Job and Career Info

Job Vacancies United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Position: Policy Advisor, Gender, Crisis Prevention, & Recovery
Closing Date: Monday, 06 December 2010
Location:  United States of America, New York

Background
UNDP Practice architecture
UNDP’s Strategic Plan 2008-2011 and the 2008 regionalization paper articulate the corporate requirement to bring timely and effective substantive and technical services to the country offices through strengthened practice architecture at the global regional and country level.
The UNDP Practice Architecture serves as a framework for better organizing UNDP to provide consistent policy advisory services, more relevant and substantive policy knowledge, better linking of policy and programming and capacity development. The value of the practice architecture lies in its comprehensive structure to solidify UNDP and its staff into a global team that ensures coherence, consistency, alignment and quality assurance in the way UNDP delivers service internally and to development partners and programme countries.
The Bureau for Development Policy (BDP) is responsible for articulating UNDP’s development policy, using evidence gathered through country applications, regional experiences and global interactions. BDP has a key role to play in helping country offices to accelerate human development by supporting the country offices in the design and implementation of programmes and projects that effectively contribute to the national-level policies and results. Driven by demand, and working through the Regional Bureaux and the RSC, BDP provides the tools, analysis and capacities that country offices need to make a real difference in UNDP’s practice areas.
BDP’s support of UNDP’s strategic plan 2008-2011 is focused in 4 thematic practices (Poverty Reduction, Governance, Environment and Energy, HIV/AIDS) and 2 thematic areas (Capacity Development and Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment).

Practice/Thematic Approach
UNDP’s commitment to Gender Equality is articulated in the Gender Equality Strategy. UNDP’s Gender Team within the Bureau for Development Policy is responsible for UNDP’s work in the area of gender equality and women’s empowerment. The Gender Team is organised into the following clusters:
1. Poverty;
2. Environment;
3. Democratic Governance and Crisis Prevention and Recovery;
4. Institutional Accountability; and
5. Regional Advisors.

The Gender, Crisis Prevention and Recovery Advisor will provide support for countries in crisis and post crisis situations, including by drawing on and coordinating UNDP’s comprehensive, cross practice gender expertise (at global, regional and national levels),by contributing conflict and post conflict analysis to UNDP’s inter-agency collaborations to advance gender equality and the empowerment of women, and by advancing gender equality and the empowerment of women (including in issues of democratic governance) across the continuum of conflict and post conflict situations. The CPR and Gender Policy Advisor will work closely with the Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery (BCPR).

Duties and Responsibilities
The Policy Advisor is responsible for bringing solid substantive advice and technical expertise, advocacy and knowledge to UNDPs work in the area of Gender, Crisis Prevention and Recovery. Working to ensure quality services to BDP’s clients, the Policy Advisor works towards advancing UNDP’s credibility in the practice/thematic area, ensuring coherence and quality technical advice in this area. The incumbent will report to the Democratic Governance and CPR Cluster Leader of the Gender Team, BDP in NY.

The incumbent will be responsible for:
* Policy Advisory/Programme Support-Delivery;
* Research and Content Development;
* Policy Development;
* Practice Advocacy; and
* Knowledge Management

Policy Advisory/Programme Support-Delivery
* Provide policy advisory services on gender and CPR that respond to country office needs;
* Provide policy advice and technical guidance to and collaborate substantively with regional/country focal points to help achieve practice strategic goals and implement practice supported programmes;
* Provide direct technical advice, backstopping and training to COs, UNCTs, Regional Centres and Regional Bureaux and Practice Groups, and BCPR.
* Provide programme support related to the design, implementation oversight and results & M & E;
* Contribute to developing the capacity of national counterparts in support of achieving the MDGs as it relates to the work of the practice area;
* Facilitate the engagement of governments, country offices and regional programmes with civil society at large, including indigenous peoples and minorities; and provide advice on civic engagement, participatory approaches, civil society capacity development and the creation of an enabling environment for civil society;
* Support relevant regional initiatives and promote synergies with the regional programmes of the Regional Bureaux;
* Exercise quality assurance for policy services in practice service area and foster policy innovation to enhance programme delivery.
* Act as liaison with and coordinate work with BCPR

work closely with partners, including OSG, BCPR, UN Women, DPA, DPKO PBSO, UNFPA, UNHCR, OCHA, OHCHR, UNICEF and others to coordinate and represent UNDPs work in the field of gender and crisis prevention and recovery
* Represent the Democratic Governance and CPR Cluster in Gender Team management meetings in the absence of the Cluster Leader

Research and Content Development
* Conduct analysis of data, case evidence and research findings to distill relevant lessons;
* Generate based upon research and analysis, innovative operational concepts aimed at widening UN/UNDP policy/programming tools;
* Develop, test and roll out tools and methodologies in focus areas to provide “how to” guidance and ensure standards;
* Research, develop and share knowledge-based tools, such as policy positions/practice notes/concept papers and other research papers to help influence/advance policy dialogue in the practice service area and present such material at global and regional forums;
* Develop and support activities in support of the corporate Knowledge Road Map within BDP and UNDP.

Policy development
* Lead policy development in the gender and CPR practice/thematic area;
* Develop corporate policy and guidance in focus area;
* Provide substantive inputs to international fora to help shape global and regional development strategies, policies, norms and standards;
* Develops tools for the implementation of global policy standards.

Practice Co-Ordination
* Work closely with the Gender Team’s Democratic Governance and CPR Cluster Leader, Practice Manager, and Practice Director to develop work plans, monitor/report progress in service area in line with practice strategic goals and within the practice resource framework and agreed work programme;
* Provide practice/cluster programme management/oversight, including development/management of global programmes;
* Mobilize and assist with the management of financial resources, including for Trust-Funds;
* Provide results reporting and other management obligations for corporate planning/management processes of UNDP, UN system and trust funds’ governing boards;
* Enlist management solutions to troubleshoot programme delivery difficulties and share best practices;
* Develop practice business plan in the service area, and forge/implement successfully strategic partnerships with UN and external partner institutions – Governments, private sector, academia, NGOs, CSOs.)

Practice Advocacy
* Provide substantive and content leadership in UNDP corporate discussions and inter-agency coordination on practice issues;
* Represent UNDP (and UN partner organizations) to advocate practice messages in the international development arena for a discussion;
* Mobilize external partnerships behind UNDP initiatives;
* Advocate the importance of the practice service area in various fora with a view to deepen related political commitment and related reforms;
* Lead the design of material and promote initiatives for advocacy and policy dialogue in practice service areas and nurture partnerships with academia and civil society to develop the content;

Knowledge Management
* Build and facilitate internal and external communities of practice in relevant thematic and cross-thematic area(s)
* Contribute to global and regional knowledge networks
* Produce knowledge products in accordance with corporate standards
* Contribute to the content in the relevant practice service space of Teamworks

Competencies
Corporate:
* Demonstrates integrity and fairness, by modeling the UN/UNDP’s values and ethical standards;
* Promotes the vision, mission and strategic goals of UNDP;
* Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

Functional:
Leadership
* Strong managerial/leadership experience and decision-making skills;
* Ability to conceptualize and convey strategic vision from the spectrum of development experience;
* Knowledge and expertise in UNDP’s programming processes;
* Proven ability to lead a practice area and drive for results with a strong knowledge of results-based management and budgeting.

Managing Relationships
* Demonstrated well developed people management and organizational skills;
* Strong ability to manage teams; creating an enabling environment, mentoring and developing staff;
* Excellent negotiating and networking skills;
* Strong resource mobilization and partnering skills.

Managing Complexity
* Ability to address global development issues;
* Substantive knowledge and understanding of development cooperation with the ability to support the practice architecture of UNDP and inter-disciplinary issues;
* Demonstrated substantive leadership and ability to integrate knowledge with broader strategic, policy and operational objectives;
* A sound global network of institutional and individual contacts.

Knowledge Management and Learning
* Ability to strongly promote knowledge sharing and knowledge products and services;
* Demonstrated ability to understand clients’ needs and concerns; respond promptly and effectively to client needs; and customize services and products as appropriate.
* Demonstrated ability to collaborate with others in own unit and across boundaries; acknowledge others’ contributions; promote collaboration and facilitate teamwork across organizational boundaries;
* Open to new ideas; shares own knowledge; applies knowledge in daily work; builds partnerships for learning and knowledge sharing;
* Promotes knowledge management in UNDP and a learning environment in the office through leadership and personal example;
* Seeks and applies knowledge, information and best practices from within and outside of UNDP;
* Familiarity with current Knowledge Management technologies, including Web and Enterprise 2.0 etc.

Judgment/Decision-Making
* Mature judgment and initiative;
* Proven ability to provide strategic direction in practice area;
* Independent judgment and discretion in advising on handling major policy issues and challenges.

Required Skills and Experience
* Master’s degree from an accredited educational instuition in development or related field.
* Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible, comprehensive knowledge in gender and CPR, with experience with an international organization.
* Fluent in English. Working knowledge in another UN language is an asset.

United Nations Development Programme
304 East 45th Street
New York
Telephone: (212) 909-7940

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

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