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Team Leader, Sustainable Development Programme Specialist

Bishkek

  • Organization: UNDP - United Nations Development Programme
  • Location: Bishkek
  • Grade: Mid level - NO-C, National Professional Officer - Locally recruited position
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Operations and Administrations
    • Development Cooperation and Sustainable Development Goals
    • Environment
    • Project and Programme Management
    • Managerial positions
    • ManagementCapacity Development
  • Closing Date: Closed

Background

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 rising inequalities pose significant challenges on our path to achieve the 2030 agenda of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

UNDP Kyrgyzstan aims to deliver an effective new generation of development solutions in line with the challenges the world faces.  Increasingly interrelated development challenges require going beyond business as usual and call for an interdisciplinary approach that draw on the collective efforts of variety of partners.

The Sustainable Development team provides support to the Government on key policy issues related to economic development, green growth, digitization, data for development and related issues. The growing portfolio includes the promotion of entrepreneurship and trade, digitalization, climate and gender-sensitive economic development, regional development and sustainable development data system projects.

The Sustainable Development Specialist will also play the lead role in the Country Office policy Support to the government on SDG integration, mainstreaming, and financing and lead UNDP’s pioneering programming in these areas.

Under the guidance and direct supervision of the Deputy Resident Representative (DRR) or ARR(P), the Programme Specialist is responsible for management of UNDP Kyrgyzstan’s Sustainable Development portfolio. This includes analyzing current and emerging sustainable development related political, social and economic trends and leading formulation, management and evaluation of programme activities within the sustainable development portfolio. 

The Programme Specialist leads, supervises and mentors the sustainable development team and coordinates projects under the portfolio.  He/she works in close collaboration with other UNDP teams and aims to development synergies and joint projects as required.  The Programme Specialist also works closely with the Operations team, other UN Agencies, UNDP HQs staff and Government officials, technical advisors and experts, multi-lateral and bi-lateral donors and civil society ensuring successful UNDP programme implementation

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of Key Functions:

  1. Designs and manages UNDP Kyrgyzstan’s sustainable development programme, providing top quality analysis and policy advice as management and oversight expertise.  
  2. Promotes innovation, active learning and the exploration to promote effective project formulation to support Kyrgyzstan’s achievement of relevant Sustainable Development Goal goals and targets.
  3. Creates strategic partnerships and effectively contributes to pipeline project development and resource mobilization
  4. Promotes effective gender and vulnerability analysis and mainstreaming through the sustainable development portfolio, and with partners.

1. Leads in the design and management of UNDP Kyrgyzstan’s programme on sustainable development, providing top quality analysis and policy advice focusing on achievement of the following results:

  • Ensures implementation of programme strategies and completion of management milestones, suggests improvements as required:
  • Provides of top-quality policy advice to the Government and UNDP and facilitates knowledge building and system strengthening, including policy support on SDG integration, mainstreaming, and financing and lead UNDP’s pioneering programming in these areas
  • Provide substantive inputs into key UN analytical and strategic tools including the Common Country Assessment, Development Assistance Framework and related documents
  • Contributes to country office business processes mapping and preparation of the content of internal Standard Operating Procedures in Results Management.
  • Identifies and synthesizes best practices and lessons learnt directly linked to programme country policy goals
  • Supports development of policies and institutions that address the country problems and needs in collaboration with the Government and other strategic partners.
  • Actively communicates strategies, achievements and results to key stakeholders through a range of media including blogs, social media and websites.

2.  Promotes innovation, active learning and exploration to ensure to promote effective formulation and implementation of the sustainable development programme focusing on achievement of the following results:

  • Promotes innovation, exploration and testing of new ideas to ensure the effective design and formulation of an effective sustainable development programme well-tailored to UNDP areas of expertise and local requirements.
  • Coordinates programme implementation, including active mentoring and development of teams, and ensuring the effective application of performance and indicators/ success criteria.
  • Ensures effective project conceptualization, drafting and implementation of new projects including finalization of contribution agreements; determination of required revisions, budget and human resource management.
  • Works with project teams to promote effective monitoring and learning during projects and contributes to effective evaluations of impacts as required.
  • Ensures achievement of project delivery targets, ensuring financial compliance and monitoring, including the identification of operational and financial problems, development of solutions and participation in audits of projects as required.
  • Follows up on audit recommendations and ensure effective application of UNDP’s rules and regulations throughout the programme cycle.
  • Aggregates reports on a regular basis covering activities, outputs and outcomes and ensures the effective preparation of donor reports.

3. Creates strategic partnerships and effectively contributes to pipeline project development and resource mobilization focusing on achievement of the following results:

  • Ensures creation and management of strategic partnerships and implementation of the resource mobilization strategy in cooperation in consultation with senior management and other stakeholders;
  • Develops partnerships with the Government institutions, UN Agencies, international financial institutions (IFls), bilateral and multi-lateral donors, the private sector and civil society in the area of sustainable development to support sustainable development goals;
  • Identifies potential new partners and sources of information related to policy-driven issues.
  • Contributes to knowledge networks and communities of practice.
  • Contributes to a culture of learning, and support mentoring, learning and trainings for team members

4. Promotes effective gender and vulnerability analysis and mainstreaming through the sustainable development portfolio, and with partners focusing on achievement of the following results:

  • In close cooperation with the Gender Team, conduct analysis of gender requirements for the programme
  • Ensure the integration of gender activities into projects based on the analysis made and to actively promote women’s empowerment
  • Ensure fund availability for gender action in project and programme actions.

 

Competencies

Advocacy/Advancing A Policy-Oriented Agenda

Level 2: Analysis and creation of messages and strategies

  • Uses the opportunity to bring forward and disseminate materials for advocacy work

Results-Based Programme Development and Management

Level 1.2: Contributes into results through primary research and analysis

  • Assesses project performance to identify success factors and incorporates best practices into project work
  • Researches linkages across programme activities to identify critical points of integration
  • Monitors specific stages of projects/programme implementation

Building Strategic Partnerships

Level 2: Identifying and building partnerships

  • Identifies needs and interventions for capacity building of counterparts, clients and potential partners
  • Displays initiative, sets challenging outputs for him/herself and willingly accepts new work assignment

Innovation and Marketing New Approaches

Level 2: Developing new approaches

  • Identifies new approaches and promotes their use in other situations
  • Documents successes and uses them to project a positive image
  • Creates an environment that fosters innovation and innovative thinking
  • Makes the case for innovative ideas from the team with own supervisor

Resource Mobilization (Field Duty Stations)

Level 2:  Implementing resource mobilization strategies

  • Identifies and compiles lessons learned
  • Promotes and encourages country office action with local missions of donor countries as well as appropriate government authorities for increased contribution to UNDP resources, including cost sharing modalities

Promoting Organizational Learning and Knowledge Sharing

Level 2: Developing tools and mechanisms

  • Makes the case for innovative ideas documenting successes and building them into the design of new approaches
  • Identifies new approaches and strategies that promote the use of tools and mechanisms

Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise

Level 2: In-depth knowledge of the subject-matter

  • Understands more advanced aspects of primary area of specialization as well as the fundamental concepts of related disciplines
  • Keeps abreast of new developments in area of professional discipline and job knowledge and seeks to develop him/herself professionally
  • Demonstrates comprehensive knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments
  • Demonstrates comprehensive understanding and knowledge of the current guidelines and project management tools and utilizes these regularly in work assignments

Global Leadership and Advocacy for UNDP’s Goals

Level 2: Analysis and creation of messages and strategies

  • Uses the opportunity to bring forward and disseminate materials for global advocacy work and adapts it for use at country level 

Client Orientation

Level 2: Contributing to positive outcomes for the client

  • Anticipates client needs
  • Works towards creating an enabling environment for a smooth relationship between the clients and service provider
  • Demonstrates understanding of client’s perspective

Core Competencies:

  • Promoting ethics and integrity, creating organizational precedents
  • Building support and political acumen
  • Building staff competence, creating an environment of creativity and innovation
  • Building and promoting effective teams
  • Creating and promoting enabling environment for open communication
  • Creating an emotionally intelligent organization
  • Leveraging conflict in the interests of UNDP & setting standards
  • Sharing knowledge across the organization and building a culture of knowledge sharing and learning. Promoting learning and knowledge management/sharing is the responsibility of each staff member.
  • Fair and transparent  decision making; calculated risk-taking

 

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

  • Minimum Masters Degree or equivalent in Development Economics, Development, Public Administrations, Gender, Social Studies, Economics or other related fields from a University listed World Higher Education Database (https://www.whed.net/home.php) is a requirement.
  • Gender certification is an asset

Experience:

  • Minimum 5 years of relevant experience at the national or international level in providing management advisory services, hands-on experience in design monitoring and evaluation of development projects.
  • Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages, experience in handling of web-based management systems and advanced programmes for statistical analysis of data.

Language Requirements:

  • Fluency in English and Russian
  • Knowledge of Kyrgyz is an asset

 

Disclaimer

Important applicant information

All posts in the GS categories are subject to local recruitment.

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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