Vacancy End Date: (Midnight New York, USA)
24/04/2019
Duty Station: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Education & Work Experience: G-Bachelor’s Level Degree – 10 year(s) experience
Languages
Required:
Desired:
English
French
Grade: P5
Vacancy Type: FTA International
Posting Type: External
Bureau: Africa
Contract Duration: 1 Year with possibility for extension
Background
The Regional Programme for Africa is a flagship programme for UNDP that responds to challenges and opportunities facing the African Continent and to the priorities and aspirations of Africa as articulated by the African Union and other regional organs. These are convergent with the vision, areas of work, and guiding principles of the UNDP strategic plan (SP), 2018-2021. The programme builds on the successes and responds to the lessons from past cooperation, with special attention to programme focus and effective engagement with the African Union and the regional economic communities through the development of long-term strategic partnerships.
The Regional Programme (RP) for Africa contributes directly to four of the SP “signature solutions”, including: strengthening effective, accountable and inclusive governance; enhancing prevention and recovery for resilient societies; closing the clean energy gap; and strengthening gender equality. These efforts collectively contribute indirectly to two signature solutions: keeping people out of poverty; and promoting nature-based solutions for a sustainable planet. The RP responds to three interrelated development challenges that hamper Africa’s pathway to achieving its vision as articulated in Agenda 2063 and Agenda 2030. The choices made and the ‘pathways’ selected are based on: a comprehensive regional analysis, the recommendations of the QCPR, and other vital global agreements and processes such as the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the New Urban Agenda. Furthermore, it is based on the need to support and strengthen regional coordination mechanisms in order to avoid overlap and duplication and is, consequently, anchored in strong partnerships with African institutions, civil society actors and bilateral partners. As part of the demand-driven approach at the core of this RP, the priorities are inherently informed by consultations with key AU organs, CSOs and bilateral partners and elaborated on the basis of coherence with UN entities.
The Regional Programme Coordinator is responsible for the design, management, and oversight of the regional programme and its projects, ensuring clear alignment with the regional and corporate strategy and priorities. She/he provides substantive programmatic support, liaising with Country Programme Advisors to identify and integrate CO’s key development priorities into the regional programme, and coordinating with policy teams to provide relevant technical advice to regional project teams. She/he contributes to the development and strategy for South-South and triangular cooperation, enhancing partnerships, resource mobilization and outreach related to the regional programme, and provides substantive inputs to the Regional Programme Document planning, monitoring, and reporting.
The Regional Programme Coordinator reports to the Director, of the Regional Service Center for Africa and manages the Regional Programme team. The Regional Programme Coordinator has an overall convening and integrating role and is guided by the Regional Programme Accountability Framework and Business Process.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Regional Programme Document planning and reporting:
- Provide substantive contributions to the Regional Programme Document (RPD) formulation process ensuring systematic liaison and information sharing with the Strategy and Analysis, the Country Oversight and the CO Support teams for continued alignment of the regional programme with corporate strategies and policies. Undertake substantial analysis and submit recommendations on critical programmatic and service delivery issues related to the regional programme portfolio to the Regional Bureau leadership in order to assist corporate and regional decision-making and strengthen strategic formulation and design.
- Identify program opportunities, approaches and modalities for intervention to leverage the quality and scope of regional program strategies and plans in accordance with global policies, priorities and goals and in harmony with regional, sub-regional and national development agendas, capacities and interests.
- Provide key contributions to the regional work plan preparation and reporting as it relates to the projects under the regional programme portfolio.
- Prepare inputs to the regional target setting and annual reporting in respect to regional project portfolios including properly designed monitoring mechanisms with clear indicators and oversight tools.
- Represent the Bureau in regional programme/project evaluation meetings, project boards as well as other related regional events. Support the Bureau leadership in the organization and follow up to the regional programme advisory board meetings, preparing background documents and briefs and following up on the Board’s recommendations.
- Design and oversight of regional projects:
- Develop regional projects and initiatives, ensuring their alignment with regional and corporate strategy and priorities, their integration of COs’ key development needs and challenges within the scope of regional initiatives, and the application of recent evaluation findings.
- Perform overall coordination for regional projects’ formulation, appraisal, approval and start up. Undertake management actions related to regional projects implementation (work plans, progress reports, budget revisions, monitoring visits, relations with executing agencies and beneficiaries, reports, evaluations and audits) to ensure a coherent regional portfolio and compliance with established policies and procedures.
- Provide technical guidance for the design of reliable, measureable and sustainable indicators, sharing evaluation, monitoring and oversight tools and drawing on support from the Results Based Management (RBM) team.
- Oversee overall regional programme implementation, including technical, financial and managerial actions, reporting to the Bureau leadership on project performance (operational and programmatic), based on aggregated results and evaluative evidence.
- Technical leadership and support to regional project teams:
- Lead and support project teams to develop the annual plan as well as ad-hoc/evolving plans for advisory support, working with policy teams to offer a joint portfolio of available knowledge and resources, and proactively liaise with the project teams throughout their project cycle to identify and propose any additional support needed.
- Oversee the technical delivery of the projects to ensure achievement of results as per the regional programme priorities and related annual work plans.
- Coordinate and serve as advocate for project teams in the prioritization of requests and contribute to drafting of ToRs by bringing country/regional knowledge and aligning request with other CO requests/missions.
- Lead regular dialogue and engagement with the technical areas in the Regional Hub and the COs to ensure optimized benefit and full engagement of counterparts.
- Coordination and external partnerships:
- Contribute to the development and execution of the South-South and triangular cooperation partnerships, resource mobilization, and outreach strategies for the regional programme.
- Contribute to and represent UNDP in regional/sub-regional fora and conferences on topics related to the regional programme and strategic planning by continental and sub-regional institutions. Engage with key partners to encourage commitment and collaboration in advancing the region’s programmatic portfolio.
- Advocate for UNDP’s position and interventions in the region forging critical networks for the Bureau’s leadership.
- Prepare analyses, position papers and briefs in relation to the regional programme. Serve as key contributor in regular dialogue with the UN system, regional organizations and institutions active in the region on all aspects of the regional programme.
- Management of the Regional Programme Team:
- Provide strategic guidance and oversee the management of the team to ensure adherence to policies and procedures and the accountability framework.
- Establish the team’s annual work plans and set objectives, performance measurements, standards and expected results in collaboration and discussion with team members.
- Supervise and assess work in progress to ensure delivery of results according to performance standards, overall objectives and accountability framework. Provide intellectual leadership and technical guidance and timely take decisions to meet objectives.
- Promote teamwork and knowledge sharing to facilitate harmonization, linkages, collaboration, and synergy in order to ensure that staff members are empowered and provided sufficient information, guidance and support to perform and deliver results according to organizational and professional standards of efficiency, accountability and integrity.
- Manage the team in compliance with corporate human resources policies and strategies.
- Ensure the optimal staffing of the team.
- Support supervisees in facilitating their learning and development.
- Support supervisees in maintaining their health and well-being, safety and security.
- Promote cross-unit teamwork and skills development for the team members through coaching and mentoring.
Competencies
CORE
Innovation Ability to make new and useful ideas work
Level 6: Exercises stakeholder-centered design approaches for office / programme / division
Leadership Ability to persuade others to follow
Level 6: Ensures teams are resourced for success and empowered to deliver
People Management Ability to improve performance and satisfaction
Level 6: Guides substantive specialists / teams and expands credibility and innovation capacity
Communication Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform
Level 6: Creates confidence among stakeholders by delivering authoritative positions, compelling analysis, and contextual acumen
Delivery Ability to get things done while exercising good judgement
Level 6: Accepts accountability for the outcomes of programme delivery and facilitates improvement and innovation in the delivery of products and services
TECHNICAL Level 6: Integrate & Empower: Leads integral work of teams utilizing expertise, vision, problem-solving capability, and collaborative energy in professional area of expertise
Monitoring and Evaluation Knowledge of methodologies, tools, systems and apply practical experience in planning, monitoring, evaluating and reporting and ability to apply to practical situations
Project Management Ability to plan, organize, and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals
UN System Knowledge of the UN System and ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations
Partnerships Ability to engage with other agencies, donors, and other development stakeholders and forge productive working relationships
Resource Mobilization Ability to identify and organize programmes and projects to implement solutions and generate resources
Resource Allocation Ability to distribute resources in a strategic or tactical way
SECONDARY Level 6: Integrate & Empower: Leads integral work of teams utilizing expertise, vision, problem-solving capability, and collaborative energy in professional area of expertise
Results-based Management Ability to manage programmes and projects with a strategy aimed at improved performance and demonstrable results
Brief & Report Writing Ability to prepare quality briefs and reports
Quality Assurance Ability to perform administrative and procedural activities to insure that quality requirements and goals are fulfilled
Required Skills and Experience
Education
- Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in a development related field, international development, public administration, business administration, economics, social sciences or related field. OR
- A License degree with one additional relevant professional year of experience. OR
- A Bachelor’s degree with two additional relevant professional years of experience.
Experience
- At least 10 years of professional relevant experience.
- Demonstrated experience in international development and programme management.
- Substantive expertise in one or more of the UNDP practice areas.
- Knowledge of and relevant work experience in the region is highly desirable.
- Experience in resource mobilization and partnership building will be an asset.
Language Requirements
- Fluency in English both written and oral.
- French will be an asset.
Disclaimer
Important information for US Permanent Residents (‘Green Card’ holders)
Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment.
UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.
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More Information
- Job City Addis Ababa
