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Economist

Tehrān

  • Organization: UNDP - United Nations Development Programme
  • Location: Tehrān
  • Grade: Mid level - NO-C, National Professional Officer - Locally recruited position
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Operations and Administrations
    • Economics
    • ECONOMICS
  • Closing Date: Closed

Background

UNDP as a Global Organization: UNDP works in about 170 countries and territories, helping to achieve the eradication of poverty, and the reduction of inequalities and exclusion – while promoting sustainable and ‘green’ pathways to development.   
   
The UN Secretary-General has also proposed – since 2018 - that UNDP be ‘repositioned as the integrator platform at the heart of a new generation of UN Country Teams’, complementing its programmatic mandate. The breadth of expertise and country presence of UNDP makes it indeed unique within the UN Development System to help countries "connect the dots" on the most complex sustainable development issues. Given this and its reputation as an impartial partner, UNDP helps Governments to convene across line ministries and development partners to promote "whole-of government" and "whole-of-society" responses vital to address development challenges as intricate as multi-dimensional poverty, gender inequities and climate change.   
   
UNDP in Iran: In I.R. Iran, UNDP has been working since 1966 to contribute to fulfil the country’s development aspirations – as a partner of the Government of Iran. UNDP has also been engaging closely with other development partners, such as academic institutions and the private sector, by providing knowledge products, policy and technical assistance, and innovative development solutions, for more than 50 years. Connecting to UNDP Global network of expertise and South-South cooperation are an integral part of our work. UNDP is committed to helping Iran achieve the National Development Goals (NDP) and the Global Goals (SDG) as articulated in the Country Programme Document.    
 
Against this backdrop, UNDP Iran plays two key roles – both of which entail close collaboration with government and other partners. On the one hand, it fulfils UNDP’s development mandate by developing and implementing projects, mobilizing resources in the following three areas: Environmentally Sustainable Development, Health and Development, and Resilient Economy (socio-economic). On the other hand, it also delivers on its ‘integrator’ role, engaging with the UN Resident Coordinator Office, sister UN agencies and other – public and private – partners: UNDP given its broad mandate and capacity, adopts a broad, ‘system-view’ perspective in the analysis and in the design of innovative and sustainable solutions to a broader range of development challenges under the purview of the entire UN development system in Iran.   
  
As a result of the Covid-19 Pandemic, UNDP is fully engaged in supporting a new development paradigm (a new normal) looking at digitalization, resilience and a more balance approach with nature in terms of economic development.
 
The Economist works under the guidance of the Resident Representative and s/he will work closely with the programme and operations teams in the country office, accelerator labs, and staff in the Bangkok Regional Hub (BRH) and New York in Regional Bureau of Asia and the Pacific as well as the Global Policy Network (GPN) of UNDP . S/he will also collaborate with the Asia-Pacific regional network of country economists. This will include systematic engagement with and oversight from the lead regional economic advisors based in Bangkok and New York. S/he is also expected to develop and maintain a network of colleagues across development partner agencies, government institutions, the private sector, and civil society at the country level.
 
The Economist leads a Policy lab unit geared to function as an applied Research and Development function to the UNDP programme. The policy lab works on policy areas and new opportunities to integrate socio-economic development moving beyond incremental, single point solutions to initiatives that are a better fit with the scale and speed of deep systemic development problems and frontier challenges facing the I,R of Iran.
 

Duties and Responsibilities

 
Summary of key functions:
 
  • Advice the UNDP country office management and programme team to strengthen programme development and implementation around the UNDP strategic plan.
  • Provision of technical advice to national government counterparts and other partners, especially in support of the Global Goals (SDG), the National Development Plan and the introduction of sustainable and inclusive economic policies.
  • Representation, advocacy, and partner engagement to support UNDP’s institutional positioning and advance its mandate, when directed by the Resident Representative.
  • Contribute to UNDP’s work across the Asia-Pacific region, including collaboration with the regional economist network and analysis of priority regional thematic areas.
 
1.Advise the UNDP country office management and programme team to strengthen programme development and implementation:
 
  • Advise UNDP country office management with preparation and implementation of country programmes and strategies, including the development of country programme document and related analysis;
  • Support UNDP country office teams to develop and manage relevant thematic portfolios, such as activities to support inclusive growth and progress towards the SDGs;
  • Support UNDP country office efforts to conceptualize and implement the Development Finance Assessment (DFA) and accompanying process and use existing financial resources more effectively and efficiently to achieve the SDGs;
  • Provide analysis and research in priority thematic areas at the country level, including publication of policy briefs or other analytical outputs supporting the Programme teams;
  • Support the preparation of policy briefs, background notes, speeches, talking points, presentation materials, etc. on critical development issues within the SDG framework for senior management at the country level;
  • Lead the Human Development Report (HDR) related research and activities and ensure that it provides added value in terms of development economic analysis, updated data and information for policy formulation;   
  • Compile and analyze statistical data as required in support of country strategies and activities;
  • Collaborate across UNDP teams, especially to ensure linkages to the work emerging from the network of acceleration labs;
  • Support the design of large-scale development solutions to help address complex development challenges;
  • Lead the expansion of country office service offers on financing for development, including innovative financing models and country specific/sector specific studies. 
 
2.Provision of technical advice to national government counterparts and other partners, especially in support of the Development Goals (SDG/NDP) and the introduction of sustainable and inclusive economic policies:
 
  • Advise and facilitate dialogue on sustainable development issues with government officials, development partners, civil society, and the private sector;
  • Provide policy and programming advice and support for development planning and policy formulation at the national, sub-national and local levels;
  • Support the identification and analysis of interventions that can impact multiple development goals and targets at the same time; 
  • Support monitoring and reporting of progress related to SDGs and other national development frameworks, including to help strengthen national and local level data collection and statistical capacity;
  • Support to leverage UNDP’s regional and global programmes, to provide holistic and effective support to the country;  
  • Leverage support and expertise from the UNDP’s global/regional Economist networks to assist in strengthening UNDP’s support on economic analysis and policy development to Government and the UN Country Team.  
 
3.Representation, advocacy, and partner engagement to support UNDP’s institutional positioning and advance its mandate:
 
  • Contribute, in close collaboration with senior management, to the development and/or strengthening of partnerships with UN agencies, IFIs, bilateral development agencies, private sector entities, and civil society;
  • When delegated, represent UNDP country office in relevant forums, conferences or workshops, including to present research or programmatic results;
  • Assist the Resident Representative in resource mobilization and future growth strategies and contribute to the design of large-scale programme and development solutions;
  • Contribute to national, regional, and global knowledge networks and communities of practice.
4.Contribution to UNDP’s work across the Asia-Pacific region, including collaboration with the regional economist network and analysis of priority regional thematic areas:
 
  • Participate actively in the UNDP Asia-Pacific regional network of economists, through attending regional meetings (in-person and/or virtual), sharing relevant experiences, and conducting peer reviews;
  • Collaborate and contribute to regional publications, practice notes, and Regional Human Development Reports;
  • Substantively contribute as possible to UNDP regional knowledge products and development of programming offers in regional priority areas (e.g., inequality, future of work, innovative financing);
  • Enhance UNDP’s understanding and design of new approaches to sustainable development across the region by acting as a regional thematic lead where possible. 
 

Competencies

Core
 
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 removes 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
 
Economics: Knowledge of economics concepts, principles and policies and ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations.
Level 5: Originate: Catalyzes new ideas, methods, and applications to pave a path for innovation and continuous improvement in professional area of expertise
 
Information Systems & Technology: Knowledge of IST innovations and concepts and ability to apply them to strategic and/or practical situations.
Level 5: Originate: Catalyzes new ideas, methods, and applications to pave a path for innovation and continuous improvement in professional area of expertise
 
Innovation: Ability to try out / test new ways of engagement and communications. Openness to different and new ways of doing things; willingness to modify one’s preferred way of doing things.
Level 5: Originate: Catalyzes new ideas, methods, and applications to pave a path for innovation and continuous improvement in professional area of expertise
 
Strategic thinking/Visioning: Ability to analyse the organization’s value proposition and shape visionary/long term plans.  Use insight to identify target audiences and partners and to inform communication objectives, messages and solutions.
Level 5: Originate: Catalyzes new ideas, methods, and applications to pave a path for innovation and continuous improvement in professional area of expertise
 
Collaboration and Partnership: Ability to develop, maintain, and strengthen partnerships with others inside (Programmes/projects) or outside the organization who can provide information, assistance, and support.  Sets overall direction for the formation and management of strategic relationships contributing to the overall positioning of UNDP.
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:
  • Master’s Degree (or equivalent) or bachelor’s degree in Economics or related fields is required.
  • Ph.D. in Economics will be an advantage.
 
Experience:
  • Minimum of 5 years’ experience (with Master’s degree) at the national or international level in relevant areas of economic research and policy and implementation support or 7 years of experience with relevant Bachelor’s Degree. 
  • Extensive experience in research and policy-level analysis; 
  • Proven policy, advisory and advocacy experience;
  • Experience in preparing high quality policy briefs and guidance notes for use by senior policy makers is desirable;
  • Experience of strategic visioning with strong technical and highly developed analytical capabilities is desirable;
  • Knowledge of the SDGs and their application at the national level, politically astute with demonstrated experience in stakeholder analysis and engagement;
  • Experience in handling of web-based management systems and advanced programmes for statistical analysis of data is desirable.
 
Language Requirements:
  • Good written and spoken English and Farsi; 
  • Working knowledge of other UN language desirable

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.

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This vacancy is now closed.
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