Background

Organizational Context

The country of Myanmar is at an historic stage in its development. The present government has initiated a number of reforms focusing on good governance, human rights and reaching cease-fire agreements in a number of conflict areas. In this context, UNDP Myanmar, after more than 20 years of working exclusively at the grassroots level through the Human Development Initiative, has agreed with the Government of Myanmar on the implementation of a country program (2013-2015). The Country Program Action Plan (CPAP) is structured along three pillars.

Under the overall program of Pillar 01 – Strengthening of responsive local governance - four specific outputs are being pursued:

• Output 01 - Strengthened institutional capacity for local governments and township administrations for area-related development planning, responsive and effective public service delivery, organizational management and conflict prevention;
• Output 02 – Citizens and communities engaged in local development and monitoring of service delivery (combined civil society and media support);
• Output 04 - Strengthened capacity of institutions required to support livelihoods at the local level (microfinance, vocational training, technical extension centers);
• Output 05 – Livelihood support for social cohesion.

Output 01 is designed to assist the government in strengthening institutional capacity of local governments (being State/Region, District and Township level Administrations) several thematic areas such as participatory planning and budgeting; responsive and effective people-centred service delivery; local government financial management and conflict mitigation and conflict prevention.

Under the guidance and supervision of the Programme Coordinator, Local Governance Mapping, the Local Governance Analyst will contribute to the effective implementation of the Local governance programme with a particular focus on the Local Governance Mapping project, which is a major activity within Output 01.

The purpose of the mapping exercise is to better understand the state of governance in Myanmar at township and lower levels, from both the supply and demand side perspective, i.e., from the institutional and people’s perspectives. The mapping exercise will identify the opportunities and challenges that exist in the area of sub-national governance, in order to contribute to policy discussions on regional and local governance in an informed manner. It is expected that this mapping exercise will build on the momentum of reforms, and contribute to a further consolidation of the democratic transition process in Myanmar.

Mon and Chin were selected at the pilot states of the LG mapping exercise, and the mapping activities have been successfully concluded in these states. Five more states and regions will be covered in Phase II of the project, to be completed by the end of May. These are – Kayin, Kayah, Tanintharyi, Bago and Ayeyarwaddy. The remaining states/regions will be covered in Phase III of the project, between May – September 2014.

The findings will be shared through regular workshops, but most importantly in a consolidated fashion during the second Local Governance Forum, to be held in close collaboration with the Government of Myanmar, in October 2014. In addition, an agreed approach of sharing and storing the overall mapping results in a sustainable way for wider access of the public as well as for use of the government partners of the UNDP local governance program beyond the immediate mapping period will need to be developed in consultation with the partners, agreed upon and implemented. This might entail additional capacity building support to the government partners, in agreement with recommendations from the Advisory Committee set up for overlooking and guiding the mapping exercise on behalf of the government.

The Local Governance Analyst will work in close collaboration with the Programme Specialist (Local Governance) and other national and international consultants and experts, substantive and administrative staff of Pillar 1, as well as the research partner institution engaged to implement the Mapping exercise.

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of Key Functions:

• Supports the Local Governance programme, with particular focus on the implementation of local governance mapping across all states and regions of Myanmar;
• Provide technical inputs for the Local Governance programme including data analysis and report writing for the Local Governance mapping;
• Supports the knowledge management process.
  

Supports the Local Governance programme, with a particular focus on the implementation of local governance mapping across all states and regions of Myanmar, on achievement of the following results:

• Providing support to planning, budgeting, implementing and monitoring of local governance programs and programmatic interventions in the local governance area as per approved work plans, tracking use of financial resources in accordance with UNDP rules and regulations;
• Providing inputs to budgets and financial management, as and when required;
• Ensuring payment requests are properly submitted and make sure the proper use of the funds in relation to the implementation of the Local Governance mapping according to UNDP’s rules and regulation;
• Participating in sensitization of stakeholders in each state towards the importance of local governance and the aims, objectives and methodology of the local governance mapping project; coordinate selection of sample townships, village tracts/wards in each state/region in a consultative manner;
• Drafting/revision of Terms of Reference (TOR) for research partner institution/ consultants for background studies, data management, other consultants, etc.; participation in consultant selection, technical feedback on reports and other outputs;
• Ensuring that all relevant permissions are secured from national and state/region governments to implement the mapping exercise without any hurdles;
• Supervision, monitoring and assurance of quality upon survey functions of partner institution staff implementing the mapping exercise, as required;
• Liaising and coordination of local governance program implementation with partners, executing agencies and government counterparts.
  

Provides technical inputs including data analysis and report writing for the Local Governance mapping, on achievement of the following results:

• Providing Pillar 1 Team with technical inputs for the Local Governance programme in general and for the Local Governance mapping in specific regarding future programme formulation;
• Provide suggestion to the Local Governance mapping team on implementation approaches and strategies to implement the Local Governance mapping;
• Providing technical feedback on frequency tables and preliminary analysis arising from Citizen Report Cards, Community Dialogues and Township Governance background studies, all of which are part of the multi-step governance mapping methodology;
• Providing feedback on presentations and reports prepared by research partner institution, as well as national and international consultants;
• Monitoring of activities and deliverables, targets and milestones, based on the approved Local Governance work-plan, preparing regular and specific reports to Output leader and Coordinator;
• Ensuring that internal quarterly and intermittent reports are regularly prepared on activities, outputs and outcomes together with national and international consultants. Contributing timely and adequate support on submission of external reports, including donor reports;
• Providing technical and programmatic inputs to upload the monitoring reports in the ATLAS system;
• Ensuring that all reports are translated into Myanmar, and reviewing them to ensure consistency between Myanmar and English versions.
  

Supports knowledge management and institutionalization of the LG Mapping methodology, focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Organizing the reports and outputs from different states and regions, and various consultants, and ensuring that they are shared with the government and partners as required;
• Contributing to the implementation of Knowledge Management Strategy;
• Supporting the relevant government offices in institutionalization of LG mapping;
• Oversees the work of the database manager (when hired).
  

Impact of Results

The key results will have an impact on the overall success and sustainability of UNDP’s local governance mapping and other local governance related activities.

Competencies

Functional Competencies:

Advocacy/Advancing A Policy-Oriented Agenda:

• Preparing information for advocacy;
• Identifies and communicates relevant information for a variety of audiences for advocating UNDP’s mandate.
  

Results-Based Programme Development and Management:

• Contributes into results through primary research and analysis;
• Assesses project performance to identify success factors and incorporates best practices into project work;
• Researches linkages across programme activities to identify critical points of integration;
• Monitors specific stages of projects/programme implementation.
  

Building Strategic Partnerships:

• Maintaining a network of contacts;
• Analyzes and selects materials for strengthening strategic alliances with partners and stakeholders.
  

Innovation and Marketing New Approaches:

• Enhancing processes or products;
• Generates new ideas and proposes new, more effective ways of doing things;
• Documents and analyses innovative strategies/best practices/new approaches.
  

Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise:

• Fundamental knowledge of own discipline;
• Understands and applies fundamental concepts and principles of local governance and governance assessments;
• Possesses basic knowledge of organizational policies and procedures relating to the position and applies them consistently in work tasks;
• Strives to keep job knowledge up-to-date through self-directed study and other means of learning;
• Demonstrates good knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments.
  

Client Orientation:

• Establishing effective client relationships;
• Researches potential solutions to internal and external client needs and reports back in a timely, succinct and appropriate fashion;
• Organizes and prioritizes work schedule to meet client needs and deadlines.

Core Competencies:

• Demonstrating/safeguarding ethics and integrity;
• Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment;
• Self-development, initiative-taking;
• Acting as a team player and facilitating team work;
• Facilitating and encouraging open communication in the team, communicating effectively;
• Creating synergies through self-control;
• Managing conflict;
• Learning and sharing knowledge and encourage the learning of others. Promoting learning and knowledge management/sharing is the responsibility of each staff member;
• Informed and transparent decision making.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Statistics, Economics, Political Science or related social sciences.

Experience:

• Minimum two years relevant experience in international development issues with a focus on national level;
• Some experience in local governance with a background and interest in the governance assessment approaches and methodology;
• Experience in programme and project management as an added advantage;
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages, experience in handling of web based management systems;
• Experience in research activities/ projects on field surveys;
• Experience in project/ programme monitoring and evaluation activities would be an asset.
  

Language:

• Fluency in the UN and national language of the duty station.

Remark:

Candidates must apply on-line through UNDP job website together with duly filled and signed UN-P11 form, academic qualification certificates. Applications without these document will note be considered. P11 form can be downloaded here: http://sas.undp.org/documents/P11_Personal_history_form.docx .