents a serious coordination challenge for the Office of the Governor. Stakeholders include National level government institutions, international donors, international and national development agencies and the humanitarian community, including the UN and NGOs. Different coordination mechanism exist including that led by the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) but many agencies including SFD, IFAD and SWF do not use these coordination systems.

In order to ensure that available funds are used efficiently and that the priority needs are met the Governor’s office must lead coordination of the recovery process. However, the maintenance of a comprehensive coordination system requires skill and resources. It is particularly challenging that in Abyan relief, early recovery and in some cases development activities are required in parallel.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the guidance and supervision of the Governor of Abyan, the Senior Coordination Officer develops and implements a comprehensive coordination strategy for the Abyan Governor’s office in close cooperation with the UNDP country office.

Specifically, the ‘Senior Coordination Officer’ will undertake the following tasks:

Develop a comprehensive Coordination Strategy for all relief, early recovery and development activities in the Governorate of Abyan, through:

Stakeholder mapping.
Development of a coordination network including through high level bilateral meetings with national and international donors and implementing partners
Development of a practical coordination structure.
Regularly updated needs analysis and prioritisation exercises.

Manage the coordination mechanism in support of the governor, including:

Management of the events, workshops, trainings, meetings/briefings and media events.
Being the focal point for donors and implementing partners.
Management of compilation and preparation of briefing and presentation materials, background information and documentation for meetings and missions.

Develop and manage an efficient information management and record maintenance system, focusing on achievement of the following results:

Ensuring maintenance of institutional memory through hard and soft tools.
Oversight of the Governor’s website
Ensuring adequate information analysis and sharing.

Provide effective fund raising support to the Governor’s office, focusing on achievement of the following results:

Developing a fund raising strategy including stake-holder analysis.
Maintaining communication with relevant National government institutions, international donors, international & national development agencies, the humanitarian community and UN agencies and NGOs;

Provide support to effective advocacy of the governorates activities and information focusing on achievement of the following results:

Preparation of advocacy materials a s necessary.
Managing the maintenance of up-to-date information on the early recovery programmes and activities in Abyan

Other coordination task as requested by the Governor.

Output and deliverables

The Senior Coordination Officer Abyan Governorate’s Office will contribute towards the following programme outputs and deliverables:

A comprehensive Abyan Governorate coordination strategy;
A detailed resource mobilisation strategy
Development of strategic documents for response
Establishment and Implementation of Governor’s office coordination mechanisms;

Competencies

Professionalism:

Strong analytical and strategic ability;
Strong interpersonal and communication skills, verbal and written;
Ability to coordinate and execute administrative processes;
Ability to extract, internet, analyze data and resolve operational problems;
Ability to manage a team and ensure deliverables of excellence;
Good knowledge of Government administrative rules and regulations vis-à-vis international cooperation.
Ability to handle a high volume of work, multitask and respond to short deadlines. Flexibility to work with people with different values and ability to appreciate cultural differences;

Planning & Organizing:

Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies
Allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work
Foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning
Monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary
Uses time efficiently.

Accountability:

Delivers outputs for which one has responsibility within prescribed time, cost and quality standards.
Efficient storage and organization of documents.
Supports subordinates, provides oversight and takes responsibility for delegated assignments
Takes personal responsibility for his/her own shortcomings and those of the work unit, where applicable.

Communication:

Positive and constructive attitude.
Facilitate communication with all individuals regardless of gender, national and cultural background.

Teamwork :

Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment and respects diversity.
Works collaboratively with colleagues and shares knowledge to achieve organizational objectives.
Good interpersonal skills and team spirit;

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Master degree in international relations, political science, public policy, administration, or a related field;

Experience:

Five years’ relevant work experience, in Programme and project management or coordination mechanism is desirable;
Computer skills: good command of standard office software packages. Internet research, webpage maintenance;

Language Requirements:

Excellent command of English and Arabic , written and oral;

FC 11300