Government Liaison Specialist (NPSA-10)

Project Description

Since the start of the war in Ukraine on 24 February 2022, loss of life and an unprecedented displacement within the country and towards neighboring countries have been recorded. As of the beginning of April 2022, Ukraine recorded 3 527 civilian casualties, including 1430 killed. 4.2 million people have been forced to leave the country and there are currently at least 7.1 million internally displaced persons (IDPs).

As a result of indiscriminate shelling, hundreds of residential buildings, healthcare, social and energy facilities in many cities, including Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Izyum, Kherson, Mariupol, Okhtyrka, Zhytomyr, Mykolaiv and Kyiv have been damaged and destroyed. According to UNDP, 9 out of 10 Ukrainian could fall into poverty should the war continue for 12 months (16 March 2022).

From the onset of the war, the Government of Ukraine, both at central and oblast levels, has demonstrated effectiveness in crisis/emergency coordination and ensured decentralized presence of line ministries and key government institutions in the country to sustain key government functions and deliver services to population on the move. The government continues operating under martial law. Military-civil administrations were established in each oblast under coordination of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. The Ministry of Social Policy, National Social Services and Pension Fund have established a coordination unit for ensuring sustainability of social protection work. Certain government decisions were made to ensure sustainability of the armed forces operations, stable work of hospitals and critical infrastructure, and budget funds were reallocated to ensure strengthened national security and defense issues. The Government of Ukraine has also set up a Coordination Centre for Humanitarian and Social Affairs to coordinate the emergency response of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and international humanitarian organizations. The Cabinet of Ministers is also tasked to facilitate relations with diplomatic missions, international organizations and donors to ensure the coordinated delivery of humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.

At this point in time, the need for enhanced crisis/emergency coordination and response planning between the central government, the oblasts/rayons and other stakeholders (international community, CSOs, private sector) is becoming more and more critical for Ukraine to ensure delivery of services and build stronger resilience of the receiving/host communities and of the displaced. 

The devastating impact this war has on the public administration system, national economy and people’s lives requires an effective recovery approach for Ukraine with feasible plan and further actions. On April 21, 2022, the President of Ukraine issued the Decree # 266/2022 ‘On National Council on Recovery of Ukraine from the Consequences of War’ (National Recovery Council). The key task of the National Recovery Council is development of the action plan on post-war recovery of Ukraine.

In this context, UNDP within the framework of its Emergency Response Management project is recruiting a professional with relevant experience and a track record for the position of a Government Liaison Specialist.

The incumbent will promote UNDP’s mandate as a gender-responsive organization with zero tolerance for any kind of discriminatory and abusive behavior, including sexual harassment, sexual exploitation and abuse.

Under the direct supervision of the Project Manager, the Government Liaison Specialist will be responsible for the following key tasks:

1. Liaise with other government institutions to ensure synergy and to promote effective implementation of the projects and communication with UNDP representatives. 

• Attend relevant meetings and working groups
• Assists senior management and leadership with strategic planning for known and potential regulatory and policy activities related to the recovery and development of the country.
• Schedule regular check-ins with government counterparts and support in organizing joint events
• Ensure full alignment of the project work with government priorities. 

2. Provide information and analysis to UNDP on issues associated with the process of development of recovery policy and initiatives.

• Prepare regular updates for UNDP on the progress in the joint areas of work
• Produce ad-hoc reports when requested by counterparts to ensure UNDP work is duly promoted 

3. Assess implications and make recommendations to UNDP on possible policies, strategies and other measures to address issues of concern and to advance mandated objectives.

4. Interact closely with UNDP personnel in preparing summary and analytical documents, including reports, notes, talking points and other sensitive and confidential official communications.

5. ​​​​​​​Consult and cooperate with partners to develop strategies and recommendation to address recovery related challenges, including preparation of the Action plan on post-war recovery of Ukraine, in pursuit of shared objectives.

6. ​​​​​​​Foster effective working relations with the UNDP colleagues and counterparts, Government representatives, civil society actors, military and law enforcement actors, academic and research institutions, and other national and international partners on information-sharing, policy and coordination matters.

• Help identify entry points for further enhancing UNDP-Government collaboration across different strategic partner institutions
• Support in convening the officials’ meetings and help prepare the required documentation in advance of the meetings, including drafting talking points and speeches for UNDP officials
• Identify priority legislative and government relations issues for the UNDP

Measurable outputs of the work assignment

• Support to the Government on recovery policy development, recommendations to the Action plan on post-war recovery of Ukraine - by the end of the contract
• Expertise and advice on recovery policy and communications – monthly
• Progress reports are provided to UNDP – monthly

Performance Indicators for evaluation of results

• Number of analytical products developed
• Timely submission of the regular performance reports

4.      Institutional Arrangement

The incumbent will work under the direct supervision of the Project Manager in close cooperation with other project staff members.

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands
• Act with Determination: LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity

• Communication:
  • Ability to communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience.
• Partnerships Management:
  • Ability to build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies.
• Strategic Thinking:
  • Ability to develop effective strategies and prioritized plans in line with UNDP’s objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, potential risks and opportunities, linking the vision to reality on the ground, and creating tangible solutions.
• Effective Decision Making:
  • Ability to take decisions in a timely and efficient manner in line with one’s authority, area of expertise and resources.
• Digital Awareness and Literacy:
  • Ability and inclination to rapidly adopt new technologies, either through skillfully grasping their usage or through understanding their impact and empowering others to use them as needed.
• 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
• Governance
  • Parliamentary Institutions

• Master’s degree or equivalent in Social Sciences, Political Science, International Relations, Public Administration, Anthropology, Law, Economics or related areas. 
• Bachelor’s degree in related field with additional 2 years of relevant experience will be given due consideration in lieu of Master’s degree.

• Minimum 5 years (with Master’s degree) or 7 years (with Bachelor’s degree) of relevant   progressively responsible experience in the area of political, reporting and/or government liaison in project/programme implementation, at the national or international level.
• Proven experience in the field of governmental strategic planning, communication with international technical assistance projects is highly desirable.
• Experience of working on Ukraine Reforms’ Agenda is desirable.
• Prior experience with the government institutions at managing positions will be considered as an asset.
• Previous experience within UNDP or other UN agencies, NGOs, other civil society organizations will be considered as an asset.

Languages:

• Fluency in English and Ukrainian.

Required skills:

• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Excellent public speaking and negotiation skills at high level
• Proven skills of drafting Governmental strategies, plans, concepts, preparation of draft laws and by-laws, as well as communication materials or high-level meeting and negotiations
• Excellent analytical and reporting skills
• Knowledge of Governmental and Parliamentary Procedures in Ukraine, peculiarities of civil service in Ukraine

Desired skills:

• Strong coordination and organizational skills
• Strong managerial and leadership skills, notably planning, organizing, coordinating and controlling, problem solving and decision-making
• Mature judgment combined with a proactive, energetic approach to problem solving
• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines

Documents required:

• Personal CV or P11, indicating all past positions held and their main underlying functions, their durations (month/year), the qualifications, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate, and at least three (3) the most recent professional references of previous supervisors. References may also include peers.
• A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page) indicating why the candidate considers him-/herself to be suitable for the position.