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Technical Specialist

Havana

  • Organization: UNDP - United Nations Development Programme
  • Location: Havana
  • Grade: Mid level - P-3, International Professional - Internationally recruited position
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Poverty Reduction
    • Sustainable Development and Poverty Reduction
    • Project and Programme Management
    • POVERTY REDUCTION
  • Closing Date: Closed

Background

Driven since the 1990s through the Local Human Development Program (PDHL), led by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Foreign Investment (MINCEX) and the United Nations Development Program in Cuba (UNDP), local development is at the forefront of the Cuban public agenda.

 

Reinforced the concept through the 2011 and 2016 update of the Cuban economic and social model and guideline n. 17 where it is intended to promote territorial development, the Articulated Platform for Integral Territorial Development - PADIT is positioned in response and accompaniment to this national priority.

 

Determinant to promote decentralization and development is the approval in April 2019 of a new Constitution and Article 168, which reinforces the priority of territorial development, promoting municipal autonomy.

 

The country additionally endorsed its commitment to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and its goals, a State commitment, a national priority, which is embodied in the alignment of the 17 SDGs with the strategic axes of the National Economic and Social Development Plan 2030.

 

Strengthened by the alliance with UNDP and territorialized through PADIT, the initiative "Live SDG Labs" is implemented, a data and analysis platform to monitor the contribution of development programs, plans and actions to the objectives of the National Plan 2030 and the SDG targets to identify accelerators and gaps to be addressed with emphasis on the territorialization of the SDGs based on the SDG LAB in the Cuban provinces.

 

Finally, and as a result of the institutionalization of PADIT that had been brewing since the end of 2018, in 2020 the Policy to Promote Territorial Development was approved within the Council of Ministers, as part of the National Economic and Social Development Plan until 2030; as well as a central axis and articulator of the public agendas of the governments at the municipal and provincial levels and defines "local development as an essentially endogenous, participatory, innovative process of articulation of interests between actors, territories and scales (municipal, provincial and sectoral/national). It is based on the leadership of municipal and provincial governments for the management of their development strategies aimed, from the management of knowledge and innovation, at promoting projects that generate economic-productive, socio-cultural, environmental and institutional transformations, with the objective of raising the quality of life of the population".  Through the policy, the management and strategic planning of territorial development is encouraged, with the support of the packaging of a toolkit for government management based on methodological guides for the elaboration of the Development Strategies at Municipal (EDM) and Provincial (EDP) levels, the Territorial Development Index (IDT), integral management of financing, the New Urban Agenda, the accompaniment to the National Strategy of electronic government; instruments widely worked within the framework of PADIT.

 

In the current context of confronting SARS COV II - COVID-19, the need to strengthen local development as an instrument of response to the pandemic increases, as evidenced by President when he states "everything we do must be articulated in the municipality" and the Minister of Economy and Planning in one of the sessions of the Council of Ministers, "It is necessary to have an economic strategy for the recovery and orderly development of the Cuban economy, in a scenario of global crisis" "local development projects, export-oriented, productive linkages, local food production and import substitution are an essential instrument for territorial development".

 

The recently signed Cooperation Framework (CM) of the United Nations System in Cuba articulates the work of international cooperation around four key areas: Effective Government, Productive Transformation, Environment and Disaster Risk Management and Human Development with Equity, aligned to 4 of the strategic axes that are part of the National Economic and Social Development Plan of Cuba 2030.

 

 UNDP, together with all agencies, funds and programs, is a signatory to this new agreement, which will be in force until 2024. UNDP has a Country Program that recognizes the four areas of the CM and UNDP projects in Cuba continue to be active and new innovative initiatives are being implemented and formulated that will undoubtedly support the effective management of cooperation in Cuba, which has the 2030 Agenda as its central axis. PADIT is one the most strategic project of UNDP Cuba portfolio.

 

The response strategy to COVID 19 at the governmental level, with the support of the United Nations System and UNDP, is reinforced in the economic development pillar, through the strengthening of projects as basic support cells for local economic reactivation, prioritizing employment and livelihoods.  Thus, the support provided by the Articulated Platform for Integral Territorial Development - PADIT, which, as a flexible, integrative, inter-territorial, multi-level and multi-actor platform, has provided its commitment to support the prevention and response to COVID-19 with the objective of strengthening strategic and priority activities for the territories, aligned with the national response plan to the pandemic, is strengthened.

 

 

 

Internal and external contacts:

  • Government officials:
    • Directors, specialists; technicians
    • Exchange information, persuade, advocate and represent the Programme;
  • Local authorities:
  • Presidents of provinces, vice presidents, directors, coordinators, municipalities officials and specialists;
  • Represent the Programme,, influence/persuade, exchange information;
  • Directors and officers of bilateral, multilateral and decentralized cooperation;
  • Represent the Programme,  exchange information, advocate, and partnership;
  • Majors, authorities, universities representative, specialists, NGO representatives
  • Represent the Programme,, exchange information, influence/persuade, advocate, partnership, fundraising
  • United Nations System officer, programme managers, focal points for local development, area managers, other UN Agencies officers
  • Exchange information, influence/persuade, and represents the Programme;
  • Donors:
  • Partners from decentralized cooperation entities:
  • Colleagues from UNDP and other U.N. agencies:
  • Beneficiaries

Represent the Programme, advocate, and communication.

Duties and Responsibilities

1.         Scale up PADIT at national level and institutionalization ensuring to the implementation of Policy to Promote Territorial Development, decentralization processes and territorial strategies and methodologies for local-territorial development process;

 

  • Support national and local actors to implement the policy for territorial development, its laws, roles and decentralization mechanism;
  • Promote the use and the implementation of the kit for territorial development, its guidelines and spread the access to documents to all the country;
  • Guarantee capacity building process and knowledge management transfer at national and local level about decentralization and financing for development;
  • Drive local human development sustainable and integral initiatives to reach Programme objectives and demands;
  • Technical support to PADIT territorial coordinators and local groups to implement the local municipal and provincial strategies for development;
  • Ensure close collaboration and creation of synergies between the different levels of actions and strategies of the programme (local-national);
  • Ensure a coherent between local working groups, territories and the national Programme mechanism coordination and decision making committee;
  • Continuously monitor local actions plans guarantying Programme delivery financial and human resources strategies;
  • Undertake assessment of opportunities for the Programme intervention looking for an effective utilization of resources;
  • Realize missions to the territories in order to guarantee permanent technical assistance and monitoring projects activities and local working plan Support in the implementation of capacity building actions on improving mechanism, tools and methodologies for local development strategies.

 

2. 2.     Support the effective coordination with UN Agencies and international cooperation partners, especially in the territories of UNDP intervention, in the new framework of MC and integral part of the Response Plan for the socioeconomic recovery from the impact of COVID-19 in Cuba;

 

  • Support UNDP Cooperation Program with Cuba for the period 2020-2024 being the platform agreed with the Cuban government for territorial cooperation, more recently PADIT is also an integral part of the Response Plan for the socioeconomic recovery from the impact of COVID-19 in Cuba.
  • Contribute to strengthen territorial approach in United Nations Agencies actions and new alliances and synergies;
  • Maintain permanent flux of information from and toward the Programme and the UN Agencies and participate in Inter Agency Groups;
  • Work coordinately with other international actors especially in the territories of UNDP work for an inclusive and participative environment;
  • Identify Programmes and initiatives of United Nation System in support of territorial development and ensure its coordination and dialogue;
  • Organize formal and informal internal and external networks of communities of practices and meeting at territorial level in order to reach a better impacts and relations.

 

 

3.Scale up the territorial economic development strategies and projects supporting local productive chains and innovations;

 

  • Promote socio-economic development for the COVID-19 post-pandemic recovery and local development priorities in response to the medium and long-term Municipal and Provincial Development Strategies (EDM and EDP) with emphasis on socio-economic reactivation, reduction of gaps for the population in vulnerable situations;
  • Support to accelerate the achievement of the SDG targets at the local level and generate sources of income and employment for youth and women by supporting the state and non-state sector of the economy (small and medium enterprises).
  • Support the digital leap in information management, government capacities, data for decision making and management of public services that can improve the quality of life of the population in support of the implementation of the national e-government strategy in all municipalities of the country to promote inclusive, participatory and transparent development.
  • Ensure coordination and knowledge and experiences transfer between territorial, national and international actions related to territorial economic development;
  • Preparation of substantive inputs into the socio-economic strategies, capacity assessment and projects design at local and national level;
  • Identify areas of innovation and best practice to enhance Programme performance in LED, especially the partnership between public and private sector;
  • Support the identification of the territorial economic development strategies and capacities in order to strength LED in order to substitute import and support export processes at local level;
  • Contribute to implement the international component of the Programme related to territorial economic development;
  • Ensure continuous and mutually reinforcing knowledge sharing within DEL component of the Programme;
  • Identify and recommend new LED strategies to secure new partnerships and mobilize additional resources based on Programme requirement and emerging opportunities.

 

 

4. Strengthen Partnership Development, advocacy and Resources mobilization with bilateral and decentralized cooperation partnerships to support SDG Labs localizing SDG Agenda 2030.

 

  • Support the localization of the 2030 agenda with emphasis on programming, measuring and analyzing the progress of the 2030 agenda at the local level, strengthening planning, implementation of initiatives and calculations of progress rates of the 2030 agenda at the provincial and municipal levels and supporting inter-municipal associative processes.
  • Enhance the relationships and partnerships with the Government at local and national level, relevant NGOs, South South, academia and bilateral and decentralized cooperation actors related to enhance collaboration, resources mobilization, sharing of ideas and to influence agenda and priority setting;
  • Support to advocacy efforts of the Programme with government counterpart, build effective partnerships, develop critical relationship and networks with development partners; 
  • Undertake assessment of project proposal in coordination with international cooperation actors guarantying the he viability of projects design;
  • Support to the evaluation of the projects at local level  within international cooperation’s strategies;
  • Identify and recommend new strategies to secure new partnerships and mobilize additional resources based on Programme requirement and emerging opportunities. 

 

 

Competencies

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

·        Mature understanding of development programme design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation;

·        Shares knowledge and experience with dynamic and rigorous approach;

·        Encourages office staff to share knowledge and contribute to UNDP Practice Areas

·        Ability to perform a variety of specialized activities related to programme managing.

·        Strong IT skills;

·        Professional foundation and development;

·        Collaborative and analytic approach to work;

 

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

 

Stakeholder Advocacy and Coordination

 

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

 

Decision Making and Solutions

 

Level 4: Apply & Adapt: Contributes skills and knowledge with demonstrated ability to advance innovation and continuous improvement, in professional area of expertise

 

Innovation

 

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

 

Managing Complexity and Terms

 

Level 4: Apply & Adapt: Contributes skills and knowledge with demonstrated ability to advance innovation and continuous improvement, in professional area of expertise

 

Client Orientation

 

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

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

  • A Master’s degree in economics, public/business administration, political and social sciences, communications, or related discipline. Advanced university degree in relevant fields such as Social and/or Political Studies, Science, Development and/or Economics Areas.

Experience:

□   At least 5 years of experience working in the field of development;

□   Minimum 5 years of experience working with governance and local development, of which 3 years in managerial role and position;

□   Knowledge of the role, mechanism and function of decentralized international cooperation and previous experience in working with them;

□   At least 5 years of deep Knowledge of the mechanism and methodology and previous experience in working with subnational governments and promoting local development agendas.

□   Experience on the territorial and local planning and management methodology;

□   Experience at national level coordination of actions at territorial level;

□   Knowledge of the mechanism and methodology of ART programme and previous experience in working with them in Latin America and Caribbean;

□   UNDP technical experience and knowledge of human development approach;

□   Proven experience on fundraising and international relations;

□   Managing human and financial resources;

□   Relationship and network building capacities;

□   Experience on concepts such as contextual and policy analysis, participative approaches and partnership and their relation to international development work;

Supporting and managing people in remote sites/distance management;

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.

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