Location : New York, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Application Deadline : 15-Oct-10
Type of Contract : FTA International
Post Level : D-1
Languages Required : English Spanish
Starting Date :(date when the selected candidate is expected to start) 01-Dec-2010
Duration of Initial Contract : One year
Expected Duration of Assignment : One year
Under the guidance of the Regional Director to whom he/she reports and Deputy Regional Directors, the Chief Economist, HD and MDG Practice closely monitors at regional and sub-regional level, the economic strategies of LAC countries, drawing lessons and making recommendations to the Regional Director on continuous improvements and fine-tuning of the economic issues dimension of the CD-PGA strategy. To achieve this goal the incumbent creates and maintains information and policy studies networks on socio-economic issues in LAC and on the impact of macroeconomic reforms on capacity development. He/she functions as a policy expert under the oversight and supervision of the Regional Director, maintaining direct working relations with other policy units and experts across UNDP that deal with LAC economic issues. In his role as MDG Advocacy Adviser leads a process to formulate and implement an MDG-specific advocacy plan capable of strengthening resource mobilization for scaled-up MDG support in LAC, as part of RBLAC’s region-wide Partnership strategy. The incumbent also plays a critical role in directly supporting the public advocacy function of the Bureau Director by strengthening his/her image as UNDP’s chief Economist, HD and MDG advocate in LAC. In so doing he/she lends support to the joint efforts of the UN inter-agency effort to support LAC’s HD and MDG agenda in a coordinated manner. The incumbent is responsible for the management of HD and MDG regional projects. He/she reports to the NY Regional Deputy Director on operational matters related to regional projects.
Duties and Responsibilities
Summary of key functions:
* Monitor and advise the Bureau on innovative approaches, entry points, and performance indicators for capacity development in support and attainment of the MDGs in LAC;
* Strengthening knowledge generation and management on poverty-related issues within RBLAC, and contributing towards in-house capacity to understand and address macro-economic reform issues;
* Design and implement an HD and MDG Advocacy Plan to keep LAC’s HD and MDG process at the top of RBLAC’s and the broader UNDP’s agenda;
* Strengthen HD and MDG-based resource mobilization for LAC by continually sensitizing donors and building strategic alliances around UNDP’s support to HD and MDG-based planning in LAC;
* Support the Regional Director’s RDT/RC oversight role, proposing issues to be addressed through the RDT and following up on decisions involving UNDP or requiring action from UNDP on economic issues, HD and MDGs;
* Responsible for managing staff under responsibility, staff development, regular feedback and for promoting the full use of staff potential within the team and keeping them informed at all time.
1. Monitor and advise the Bureau on innovative approaches, entry points, and performance indicators for capacity development in support and attainment of the MDGs in LAC.
* Monitors and reports, including through policy and position papers and ad hoc reports, on implementation of the CD-PGA strategy; reports to be cleared by the Regional Director for use in reviewing and refining the CD-PGA strategy;
* Monitors, reports and advises the Bureau on strategies to strengthen national macro-economic frameworks as foundations for pro-poor growth;
* Serves as the policy adviser and focal point in the Bureau for corporate MDG-based planning initiatives, including the IPS and the Millennium Project, for RBLAC, providing backstopping for operational support teams on the ground in the region, and providing the Regional Director with analytical information required to oversee and ensure quality and continued relevance of activities;
* Closely monitors, supports and reports to the Regional Director on implementation of UNDP corporate capacity development frameworks and diagnostic tools;
* Continually consolidates and analyzes all MDG-related information, in particular from MDGRs, and advises the Bureau on required areas of emphasis at regional level;
* Continuously collects, aggregates and analyzes macro-economic data at regional level as a contribution to the formulation of the RCF and the preparation of RHDRs;
* Advises the Bureau on significant changes in global economic trends and their implication for LAC’s development; e.g. globalization, trade negotiations, aid coordination, employment, etc.
* Initiates and participates in research work to better inform LAC’s positioning and its capacity to deal with global and regional changes;
* Keeps abreast of economic and other trends affecting LAC’s development, and maintains close linkages with Economists in other development partner organisations (BWIs, ADB, ECA, Centres of Excellence, etc) operating in the LAC region to develop synergies and establish quality benchmarks for UNDP in promoting capacity development for pro-poor growth in LAC;
* Generates and continually updates socio-economic country briefs to support the advocacy function of the Regional Director.
2. Strengthening knowledge generation and management on poverty-related issues within RBLAC, and contributing towards in-house capacity to understand and address macro-economic reform issues.
* Prepares and/or reads and comments on policy, concept papers and other studies as part of the process of selecting regional HDR themes, and provides feedback and technical inputs to ongoing NHDR and RHDR processes, advising the Regional Director on related quality assurance matters;
* Recommends, designs and leads research on pro-poor growth issues in the LAC region, harnessing policy expertise within the RSCs, BDP and external Centres of Excellence;
* Monitors and advices on strengthening the Poverty Reduction practice within COs in the region;
Creates and maintains within RBLAC/HQ, in liaison with the Bureau and COs, macroeconomic reform databases in the form of detailed country and regional briefs, to inform HQ CD-PGA support;
* Contributes towards selection of poverty-related subjects to be discussed in PSD-convened policy fora bringing together recognized experts on the selected subjects.
3. Design and implement an HD and MDG Advocacy Plan to keep LAC’s HD and MDG process at the top of RBLAC’s and the broader UNDP’s agenda.
* Leads the development of an HD and MDG advocacy plan, building on the recommendations of the Millennium Project, as part of the Bureau’s Partnership and resource mobilization strategy;
* Liaises with RBLAC HD and MDG Specialized Support Teams in the region to build proper advocacy strategies into HD and MDG-based planning processes at national level;
* Develops a strategy to support the public advocacy function of the Bureau Regional Director and strengthening his/her role as UNDP LAC’s chief HD and MDG advocate.
* Supports COs in integrating MDG advocacy and RM issues into country programming processes by reading and providing inputs on draft CCA/UNDAFs, CPAPs, MDGRs, NHDRs and RHDRS from an HR and MDG advocacy perspective;
* Liaises with OC, BRSP and other UNDP/HQ units as appropriate to harness available internal resources to strengthen RBLAC’s HD and MDG advocacy efforts;
* Monitors and reports to UNSP and the Regional Director on efforts to ensure that HD and MDG advocacy issues remain a key performance indicator of RBLAC Senior Management.
4. Strengthen HD and MDG-based resource mobilization for LAC by continually sensitizing donors and building strategic alliances around UNDP’s support to HD and MDG-based planning in LAC.
* Formulates and implements a communication and sensitization plan targeting donors, governments and international civil society partners on UNDP LAC’s work in support of the HD and MDGs;
* Maintains close relations with the media to regularly highlight the lead role of RBLAC in efforts to accelerate achievement of the HD and MDGs in LAC;
* Enhances the quality of MDGRs as communication/advocacy and resource mobilization tools for governments and partners;
* Prepares regular aggregated and comparative reports on the scale-up of support to LAC by key donors for the attainment of the HD and MDGs for use by the Bureau in its advocacy efforts;
* Creates systems to report on the HD and MDGs at aggregate level in LAC, including monitoring of the broader Millennium Declaration;
* Monitors and reports on linkages between the HD and MDGs, including the Millennium Declaration and the 60th Anniversary Outcome Declaration, and international development cooperation frameworks such as the Monterrey Declaration and the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness and recommends ways in which UNDP can support RC/RRs in addressing related issues;
5. Support the Regional Director’s RDT/RC oversight role, proposing issues to be addressed through the RDT and following up on decisions involving UNDP or requiring action from UNDP on economic issues, HD and MDGs.
* Oversees the provision of timely and coordinated responses from the Bureau to UNCT requests for HQ support;
* Provides effective interface between RC-related issues in the region, the CODs and DGO, and coordinates UNDP LAC’s input to global RC reform processes and new initiatives;
* Supports the Regional Directors Team to enhance the Director’s coordination oversight function, through liaison with the RDT Secretariat, structured monitoring and support to RDTs on all matters of UN support policy and strategy requiring HQ inputs, raising issues for RDT discussion, and facilitating implementation;
* Ensures proper management of the RC appraisal process in liaison with the RDT, CODs and UNDGO;
* Maintains strong working relations to provide support and guidance to RC/RRs on economic, HD and MDGs matters involving the UN.
6. Responsible for managing staff under responsibility, staff development, regular feedback and for promoting the full use of staff potential within the team and keeping them informed at all time.
Competencies
Corporate Competencies:
* Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’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
* Treats all people fairly without favoritism
Functional Competencies:
* Knowledge Management and Learning
* Promotes knowledge management in UNDP and a learning environment in the office through leadership and personal example
* In-depth practical knowledge of inter-disciplinary development issues
* Actively works towards continuing personal learning and development in one or more Practice Areas, acts on learning plan and applies newly acquired skills
* Seeks and applies knowledge, information, and best practices from within and outside of UNDP
Development and Operational Effectiveness
* Ability to lead strategic planning, change processes, results-based management and reporting
* Ability to lead formulation, oversight of implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development projects
* Ability to apply development theory to the specific country context to identify creative, practical approaches to overcome challenging situations
Management and Leadership
* Builds strong relationships with clients, focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to feedback
* Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude
* Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities
* Ability to lead effectively, mentoring as well as conflict resolution skills
* Demonstrates strong oral and written communication skills
* Remains calm, in control and good humored even under pressure
* Proven networking, team-building, organizational and communication skills
Selected candidate will be required to take UNDP’s mandatory training courses on Prevention of Harassment, Sexual Harassment and Abuse of Authority in the Workplace; The Gender Journey: Thinking Outside the Box; as well as the online UN Staff Security Training course within 2 months of their assuming their functions in this position.
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
* Advanced degree in (Macro)economics with specialization in a development-related subject (Economics, Sociology, Public Policy, Communications, etc.
Experience:
* At least 15 years as Senior Economic Advisor, with experience in poverty analyses and capacity development for implementing pro-poor growth strategies as well as demonstrated research/survey experience, backed up by publications on poverty-related subjects.
Language Requirements:
* Fluency in English and Spanish. Knowledge of another UN Official Language an asset'
Apply Now at https://jobs.undp.org/cj_apply.cfm?job_id=19244