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Youth Analyst (Sahel)

Dakar

  • Organization: UNDP - United Nations Development Programme
  • Location: Dakar
  • Grade: Junior level - P-2, International Professional - Internationally recruited position
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Youth
    • Democratic Governance
    • Governance and Peacebuilding
    • SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
    • YOUTH ENGAGEMENT, Poverty Reduction
  • Closing Date: Closed

Background

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the United Nations Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s policy work carried out at HQ, Regional and Country Office levels, forms a contiguous spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP invests in the Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in the Strategic Plan. 
 
The United Nations Secretary-General has made youth a priority and launched “Youth 2030”, the first UN Youth Strategy, in 2018. UNDP launched its first corporate strategy on Youth (‘Empowered Youth, Sustainable Future’) in 2014 and UNDP Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has implemented UNDP Youth Global Programme for Sustainable Development and Peace since 2016, as a response to the 2030 Agenda and United Nations Security Council Resolution 2250 on youth, peace and security. UNDP recognizes the urgency to address young people’s specific needs and to promote and support young people’s role as critical and positive agents of change. 
 
The Regional Bureau for Africa supports countries in Africa to translate economic growth into long-lasting, inclusive human development working with governments, businesses, communities and regional organizations, helping countries to develop capacity, share knowledge and mobilize funds for sustainable
development. UNDP’s six signature solutions provide the framework for an integrated response to poverty eradication, inclusive and accountable governance, recovery and resilience, gender equality, energy, and the environment. The approach leverages cutting edge advice, partnerships, innovation and programme support in five strategic impact areas including youth empowerment, governance, natural resource management and climate action, energy and smart cities. This includes investing in youth empowerment, entrepreneurship and employment through upscaling successful youth initiatives including Youth Connekt and other similar initiatives that recognize the centrality of youth for Africa’s development and socioeconomic transformation.  The Dakar Platform/sub-regional hub supports UNDP country offices in West and Central Africa with full integrated package of advisory and programme management services working in close consultation with the Regional Service Centre in Addis Ababa
 
Within the GPN, BPPS which has the responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance to support the results of UNDP’s Strategic Plan. BPPS’s staff provides technical advice to Country Offices; advocates for UNDP corporate messages, represents UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora including public-private dialogues, government and civil society dialogues, and engages in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas. BPPS works closely with UNDP’s Crisis Bureau (CB) to support emergency and crisis response. BPPS ensures that issues of risk are fully integrated into UNDP’s development programmes. BPPS assists UNDP and partners to achieve higher quality development results through an integrated approach that links results-based management and performance monitoring with more effective and new ways of working. BPPS supports UNDP and partners to be more innovative, knowledge and data driven including in its programme support efforts. 
 
Reporting to Sahel Project Manager and in close collaboration with the Youth Empowerment Specialists in Addis Ababa and in New York, the incumbent supports the development of a new generation of youth initiatives, programmes and projects to support countries achieve priorities for sustainable development and peace.  
 
The analyst will engage with sub-regional accelerator labs and project teams carrying out sub-regional initiatives including the Border Management and Border  Communities  in  the  Sahel  Region as well as the Regional Stabilization Facility for Lake Chad.
 
The Youth Analyst, based in Dakar, is supporting UNDP’s work in the region, with a particular focus on the Sahel, on youth civic engagement and political participation, youth peace and security, youth economic empowerment, youth and climate, youth and the prevention of violent extremism, youth and gender, youth and innovation. 
 
S/he is contributing to research and analysis to support the team’s efforts to provide policy and programme advisory, advocacy, partnership-building, and knowledge to the thematic area of Youth empowerment within UNDP.  S/he liaises across relevant units on these issues, with youth organisations, movements and networks and other agencies and partners at the sub-regional and regional levels.
 

Duties and Responsibilities

Incumbent is responsible for performing and contributing to the following:
 
•Policy development, analysis and research
•Programming support 
•Knowledge management
•Partnerships and resource mobilization 
 
1.Policy development, analysis and research:
 
•Support policy development on youth empowerment – youth civic engagement and political participation, youth peace and security, youth economic empowerment, youth and climate, youth and the prevention of violent extremism, youth and gender, youth and innovation;
•Support the implementation of regional and sub-regional initiatives UNDP is leading or part of, on and with youth.
•Assist in the development and updating of databases of UNDP projects and initiatives advancing youth empowerment in the region; 
•Contribute to the analysis of data, case evidence and research findings to distil relevant lessons learned on youth.
•Contribute to sub-regional accelerator labs and the development of new research, policy and UNDP knowledge products/tools on themes e.g. related to youth entrepreneurship and youth, peace and security; 
•Support the research, development and dissemination of knowledge-based tools, such as UNDP and UN-wide guidance notes for the use of UNDP Country Offices/UN country teams;
•Assist in development and design of publicity and communication materials, including contributing to / drafting power-point presentations, speeches, and press releases as well as developing advocacy strategies for disseminating and raising awareness of knowledge products;
•Draft reports, minutes of meetings and terms of reference, as required.
 
2.Programming support:
 
•Support the provision of advisory services on youth empowerment, as well as the provision of technical guidance to, and substantive collaboration with global, regional and country focal points;
•Provide technical support to country offices in project design, planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and results reporting in line with RBM guidelines, and support quality assurance, risk management and due diligence processes;
•Develop and maintain a system for monitoring demand and response in the areas of work of the youth team;
•Support the preparation of workplans and operational and financial management of youth activities;
•Assist the team in the preparation of yearly work plans, events, presentations and other programme-related documents and correspondence as may be required.
 
3.Knowledge management/Global Community of Practice:
 
•Contribute to the continuous analysis, documentation, codification of regional results/lessons learned;
•Produce content for corporate spaces on youth and the UNDP-hosted www.youth4peace.info global platform; 
•Support/coordinate the development, organization and coordination of youth events, webinars and platforms;
•Support inter-agency advocacy and knowledge activities on youth in the Sahel;
 
4.Partnership-building and resource mobilization:
 
•Support the development and implementation of youth initiatives, including resource mobilization and partnership strategies and proposal development, including in the context of the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund youth initiatives; 
•Assist in the maintenance of a database of institutional partners, including youth organizations and philanthropy, and mapping of potential donors and partners;
•Develop targeted funding proposals on youth;
•Support any other relevant tasks, as required. 
 

Competencies

Core:
  • Innovation: Ability to make new and useful ideas work
  • Leadership: Ability to persuade others to follow
  • People Management: Ability to improve performance and satisfaction
  • Communication: Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform
  • Delivery: Ability to get things done
Technical/Functional:
  • Youth empowerment: Knowledge of youth dynamics and ability to support the development of comprehensive and cutting-edge youth policies and programmes.
  • Youth civic engagement: Ability to support the development and implementation of programmes for young people to be meaningful engagement involved in civic life and in decision-making.
  • Youth economic empowerment: Ability to design and manage programmes, at scale, to promote and provide decent jobs for youth.
  • Youth, peace and security: Ability to support and partner with young people as positive agents of change and peacebuilders.
  • Sustainable Development Goals: Knowledge of the Sustainable Development Goals and the ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations.
  • Substantive Networking: Ability to substantively engage and foster networks with academia, research institutions, and think tanks.
  • Policy Advocacy: Ability to demonstrate political/cultural acumen in proposing technically sound, fact-based approaches/solutions
  • Knowledge Management: Ability to capture, develop, share and effectively use information and knowledge.
  • Collaboration & Partnerships: Ability to support partnership-building with youth and others, within and beyond the organization. 
  • Management & Coordination: Ability to support monitoring and evaluation and coordinate, manage events and campaigns, etc.
  • Youth empowerment: Knowledge of youth dynamics and ability to support the development of comprehensive and cutting-edge youth policies and programmes.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:
 
•Master's Degree or equivalent Advanced Degree in law, human rights, public policy, economics, international development or a related field of study. 
 
Experience:
 
•A minimum of two years of working experience in a relevant field, including professional experience of working on development issues, with focus on youth, governance, human rights, civic engagement, livelihoods, gender, inclusive peacebuilding. 
•Demonstrable understanding of youth empowerment issues, preferably through work experience in a UNDP Country Office or in the field with UN entities or civil society organisations/youth organisations, movements and networks
•Commitment to youth meaningful participation. Experience as a young activist, young peacebuilder or young social entrepreneur, an asset. 
•Demonstrated track record in designing, implementing and monitoring development projects and programmes.
•Understanding of UNDP’s policy and programmatic approaches and UN coordination.
 
Language Requirements:
 
•Fluent and proficient in French and English. 

Disclaimer

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

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This vacancy is now closed.
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