SENIOR MISSION PLANNING OFFICER

The United Nation Secretariat maintains rosters of qualified and available candidates to fill anticipated job openings in peacekeeping operations, special political missions, and other field operations in conflict and post-conflict locations. The purpose of this job opening is to generate a list of qualified candidates for inclusion in the Senior Mission Planning Officer roster at P5 level.

Please Note: This position is not associated with any other roster. Applicants who are successful in being rostered for Senior Mission Planning Officer positions are only eligible to apply for job openings for these positions.

All applicants will be notified in writing of the outcome of their application (whether successful or unsuccessful) within 14 days of the conclusion of the process. Successful candidates will be placed on the roster and subsequently will be invited to apply for field mission vacancies open only to roster members. Roster membership does not guarantee selection.

These positions are located in United Nations Peacekeeping and Special Political Missions in conflict and post-conflict locations. Senior Mission Planning Officers typically report to the Mission Chief of Staff. In some settings, the Senior Mission Planning Officer and planning officers of the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) may be co-located in a Joint Planning Unit.

The following duties are generic and will be tailored in the context of the specific Mission.
Within delegated authority, the Senior Mission Planning Officer:

•Acts as a senior advisor to the Mission leadership on strategic planning issues, including engaging with the host Government, UN partners and external actors in respect of integrated planning and assessment processes.
•Facilitates joint and integrated planning between Mission components, UNCT members and other relevant partners in accordance with the Policy on Integrated Assessments and Planning, and senior management guidance.
•Leads the preparation of a Mission Concept, or similar initiative, which, building on the vision of the SRSG, translates the mission mandated tasks into a form that fuses objectives, timelines and expected outcomes into a coherent whole, serving as an authoritative guide for the development and implementation of Mission component plans.
•In coordination with mission support leadership, prepares the Mission Results-Based Budget framework and performance reports, and prepares inputs as required for audits, budget monitoring and performance reporting. As directed by the Mission leadership, designs and facilitates development of other strategies and plans required for implementation of the Mission's mandate.
•Provides advice to Mission components in development of component-level plans, ensuring coherence with the Mission's overall strategic direction.
•Contributes to monitoring implementation of the budget, including staffing needs and workplace planning, and advises senior management on how to ensure resources are used to support implementation of the results-based budget, component plans, mission priorities and Integrated Strategic Framework (ISF).
•Provides authoritative advice and technical support enabling UN senior management to develop, implement, and monitor strategies that maximise the individual and collective impact of the UN's response in the country of deployment, concentrating on mandated tasks and objectives required to consolidate peace and security through a strategic partnership between the Mission and the UN Country Team
•Provides authoritative advice to senior management and programme managers on strategic and operational planning policy, procedures and best practices in line with the UN Policy on Integrated Assessment and Planning (IAP); provides recommendations on design of specific mechanisms, in line with policy and best practice, to meet the needs of the Mission and partners.
•Ensures the establishment and operation of integrated field coordination structures, including a senior leadership forum, providing policy guidance and technical assistance on joint strategic and operational issues as required;
•Coordinates Mission-level engagement with the Headquarters-based Integrated Task Force (ITF) or equivalent body and supports Technical Assessment Missions, Strategic Assessment Missions and Strategic Reviews;
•Serves as a strategy and planning point of contact for Headquarters and facilitates linkages between field-based structures and the Headquarters-based Integrated Task Forces;
•With all relevant stakeholders, facilitates the development and implementation of an UN Integrated Strategic Framework for peace consolidation in the country, including in-depth conflict analysis, identification of priorities, roles and responsibilities for the United Nations, and a system for monitoring and evaluation of progress.
•Leads and coordinates the work of the Mission planning team.
•Performs other duties as required.

Professionalism:
- Comprehensive understanding of the issues and challenges in volatile conflict or post conflict environments
- Proven ability to facilitate and produce integrated strategic plans, strategies, or similar documents
- Well-developed understanding of peace and security, development, and humanitarian actors and perspectives
- Demonstrated experience with monitoring and evaluation in complex organizational settings
- Proven success integrating strategic planning processes with requisite funding, staffing, and other resource requirements
- Strong inter-personal skills, including the ability to manage challenging multi-stakeholder analytical and planning processes
- Proven ability to build consensus with colleagues and contacts in pursuit of common objectives
- Shows pride in work and in achievements
- Demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter
- Is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results
- Is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns
- Shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges
- Remains calm in stressful situations
- Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.

Communication:
-Speaks and writes clearly and effectively
-Listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately
-Asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication
-Tailors language, tone, style and format to match the audience
-Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed

Client Orientation:
-Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients ” and seeks to see things from clients’ point of view
-Establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect
-Identifies clients’ needs and matches them to appropriate solutions
-Monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients’ environment to keep informed and anticipate problems
-Keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects
-Meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client

Managerial Competencies:
Vision:
-Identifies strategic issues, opportunities and risks.
-Clearly communicates links between the Organization’s strategy and the work unit’s goals.
-Generates and communicates broad and compelling organizational direction, inspiring others to pursue that same direction
-Conveys enthusiasm about future possibilities

Judgement/ Decision-making:
-Identifies the key issues in a complex situation, and comes to the heart of the problem quickly
-Gathers relevant information before making a decision
-Considers positive and negative impacts of decisions prior to making them
-Takes decisions with an eye to the impact on others and on the Organization
-Proposes a course of action or makes a recommendation based on all available information
-Checks assumptions against facts
-Determines that the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision
-Makes tough decisions when necessary

Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in social sciences, political science, international relations, economics, finance, management, development studies, or a related field is required. A first-level university degree in combination with an additional 2 years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Professional training in the areas of planning, facilitation or coordination is an asset.

A minimum of ten years of progressively responsible experience in political affairs, diplomacy, conflict resolution, peace operations, or a related field is required. At least two years of experience related to strategic planning for emergency, conflict or post-conflict environments is required. Experience working in or supporting UN peace operations or other UN common system field-based organizations is desirable. Experience developing and implementing monitoring and evaluation systems is desirable.

Fluency in English (oral and written) is required. Working knowledge of French is highly desirable. Knowledge of another UN official language is desirable.

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include a written assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview. Core values and competencies will be assessed throughout the evaluation process.

According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity, including but not limited to, respect for international human rights and humanitarian law. Candidates may be subject to screening against these standards, including but not limited to, whether they have committed or are alleged to have committed criminal offences or violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law.

Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.

Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the At-a-Glance on "The Application Process" and the Instructional Manual for the Applicants, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage.

The screening and evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications, including but not limited to, their education, work experience, and language skills, according to the instructions provided on inspira. Applicants will be disqualified from consideration if they do not demonstrate in their application that they meet the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations. Applicants are solely responsible for providing complete and accurate information at the time of application: no amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to a reference-checking process to verify the information provided in the application.

Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at midnight (New York time) on the deadline date.

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.