UNDP Jobs - 89048- Executive Board Affairs Consultant

Executive Board Affairs Consultant

Location :

New York, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

01-Jan-2020

Application Deadline :

18-Dec-19 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

10 months

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

10 months

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

The Corporate Governance Team based in the Executive Office provides support to effective organisational leadership by the Administrator and Associate Administrator, including overarching organisational steering and tracking as well as organisational governance and accountability of top management. The team also performs coordination and monitoring of a limited number of ‘mission critical’ governance issues as defined by the Administrator and the Associate Administrator. The Corporate Governance team is responsible for the design and development of internal governance arrangements, as well as strategic leadership and management of UNDP’s engagement with its external governing body - the Executive Board of UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS. As part of the Corporate Governance Team, the Secretariat of the Executive Board provides services to the Member States of the UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board in the discharging of their oversight role.

Under the overall guidance of the Secretary of the Board, the Executive Board Affairs consultant provides strategic advocacy, policy co-ordination, analysis and technical support to UNDP’s Executive Office in its engagement with the UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board. The consultant also promotes effective and efficient partnership development with Board Members and Observer delegations.

Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic advocacy, policy co-ordination, analysis and technical support with regard to all Executive Board Affairs:

Analyze, together with relevant UNDP inter-agency colleagues, outcomes of all Executive Board sessions to ensure UNDP appropriately reflects Board decision-making in all policies and procedures.
Bring together inputs from relevant UNDP Bureaux to assess Executive Board feedback to UNDP on what works and what does not work from the perspective of the Membership and develops follow up strategies to ensure alignment in future Board engagements.
Contribute to the review and analysis of Executive Board Members’ involvement in all relevant UN fora and connects MS positions to relevant UNDP strategic priorities.
Monitor, analyze and evaluate relevant inter-governmental discussions/negotiations and recommends relevant actions to UNDP senior management.
Prepare policy proposals for UNDP’s engagement in relevant UN mechanisms relevant to the role of the Executive Board.
Closely monitors and engages with the processes and meetings of all otherExecutive Boards to ensure full coordination and coherence across the Executive Boards. Recommends actions to UNDP senior management.
Prepare periodic briefs on all proceedings and discussions of the NY-based Executive Boards for information of senior staff in Headquarters and the field.
Coordinate and prepare timely submissions of high-quality talking points and briefing notes as requested by senior officials.
Draft, coordinate and review inputs for speeches and reports as requested by senior management.
Perform any other duties as may be assigned.

Promote effective and efficient partnership development, communication and dialogue with Board Members and Observer delegations:

Support UNDP Executive Office in coordinating UNDP’s engagement with the Executive Board to ensure UNDP’s position is fully presented, developed and taken into consideration in relevant discussions, outcomes, tools and guidance notes;
Ensure that relevant actors in UNDP are fully informed, briefed and prepared to engage on all relevant discussions and outcomes pertaining to the Executive Board;
Meet regularly with technical support teams of Missions representing Executive board Members and Observer delegations to promote a full understanding of UNDP positions, and to ensure that UNDP is responsive to Member States’ needs and requests related to the Executive Board;
Engages and observes formal meetings and informal consultations of the Plenary, Second, Third and Fifth committees of the General Assembly, the ECOSOC and other relevant inter-governmental fora as required;
Provides support, as appropriate, to the elaboration of UNDP positions at intergovernmental fora;
Develops partnerships with delegates, negotiating groups, UN colleagues, CSOs, and other stakeholders to ensure UNDP’s corporate priorities are appropriately taken into account in all relevant intergovernmental discussions;
Maintains and updates all external lists of contacts and manages ICT tools to ensure constant flow of transparent and accurate Executive Board information to focal points in UN Missions as appropriate;
Represent Executive Board Secretariat in UN technical working groups or other meetings where necessary; and
Perform any other duties as may be assigned.

Facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing:

Shares knowledge, practices and precepts, with groups/teams/task forces through active collaboration and interaction to reinforce UNDP’s full understanding of all Executive Board Affairs;
Identification and formulation of lessons learned and recommendations to be integrated into broader knowledge management efforts; and
Contribute to knowledge networks and communities of practice.

Competencies

Core Competencies:

Innovation

Ability to make new and useful ideas work.
Leadership
Ability to persuade others to follow.

Communication

Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform.

Delivery

Ability to get things done.

Technical/Functional competences:

Representation

Ability to productively share UNDP knowledge and activities (at UN and other venues).
Knowledge of the External governance Bodies of UN organizations and the wider UN system and ability to strategically apply such knowledge to practical situations.

Negotiation

Ability to reach an understanding, resolve point of difference or gain advantage in the outcome of dialogue.
Knowledge management
Ability to capture, develop, share and effectively use information and knowledge.

Brief and Speech writing

Ability to prepare quality briefs and/or speeches.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Advanced university degree (Master) in international affairs, public administration, political science, law, or other relevant discipline.

Experience:

At least 5 years of progressively responsible professional work experience in intergovernmental affairs in the UN system.
Experience in provision of policy and political affairs advisory services at international and national level or other related field of work;
Experience with writing policy briefs and documents and providing policy advice in a UN setting;
Familiarity with the rules of procedure and legislation of the UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board.

Language Requirements:

• Excellent verbal and drafting skills in English required;

• Knowledge of either French or Spanish essential. An additional language would be considered a strong asset.