Historique

THIS POSITION IS BEING RE-ADVERTISED

UNDP Practice Architecture

UNDP’s Strategic Plan (2008-2011) and the 2008 regionalization paper articulates the corporate requirement to bring timely and effective substantive and technical  services to UNDP Country Offices (COs) through strengthened practice architecture at the global, regional, and country level.

The UNDP Practice Architecture serves as a framework for better organizing UNDP to provide consistent policy advisory services, more relevant and substantive policy knowledge, better linking of policy, programming and capacity development. The value of the practice architecture lies in its comprehensive structure to solidify UNDP and its staff into a global team that ensures coherence, consistency, alignment and quality assurance in the way UNDP delivers service internally and to development partners and programme countries. 

The Bureau for Development Policy (BDP) is responsible for articulating UNDP’s global development policy, using evidence gathered through country applications, regional experiences and global interactions.  The BDP has a key role to play in helping COs to accelerate human development, by supporting them in the design and implementation of programmes and projects, that effectively contributes to the national-level policies and results. Driven by demand, and working through the Regional Bureaus (RBs) and the Regional Service Centres (RSCs), BDP provides the global tools, analysis and capacities that COs need to make a real difference in UNDP’s practice areas.

BDP’s support of UNDP’s strategic plan (2008-2011) is focused in 4 practices (Poverty Reduction and the MDGs, Democratic Governance, Environment and Energy, HIV/AIDS) and 2 cross-cutting areas (Capacity Development and Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment).

The practice management structure at the RSC-level is composed of a dedicated  Practice Leader (PL) for each practice/thematic area and a Knowledge Management (KM) Team Leader in the 7 RSCs in Bangkok, Bratislava, Cairo, Colombo, Dakar, Johannesburg and Panama City.  The PL coordinates the regional and community of practice with the global practice, regardless of funding source, to promote consistency and coherence within the practice.  

Practice/Thematic Approach:

UNDP's work on poverty reduction is governed by several internationally agreed frameworks such as the Millennium Declaration, the MDGs, and the International Development Goals. UNDP’s work on poverty reduction is anchored in three basic principles – the multidimensionality of poverty, the centrality of equality including gender equality and the critical importance of a cross-practice approach.

The core services of the Poverty Practice are structured around three thematic clusters: Inclusive Development, Inclusive Globalization, and MDG Support to countries. In addition, UNDP's work is reinforced by the International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth (IPC-IG), a joint initiative between UNDP and the Government of Brazil that promotes applied poverty research, technological and institutional innovations and South-South collaboration on policy experiments and experiences and by its network of over 166 country offices. The services of the Practice also benefits from its Community of Practioners.

The Poverty Practice contributes substantively to global debates and dialogues through knowledge products. Its core services to support national efforts to reduce poverty and inequities involve: (1) Policy advice and technical support; (2) Strengthening capacity of institutions and individuals (3) Advocacy, communications, and public information; (4) Promoting and brokering dialogue; and (5) Knowledge networking and sharing of good practices. The Practice also provides a platform for intra-regional and inter-regional dissemination of knowledge.

Regional Context:

Human and economic development trends indicate that the Africa Sub-regional Office for Eastern and Southern Africa (ASRO-ESA) faces serious socio-economic challenges, paramount among which are: high rates of extreme poverty and food insecurity particularly in LDCs, coupled with sharply deteriorating standards of living in conflict or post conflict countries; rising social and economic inequalities between and within many Eastern and Southern African (ESA) countries; joblessness and unstable economic growth; high and increasing dependence on commodity exports and a high dependence on oil imports; low productivity service sectors and sub-optimal performance and low investments in the productive sectors, particularly agriculture; and rising inflation and fiscal distress (especially for net food and fuel importers in the aftermath of rising international prices). Even Middle Income countries in the region are increasingly vulnerable to external shocks, such as the current financial crisis, which, among other factors, contribute to the exacerbation of existing regional disparities, socio-economic inequalities and income poverty. Civil society participation in national development processes remains limited or constrained in most ESA countries. Nonetheless, there is evidence of increased scope to strengthen their participation and their contributions to the development of their communities and to national decision-making processes.
    
UNDP’s work in the poverty practice is focused on providing support to RBA- ASRO-ESA Country Offices, national governments in formulating national development strategies that are pro-poor, employment-focused and help to direct public investment and expenditures towards the achievement of the  the relevant national targets of the MDGs.

ESA UNDP country offices tailor their poverty reduction and inclusive growth programmes to the prevailing level of development or crises situation of the countries in the region through a combination of upstream policy advice and downstream community or field-based projects.  In alignment with the Strategic Plan, RBA is seeking to accelerate and help create the conditions which are conducive to MDG achievement, including in a context of actual or potential reversals due to new global challenges and or conflict as well as in a context of post-crisis recovery.  The demand of Country Offices for poverty-focused diagnostic, analytical and capacity development, support, as well as for national and sectoral strategy formulation and policy advice are high. These demands fall into various categories such as  macro-economic and fiscal frameworks impinging on  poverty incidence, including trade, investment and employment  policies and legislative and regulatory frameworks; as well as social policies, and expenditures to promote social inclusion, equity and overall human development. In most cases this requires an analysis of the inter-linkages between micro and macro policies.  Specialised areas of support include human and money-metric based poverty assessments, civic and civil society engagement, entrepreneurship, micro, small and medium-size enterprise development, employment creation, and rural and urban development.  In ESA countries, the Poverty Practice necessarily underpins, informs or is associated with all other focus areas and practices, including in the areas of natural resources management, energy and climate change, democratic governance, crisis prevention and recovery, gender equality and empowerment and HIV/AIDS. The Practice Leader’s role is to strengthen the global practice architecture in the region, with emphasis on practice co-ordination with connection to global experiences hence its functions are fully integrated in the Regional Service Centre structure, results planning and delivery.

Devoirs et responsabilités

The PL’s role is to strengthen the global practice architecture in the region, with emphasis on practice co-ordination with connection to global experiences. The incumbent will ensure the quality and relevance of programme and project services in the poverty practice and Southern/Eastern Africa region, ensuring consistency at the global level. To that end, the PL‘s functions are fully integrated in the RSC Johannesburg structure, results planning and delivery. As a result, the incumbent will be accountable for the delivery and quality of results to both the Deputy Regional Director (DRD) at the RSC, Johannesburg and the Practice Director (PD), Poverty, in BDP, NY.  

This integrated approach translates into joint work planning and joint performance assessment. The Career Review Group (CRG) will take place in the RSC, Johannesburg with the participation of the PD, Poverty, New York, who can ensure consistency between PLs in different regions and provide advice on learning and career development in the practice. 

The incumbent will be responsible for the following functions:

• Policy Advisory/Programme Support-Delivery;
• Policy Development;
• Practice Management/Coordination;
• Practice Advocacy;
• Partnership Building;
• Quality Control and Assurance; and
• Knowledge Management.

1.   Policy advisory/Programme support-delivery

• Provide policy advisory services to the Governments and other partners  in the region in the area of pro-poor macroeconomic frameworks, strategies for poverty and inequality reduction and the achievement of the MDGs, and conducive sectoral strategies ;
• Contribute to the design and formulation of CO programmes, drawing upon lessons from programmes and other initiatives in the region and from global experiences, on issues identified above and designing of sectoral strategies in areas of health, education, agriculture;
• Provide effective support and backstopping for, and timely feedback and reporting on implementation of programmes in support of the practice architecture;
• Strengthen internal CO capacity on the use of UNDP corporate practice development frameworks in the areas identified above ;
• Promote the utilization of financial resources mobilized and allocated for practices in regional and country programmes and in HQ, thematic trust funds, ensuring that all policy advisors are able to facilitate access to these funds by country offices and regional projects;
• Provide guidance on cross thematic issues and lead the development of cross practice synergy.

2.   Policy development

• Develop, with the PD, Poverty, BDP in New York, corporate policy and guidance in areas of pro-poor macroeconomic frameworks, poverty and inequality reduction and the achievement of the MDG;
• Provide substantive inputs to international fora to help shape global and regional development strategies, policies, norms and standards in the above contexts.

3.   Practice Management and Co-ordination

Substantive Leadership:

• Provide substantive and managerial leadership of the practice team and coordination for all personnel engaged in related operational activities in the RSC;
• Collaborate with the PD, Poverty, BDP, New York  and policy advisors in the Headquarters to ensure that the RSC-based practice team is up to date on evolving analytical work and policy-options in the areas identified above;
• Lead the practice area in the region ensuring UNDP’s credibility in delivery on a highly visible programme in the above-identified areas, which in turn links to UNDP’s delivery on its Strategic Plan (2008-2011), particularly its Development Outcome 1 on MDGs and inclusive growth.

Coordination and Management:

• Develop and implement practice work plan, provide practice programme management oversight,  ensure coordination and management of all related human and financial resources in a politically complex environment, and support the Global Tracking system for the practice;
• Consolidate and anchor the practice architecture in the regions to support country offices and liaise with COs to support the inclusion of issues of pro-poor macroeconomic frameworks, poverty and inequality reduction and the achievement of the MDGs at the planning stages of COs and the regional programmes;
• Manage all activities related to the poverty practice functions at the RSC, Johannesburg/Dakar   including direct supervision, when appropriate, of the policy advisors and specialists, create positive team environment and ensure access to learning opportunities for all staff;
• Identify sub-regional and inter-country development and integration opportunities and translates them into capacity development initiatives to address cross border issues.

Mobilizing the Community of Practice:

• Promote the development of a community of practice (COP) at the regional level on issues of pro-poor macroeconomic frameworks, poverty and inequality reduction and the achievement of the MDGs and catalyze and connect to global experiences including cross-regional/practice collaboration;
• Coordinate and capitalize on the approaches and tools in other practices.

4.   Practice Advocacy

• Lead advocacy in the poverty practice area in the region including promotion of the practice’s global policies, norms and standards and the sharing of the practice’s global experience;
• Provide substantive and content leadership in UNDP corporate discussions and Inter-Agency coordination on issues identified above;
• Represent UNDP (and UN partner organizations) to advocate poverty practice messages in the international development for a discussion;
• Mobilize external partnerships behind UN/UNDP initiatives.

5.   Partnership Building

• Effectively position UNDP’s poverty practice capacity within the UN system to foster consistency in approach, within the regional level by scanning and assessing activities of non-UNDP players in local context and in support of UNCTs and UNDP CO programming arrangements with government counterparts;
• Provides guidance and leadership for the engagement of civil society in regional and country programmes, the promotion of civic engagement and the establishment of strategic partnerships;
• Engage national and regional partners in poverty practice policy and programme responses under the leadership of the country offices and the UNCT;
• Lead the formulation and implementation, in the poverty practice areas, of the regional partnership to support the practice area and support resource mobilization strategies in liaison with the RBs and other concerned units and develop multi-partner proposals;
• Scan partnership opportunities and donor intelligence and inform DRD  of new partnership developments – e.g. donor priorities; pledges, new donor funding modalities, etc. ensuring that this supports the practice area;
• Maintain and strengthen partnerships with key multilaterals (BWIs, Regional Banks, etc) and key regional institutions to support the practice architecture;
• Develop with staff an expert roster for the region in the poverty practice area;

6.   Quality Control and Assurance  

• Provide Quality Assurance to ensure alignment with global development policies, norms and standards;
• Co-ordinate delivery of demand-driven service delivery to country offices and regional programmes ensuring professionalism in support – e.g. timelines, responsiveness, quality in deliverables, etc;
• Promote quality standards including long-term locally driven initiatives;
• Ensure cross-practice approach and cross-regional collaboration back into the global practice level.

7.   Knowledge Management

• Develop with the KM Team, in co-ordination with the Practice Director, region-wide lessons learnt, best practices and generate knowledge needed and lessons learnt to shape UNDP’s  global strategies in the region;
• Participate in local KM sharing events and support the corporate KM agenda;
• Support the development of a knowledge system and support the utilization of KM strategies and tools;
• Link KM to business processes; and promote UN wide Knowledge Management Strategies.

The PL’s role will impact the strengthening of the global practice architecture of UNDP, the quality and relevance of programme and project services in the practice area and the results of UNDP’s programmes in the region in the practice area.  In turn it will impact on UNDP’s capacity to deliver on its Strategic Plan (2008-2011).

Compétences

Corporate:

• Demonstrates integrity and fairness, by modeling the UN/UNDP’s values and ethical standards;
• Promotes the vision, mission and strategic goals of UNDP;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

Functional:

• Strong ability to apply various practice/thematic area related development theories to the specific context  including translating practice principles into effective policy and programme interventions in the field;
• Capacity to interact with senior officials and credibly influence senior decision makers in UNDP programme countries and other international development organizations;
• Strong analytical, negotiation and communication skills, including ability to produce high quality practical advisory reports and knowledge products;
• Professional and/or academic experience  in one or more of the areas of practice/thematic area.

Leadership

• Strong managerial/leadership experience and decision-making skills;
• Ability to conceptualize and convey strategic vision from the spectrum of development experience;
• Knowledge and expertise in UNDP’s programming processes;
• Proven ability to lead a practice area and drive for results with a strong knowledge of results-based management and budgeting.

Managing Relationships

• Demonstrated well developed people management and organizational skills with strong ability to manage teams;
• Creating an enabling environment, mentoring and developing staff;
• Excellent negotiating and networking skills;
• Strong resource mobilization and partnering skills.

Managing Complexity 

• Ability to address global development issues;
• Substantive knowledge and understanding of development cooperation with the ability to support the practice architecture of UNDP and inter-disciplinary issues;
• Demonstrated substantive leadership and ability to integrate knowledge with broader strategic, policy and operational objectives;
• A sound global network of institutional and individual contacts.

Knowledge Management and Learning

• Ability to strongly promote and build knowledge products;
• Promotes knowledge management in UNDP and a learning environment in the office through leadership and personal example;
• Seeks and applies knowledge, information and best practices from within and outside of UNDP;
• Provides constructive coaching and feedback.

Judgment/Decision-Making:

• Mature judgment and initiative;
• Proven ability to provide strategic direction in practice area;
• Independent judgment and discretion in advising on handling major policy issues and challenges.

Qualifications et expériences requises

Education:

• An advanced university degree in a development related area, preferably in Economics, with a specialization in Macroeconomics  

Experience:

• 10 years of overall relevant professional experience as well as a proven professional record in the practice area.
• Work experience from a developing country context and familiarity with Africa and its development challenges are   highly desirable.
• A track record of extensive national and international working experience with increasing managerial responsibilities in the development arena and UNDP’s practice areas and the ability to link to global policy development for UNDP. 
• Experience in leading/managing knowledge product development and dissemination.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in both written and spoken English. 
• Working knowledge of another UN regional language desirable.