Programme Specialist sustainable livelihoods and inclusive growth

Details

Mission and objectives

UNDP, the United Nations Development Programme, is the UN’s largest operational actor for development issues in the field. The organisation cooperates with developing countries to use capacity development so as to achieve local solutions to global and national development challenges. UNDP’s overall goal is to contribute to sustainable human development. UNDP has four focus areas in its mandate: poverty reduction, democratic governance, environment and energy, and crisis prevention and recovery. The HIV/AIDS dimension and gender equality are to be integrated into UNDP operations as cross-cutting issues. Another important role that UNDP has in the field is responsibility for the coordination of the operational activities of all UN agencies in a country through the ‘resident coordinator’ system. UNDP is responsible for monitoring the Millennium Development Goals at country level. It also publishes an annual report, the Human Development Report, which takes an in-depth look at a selected development topic and also contains the Human Development Index (HDI), an overview of development in the countries of the world.

Context

The UNDP Comoros country program document (CPD) 2022-2026 is built on three interrelated pillars: Planet, Prosperity and Peace and contributes to the achievement of the 3 outcomes of the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2022-2026. The volunteer will actively contribute to the implementation of key initiatives under the prosperity pillar for both the UNDP CPD and the UNSDCF, whose prosperity pillar outcome stipulates that " by 2026, the Comorian population, and especially the most vulnerable, enjoys shared prosperity built on a more competitive and inclusive economy, on renewed public-private partnerships, and in a perspective of sustainable growth focused on green, blue and digital economy". To do this, in synergy with the interventions of other partners, UNDP's contribution will focus on: a) the establishment of an inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem in the sectors of green, blue, circular and digital economy supported by a strengthened public-private partnership, b) the promotion of socially and environmentally responsible youth and female entrepreneurship, c) scaling up successful experiences in climate-smart agriculture and agricultural diversification, including innovative solutions focused on adaptation techniques and technologies, d) social security coverage of rural communities in areas of concentration, e) creation of an enabling environment to drive post-COVID-19 economic transformation. Similarly, this program is fully in line with the UNDP Strategic Plan on "eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions", "accelerating structural transformations conducive to sustainable development" and "strengthening resilience to shocks and crises". With a view to strengthening programmatic capacities, the UNDP country office in the Union of Comoros is recruiting an international UNV specialist in Sustainable Livelihoods and Inclusive Growth. The key results expected from the UNV will impact the CPD implementation in the areas of inclusive growth and sustainable development, particularly in the programme management, partnerships development and resource mobilization with a focus on the prosperity pillar.

Task description

Under the direct supervision of the Assistant Resident Representative programme, the Sustainable Livelihoods and Inclusive Growth Specialist UNV will work closely with the Country Office team and will focus on key functions and related tasks as described below. Programme Development: • Ensure the identification and promotion of innovative programs and projects in the areas of his/her responsibility, ensure that joint planning and programming opportunities are seized in the areas of his/her competence; • Ensure a timely and quality contribution of UNDP Comoros to the prosperity pillar of the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework; • Contribute to UNDP's work on key cross-cutting elements of the 2022-2026 CPD, including youth engagement, gender equality and equity, promotion of innovation and digital, and inclusion of persons living with disabilities; • Contribute to the development of new UN joint programmes related to UNDP's prosperity portfolio; Programme and project management : • Ensure the effective application of results-based management tools, the establishment of management indicators and the monitoring of the achievement of results as part of a monitoring and evaluation system for programs and projects in the prosperity pillar; • Contribute to the formulation, management and implementation of Prosperity Pillar programmes and projects, including agricultural value chains and blue economy projects, as well as the development of annual and quarterly work plans; • Support UNDP initiatives on the economic empowerment of women and youth, particularly related to the support or development of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises; • Integrate the objectives of the Prosperity pillar, projects with the other two pillars of UNDP Comoros CPD: planet and peace. • Provide inputs for linking community-level and upstream initiatives, including access to export opportunities related to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCTA); • Contribute to the preparation, in time, quality and formats required, of quarterly and annual reports of programmes and projects for which he/she is responsible, communicate risks and problems that may hinder the achievement of results and propose mitigation solutions and actions; • Conduct project visits and report on the status of projects, problems encountered and proposed solutions; Resource mobilization and partnership development • Develop briefing notes on existing or potential donors in the field of inclusive growth and sustainable development, their sectors of intervention and their requirements; • Develop advocacy notes, and project sheets on possible areas of cooperation and identify opportunities for the initiation of new projects for resource mobilization and cost-sharing program-ming • Provide substantive technical support to UNDP's resource mobilization strategy in emerging areas of prosperity through, inter alia, research, analysis of donor and funding source information, preparation of concept notes and project formulation. • Contribute to the development of strategic partnerships with UN entities, government institutions, bilateral and multilateral donors, the private sector, civil society, academia, think tanks, and municipalities, to support the development and implementation of initiatives and resource mobilization in areas related to inclusive growth and prosperity; • Contribute to formulating and implementing a communication and advocacy strategy, with a view to increasing the visibility and clarity of UNDP action. • Establish a database of information collected on these donors; • Develop project sheets on possible areas of cooperation, and identify opportunities for initiating new projects for resource mobilization; Knowledge Management : • Collect and share best practices in areas related to inclusive growth and prosperity through the UNDP's knowledge networks and project staff as well as with communities outside UNDP, including JICA, UNV, government experts, development partners, etc. Furthermore, UN Volunteers are required to: • Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and taking an active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day); • Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country; • Reflect on the type and quality of voluntary action that they are undertaking, including participation in ongoing reflection activities; • Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.; • Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UN Volunteers; • Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering, or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.