Location: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Grade: P3
Closing Date: Nov 15, 2023, 06:59 AM
Job Description
Background
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP: we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a ‘leave no one behind’ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.
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.
UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development within the UN System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The UNDP Renewed Strategic Offer in Africa aims to ‘strengthen UNDP’s position as Africa’s premier enabler and integrator for Agenda 2030 and the African Union Agenda 2063. The Renewed Strategic Offer commits UNDP to support Africa’s people, its governments, and institutions to consolidate recent gains and effectively address the challenges that remain. In doing so, the UNDP Regional Service Centre for Africa (RSCA) is guided by the UNDP Strategic Plan and Renewed Strategic Offer.
The RSCA is one of five UNDP Regional Service Centers globally, developing high-quality knowledge and policy for UNDP in Africa. The RSCA is situated in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, as the organization’s main interface with continental and regional bodies such as the African Union, and Regional Economic Communities and serves 46 UNDP Country Offices. Under the overall authority and guidance of the RSCA Director, the RSCA is sub-regionally and thematically divided into the UNDP Sub-Regional Hub for West and Central Africa, based in Dakar Senegal, UNDP Resilience Hub for Africa, based in Nairobi Kenya, and UNDP Africa Sustainable Finance Hub based in Pretoria South Africa. In addition to the four Hubs, the RSCA currently has 10 policy and programmes teams operating across the Hubs including the HIV and Health team operating out of Istanbul. They include Country Support Team (CST); RBM, M&E and Accelerator Labs; The Regional Programme for Africa; Inclusive Growth; Gender and Women’s Empowerment; HIV, Health and Development; Nature, Climate and Energy; Governance and Peacebuilding; Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience Team; and Finance and Private Sector.
Duties and Responsibilities
Under the direct supervision of the RSCA Director, the Coordination Specialist’s main function is to foster strong substantive engagement within and across the RSCA teams as well as support for coordination and planning processes and priorities within the framework of the UNDP Strategic Plan and Renewed Strategic Offer for Africa and regional processes. The Coordination Specialist works in close collaboration with technical advisors and experts of programme units and across Hubs ensuring successful and transparent coordination of RSCA activities.
The Coordination Specialist will be responsible for the following tasks:
Provide support to the RSCA Director for UNDP coherent internal coordination and integration mechanisms.
- Support the RSCA Director in implementing a vision for the RSCA ensuring delivery of commitments and following up on pending issues with senior managers for response/decision.
- Support inter-Hub and whole-of-RSCA coordination and integration to strengthen the coherence of RSCA and its support to Regional organisations and Country Offices.
- Facilitate, at the request of the RSCA Director, the convening of mechanisms, namely, the Senior Management Group; the Inter-practice Coordination Group (IPCG) and RSCA Working Groups and ensuring minutes are taken and shared with relevant stakeholders.
- Facilitate, at the request of the RSCA Director, briefings and consultations with RSCA Teams.
Provide technical support to the RSCA Director for programming and monitoring processes.
- Provide technical support to the RSCA Director in strengthening the capacity of the RSCA Teams to develop, coordinate, and implement priorities in alignment with UNDP and UNDP RBA strategic frameworks.
- Ensure that appropriate linkages are made to other ongoing programmatic initiatives, including Country Programme Documents as well as donor strategies.
- In accordance with STARS, ensure the record of requests and follow-up actions for the RSCA Director.
Supporting RSCA Director’s effective communications, partnership, and resource mobilization efforts
- Support the RSCA Director, with consultations with the Government, donors, and organizations of the UN system, building partnerships and mobilizing resources.
- Collate and consolidate information from different RSCA Teams in the preparation of reports, briefings, presentations, and responses on institutional, development, strategic and operational issues, as appropriate.
- Facilitate communications between the RSCA Director and the RSCA Teams. Provide liaison and specific inputs for issues that should be brought to the attention of the RSCA Director. Identify and address communication gaps, if any, ensuring information flow within the RSCA.
Competencies
Core Competencies:
- Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact
- Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems
- Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences
- Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands
- Act with Determination: LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results
- Engage and Partner: LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration
- Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity
Cross-Functional & Technical Competencies:
Communication – Writing and Editing
- Ability to create and/or edit written content in different UN languages.
Partnership Management – Relationship management
- Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust, and mutual understanding.
Business Direction and Strategy – Effective Decision Making
- Ability to make decisions in a timely and efficient manner in line with one authority, area of expertise and resources.
Business Management – Portfolio Management
- Ability to select, prioritize and control the organization as programmes and projects, in line with its strategic objectives and capacity.
- Ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives and the maintenance of business-as-usual, while optimizing return on investment.
Business Management – Partnerships Management
- Ability to build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts, and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies.
Business Management – Communication
- Ability to communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience.
- Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels.
Business Direction & Strategy – 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.
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
- Master’s Degree or equivalent in Economics, Social Sciences, International Relations, Political Sciences, Development Management or related field is required.
- A First-level university degree with an additional two 2 years of relevant work experience will be considered in lieu of Masters degree.
Experience:
- Minimum 5 years (with Master’s degree) or 7 years (with Bachelor’s degree) of relevant work experience at the national or international level in the area of development management and cooperation; coordination, assisting senior management with policy analysis, programme support, or related field is required.
- Experience working with UN/DP and/or government in developing country settings is desired.
- Experience working in Africa and in/on specific regions would be an asset.
- Experience with working with the AUC, RECs and other regional institutions and bodies would be considered an asset.
Language:
- Fluency in oral and written English is required.
- Knowledge of another UN official working language is desirable.
Disclaimer
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.
Applicant information about UNDP rosters
Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.
Non-discrimination
UNDP has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.
UNDP is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer that does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.
Scam warning
The United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web.