UNDP Jobs - 83273- National Consultant Providing Economist

National Consultant Providing Economist - Consultancy service for analysing sustainable development trends and advisory services to the UN Country Team's positioning and programming vis-å-vis Government and other relevant stakeholders on sustainable devel

Location :

Tehran

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

28-Feb-19 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

National Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

Languages Required :

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

To apply for this jobs please refer to http://www.ir.undp.org/content/iran/en/home/procurement.html under the subject: "Providing Economist - Consultancy service for analysing sustainable development trends and advisory services to the UN Country Team's positioning and programming vis-å-vis Government and other relevant stakeholders on sustainable development matters"

Please note that all interested applicants are requested to send their proposal to UNDP office: No. 8, Shahrzad Blvd. Darrous, Tehran, 1948773911, Iran or email their technical and financial proposal in accordance with template which has been placed in above website to registry.ir@undp.org

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The UN Secretary-General’s bold new global reform, launched on 1 January 2019 in response to General Assembly resolution 71/243, repositions the UN Development System to deliver on the Sustainable Development for dignity, prosperity and peace on a healthy planet.

Central to this process, and as further mandated by General Assembly resolution 72/279, a new generation of UN Resident Coordinator Offices across the world are being strengthened under the leadership of an empowered UN Resident Coordinator, the highest-ranking representative of the UN Development System and the UN Secretary-General at country level.

In order to effectively coordinate the collective work of UN Country Teams in support of national aspirations, the core capacities of enhanced Resident Coordinator Offices will include expertise in coordination and strategic planning, economics, tailored policy support, results monitoring and evaluation as well as strategic partnerships.

In this regard, the United Nations Resident Coordinator Office in Iran is seeking qualified and experienced candidate on Providing Consultancy for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Frameworks and Programme

With the Sustainable Development at its core, and in response to the General Assembly resolution 71/243 on the quadrennial comprehensive policy review of operational activities for development of the United Nations system, the UN Secretary General's report (December 2017) "Repositioning the United Nations development system to deliver: our promise for dignity, prosperity and peace on a healthy planet" puts forward a comprehensive proposal on further improvements to the resident coordinator system to ensure more coherent, accountable and effective support. This was further reinforced by General Assembly resolution 72/729 of 1 June 2018, which gave the Secretary General the mandate to implement the repositioning.

A reinvigorated resident coordinator system is at the center of a repositioned United Nations development system, and while the system has been instrumental in driving coherence on the ground over the past four decades, it is now insufficiently robust to respond to the needs of the Sustainable Development. The report stresses that resident coordinator offices will need to be adequately staffed to ensure sufficient substantive capacities to lead United Nations country teams. The core capacity will include expertise in coordination and strategic planning, economics, results monitoring and evaluation, and strategic partnerships, plus a robust standing communications capacity within the United Nations country team.

This post is part of this new generation of resident coordinator offices, with the new skillset and competencies required to deliver on Sustainable Development

Duties and Responsibilities

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Scope of Work:

In close cooperation with UN Country Team agencies, the Consultant is responsible for advising the Resident Coordinator and UN Country Team on sustainable development matters relevant to the host country, with a view of ensuring a shared understanding of sustainable development priorities in country and coherent approach to the UN's support to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda by national actors. The Consultant/ Economist analyses sustainable development trends and provides advisory services to the UN Country Team's positioning and programming vis-å-vis Government and other relevant stakeholders on sustainable development matters, as. well as enhances the policy impact of UN programmes in country. Priority will be placed on economic competencies in this role.

Detailed Responsibilities:

Leads evidence-based SDG analysis in support of a shared understanding by the UNCT of sustainable development trends, challenges and opportunities in programme countries:

Identify emerging best practices in sustainable development, paying special attention to women’s empowerment and capacity development, and propose policy options to RCs/UNCTs;
Lead the identification and analysis of issues that impact multiple SDGs and their targets and of 'accelerator interventions' that can help unlock and accelerate progress towards sustainable development across multiple areas;
Assess sustainable development trade-offs and risk factors, as well as early-warning indicators that may undermine the achievement of SDG targets and impact the UN's role and programme in the country.
Collect and analyze data on the UN's country level operations in support of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
Keep abreast of regional and global economic trends and issues and analyses their implications for the realization of the SDGs at country level.

Provide high quality and innovative economic advisory services to RCs and UNCTs, as well as to national counterparts in government and other relevant partners.

Provide high-quality sustainable development advice to the RC/UNCT on SDG-related issues, particularly on policy accelerators for SDG achievement, including through MAPS (Mainstreaming, Acceleration and Policy Support) and similar processes, as well as potential trade-offs between SDGs;
Advise the UNCT on how UN country-level operations can be optimized and better respond to sustainable development needs and emerging trends in country;
Together with UNCT members, ensure an integrated approach to the UN's support to national counterparts in government and other external partners on economic-related SDGs;

Advise the UNCT in the development of new generation of SDG programmes with a strong investment orientation and focus on acceleration towards achieving the SDGs.

Support the development and implementation of the UNDAF to ensure that the UN' s country level operational activities are informed and effectively support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda in country;
Provide advice on formulation and adjustments throughout the CCA/UNDAF cycle based on sound SDG analysis;
Engage and where relevant facilitate the I_JN joint programming process to identify and support the formulation of a new generation of 'SDG focused, investment oriented national impact' UN joint programmes;
Advise where needed UNDAF result groups in the implementation of joint workplans to ensure SDG-relevant and SDG-responsive UN operational activities for development;
Coordinate UN support to governmental and multi-stakeholder processes on economic development and capacity development

Promote SDG knowledge generation and management

Establish, lead and contribute to communities of practice and knowledge networks that promote collaboration, peer support, consultation and surface innovation, good practices, lessons and needs and opportunities in the area of sustainable development;
Review and disseminate best practices and lessons learnt from implementation of UNCT projects and programmes with a view to advising the RC and UNCT on how to strengthen the upstream orientation of the UN.
Analyze -best practices and successful models implemented by the UN in country and advise on options for upscaling these into bankable national SDG investment policies and programmes.

Competencies

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N/A

Required Skills and Experience

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. Academic Qualifications:

Master’s degree in economics, with concentration/academic knowledge in social policy, public policy, politics, economics, development studies or a related area;

II. Experience and Competencies:

At least seven years of progressively responsible professional experience working in the relevant field of international development, programme management, social policy development, particularly in middle income countries;
Extensive relevant experience in socio-economic analysis, coordination of multisectoral approaches, public-private partnerships, programme formulation and implementation, partnership building and networking
Extensive experience working in complex and diverse teams;
Relevant experience at international level in the provision of high quality technical and advisory services
Proficiency in English and Persian, written and spoken. Working knowledge of other UN language desirable;