Portfolio Support Officer (Inclusive Economic Growth), Level : NPSA 9 (Only for Nepalese nationals)


Location : Kathmandu, NEPAL
Application Deadline :26-Jun-21 (Midnight New York, USA)
Additional Category :Sustainable Development and Poverty Reduction
Type of Contract :Other
Post Level :Other
Languages Required :
 English  
Starting Date :
(date when the selected candidate is expected to start)		01-Jul-2021
Duration of Initial Contract :Six 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

Office/Unit/Project Description 

a. Briefly describe the office/ unit structure and context

Nepal has made successful strides in reducing poverty from 25.2 percent in 2011 to 16.7 percent in 2020. But these numbers belie a harsh reality: huge disparities and inequalities persist between regions and social groups. Underdeveloped trade and industry, low agricultural productivity, and lack of access to affordable credit are among the key factors contributing to high unemployment rates and the relative weakness of Nepal’s economy. It is feared that COVID-19 along with massive earthquake of 2015, flooding, drought and other shocks may have pushed a significant number of people who had managed to climb out of poverty back into poverty. Crucially, from a longer-term perspective, the Covid-19, harder than those crisis Nepal faced previously, is widely recognized as severely inhibiting Nepal’s development gains over years, and the ambition of graduating from the status of Least Developed Country in 2021, meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and becoming a middle-income nation by 2030.

The UNDP country programme, 2018-2022, is based on the premise of ‘leaving no one behind’ and ‘reaching those furthest behind first’. The programme includes integrated solutions to complex, interconnected development challenges. The following interconnected priority areas define the 2018-2022 programme: (a) inclusive economic growth;  (b) inclusive governance and rule of law; and (c) resilience and reconstruction. UNDP’s efforts to eradicate poverty and promote economic growth in Nepal seek to address the relationships that link those factors and to ensure that the vulnerable are the priority beneficiaries and no one is left behind. The central focus of the intervention is to ensure the economic growth that Nepal aims to achieve translates into improved lives and the availability of better choices for all its citizens.

b. Rationale / background and the objectives of the unit

Nepal has tremendous potential for development and subsequent job creation through sustainable use of natural resource-based enterprises in the country. However, lack of awareness, education and skills to utilize existing resources continues to perpetuate underemployment and underdevelopment. To help address challenges and tap opportunities, UNDP’s work in Nepal on poverty and sustainable development has been designed around three broad pillars: employment creation, access to energy and policy support in pro-poor development planning and monitoring. For this, UNDP prioritized helping Nepal’s socio-economic recovery efforts through different projects and programmes under the Inclusive Economic Growth portfolio.

c. Briefly describe how the required services will contribute to the work of the unit/project

Currently, Inclusive Economic growth porfoilo is handling eight projects and programmes across the socio economic support, employment creation, livelihood recovery along the institutional strengthening of government agencies, municipalities, CSOs, and service providers. This requires rigorous engagement, consultation and support to the programmes and projects of the Inclusive Economic Growth portfolio unit. The demand of these services is further magnified with the prevalence of Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent prolonged national wise lockdown. This service is anticipated to facilitate in accelerating the implementation process, tracking delivery and supporting projects and programmes to ensure consistency in service delivery and operating protocols of UNDP under the Inclusive Growth portfolio.

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of Work

Under the direct supervision of Inclusive Economic Growth Portfolio Manager, the incumbent will perform following responsibilities to support Inclusive Economic Growth Portfolio, UNDP:

  • Appraise and follow up with projects and programmes for tracking on annual work , procurement plan, preparation of acceleration plan and take timely & appropriate actions to meet work, procurement plan objectives and reporting requirements to ensure consistency in service delivery and operating protocols of UNDP;
  • Analyze the project/programme resource allocation, delivery tracking with projects to reallocate resources as required within the resource planning and results management framework requirements;
  • Actively work in close collaboration within the team and with project staff and the client to review all operational aspects, undertake monitoring missions to evaluate progress, identify problems and report back to the Portfolio Manager for necessary actions;
  • Support to prepare and finalize documentation and contracts required for service delivery under the Inclusive Economic Growth portfolio’s management;
  • Support Project and Programme for ensuring Gender and Social Inclusion in project planning, implementation and reportings;
  • Review and assist to the projects and programmes to evaluate proposals; make suggestion for contract awards; progress and completion reports;
  • Work closely with project/programme staff in the timely preparation of reports, annual workplan, amendment; Support portfolio for socio economic response activities;
  • Provide support to the portfolio for the development of new project and programme; and
  • Any other duties assigned by Supervisor.        

Institutional Arrangement: 

Under the direct supervision of Inclusive Economic Growth Portfolio Manager, the incumbent will provide support Inclusive Economic Growth Portfolio, UNDP. 

Competencies

Core Competencies: Level 2: Supervisor / Associate / Analyst / e.g. Programme Associate or Analyst with supervisory responsibility.

Achieve Results

  • Demonstrates focus on achieving quality results and impact;
  • Consistently strives to meet or exceed excellent standards;
  • Efficiently establishes appropriate plans and resources for self and others to accomplish goals;
  • Holds self and others accountable for results.

Think Innovatively

  • Seeks patterns and clarity outside, across and beyond boxes and categories, resists false certainty and simplistic binary choices;
  • Looks beyond conventional approaches and established methods;
  • Proposes new ideas, approaches and solutions to problems.

Learn Continuously

  • Actively pursues opportunities for learning and self-development, professionally and personally;
  • Keeps up to date with new developments in own professional area;
  • Proactively seeks feedback, demonstrates a desire to learn from others as well as from experience, both positive and negative;
  • Contributes to the learning of others.

Adapt with Agility

  • Actively pursues opportunities for learning and self-development, professionally and personally;
  • Keeps up to date with new developments in own professional area;
  • Proactively seeks feedback, demonstrates a desire to learn from others as well as from experience, both positive and negative;
  • Contributes to the learning of others.

Act with Determination

  • Is flexible in handling change, and adopts new ideas, approaches and ways of working;
  • Seamlessly adapts to working with new situations or contexts, with new people, and in different ways;
  • Participates in, supports, or drives meaningful change in UNDP
  • Is comfortable with ambiguity and effectively manages juggling multiple demands.

Engage and Partner

  • Establishes and develops networks that deliver powerful collaborations;
  • Demonstrates and encourages teamwork and co-creation, internally and externally, to achieve joint objectives and results;
  • Acts in a way that demonstrates empathy and emotional intelligence, showing consideration for the needs and feelings of others.

Enable Diversity and Inclusion

  • Understands and appreciates issues from the perspective of others;
  • Treats all individuals with respect, considers ethical implications and responds sensitively to all differences among people;
  • Fully accepts and values all people, creating an inclusive environment;
  • Understands that inclusion is multi-faceted (e.g. race, gender, age, disability, culture, etc.) and treats everyone fairly and equally;
  • Demonstrates honesty and transparency.

Cross Functional Competencies:

Project Management

Ability to plan, organise, prioritise and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals.

Risk Management

Ability to identify and organise action around mitigating and proactively managing risks.

System Thinking

Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system.

Negotiation and Influence

Ability to reach an understanding, persuade others, resolve points of difference, gain advantage in the outcome of dialogue, negotiate mutually acceptable solutions through compromise and create ‘win-win’ situations.

Technical Competencies:

Inclusive Growth

Addressing developmental impacts of COVID 19 and safeguarding progress towards the SDGs

Inclusive Growth

Development Planning

Inclusive Growth

Economic Transformation, Policy and Planning

Inclusive Growth

Inequality and exclusion

Inclusive Growth

Job/ Employment /Decent work Promotion

Inclusive Growth

Local Economic Development

Inclusive Growth

Poverty and Human Development

Inclusive Growth

SDGs/National Development Strategy and Planning

Inclusive Growth

Social Inclusion


Required Skills and Experience

Minimum Qualifications of the Successful NPSA

Min. Academic Education

  • Advanced University Degree (Master's) in a related Developing Studies, Engineering, Social Science, and other relevant field.

Min. years of relevant Work experience

  • At least 6 years of professional, hands on experience in project management in sustainable development, livelihood recovery, community Infrastructures, socio-economic development issues in Nepal with proven track record of project management, implementation, and policy advocacy experience.

Required  skills and competencies

  • Strong operational (task management) and analytical skills and demonstrated ability to translate analytical work into policy advice and actionable, practical recommendations;
  • Excellent interpersonal, problem-solving, communication and team skills, and ability to think innovatively and strategically to find balanced solutions to complex development problems, with a strong client focus;
  • Acting with integrity at all times to build trust and to create an enabling work environment in team; and
  • Ability to work in multidisciplinary team.

Desired additional skills

  • Prior experience working with Government of Nepal, United Nations and donors would be an asset;
  • Knowledge and experience working with provincial and local government context, is an advantage;
  • Good understanding of UNDP rules and procedures or experience of completing UN assignments would be an asset;
  • High level of energy, initiative and self-motivation; willingness to travel and work under challenging circumstances; and
  • Ability to work across practices, work in cross-thematic teams, foster team work, and mentor junior staff.

Required Language(s) (at working level)

  • Fluency in English and Nepali is a prerequisite. Excellent communications and writing skills in English.

Travel:  Incumbent is expected to travel for the monitoring of field level project activities/interventions.

The following documents shall be required from the applicants:

  1. Personal CV or P11, indicating all past positions held and their main underlying functions, their durations (month/year), the qualifications, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate, and at least three (3) the most recent professional references of previous supervisors. References may also include peers;
  2. A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page) indicating why the candidate considers him-/herself to be suitable for the position; and
  3. Managers may ask (ad hoc) for any other materials relevant to pre-assessing the relevance of their experience, such as  reports, presentations, publications, campaigns or other materials.

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