Policy and Programme Specialist, Livelihoods and Economic Recovery

The Programme and Policy Specialist, Livelihoods and Economic Recovery based in Amman, Jordan, is responsible for providing substantive recovery programming and policy advice and technical expertise to country offices, as well as advocacy, relationship-building and knowledge in the thematic area of rural /urban Livelihoods and Economic Recovery within the Global Policy Network and Regional Bureau for Arab States. S/he leads UNDP’s programme and policy contributions on conflict-sensitive, gender and youth responsive, economic recovery and development in fragile and crisis- affected countries in the Arab region. This will also involve supporting development solutions for migration and displacement, including supporting relevant activities of the UNDP Sub-regional Facility for Syria crisis in connection to the Regional Refugee Resilience Plan (3RP), with a particular focus on jobs and livelihoods- related issues, as well as support to stabilization plans, etc. 

1. Programme, Policy and Project Delivery Support for the Arab States Region

• In collaboration with the GPN teams in the Regional Hub in Amman, support the integration of technical support into programmes and projects that responds to country office needs, including through the provision of capacity building and backstopping on private sector – particularly MSME development, jobs creation, economic recovery, financial inclusion, as well as migration and displacement solutions;
• Apply integrated multi-disciplinary approaches, including through setting up, coordinating and engaging with other teams, to meet recovery programming needs on jobs/SME support/ financial inclusion, economic recovery and human mobility in line with emerging client needs and corporate standards, and ensuring integration and coherence with relevant thematic areas related to gender, resilience, climate security, stabilization, peacebuilding, rule of law, local governance and conflict prevention, among others;
• Contributes to the development, update and implementation of the UNDP crisis response packages and other recovery solutions tools, and identification of complementary programmes, policies and guidance to facilitate UNDP’s work on recovery and human mobility in the Arab States; 
• Supports the Head of Recovery Solutions and Human Mobility Team in liaising with the Regional Hub teams to ensure a rapid and well-coordinated response to crisis and conflict situations; and 
• Provide related programming contributions to UNDP SURGE for country offices in the thematic area of jobs/livelihoods, MSME development, economic recovery, migration and displacement.

2. Programme, Policy and Programme Research, Development and Implementation in the Arab States Region 

• Develop relevant guidance and analysis to the micro and macroeconomic as well as private and financial sector development policies for job-rich growth, with the aim of redesigning or reorienting them to economic recovery programming effectively addressing unemployment challenge, particularly youth and women unemployment, in fragile, crisis and post crisis situations;
• Develop and implement guidance on livelihoods and economic recovery, and related tools for the implementation of regional and global programmes and policy standards, including testing and roll out of tools and methodologies;
• Develop and implement regional or national programme initiatives for different contexts on key emerging policy agendas in collaboration with policy teams in the Regional Hub, bringing in perspectives and knowledge from Country Offices in the region;
• Coordinate and conduct analysis of data, case evidence, assessment of outcomes and impact, and research findings to distill relevant lessons from projects and programmes with a focus on jobs creation, MSME development, financial inclusion, and economic recovery and human mobility, to inform programme and policy formulation and guidance in the region;
• Develop and support implementation of relevant analysis and guidance, in close collaboration with the GPN entities, or contribute with a livelihoods and economic recovery angle, on emerging issues of regional significance including climate security, resilience and stabilization, and contributes to new research, including through working with the Global Policy Centers;
• Support the quality assurance of programme and policy services and foster policy innovation for livelihoods, MSME development, financial inclusion and economic recovery and human mobility by reviewing lessons learned and evaluations to enhance recovery programme delivery in crisis and post crisis situations.

3. Representation, advocacy, and partner engagement for effective recovery programme and policy positioning in the Arab States region

• Provide technical expertise in identifying and selecting tools, developing innovative methodologies and producing knowledge management products linked to crisis- and humanitarian-related livelihoods and economic recovery, including jobs creation, MSME development, financial inclusion, migration and displacement;
• Provide high-quality technical expertise on the content development for regional/Country Office knowledge products through the analysis of microdata, case evidence, and research findings in accordance with corporate standards; 
• Contribute to the identification and scoping of technical issues warranting collaboration with HQ and regional teams to research, develop and share knowledge-based tools, such as programme and policy positions/practice notes/concept papers and other research-based products to influence recovery programmes.  
• Work closely with policy teams in Regional Hubs and HQ to advance research, testing and roll-out of newly commissioned recovery programme and policy initiatives, by providing the regional perspective/specificities as well as experience-based insights on what is of most practical value for national counterparts and regional leaders in crisis and post crisis settings in the Region; 
• Design and deliver training on recovery programming including by developing training curricula for Country Offices to facilitate innovation learning, foster and encourage recovery programme and policy innovation and continuous improvement to enhance delivery.
• Engage with relevant stakeholders to develop and, if needed, manage joint livelihoods and economic recovery initiatives with UN Agencies, IFIs and other development partners on early recovery programming.

4. Knowledge management and community of practice networking

• Contribute to the continuous analysis, documentation, codification of regional results/lessons learned;
• Review regional data, case evidence and research findings to distill pivotal lessons for UNDP recovery programming; 
• Advocate and enable South-South facilitation of exchanges and experiences sharing in crisis and post crisis recovery where valuable;
• Support the capacity development of UNDP staff in application of tools and practices for enhanced recovery programming; 
• Support leadership of the Community of Practices on Poverty & Resilience, and further strengthen linkages with peacebuilding, gender and governance community of practice, both inside and outside of the UN system.

Achieve Results:

• Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact

Think Innovatively:

• Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic/integrated thinking

Learn Continuously

• Go outside comfort zone, learn from others and support their learning

Adapt with Agility

• Adapt processes/approaches to new situations, involve others in change process

Act with Determination

• Able to persevere and deal with multiple sources of pressure simultaneously

Engage and Partner

• Is facilitator/integrator, bring people together, build/maintain coalitions/partnerships

Enable Diversity and Inclusion

• Facilitate conversations to bridge differences, considers in decision making

Cross-Functional 

Thematic Area

Business Direction and Strategy - System Thinking

• Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system.

Business Development - Knowledge Facilitation

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

2030 Agenda: Prosperity - Recovery Solutions and Human Mobility

• Economic Recovery.

2030 Agenda: Prosperity - Recovery Solutions and Human Mobility

• Jobs and Livelihoods.

2030 Agenda: Prosperity - Recovery Solutions and Human Mobility

• Enterprise, Private Sector Recovery.

2030 Agenda: Prosperity - Recovery Solutions and Human Mobility

• Women’s Economic Empowerment.

Education

• Master's degree in Economics, Development Economics, Finance, Business Administration, or other closely relevant fields.

Experience, Knowledge, and Skills:

• A minimum of 7 years of relevant experience in either public sector (national or multilateral, including UN and IFIs) or private sector (academia, non-governmental sector, corporate), with increasing level of responsibility.
• Proven track record and experience related to jobs creation, MSME development, financial inclusion, livelihoods, economic recovery, migration and displacement in situations of crisis and fragility.
• Experience in evidence-based policy research in MSME development and finance, livelihoods, economic recovery, migration and displacement areas for policy advocacy.
• Excellent negotiating and communication skills and ability to mobilize support from a wide range of partners (public, private, academic, civil society, business community leaders).
• Proven track record of resource mobilization. 

Language requirements: 

• Fluent and proficient in English is a requirement;
• Knowledge of French or Arabic is highly desirable.