Assistant Resident Representative, Democratic Governance

UNDP works in 170 countries and territories, helping to achieve the eradication of poverty, and the reduction of inequalities and exclusion. We help countries to develop policies, leadership skills, partnering abilities, institutional capabilities and build resilience in order to sustain development results. UNDP has been a trusted development partner of the Maldives for more than 40 years, helping to achieve the eradication of poverty, reduction of inequalities and exclusion in areas such governance, environment protection, climate change mitigation and adaptation.

The next phase of UNDP’s COVID-19 crisis response is designed to help decision-makers look beyond recovery, towards 2030, making choices and managing complexity and uncertainty in four main areas: governance, social protection, green economy, and digital disruption. It encompasses our role in technically leading the UN’s socio-economic response.

Based on our comparative advantage and incorporating lessons learned, the UNDP Country Programme 2016-2021 seeks to contribute to a Maldives that is effectively governed, with wide participation of citizens who enjoy equal opportunities to realize their aspirations, environmentally sustainable and resilient.

You are invited to join a team of dedicated development professionals whose primary role is to support the Maldives to achieve the 2030 Agenda.  As part of the UNDP team your focus will be to work with multiple stakeholders to find country specific solutions that ensures no one is left behind - and we reach those furthest behind first.

UNDP is looking for individuals who have the analytical, planning and implementation capacities that can address links, choices and connections across many issues and sectors.  We seek individuals who can apply global best practice to national contexts. We are looking for people who are enthusiastic, motivated, and committed to making a positive contribution to Development in the Maldives. 

UNDP supports countries around the world to formulate strategies, policies, and programme interventions that promote the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To advance these aims, UNDP provides technical policy advice and programming tools, especially to help address critical sustainable development challenges.

UNDP country offices work closely with government counterparts and other national stakeholders to support the introduction of inclusive and sustainable development policies that are aligned with the national context. National economists based in country offices across the Asia-Pacific region contribute to this work, including through support to policy dialogue with government officials and other partners, assistance in programme development, and production of research and analysis. These colleagues also collaborate and share experiences and practices across countries inside and outside the Asia-Pacific region.

Post-Specific Context

Through UNDP's Integrated Governance Programme, we are reaffirming the relevance and importance of supporting increased legal awareness and strengthening decentralization frameworks and access to justice, especially for those on outlying atolls. We are also emphasizing on the added value of achieving synergies between promoting accountability of governance institutions and strengthening the capacity of civil society and media. As gender equality and youth empowerment continue to require effective support in Maldives, UNDP is paying attention to strengthen capacity needs in this regard for sustained progress.

In this context, the Assistant Resident Representative (Team Leader), Democratic Governance is deemed a key element to the success of this thematic area. Under the guidance of the Resident Representative and direct supervision of the DRR, the incumbent is responsible for the management of UNDP programme within the thematic/sectoral areas assigned. As such s/he is entrusted with the oversight of program policy leadership responsibilities in areas of democratic governance and citizen participation, including human rights, Rule of Law, access to justice, strong institutions and peace, gender equality agenda towards SDG 16, Next Gen governance, including digital and e-governance in the programme to build social innovation platforms to enhance accountability and trust between  governments, communities and the private sector..

The Assistant Resident Representative (ARR) analyzes political, social, and economic trends and leads formulation, management, and evaluation of programme activities within his/her portfolio, as well as providing strategic policy advice support. She/he will provide policy and programmatic guidance to other members of the Programme Unit, especially regarding cross cutting issues. S/he will give emphasis to strategic positioning of the office and strategic advice, policy advocacy, programme design and monitoring, partnership and pipeline building and maintaining, team management and supervision, and innovation within the thematic area assigned.

The incumbent is also entrusted to promote the inclusion of cross cutting programme considerations with special focus to the rights of vulnerable groups and constituencies. Thus, she/he must have an excellent capacity to engage a diverse stakeholder base and to effectively network for solid partnership building and joint programming (public-private, civil society, South-South, etc.).

S/he provides management, oversight of the team under the assigned thematic area as well as substantive backstopping to senior management as required. The incumbent will also endeavor to engage in collaborative policy discussions under the oversight of senior management, with programme and project staff to ascertain emerging needs in the thematic area as well as opportunities to capitalize on new or innovative programme strategies as well as to ensure coherence of programme strategies and activities.

Develops policy and programme strategies focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Design and formulation of CO programme within the area of responsibility, translating UNDP’s priorities into programmatic interventions in Maldives. Thorough analysis and research of the political, social, and economic situation in the country and preparation of substantive inputs to UN Sustainable Development Framework (UNSDF), Country Programme Document (CPD) and other documents.
• Policy advice to senior management and government as well as strategic direction of the Integrated Governance Portfolio (IGP), towards access to justice, Rule of Law, strong institutions, transparency and accountability, Peace and civil society participation to promote SDG16.
• Protection of Human rights particularly for vulnerable population including PWDs, ensuring gender is effectively mainstreamed throughout the IGP programmes including gender responsive social protection and gender equality and addressing GBV and empowerment of women in politics, society and economy.
• Promote youth empowerment and leadership.
• Promote effective national and subnational development strategy, planning, monitoring to achieve SDGs and national development goals. 
• Accelerate innovation and new generation of governance, including digitalization agenda.

Ensures management of Democratic Governance portfolio and team:

• Effective application of Results Based Management (RBM) tools, establishment of management targets and monitoring achievement and evaluation of results.
• Effective talent and team/human resource management and implement People 2030. Review of individual and team’s performance and provision of required coaching, guidance, mentoring and empowerment.
• Coordination of programme implementation with the executing agencies and ensuring  the achievement of performance indicators/ success criteria, cost recovery, targets, and milestones.
• Manages and programme operational oversight adhering to Internal Control Framework (ICF), as guided by UNDP corporate guidelines including open UNDP transparency dashboard (IATI). Ensure accountability of portfolio management including audit recommendation follow up.
• Perform functions of Manager Level 1 in Atlas for POs and vouchers approval.

Ensures the development of strategic partnerships and implementation of the resource mobilization strategy focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Development of partnerships with the UN Agencies, IFI’s, government institutions, bi-lateral and multi-lateral donors, private sector, civil society in the specific thematic areas based on strategic goals of UNDP, country needs and donors’ priorities. 
• Foster strategic partnerships for joint programming within and outside the UN system. 
• Donor relations, reporting, including analysis and research of information on donors and key stakeholders, preparation of substantive briefs on possible areas of cooperation, identification of opportunities for initiation of new projects, active contribution to the overall office effort in resource mobilization.

Ensures provision of top-quality advisory services and facilitation of knowledge building, strategic communications and advocacy and management focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Identification of sources of information related to policy-driven issues. Identification and synthesis of best practices and lessons learnt directly linked to programme country policy goals. Generate knowledge products, communicate internally and externally, using a variety of digital and other platforms including social media.
• Support to development of policies and institutions that will address the country problems and needs in collaboration with the Government and other strategic partners.
• Promote innovative programme areas and good practices in thematic area.
• Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.
• Organization of trainings for the operations/ projects staff on programme issues
• Contribute knowledge to and learn from global and regional UNDP knowledge networks and beyond.

Core competencies

• 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 while exercising good judgement.

Technical/Functional Competencies.

• Advocacy/Advancing a policy-oriented agenda - Ability to identified and communicates relevant information for a variety of audiences for advocating UNDP’s mandate.
• Results-based programme development and management - Ability to contribute into results through primary research and analysis.
• Building Strategic Partnerships - Ability to maintain and establish networks of contacts for general information sharing and to remain up to date on partnership related issues.
• Innovation and Marketing New Approaches - Can generate new ideas and processes and is able to analyze and selects materials for strengthening strategic alliances with partners and stakeholders.
• Resource mobilization - Ability to analyze information/databases on potential and actual donors and identity and present opportunities for project proposals to donors.
• Political Economy Analysis - Knowledge of the interaction of political and economic processes in a society; including distribution of power and wealth between groups and individuals, and the processes that create, sustain and transform these relationships over time, and how these dynamics both affect, and are affected by, UNDP's development support.
• Democratic Governance citizen participation, including human rights, Rule of Law, access to justice, strong institutions and peace, gender equality - Knowledge of democratic governance citizen participation, including human rights, Rule of Law, access to justice, strong institutions and peace, gender equality and principles and ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations.

Education

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

Experience

• At least 5 years of progressively responsible and relevant work experience in international development with experience in democratic governance, rule of law, inclusive development, citizen participation and gender equality.
• Previous work experience with international organizations an advantage.
• Possess a comprehensive set of competencies in democratic governance, human rights-based approach, prevention of violence and social cohesion.
• Demonstrates a high tolerance for change, complexity, and unpredictability
• Results-oriented and demonstrates teamwork, good interpersonal skills, and well-developed communication skills.
• Demonstrated leadership ability, proven programme management capacity, experience in designing, implementing and monitoring development projects.
• Experience coordinating, writing proposals and reports,and liaising with government agencies and /or donors.
• Demonstrated experience in writing policy briefs, guidance and technical papers and presentations.
• Computer and digital literacy is a prerequisite.

Language requirement

• Proficiency in English and Dhivehi

Important applicant information

All posts in the FTA 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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Recruitment methodology

The Recruitment of this position will include a screening process (written test/technical test); followed by an interview. Details of the process and dates will be shared ONLY with shortlisted candidates.

Remuneration

The take home pay will be approximately MVR 37,000

For more information please email Zeeniya, zeeniya.ahmed@undp.org