Background

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, UNDP is committed to helping the country through strengthened national and local capacities to carry out political, economic and social reforms and promote development.
In the current programmatic period, UNDP supports the following programme priorities:

• access to justice and increased human security;
• reduction of regional, economic and social disparities;
• sustainable management of environmental and energy resources, and green jobs creation; and
• access to services and employment opportunities for the most vulnerable.

In all areas, there will be an emphasis on conflict-sensitive, integrated and innovative programme design complementing country priorities and tailored to the post-flood recovery needs.

To respond to growing regional, social and economic disparities and lack of vertical integration across governmental policies and funds, UNDP provides policy advice and technical assistance to national and subnational institutions to design and deliver interventions that foster sustainable local development and inclusive growth. These are also pursued through bottom-up initiatives championed by progressive local governments and civil society. UNDP provides support to subnational governments to scale up and harmonize development planning country-wide, as well as strengthen capacities for managing development. By leveraging strategic partnerships with other UN agencies, the Delegation of the European Union to Bosnia and Herzegovina, SDC, Sida and USAID, and by applying the ‘build back better approach’, UNDP offers technical and financial support to subnational governments to address immense post-flood demands in terms of rehabilitation of public buildings, services and community infrastructure, and translate identified priorities into actions. By drawing on regional knowledge networks and in close interaction with the private sector and financial institutions, UNDP provides brokerage and technical assistance to local governments to restore livelihoods in flood-affected areas, improve business environment and regional competitiveness. Support is also provided for private sector development through active employment measures, upgrading of value chains and facilitating access to markets. UNDP also continues to assist effective interaction between local governments and civil society, and support service delivery by civil society organizations, with outreach to the most vulnerable
In light of the above, the Chief Technical Specialist will provide technical guidance in the implementation of the relevant on-going interventions in the area of local governance, local/regional and rural development, as well as in identifying new opportunities and potential areas of intervention, with a particular focus on ensuring cross-sectorial synergies and complementarities, in order to contribute to the overall effectiveness of the UNDP programme in BiH.

Applicants are required to submit completed and signed UNDP Personal History Form (downloadable from http://www.ba.undp.org/content/bosnia_and_herzegovina/en/home/operations/jobs.html) online through this website.

Duties and Responsibilities

Technical guidance in the implementation of the projects in the area of local/regional development and local governance: 

• Provides advice in the project phases design and implementation, including developing annual activity plans, results based budget planning, conceptualisation of main activities, monitoring and reporting;
• Provides top quality policy advisory services to UNDP and national counterparts in relation to embedding the local government planning framework into strategic planning and financial frameworks of higher governments (including in relation to the relevant policy, legal and institutional frameworks, as well as financial mechanisms such as local development funds);
• Advises in relation to design and implementation of the follow-up actions contributing to the harmonisation of the cantonal development planning and management in the FBiH;
• Offers expert advice and assistance in conceptualising and implementing activities related to enhanced engagement of local communities (MZs) in public affairs and local development processes, including interventions on improving relevant policy and regulatory frameworks, as well as design of assistance packages for targeted MZs;
• Provides counsel to ensure a comprehensive and consistent capacity development support to local governments across sectors and individual intervention areas to raise their competencies in implementing their local development priorities, providing services, building partnerships, and attracting investments;
• Provides technical advice in relation to affirming a systemic approach to the implementation of relevant strategies and policies, capturing all relevant knowledge tools and proposing scaling-up mechanisms.

Expert advice in the implementation of the overall UNDP programme from the good governance perspective: 

• Provides counsel to relevant UNDP-facilitated consultative processes related to policy design;
• From the perspective of good governance, identifies and advises on potential synergies among the relevant on-going interventions towards adding value and maximizing the overall UNDP programme results;
• Provides advice and inputs to UNDP strategic analytical reviews and studies in the field of rural and local/regional development (e.g. regional disparity assessment, local service delivery, local/regional competitiveness or similar);
• Provides inputs and guidance for formulating an effective monitoring and evaluation system for the UNDP strategic and results framework.

Technical assistance to UNDP programming endeavours, in particular in the field of local/regional development and local governance:

• Conducts desk research, review and analysis of relevant available materials in terms of assessments, studies, project ideas and concept notes;
• Maps and consolidates key UNDP information and knowledge products in the field of local governance and regional/local and rural development to serve as a basis for future programming;
• Prepares relevant policy inputs and concept notes on a needs basis;
• Engages in discussions and planning with relevant UNDP programme and project staff;
• Provides advice and support in integrated programmatic short-term planning within the country office;
• Provides inputs and support in the elaboration of select project ideas into viable project proposals together with relevant UNDP programme and project staff;
• Supports programme/country office in result-oriented analysis of development results;
• Supports programming quality assurance from the viewpoint of strategic alignment with global corporate policies and strategic frameworks;
• Plays within the UNDP programme an active role in policy advice and strategic thinking on decentralization, local governance, local/regional and rural development in BiH.

Partnership and advocacy:

• Maps relevant stakeholders and their potential contribution to future programming;
• Participates in and substantively contributes to consultations and relevant meetings with stakeholders;
• Engages in coordination efforts related to relevant donor and other stakeholders initiatives dealing with local governance, local development, strategic planning, etc; 
• Identifies opportunities and contributes to the overall resource mobilization efforts in line with the Country Programme Document and priority areas of intervention;
• Identifies and supports the realisation of synergetic initiatives and/or contribution from various stakeholders, which would add value and maximise the specific results.

Knowledge management:

• Identifies and captures relevant knowledge products (concepts, models, process results, experiences) and ensures their mainstreaming in the relevant current and future interventions;
• Ensures dissemination of information and support continuous learning by the Sector teams for effective project implementation;
• Offers continuous support to the UNDP in compiling relevant best practices from BiH, the region and European Union to contribute to knowledge sharing and networking.

Competencies

Functional Competencies:

Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise: In-depth knowledge of the subject-matter:

• Understands more advanced aspects of primary area of specialization as well as the fundamental concepts of related disciplines;
• Keeps abreast of new developments in area of professional discipline and job knowledge and seeks to develop him/herself professionally;
• Demonstrates comprehensive understanding and knowledge of the current guidelines and project management tools and utilizes these regularly in work assignments.

Results-Based Programme Development and Management:Contributing to results through primary research and analysis:

• Researches linkages across programme/projects activities to identify critical points of integration;
• Monitors specific stages of programme/projects implementation;
• Assesses project performance to identify success factors and incorporates best practices into project work;
• Analyses country situation to identify opportunities for project development and helps drafting proposals;
• Participates in the formulation of project proposals.

Building Strategic Partnerships: Identifying and building partnerships:

• Effectively networks with partners seizing opportunities to build strategic alliances relevant to UNDP’s mandate and strategic agenda;
• Identifies needs and interventions for capacity building of counterparts, clients and potential partners;
• Promotes UNDP’s agenda in inter-agency meetings.

Client Orientation: Contributing to positive outcomes for the client:

• Anticipates client needs;
• Works towards creating an enabling environment for a smooth relationship between the clients and service provider;
• Demonstrates understanding of client’s perspective;
• Solicits feedback on service provision and quality.

Innovations and marketing new approaches:

• Developing new approaches seeks a broad range of perspectives in developing project proposals;
• Generates innovative ideas and effective solutions to problems;
• Identifies new approaches and promotes their use in other situations.

Core Competencies:

• Demonstrates integrity by modelling the UN’s values and ethical;
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, disabilities, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Treats all people and partners fairly without favouritism;
• Ability to make new and useful ideas work;
• Building support and political acumen;
• Building staff competence,  creating an environment of creativity and innovation;
• Building and promoting effective teams;
• Creating and promoting enabling environment for open communication;
• Creating an emotionally intelligent organization;
• Leveraging conflict in the interests of UNDP & setting standards;
• Sharing knowledge across the organization and building a culture of knowledge sharing and learning;
• Fair and transparent decision making.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Master’s degree in public administration, development studies, economics, political sciences, social sciences, or other related areas.

Experience:

• At least 7 years of relevant work experience and demonstrated knowledge of local government/local and regional development and capacity development of local governments and socio-economic partners, out of which 5 years of experience in direct programme/project management;
• Previous strong experience in programming on local and regional development, rural development, social inclusion for governance assistance/strategy measures; programming and assistance experience in developing/post-conflict countries is an asset;
• Strong knowledge and practical experiences in country/sub-national strategic planning and programming processes, preferably within European Union;
• Understanding of the overall political, administrative and institutional set-up of local self-government in Bosnia and Herzegovina;
• Familiarity with key public documents, strategies and trends related to local governance and local and country strategic planning in Bosnia and Herzegovina;
• Proven record of theoretical knowledge and direct practical experience in the area of local strategic planning, community engagement, local development management, inter-municipal cooperation, project cycle management.

Language:

• Fluency in English with excellent drafting and presentation skills;
• Working knowledge of the languages of BiH peoples desirable.

Other:  

• Excellent computer skills (MS Office applications) and ability to use information technologies as a tool and resource.