Innovation for Development 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 and improve lives of people. Important development trends like urbanization, climate change, and inequality pose significant challenges on the path to achieve the 2030 agenda.

To help achieve the full implementation of its Strategic Plan and its six signature solutions, UNDP has corporately launched various initiatives to engage with a wide array of partners and stakeholders from governments, private sector including SMEs and start-ups, academia and civil society representatives. 

All these strategic initiatives aim 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 work.  Instead, they call for an interdisciplinary approaches and non-linear solutions that crowd in the collective efforts, knowledge and resources 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. 

UNDP is building the largest and fastest learning global network of Accelerator Labs (initially setting up 60 labs in 60 countries, including one in Ukraine) 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. The SDG Accelerator is a UNDP programme aiming to accelerate business solutions with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The programme is funded by the Danish Industry Foundation and is tested in Denmark in 2018 with 30 Danish small and medium-sized industrial companies, after which the aim is to roll out across the Nordics and globally. UNDP Ukraine will build on this experience and model to engage with Ukrainian Small and Medium Enterprises to accelerate the achievement of SDGs in the country.

SDG Impact is another UNDP flagship initiative focusing on generating and leveraging private sector capital in delivering the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Launched as a “start-up” in September 2018, SDG Impact aims to provide investors, businesses and others with unified standards, tools, and services required to authenticate their contributions to achieving the SDGs and to identify SDG investment opportunities in emerging economies and developing countries. The initiative highlights experimentation, innovation and partnerships as it focuses on developing prototype products and services that will be tested, refined and brought to the market in a relatively short time frame.

Under the guidance and direct supervision of the UNDP Deputy Resident Representative, the Innovation for Development Specialist will:

1.     Provide advice to Senior Management and Program team on the newest technology and innovation for development trends and co-design context sensitive solutions in support of the achievement of the SDGs at national, regional and local level.

2.     Provide technical assistance to the programme and operations teams, including the Accelerator Lab team (for improved planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation) in the areas of collective intelligence, sense-making, fast exploration, impact evaluation, horizon scanning, systems’ mapping and new business models;

3.     Contribute to the development of the private sector engagement for the achievement of the SDGs in Ukraine;

4.     Contribute to the innovation learning in UNDP CO and with partners and stakeholders in Ukraine

The Innovation for Development Specialist will interface with UNDP’s partners and stakeholders including the broader Accelerator lab network, UN Agencies, other development partners, civil society and the private sector. 

Summary of Key Functions:

1.     Provide advice to Senior Management and CO team on the latest technology and innovation for development trends contributing to development of context sensitive development solutions in support of the implementation of the SDGs at national, regional and local level: 

• Develop policy and solution notes on recent trends and evolutions in the areas of innovation for social and economic development, climate change and energy efficiency, etc. 
• Advise on specific areas of acceleration for UNDP and the Government; generate ideas on how to connect un-usual partners/stakeholders in the process.

2.     Provide technical assistance to the programme and operations teams including the Accelerator Lab team in areas of collective intelligence, sense-making, fast exploration, impact evaluation, horizon scanning, systems’ mapping and new business models:

• Work closely with all pillars of the UNDP Country Office in Ukraine to advance social and technological innovation for the programme planning and implementation;
• Coordinate with the Accelerator Lab team the work of exploration, solutions mapping and experimentation and technically contribute to the development of various concepts and solutions in the spirit of accelerating the development path in Ukraine;
• Advise on the value proposition of the Accelerator Lab and the list of services and knowledge products to/for the UNDP Ukraine Program;
• Support the Accelerator Lab in running solution mapping, horizon scanning, mapping of internal and external opportunities to accelerate achievement of the SDGs Contribute to the resource mobilization efforts for the core experiments and devise adequate strategies for their scaling-up;
• Provide technical support to the Accelerator Lab operations and strategically contribute to the regional exchange of learning, exploration and experimentation work;
• Ensure that the DNA of the office gets enriched with a rapid acceleration capability supported by Government, private sector and other partners;
• Support the branding of the Ukrainian Acceleration Lab and further positioning of the Lab vis-à-vis other labs and innovation outfits.

3.     Contribute to the development of the private sector engagement for the achievement of the SDGs and diversification of UNDP’s partnerships base in Ukraine:

• Map the existing market and develop new partnerships strategy for the development of SDGs in Ukraine, including with private sector, municipalities, and citizens;
• Liaise with the SDG Accelerator Lab initiative in UNDP’s Nordic Partnership Office for the design and development of SDG Acceleration program for local SMEs, in close collaboration with the programme team;
• Support private sector companies in Ukraine to un-pack and re-pack their business models by aligning these to selective targets and SDGs.

4.     Contribute to the innovation learning in UNDP CO and with partners and stakeholders in Ukraine:   

• Develop a learning package on “Innovation & SDGs” based on needs and priorities identified in the CO and at the partners level; implement the capacity development activities and training through innovative models and approaches;
• Provide guidance and mentorship to the CO teams and partners in areas of collective intelligence, sense-making, use of big data, impact evaluation and similar niche or non-niche skills;
• Support the development of internal niche skills and capacity for exploration, experimentation and ethnography;
• Support to program teams in the testing of new business models where needed

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

Strategic thinking/Visioning

Ability to analyse the organization’s value proposition and shape visionary/long term plans.  Use insight to identify target audiences and partners and to inform communication objectives, messages and solutions.

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

Collaboration and Partnership

Ability to develop, maintain, and strengthen partnerships with others inside (Programmes/projects) or outside the organization who can provide information, assistance, and support.  Sets overall direction for the formation and management of strategic relationships contributing to the overall positioning of UNDP

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

Advocacy and Activations

Ability to design and implement strategic short/long term campaigns and carry out customized activations to highlight UNDP's position and support issue-based advocacy.

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

Knowledge Management

Ability to capture, develop, share and effectively use information and knowledge

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

Project management

Ability to plan, organize, and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals

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

Report writing

Ability to prepare quality reports

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

Gender and Institutional Development

Knowledge of systems for gender mainstreaming and capacity development and interagency collaboration and ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations

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

Education:

• Master's degree (or equivalent) in social policy, public policy, public administration, politics, economics, international relations, project management, development studies, social sciences, law or a related area.
• Bachelor’s degree with additional 2 years of relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of Master’s degree.

Experience:

• At least 5 years with Master’s degree or equivalent or 7 years with Bachelor’s degree of relevant experience at national or international level in providing socio-economic and development related advisory services, including establishing and running innovating outfits;
• Experience in policy-level analysis, design, monitoring and evaluation of development projects is desired;
• Solid experience in conceptualizing and running experiments; proven experience in running behavioral experiments, work with thick and big data, collaborative experimentation work is a distinct advantage;
• Advanced understanding of economic theories, principles and their applications to national economic and development issues is an advantage;
• Proven capacity to deal with complex policy analysis and to promote innovation, including collaborative innovation is an advantage;
• Experience with private sector engagement; proven experience in development and modernization of business models, business innovation and engagement with private sector for accelerated achievement of the SDGs is an advantage;
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages, experience in handling of web-based management systems. Experience with advanced programmes for statistical analysis of data is a distinct advantage;
• Solid regional experience and good knowledge of the RBEC region is an asset.

Languages:

Fluency in English. Russian is an advantage

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.

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