Job Description
Background
UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s policy work carried out at HQ, Regional, and Country Office levels form a continuous spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. Within this context, UNDP invests in the Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in the UNDP Strategic Plan (2018-2021) Plan and its six signature solutions.
The UNDP Strategic Plan (2018-2021) recognizes the complex, changing development landscape, the evolving needs of its partners, and the need for pragmatic responses. It describes how UNDP will respond and support countries to achieve the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and related agreements. Considering this, UNDP always aims to be agile, flexible, adaptive, and responsive to complex development challenges and uncertainties. This requires working in partnership with governments, civil societies, the private sector, and other stakeholders. The Strategic Plan describes how UNDP can better adapt to a range of country contexts through a series of signature solutions that define UNDP’s core work, its platforms, and layout business models that underpin its efforts.
One of the critical challenges that governments face to achieve the SDGs is financing. In response to this challenge, UNDP launched the SDG Finance Sector Hub (FSH) to provide an integrated and comprehensive tailor-made service offer to governments on SDG financing, covering both public and private sectors, including the key seven pillars of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda (AAAA). Consequently, the Africa-focused FSH structure was established in Pretoria, South Africa to support the implementation of UNDP Strategic Offer in Africa.
The UNDP Strategic Offer in Africa tries to respond to the ambition captured in the corporate UNDP’s Strategic Plan and is organized around six impact areas. These are Natural Resource Governance; Youth Employment and Empowerment; Structural Economic Transformation; Sustainable Energy; Climate Change; and Peace and Security. To facilitate the realization of the desired impact, UNDP provides the necessary capacities, resources, and tools through its country offices, regional service centers, and regional thematic hubs.
The Inclusive Growth team provides technical and policy advisory services to UNDP Country Offices, as well as substantive leadership in the areas related to development economics, including poverty reduction and inequality reduction and social protection; regional integration and trade; sustainable development, SDG integration/ national development planning.
The Africa FSH pools together SDG planning, development finance, energy, investment and private sector development experts in Africa covering activities implemented at regional and country levels aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the African Union Agenda 2063.
The Regional Service Centre for Africa (RSCA), based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with additional offices in Dakar, Senegal; Nairobi, Kenya, and Pretoria, South Africa, serves 45 Country Offices in sub-Saharan Africa, develops high-quality knowledge and policy, and is the organization’s main interface with regional and continental institutions such as the African Union and the Regional Economic Communities.
Under the overall guidance of the Africa Finance Sector Hub Manager and the BPPS Inclusive Growth Team Leader (through a matrix structure), the Regional Inclusive Growth and SDG Finance Advisor will work closely with HQ and Regional and other Hub Offices. Focusing primarily on servicing country offices. S/he will provide technical and policy advisory services to UNDP Country Offices in the areas of inclusive growth and development finance strategies.
Duties and Responsibilities
Substantive thought leadership in areas related to development economics, with a special focus on inclusive growth, sustainable development, poverty, and inequality reduction,
- Provides substantive leadership in the analysis of drivers and challenges regarding poverty and inequality reduction, inclusive growth, and green economy.
- Assesses the socio-economic realities and trends in the region to ensure that UNDP’s policy support and programmes are relevant and responsive to emerging priorities and needs.
- Advises RBA and BPPS management on programming opportunities that are relevant and responsive to emerging priorities and needs across the region
SDG Development Planning and Financing Planning
- Work closely and support country offices to develop their SDGs plans and financing frameworks in line with country’s development plans and strategies and the UNDP strategic plan including INFF.
- Explore tools and provide advisory services that promote innovative finance development solutions especially in the areas of domestic resource mobilization and addressing the illegal and illegal transfer of resources.
- Support country offices in domestic resource mobilization efforts. Support countries to identify key partners in the private sector and other social development partners, bilateral and multilateral institutions to promote investments in the SDGs.
- Initiative and support, as needed, research on fiscal space, financing analysis, development gap analysis, and others to better addresses countries development financing and investment gaps
- Support, as needed, capacity-building initiatives on SDG development and financing for country offices at the national and local levels.
- Work with regional bureau staff, finance hub staff, UNDP Pretoria staff, and others, as relevant to execute the mandate.
Technical and policy advisory services to UNDP Country Offices and regional bodies
- Provides substantive policy advisory services and programme support to Country Offices, that respond to their demands and needs.
- Identifies opportunities for scaling up investments in UNDP’s work on poverty eradication, inequality, and inclusive growth in Africa.
- Scans the horizon for new areas of work where UNDP could position itself as a relevant actor according to emerging regional and country demands and develop capacities to respond in those areas.
- Provides support to the implementation of the Regional Programme for Africa, in particular in the areas of youth employment, women economic empowerment and economic structural transformation, and other development areas supporting the broader poverty reduction and inclusive growth agendas.
- Supports regional processes, including the African Regional Forum on Sustainable Development (ARFSD), by providing substantive inputs and positioning UNDP as the SDG integrator at the regional level.
- Provides support to the African Union (AU) and the Regional Economic Communities (RECs), based on demand, with policy and programming support in the thematic area of inclusive growth.
- Provides support to the implementation of regional strategies and action plans.
Representation, advocacy, resource mobilization, and partner engagement for effective UNDP positioning in the region
- Represents UNDP in relevant high-profile fora to support UNDP advocacy efforts and influence development policy in the region;
- Represents UNDP as required within engagements in interagency coordination on policy areas related to inclusive growth;
- Supports the building of strategic alliances and partnerships, especially with key think tanks and non-governmental organizations.
- Builds and/or strengthen partnerships with organisations such as UNECA, the African Union, the Regional Economic Communities (RECs), the World, the AfDB, UN Agencies (ILO, UNICEF, and others), academic and research institutions, development partners, and others, to enrich UNDP policies and programmes.
- Actively mobilises resources to expand UNDP’s programming offer to regional partners and countries/Country Offices, in the area of inclusive growth and SDG finance.
Knowledge management and community of practice networking:
- Leads the development of knowledge products on issues related to finance and investments, poverty and inequality reduction, inclusive growth and SDG implementation in the region, including multidimensional poverty, inequality, structural economic transformation, social protection, jobs and livelihoods
- Develops tools and methods that strengthen UNDPs offer on SDG finance, poverty and inequality, and financing for AU Agenda 2063.
- Actively contributes to UNDP’s poverty and inequality Community of Practice including by curating data, evidence and applied research to distill new lessons and knowledge for UNDP Africa and globally.
- Models’ substantive innovation (working closely with the Policy Centers) and empowers team members to adopt new approaches that build their individual capacities and enhances the reputation of the Inclusive Growth team and UNDP in Africa as a center of excellence
Competencies
Core
Innovation
Ability to make new and useful ideas work
Leadership
Ability to persuade others to follow
People Management
Ability to improve performance and satisfaction
Communication
Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform
Delivery
Ability to get things done while exercising good judgement
Technical/Functional
Data and Statistical Analysis
Knowledge of data and statistics analysis and the ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations
Sustainable Development Goals
Knowledge of the Sustainable Development Goals and the ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations.
Development planning
Knowledge of development planning processes at the national and local level and the ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations
Global Development finance
Knowledge of global development financial trends, global financial institutions and processes, and ability to apply in strategic and/or practical situations
Sustainable development
Knowledge of sustainable development concepts, principles and issues and the ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations, covering the economic, social and environmental dimensions
Poverty and human development
Knowledge of poverty, human development and inclusive and sustainable growth issues and the ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
- Master’s degree in development economics, planning, and finance, sustainable development, or related social sciences
Experience:
- A minimum of 10 years of professional work experience in providing policy advice and advancing the development and implementation of inclusive growth/poverty alleviation approaches in different development contexts.
- Candidate must have strong experience implementing and/or providing advisory services regarding development planning, economics, and finance.
- Proven track record in advising governments, development organizations, such as the UN System, in areas such as inclusive growth, poverty eradication, strategies to reduce inequality, among other aspects of sustainable development.
- Strong quantitative and qualitative analytical skills in the economic and social dimensions of sustainable development.
- Field Experience working in Africa and a successful track record are highly desirable.
Language Requirements:
- Proficiency in English. Working knowledge of other UN language is desirable
Other:
- Strong Team Player
- Positive and Forward-Looking Attitude
- Non-Smoking environment
Please note that continuance of appointment beyond the initial 12 months is contingent upon the successful completion of a probationary period.
Disclaimer
Important information for US Permanent Residents (‘Green Card’ holders)
Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment.
UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.
Applicant information about UNDP rosters
Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.
