Portfolio Advisor Governance

Considering this national vision, the United Nations country team and Government of Burundi developed the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF), 2023-2027, with the objective of contributing to a more prosperous, inclusive and resilient Burundian society by 2027 through five linked outcomes: (i) population benefits from inclusive and sustainable food systems; (ii) the Burundian population, especially the most vulnerable, benefit from an improved governance system and more diversified and inclusive economy, including through regional integration; (iii) the population, according to age groups, especially the most vulnerable, use an adapted social protection system; (iv) the Burundian population, especially youth, women and the most vulnerable, have equitable and quality access to basic social services appropriate to the phase of the life cycle, and (v) everyone benefits from improved environmental and natural resource management practices, including adaptive capacities and effective systems of preparedness and response to shocks.

In this context, UNDP developed its Country Programme Document, CPD 2024-2027, which reflects its comparative advantage to contributing to the achievement of the NDP’s vision through UNSDCF outcomes. In effect, UNDP leads two outcome groups related to structural transformation and governance, and disaster risk reduction (DRR), environmental and natural resource management. UNDP also co-leads on agribusiness with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Therefore, UNDP positions itself on outcomes 1, 2 and 5 of the UNSDCF. Under Outcome 1, UNDP will support the prevention of land degradation, land policy including digitalization of land certification to benefit food production by focusing on developing inclusive and sustainable food systems since agriculture is a significant GDP contributor and considering the impact of climate change on production. Under Outcome 2, UNDP aspires to strengthen governance systems and promote a diversified and inclusive economy through regional integration. UNDP will target strategic structural reforms to reinforce accountability and transparency in public administration at all levels, with a particular focus on local development. Under outcome 5, UNDP will focus on environmental and natural resource management where UNDP will promote best practices that augment national system capacities for mitigating, adapting, and responding to shocks.

It is in the framework that the CPD 2024-2027 has three strategic priorities namely, priority 1 is related to transformative governance, while priority 2 is related to sustainable, inclusive growth and opportunities. Priority 3 is related to resilience to shocks and environmental protection. The country office is committed to using Systems thinking and Portfolio approach as the CPD rollout strategy to design and dynamically manage its portfolio. It is for this reason that the country office is recruiting a portfolio advisor to oversee the Technical Support UNDP is required to provide to the Government of Burundi in the area of Governance.

Summary of key functions: 

• Provide strategic and technical advisory support to the government of Burundi and UNDP Country Office.
• Provide strategic supervision to the technical specialists for dynamic management of portfolios.
• Advise on Country Partnerships, Resource Mobilization and Advocacy efforts 
• Ensure facilitation of knowledge building and sharing in the CO.

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions,teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.
 

• Provide oversight, intellectual and strategic guidance, and ensure that governance portfolios incorporate required management features and promotes efficiency and effectiveness within the parameters of new and emerging systems.
• In close collaboration with the team leaders and national counterparts, identify and recommend new opportunities for policy advisory directions and roles in various aspect of governance and related reforms, including institutional efficiency, rule of law, justice, and capitalization of peace.
• Collaborates with team leaders and the various technical specialists on the development of other thematic portfolios.
• Actively collaborates and coordinates with the relevant country office and Governmental Units regarding the external communication on the portfolio through website postings, periodic publications, and public meetings.
• Create networks and promotes initiatives with partner organizations to enhance portfolio development, capitalization, and implementation.
• Raises awareness amongst Government, donor community and UN agencies of the value in using system thinking and portfolio approach in dealing with substantive and policy issues.

• Supervise technical specialists in designing and running bi-weekly sessions, document strategic insights and make recommendations for possible adjustments in portfolio implementation (incl. resourcing, stakeholder engagement, etc.)
• Advice portfolio managers in preparing intelligence reports for monthly meetings with senior management.
• Promote bi-annual portfolios and cross-portfolios sensemaking sessions, with internal and external stakeholders

• Play a pivotal role in forging strong alliances with academia, governmental institutions, and other national and international development partners to support the country office and relevant government institutions in tackling complex issues.
• Maintain strong working relationship with Innovation Specialists at the RBA Regional Service Centre and the Strategic Innovation Unit of BPPS.
• Mobilize, foster, and strengthen strategic partnerships with UN entities and other relevant bodies.
• Maintain and build a country office portfolios financing pipeline with a view to mobilize resources and partnerships.
• Seek and identify partnership and funding opportunities; and oversee the preparation of funding proposals, donor briefings and presentations in support of resource mobilization efforts.
• Contribute to country office resource mobilization and partnership strategy.

• Identify and articulate lessons learnt on the implementation of portfolios and contribute to the formulation of guidelines and procedures that would further improve the efficiency and effectiveness.
• Contribute to the development and maintenance of portfolio knowledge networks and practices, and development of knowledge products.
• Manage the process of collecting and sharing lessons learned to build knowledge and capacity of partners and stakeholders.
• Ensure the independent lessons-learned and review exercises relating to the design and implementation of portfolios are properly carried out and appropriate follow up actions are taken.
• Actively seek and promotes innovative methodologies and leads the development of supporting policies/tools to encourage learning and knowledge sharing.
• Identify areas of improvement by applying best practices/lessons learned, using corporate monitoring tools and corporate reports.
• Ensure regular assessments of the strategic and implementation plans. Identify areas of emphasis to guide portfolio improvements and future strategic development plans.
• Design and implement institutional and individual capacity development activities to enhance skills and knowledge in results-based management, results based budgeting and systematic quality assurance;

Digital & Innovation-Data literacy: Understand the potential as well as the limitations of using data driven innovation. Ability to use a mix of data sources (quantitative, qualitative or real-time techniques) to develop understanding, identify patterns to inform decision making or identify opportunities for further exploration.

Programme & Policy- Crisis and Fragility Policy and Engagement: Data/Analytics for early warning and crisis management.

Programme and policy-SDG Integration: Economy-wide analysis. Engagement with South-South Global Thinkers
Digital & Innovation-Co-creation: Ability to design and facilitate a process that enables a diverse group of stakeholders to solve a common problem, develop a practice, or create knowledge together. Ability to embrace diversity, work with a diverse group of stakeholders, understand their interests, perspectives and views and tap into them as a source for creativity. Ability to facilitate processes and create conditions that are open for diverse inputs, stimulate collaboration and sharing