Africa Accelerator Lab Network Specialist

The UNDP Strategic Plan 2018-2021 embraces the complexity of development and commits the organization to helping countries find faster, more durable solutions to achieve Agenda 2030. Important development trends like urbanization, climate change, and inequality pose significant challenges on our path to achieve the 2030 agenda of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

UNDP has begun incubating a number of strategic initiatives aimed at ensuring UNDP is ‘fit for purpose’ to deliver a new generation of solutions in line with the challenges the world faces. One such key strategic initiatives is the Country Accelerator Lab Network. The initiative is a recognition that increasingly interrelated development challenges require going beyond business as usual and single point, linear and silver bullet responses in development. Instead, they call for an interdisciplinary approaches and non-linear solutions that crowd in the collective efforts of variety of partners and tap into local insights and the knowledge of people closest to the problem and the solutions. The initiative is also a recognition and an investment in the emerging momentum among a growing number of UNDP country offices around joining together disruptive, cutting edge methodologies with contextual, country-based insights and expertise to accelerate impact and progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals.  

Us:

We are building the largest and fastest learning global network of Accelerator Labs (initially setting up 60 labs in 60 countries) embedded within UNDP’s global architecture and country platforms. The new offering builds on the latest thinking from the fields of complexity science, lead user innovation and collective intelligence to accelerate development impact.

Our network will surface and reinforce locally sourced solutions at scale while mobilizing a wide and dynamic partnership of actors contributing knowledge, resources and experience. The idea is to transform our collective approach by introducing new protocols, backed by evidence and practice, which accelerate the testing and dissemination of solutions within and across countries. This will enable the global community to collectively learn from local knowledge and ingenuity at a speed and at a scale that our societies and planet require. This will be achieved by:

• Building on locally-sourced solutions, finding things that work and expanding on them.
• Rapid testing and iteration to implement what works and go beyond the obvious solutions.
• Combining the best understanding, ideas and expertise to generate collective knowledge.
• Accelerating progress by bringing expertise, creativity and collective intelligence to bear

The Accelerator Labs will undertake i) external facing interventions addressing priority development challenges, and ii) internally facing experiments to embed new ways of doing development within the existing UNDP portfolio.  

You:

You are a natural when it comes to supporting and encouraging others to give the best out of them. Networking is part of your DNA and you are always looking for the latest developments in your field of work to break the news to others. You are driven by learning new things, figuring out how they work and translating them across sectors. You love sharing and learning from colleagues and other interesting people you find on your way.

You have a natural inclination to interdisciplinarity, cross cultural mindset and cross sectoral experience with the cosmopolitan attraction for diversity. You are driven by a strong sense of purpose and commitment to make change happen and help others succeed. You are great at understanding people and what they are good at, you often find yourself advising them on new challenges and ideas to explore.

You understand systems, the good, the bad and the ugly, and are capable of working within them to bring about change, exchange knowledge and help your team and others grow. You are curious, quirky and fun, natural strategic thinkers and talented designers. You are digitally savy, you hack tools, and you are keen to be a part of a large global organization exhibiting United Nations values.

Advisory support, technical guidance, and capacity building

• The Africa Accelerator Lab Network Advisor will be the interface between 27 country offices within Regional Bureau of Africa (RBA) and the Acceleration Lab Hub in HQ which coordinates, aggregates and disseminates knowledge among and outside the Network.
• She/he will be primarily responsible for providing innovation advice and overall guidance to Accelerator Labs in the region, inspiring interactions and ensuring that the global network builds on the intelligence and responds to the needs of the country offices in RBA.
• Provide guidance to 27 Accelerator Labs in the (re)definition of frontier problems and technological change: problems of awareness and definition, the development of new ideas and new solutions for existing complex problems, the realization of new solutions and technological options as well as the broader diffusion of new solutions found.
• Design and develop a system for rolling out new capabilities of Acceleration Labs in the region with mechanisms to track, evaluate, and share learning on what works under different development contexts.
• Design the system for engagement between the Accelerator Lab Network and the Accelerator Labs in the region in order to timely anticipate, identify and respond to emerging needs and build the collective intelligence of the system.
• Support country Accelerator Labs in the region and feed-back stories, successes and challenges to the Accelerator Lab Hub.

Knowledge networks and communities of learning

• In close collaboration with the Learning Experience Designer, promotes production of new knowledge and innovation of the specific protocols within and beyond the region and diffusion of successful initiates to the broad use of new solutions.
• Nurtures a regional ecosystem that inspire knowledge sharing alliance, cooperation and interaction within the Acceleration Labs as well as research and technology resource organizations, innovation support agencies, local startups and local and regional government bodies.
• Integrates regional authorities to support learning process by offering services and other mechanisms that augment the inter-linkages between key actors.
• Advises on best regional channels for promotion and diffusion of knowledge, information and technologies, alongside with national and international channels available at the regional level.

Strategic partnerships and outreach

• Understand the regional changing environment and key policy areas that might require further development towards regional innovation systems.
• Develops partnerships and alliances with key actors from different sectors (academia, public and privet sectors and civil society) in the region to support impact and strengthen the work of country Accelerator Labs.
• Analyzes and promotes potential strong inter-linkages within the region to support Accelerations Labs in the definition of challenges, innovation needs, and innovation support needed to contribute to the design next generation governance tools and policy innovations.

Core

Innovation Ability to make new and useful ideas work

Level 5: Creates new and relevant ideas and leads others to implement them

Leadership Ability to persuade others to follow

Level 5: Plans and acts transparently, actively works to remove barriers

People Management Ability to improve performance and satisfaction

Level 5: Models high professional standards and motivates excellence in others

Communication Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform

Level 5: Gains trust of peers, partners, clients by presenting complex concepts in practical terms to others

Delivery Ability to get things done while exercising good judgement

Level 5: Critically assesses value and relevance of existing policy / practice and contributes to enhanced delivery of products, services, and innovative solutions

Technical/Functional

Level 5: Originate: Catalyzes new ideas, methods, and applications to pave a path for innovation and continuous improvement in professional area of expertise

Results Based Management Ability to manage programmes and projects with a strategy aimed at improved performance and demonstrable results

Relationship Management & Partnerships Ability to engage with other agencies and parties

Advocacy and Representation Ability to productively share UNDP knowledge and activities (at UN and other venues)

Strategic Planning Ability to make decisions that align with strategy, vision, and mission

Secondary

Level 5: Originate: Catalyzes new ideas, methods, and applications to pave a path for innovation and continuous improvement in professional area of expertise

Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise Understands and applies fundamental concepts and principles of a professional discipline or technical specialty relating to the position; Possesses knowledge of organizational policies and procedures relating to the position and applies them consistently in work tasks; Strives to keep job knowledge up-to-date through self-directed study and other means of learning, demonstrates good knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments

Knowledge Management Ability to efficiently handle and share information and knowledge

Global Leadership and Advocacy for UNDP’s Goals Identifies and communicates relevant information for advocacy for UNDP’s goals for a variety of audiences

Client Orientation Researches potential solutions to internal and external client needs and reports back in a timely, succinct and appropriate fashion; Organizes and prioritizes work schedule to meet client needs and deadlines

Education

• Master's degree in design, social policy, public policy, politics, economics, development studies or a related area.

Experience

• At least 7 years of experience in development policy, international relations and/or social innovation for the international and public sector.

Language Requirements

• Fluency in English is required.
• Fluency in French is required.

Other

• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) is required.
• Up-to-date knowledge of digital technologies, methodologies and standards.
• Ability to travel 25% of the time.

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.

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.

Workforce diversity

UNDP is committed to achieving diversity within its workforce, and encourages all qualified applicants, irrespective of gender, nationality, disabilities, sexual orientation, culture, religious and ethnic backgrounds to apply. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.

Scam warning