Programme Specialist

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

As the crisis in Syria is in its tenth year, there is a need to provide additional support to the most affected individuals and communities in the country, expanding on humanitarian assistance to build their resilience and enhance their recovery capacities and livelihoods options. As UNDP operationalizes its new Country Programme Document, under the overall UN Strategic Framework, it is essential to expand the capacity of the CO to conceptualize and deliver high quality, rapid, relevant, innovative and scaled-up programming to the most affected populations, engaging more frequently with donors and reporting results.

Under the guidance of Senior Management and direct supervision of the Head of Partnerships, and in close cooperation with Portfolio Managers, the Programme Specialist will provide direct support to programme development and expansion in terms of proposal development, new concepts exploration, donors and corporate reporting in addition to contributing to monitoring and evaluation processes and results. He/she will support UNDP’s positioning in early recovery and resilience building in Syria and will facilitate the implementation of the Country Office programme expansion and monitoring and evaluation and reporting requirements. 

The Programme Specialist works in close cooperation with Management, Programme, Operations, Field teams and other teams and maintains a network with colleagues from UNDP and UN Agencies. The Programme Specialist also maintains close contact with relevant donors and partners.

Summary of key functions:

• Support the formulation and implementation of UNDP programmes and projects according to UNDP RBM models and emerging priorities in Syria;
• Support the UNDP corporate and donors reporting requirements including narrative and financial reporting;
• Facilitation of knowledge building and knowledge sharing.

Support the formulation and implementation of UNDP programmes and projects according to UNDP RBM models and emerging priorities in Syria (30%)

• Analyze key humanitarian, early recovery and resilience building needs and priorities based on sectoral assessments and collection of information from UNDP Syria CO units, thematic portfolios teams, field teams, civil society and other partners;
• Contribute to the development of new programmes and projects including development of new projects documents, concepts notes, briefs and notes for donors based on UNDP’s resilience building plan and early recovery strategy under the humanitarian response plan and the Strategic Framework for the UNCT in Syria;
• Support the thematic portfolio teams in drafting and revising technical concept notes and proposals in the fields of early recovery and resilience building including socio-economic recovery, livelihoods restoration, infrastructure rehabilitation, debris and solid waste management, social cohesion, among other emerging programmatic priorities;
• Support the monitoring of overall implementation of projects based on programmatic indicators making use of the Information Management System in place;
• Liaise with relevant teams and units for information on priorities for resource mobilization, shifting or emerging programmatic priorities and relying on the information management system for evidence-based planning and programming and monitoring;
• Support the preparation of donor briefs, presentations, progress overviews and snapshots based on monitoring reports;
• Liaise with field coordination unit for field monitoring.

Support the UNDP corporate and donors reporting requirements including narrative and financial reporting (30%)

• Plan and elaborate a reporting strategy based on donors’ agreements, corporate requirements for reporting schedules for both programmes and projects;
• Draft and finalize corporate and donors’ narrative reports including progress, annual and ad-hoc ones focusing on highlighting progress of targets against agreed upon indicators, analyzing impact, reflecting on lessons learned and operational challenges;
• Review financial reports as per donors’ agreements in close collaboration with Finance unit;
• Liaise with relevant units, Portfolio and field teams in addition to communication team to finalize outreach, communication and reporting materials and packages supporting senior managers in donors’ conferences and/or meetings for resource mobilization.

Act as the focal point for specific donors (40%)

• Maintain regular communication with the donors and explore potential partnership opportunities;
• Promptly respond to the donors’ queries and solicit and consolidate inputs from relevant portfolios;
• Ensure the visibility of the donor and facilitate donor visits to project sites;
• Review communication materials and project reports prepared by relevant teams.

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: 

Knowledge Management:

• Ability to animate individuals and communities of contributors to participate and share.

Priority setting:

• Ability to scan and synthesize diverse sets of information to arrive at strategic priorities and positioning recommendations    .

Innovation:

• Ability to manage organizational resources and deployment in pursuit of innovative approaches and initiatives.

Risk Management:

• Ability to identify and prioritize risks, and organize action around mitigating them.    

Partnerships:

• Ability to engage with other agencies, donors, and other development stakeholders and forge productive working relationships.

Relationship Management:

• Ability to engage and foster strategic partnerships with other parties, Inter-Agency Coordination and forge productive working relationships (OECD, IFIs, EU, Regional Development Banks, etc.), including respective mandates and ways of working.

Public Relations:

• Ability to manage information sharing and partnership alliances between the UNDP and the public.

Education:

• Advanced University degree in Economics, Social Sciences, International Relations, Political Sciences or related field.

Experience:

• 5 years of relevant experience at the national or international level;
• Extensive 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 data analysis.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English and Russian is a must;
• Knowledge of Arabic is an asset.

Other:

• Proven track record of concept note, proposal writing, and reporting;
• Possess a comprehensive set of competencies enabling immediately taking on the programme support role in the designated area of responsibility;
• Strategic, integrity, results orientation, teamwork, good inter-personal skills, sound judgment, analytical skills, flexibility, proactive engagement, innovation, risk management, gender and culturally sensitivity;
• Ability to work under pressure and demonstrates high tolerance for change, complexity, and unpredictability.

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.

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