Location : Santo Domingo, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Application Deadline : 06-Oct-10
Type of Contract : FTA International
Post Level : P-4
Languages Required : English Spanish
Duration of Initial Contract : One year
ART GOLD Dominican Republic is one of the Framework Programs of the ART Initiative – Articulating Territorial and Thematic Networks for Human Development (Articulando Redes Temáticas y Territoriales de Desarrollo Humano) - which links to programs and activities of diverse United Nations Agencies, bilateral donors and participants of decentralized cooperation. The Program aims at strengthening the active roles of local communities (Provinces and Municipalities) and their ability to take advantage of international opportunities, structurally converging inputs from the cooperation.
ART GOLD is defined as a framework program because it favors the participation of many actors in a common effort of support for the processes of local development supporting national decentralization strategies and the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in the Dominican Republic. Its focus is modular and foresees initiating its interventions in the different Provinces and Municipalities of interest, to the degree that resources provided by international cooperation agencies or by national agencies are available.
The participating provinces in the Art initiative in the Dominican Republic are Monte Cristi, Dajabon, Elias Piña, Independencia, Pedernales, Bahoruco, Monte Plata, El Seibo, Salcedo. The selection criteria for priorizing these areas take into account human development and poverty indicators, the priorities of the Government in the strategy for the reduction of poverty, the presence of UNDP initiatives for local development, the interest manifested by the Office for the National Coordinator for European Funds for Development (Oficina del Ordenador Nacional para los Fondos Europeos de Desarrollo - ONFED) and other donors. In these provinces, the ART GOLD program promotes and accompanies the integrated local development processes carried out by local actors, open to the contribution of different donors, of national initiatives, of local communities from the northern part of the country and south-south contributions to cooperation. The components of intervention are governance, the environment, local economic development, health and welfare, basic education and professional training.
The strategy of the Program is set in the context of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) and in the mobilization of actors and resources from decentralized European cooperation. The strategy is based on integrated management of focused territorial development, articulated with national policies and international opportunities, as a function of the promotion of socio-economic and cultural competitiveness. The combination between the private, public sector and civil society is a fundamental strategic element, as well as the application of planning and implementation criteria which consider the equality of opportunities for access to development by disadvantaged social groups (women, young people, others) to be a priority factor.
The official national reference for the coordination of the program is the Office for the National Coordinator for European Funds for Development (Oficina del Ordenador Nacional para los Fondos Europeos de Desarrollo - ONFED). Other national references are the General Bureau for Territorial Management (Dirección General de Ordenamiento Territorial); the National Council for Competiveness (Consejo Nacional de Competitividad - CNC); the Ministry of Environment; the Office for Border Development; the Social Cabinet; the Ministry for Economy, Planning and Development; and the representatives of Municipalities and local governments in the areas of intervention. All these afore mentioned together with civil society organizations, other ministries, and Agencies of the United Nations participate in a National Consultative Committee for the programme. Also, a consultative parliamentary committee in the Senate of the Dominican Republic will follow-up on program’s activities with the purpose of articulating local experiences with national public policies.
Under the general direction of the Deputy Resident Representative and direct supervision of the Democratic Governance National Programme Officer, in close collaboration with the ART International Coordination in Geneva, the Chief Technical Advisor will be responsible for strategic and operational management of all Programme components.
In particular the CTA will be in charge of programming of financial resources for elaborating the Annual Operations Plans of the Programme. The CTA will also be responsible for requirements of accurate information (substantive and financial) and other materials related to dissemination, communication and information of the programme and its activities.
He/She will be responsible for coordinating with the national stakeholders (government, elected officials, local authorities, universities, private sector, associations, NGO), as well as with partners and donors at international level: components of ART international, bilateral and multilateral cooperation, and Agencies of the United Nations System in the Dominican Republic.
Duties and Responsibilities
Key functions summary:
The Technical Advisor will have the following key functions:
* Provide strategic guidance and dialogue with national and local authorities, such as with the present cooperation actors in the Dominican Republic;
* Develop jointly with the national and local authorities, civil society, universities and private sector, the vision, ownership and the course of planning, programming and budgeting and co-financing activities of the ART Programme in the Dominican Republic in close collaboration with the Office for the National Coordinator for European Funds for Development (Oficina del Ordenador Nacional para los Fondos Europeos para el Desarrollo - ONFED), General Bureau for Territorial
* Management (Dirección General de Ordenamiento Territorial); and the Ministry of Economy, Planning and Development;
Represent the ART Programme before the National Consultative Committee and any other type of consultation and coordination body at national and international levels, with the aim to promote the achievement of the MDGs;
* In collaboration with the ART International Coordination, the Hub for Innovative Partnerships (HUB) by the UNDP in Geneva, strengthen the international profile of local development processes carried out in the country, the exchange of best practices aiming at strengthening the negotiating capacities of national and local authorities and establishing strategic partnerships and resource mobilization for the implementation of the national MDGs.
* Contribute to the coordination and harmonization between the ART programme and the UNDP CO, as well as other national development programmes in the national MDGs framework.
1. Expected Results / Principal Activities
Technical Aspects
* Managing the Programme using the Atlas platform, where He / She will enter all the relevant information for the formulation, implementation, supervising, follow-up, monitoring, and evaluation.
* Elaborate Annual Work Plans (AWP), as well as the acquisitions when the year begins.
* In coordination with the ART DR National Consultative Committee, monitor the programme implementation and continue the process of awareness rising among national and international partners on the ART methodology and modality of the management of decentralized cooperation.
* Support and supervise the implementation of local programming and accompaniment of Local Working Groups and technical support personnel in the selected regions.
* Ensure implementation of the ART methodology at local, national level and globally in implementing the ART DR Programme-Framework.
* Coordinate the elaboration and implementation of operational plans of the programme in the prioritized geographical areas, including key strategic issues, institutional and organizational for its management, ensuring that the implementation of planned activities locally, nationally and internationally are undertaken in close coordination and synergy with the country strategy of the UNDP DR and the contents of the document signed by the parties concerning the ART DR Programme-Framework.
* In coordination with the International ART services, organize all the necessary activities to involve the actors of decentralized cooperation to facilitate their participation in the ART DR Programme: missions in the Dominican Republic and in the countries of key actors, preparation of documentation, organization of events, and visits, etc.
* Expand partnerships around the ART DR Programme, with other United Nations System agencies, international actors and bilateral donors.
* In coordination with the Country Office develop communication strategies and knowledge management.
* Periodically present the results of the programme, with the aim to further mobilize donors and extend areas of influence of the programme.
2. Expected results/ Principal activities
* Strategic alliances and resource mobilization
Develop and implement established alliances and mobilized resources in the framework of the programme.
* Promote the ART programme between national and local authorities, private sector, universities, civil society and other development entities;
* Search for the experience from the other United Nations organizations interested in coordinating their activities with the decentralized cooperation network through the operative framework of ART programme in the Dominican Republic.
3. Expected results/ Principal activities
Information and exchange of experiences and promotion of the programme
* Promote the best practices applied in the realm of the framework of the ART programme at international level.
* Share the results and lessons learned of the ART programme in the Dominican Republic with other countries which are currently implementing the ART methodology.
* Promote international thematic networks of ART – IDEASS, UNIVERSITAS, ART DEL and share resources and lessons learned with the aim to establish partnerships and mobilize resources and additional experiences.
Competencies
Management
* Demonstrated capacity for leadership and management, particularly in programmes focused on local development, governability and achieving of the MDGs at the local level.
* Personal capacities to support, supervise and adapt to local cultural environments
* Capacity for decision making, initiative, proactive and responsibility.
* Possess negotiation skills and communication skills
* Positive and constructive approach
* Team spirit
* Demostrated ability to ensure a spirit of collaboration and group with UNDP staff and fully participate in the UNDP initiatives.
Technical/Functional
* Capacity for programme coordination, implementation and evaluation.
* Co-participation and ability to share knowledge and experience.
* Facilitate the exchange of experiences and knowledge to contribute to the compilation of good practices.
* Ability to perform specialized activities related to the programme management.
* Knowledge of office automation: Word processing, spreadsheets, email, databases, presentation and project management.
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
* At least a Masters degree from an accredited institution in topics related to human development or social sciences related areas.
Experience:
* 7 years of work experience in human development programmes.
* 10 years of working experience in local development, of which 5 are management position.
* Knowledge and experience in relation to methodology and management of ART programmes.
* Knowledge and understanding of roles, mechanisms, and functions of decentralized cooperation and previous work experience.
* Technical, administrative and management experience within UNDP.
* Experience in resource mobilization.
* Experience in policy analysis concepts and contextual, participatory approaches, teambuilding and consensus building.
* Experience in team coordination and human resources management.
Language requirements:
* Fluency in both Spanish and English required.
Apply Now at https://jobs.undp.org/cj_apply.cfm?job_id=19328