Adaptive Management Specialist With Emergency Crisis Response Project

Yemen is facing unprecedented political, humanitarian, and development crises. The ongoing conflict continues to disrupt livelihoods, reduce incomes, and drive poor macroeconomic conditions including significantly high commodity prices.

To address the myriad of challenges facing Yemen, UNDP developed an ambitious 2019 to 2021 country programme with three inclusive and mutually reinforcing priority areas; (1) Yemenis contribute to and benefit from peacebuilding processes; (2) Yemenis contribute to and benefit from accountable, inclusive and gender-sensitive governance, at local and central levels; and (3) Yemenis improving their livelihoods and accessing inclusive productive services. The most salient components of the programme strategy are: (1) the humanitarian – development – peace nexus; (2) the area-based programming approach; (3) conflict-sensitive and adaptive management; (4) few, integrated and at-scale programmes; (5) clear advocacy and communications; and (6) a clear country programme governance structure.

UNDP’s flagship Yemen Emergency Crisis Response Project (ECRP) integrates the above components. The project aims to provide short-term employment and access to selected basic services to the most vulnerable and preserve existing implementation capacity of service delivery programmes.  The project has three results areas: a) short-term income-generation, b) community asset rehabilitation, and c) recovery of small and medium enterprises.

In line with the “Do No Harm” approach and overall programme strategy, UNDP seeks to strengthen the ECRP’s a) Conflict-sensitivity – understanding of the operating context, and interactions between the programme and the context and making strategic choices to avoid negative impacts; and b)  Adaptive management - a practice where programming decisions and adjustments are made based on continuously updated real-time, conflict and gender-sensitive data and analysis from internal and external learning loops.

Under the overall direction of the Senior Deputy Resident Representative – Programme and direct supervision of the ECRP project manager and Head of Management Support Unit (matrixed), the Adaptive Management Specialist will facilitate implementation of the conflict-sensitivity and adaptive management systems for the ECRP and country programme. The successful candidate will closely collaborate with the Heads of Sub-Offices, the Head of Communication & Advocacy, Programme teams, Project teams and sub-contracted entities for conflict sensitivity and adaptive management data gathering and analysis

 

In this section list the primary responsibilities of the position (Typically five).  As needed add additional context below the responsibilities.  Tip: Focus on what the job entails not how to do the job.

1. Provide technical advice and leadership on integrating conflict-sensitivity approaches across the ECRP and country programme:

• Review and operationalise ECRP Conflict Sensitivity Framework and analyse the country programme documentation in relation to conflict sensitivity, including the results framework and theory of change, and suggest improvements if needed.
•  Develop and review conflict monitoring tools and templates and propose relevant updates as and when necessary.
• Facilitate informed discussions about key issues arising from conflict monitoring and proposed mitigation measures to allow project and programme delivery in a conflict sensitive manner.
• Facilitate targeted learning sessions on conflict sensitivity with key project and programme stakeholders and guide feedback and learning based on these sessions. Write debriefs to be shared with the wider project team.

2. Support operationalisation of the adaptive management system in the ECRP and country programme.

• Work with the ECRP, UNDP programme and project teams as well as relevant units at HQ and regional in designing, implementing, and improving the Office’s adaptive management system and practice.
• Design, facilitate, improve, and document the ECRP and programme adaptive management data gathering and analysis cycle.
• Facilitate regular review of the ECRP and programme theories of changes and ensure data gathering and analysis is integrated in the theories of change and project log frames.
• Facilitate targeted learning sessions on adaptive management with key project and programme stakeholders and guide feedback and learning based on these sessions. Write debriefs to be shared with the wider project and programme teams.
• Provide regular internal and external reports on UNDP Yemen’s adaptive management learning and practice.

3. Contribute towards strengthening the programme’s results-based management and enterprise risk management systems
 

Core Competencies:
    
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 Competencies:
    
Risk-informed development planning and monitoring: Ability to develop risk informed programme strategies and plans, monitor, recommend course corrections and report on the same.     

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

Strategic Planning: Ability to make context-informed decisions that align with UN and UNDP’s mandate, strategy, and development frameworks    

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

Teambuilding: Ability to work effectively with diverse groups of professionals towards common goals    

• 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    

• 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 in social policy, public policy, politics, economics, development studies or a related area.
• Bachelor’s degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree

Experience:

• At least five years professional experience for Master’s degree holder and seven years’ experience for a bachelor’s degree holder in development programmes with a strong focus conflict sensitive programming, peace and security at the international level, preferably in conflict countries within the UN system, Agencies, Funds or Programmes.
• Field based experience working with multi-cultural teams.
• Experience in team facilitation.

Language Requirements:    

• Proficiency in English. Working knowledge of other UN language desirable

Other:

• Project/programme management certification (such as PMP®, PRINCE2®, or MSP®) will be an added 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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