Background

Candidates who previously applied need not re-apply.

Support to improving local governance requires national debate, consensus building, action planning, strategy development, and policy implementation around decentralization, federalism and institutional capacity at district and community levels.   Programmatic interventions would target improving the ability of district-level governments to plan, provide and deliver basic services, with the necessary capacity and legal frameworks to prepare and implement development plans, develop and execute corresponding budgets, and operationalize monitoring and oversight mechanisms over its legal competencies and authorities.  Support would focus on strengthening the overall performance and capacity of district-level governments to utilize resources allocated to basic services, with a corresponding culture of transparency, accountability, integrity and consultation that is responsive to development priorities voiced by citizens at local and community levels. 

Four key areas of local governance development entail:

• Policy Support: review statutes, support in developing a national Decentralization and Local Government Strategy, which includes assigning authority, level of autonomy, roles, functions, representation, relationships etc. to facilitate local participation and inclusion;
• Capacity Development: focusing on institutions, systems and key actors, skills, knowledge and processes at national and local levels. Focus on immediate capacity for public expenditure management (planning, implementation, M&E).  Overall objective is to get local governments to work;
• Fiscal Management and Service Delivery: support to fiscal empowerment of local authorities to effectively implement service delivery functions and mandates, including support for fiscal regulations, expenditure assignments, local resource mobilization, financial report and controls, and financial management;
• Support Local Economic Development: Local economic governance, enterprise development, local skills development, settlement development, livelihoods development, and facilitating PPPs.

Under the overall guidance and the supervision of the Portfolio Manager, Responsive Institutions and Citizen’s Engagement, the Programme Analyst is responsible for the management of UNDP’s Local Governance and Service Delivery  portfolio in the CO in Malawi.  The Programme Analyst supports the programme team’s efforts in the strategic planning and the identification of new programme opportunities within these thematic areas while ensuring consistency with UNDAF/ CPD priorities and creative responses to emerging challenges and opportunities.

The Programme Analyst analyzes political, social and economic trends and leads formulation, management and evaluation of programme activities within his/her portfolio. He/she contributes to policy dialogue with the government counterparts providing policy advisory services as well as supporting the identification of top-notch national and international environment practitioners to further this dialogue.

The Programme Analyst supervises and leads programme support staff, coordinates activities of the projects’ staff as they relate to her/his portfolio. She/he works in close collaboration with UNDP´s programme staff, the operations team, programme staff in other UN Agencies, UNDP HQs staff and Government officials, technical advisors and experts, multi-lateral and bi-lateral donors and trust funds as well as civil society ensuring successful UNDP programme implementation.

The Programme Analyst also supports the identification of emerging opportunities for resource mobilization with external donors and trust funds as they relate to areas of Local Governance and Service Delivery while leading and providing guidance in the development of internal and external knowledge networks of practitioners in these thematic areas.

Duties and Responsibilities

Ensures implementation of programme strategies in the Local Governance and Service Delivery   focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Thorough analysis and research of the political, social and economic situation in the country and preparation of substantive inputs to programmatic instruments;
• Identification of areas for support and interventions within the thematic/sectoral areas assigned, especially in the areas of Human rights, participation and democratic representation, access to justice, transparency and anti-corruption, citizen security, decentralization;
• Design of new initiatives and project proposals in the above sectoral areas in line with the Country Programme Action Plan (CPAP) 2012-2016 of UNDP Malawi..

Ensures effective management of the CO programme within the thematic/sectoral areas assigned  focusing on quality control from formulation to implementation of the country programme achieving the  following results:

• Effective application of RBM tools, establishment of management targets (BSC) and monitoring achievement of results.
• Design and formulation of CO programme within the area of responsibility, translating UNDP’s priorities into local interventions. Coordination of programme implementation with the executing agencies. Introduction of performance indicators/ success criteria, cost recovery, targets and milestones;
• Initiation of a project, presentation of the project to PAC, entering project into Atlas ( in small offices), finalization of contribution agreement; determination of required revisions; coordination of the mandatory and budget re-phasing exercises, closure of projects through review. Programme Analyst can perform functions of Manager Level 1 in Atlas for POs and vouchers approval, participates in recruitment processes for projects;
• Financial and substantive monitoring and evaluation of the projects, identification of operational and financial problems, development of solutions. Participation in audit of NEX projects;
• Follow up on audit recommendations. All exceptions are timely reported;
• Aggregate reports are regularly prepared on activities, outputs and outcomes. Preparation of donor reports.

Ensures creation of strategic partnerships and implementation of the resource mobilization strategy in cooperation with the Management Support and Development Impact Teams focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Development of partnerships with the UN Agencies, IFI’s, government institutions, bi-lateral and multi-lateral donors, private sector, civil society in the specific thematic areas based on strategic goals of UNDP, country needs and donors’ priorities;
• Analysis and research of information on donors, preparation of substantive briefs in close collaboration with Academia and top notch practitioners, on possible areas of cooperation, identification of opportunities for initiation of new projects, active contribution to the overall office effort in resource mobilization;
• Mobilize resource in support of the new project proposals to be designed under this assignment as well as other regional initiatives on Local Governance and Service Delivery.

Ensures provision of top quality advisory services and  facilitation of knowledge building and management focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Identification of sources of information related to policy-driven issues. Identification and synthesis of best practices and lessons learnt directly linked to programme country policy goals;
• Support to development of policies and institutions that will address the country problems and needs in collaboration with the Government and other strategic partners;
• Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice with particular attention to best practices published in social networks such as Teamworks, Fusion, Twitter etc.
• Organization of trainings for the operations/ projects staff on programme issues.

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 and comparative advantages.

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;
• Analyzes country situation to identify opportunities for project development;
• Participates in the formulation of project proposals and ensures substantive rigor in the design and application of proven successful approaches and drafts proposals accordingly.

Building Strategic Partnerships:

Maintaining a network of contacts

• Maintains an established network of contacts for general information sharing and to remain up-to-date on partnership related issues;
• Establishes and nurtures positive communication with partners.

Promoting Organizational Learning and Knowledge Sharing:

Basic research and analysis

• Generates new ideas and approaches, researches best practices and proposes new, more effective ways of doing things;
• Documents and analyses innovative strategies and new approaches;
• Identifies and communicates opportunities to promote learning and knowledge sharing.

Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise:

Fundamental knowledge of own discipline

• Understands and applies fundamental concepts and principles of a professional discipline or technical specialty relating to the position;
• Possesses basic knowledge of organizational policies and procedures relating to the position and applies them consistently in work tasks;
•  Analyzes the requirements and synthesizes proposals;
• 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.

Promoting Organizational Change and Development:

Basic research and analysis

• Researches and documents ‘best practices’ in organizational change and development within and outside the UN system;
• Demonstrates ability to diagnose problems and identifies and communicates processes to support change initiatives;
• Gathers and analyses feedback from staff.

Design And Implementation of Management Systems:

Research and analysis and making recommendations on management systems

• Maintains information/databases on system design features;
• Develops simple system components.

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;
• Establishes, builds and sustains effective relationships within the work unit and with internal and external clients;
• Actively supports the interests of the client by making choices and setting priorities to meet their needs;
• Anticipates client needs and addresses them promptly.

Promoting Accountability and Results-Based Management:

Basic monitoring

• Gathers, analyses and disseminates information on best practice in accountability and results-based management systems.

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;
• UNDP Certification programmes Prince2, RMG.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Master’s Degree or equivalent in International Law, Political Sciences, Social Sciences, or related field.

Experience:

• At least 2 years of relevant experience at the national or international level in providing management and substantive advisory services, hands-on experience in design, monitoring and evaluation of development projects preferably those related to the strengthening of Local Governance, decentralization and municipal/local Service Delivery;
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages, experience in handling of web based management systems and social knowledge networks.

Language:

• English proficiency is required;
• Working knowledge of other UN official language or other language at the duty station is an asset.