Background
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP: we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a ‘leave no one behind’ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.
UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.
The UNDP office in Jamaica is a multi-country office which covers a total of five (5) small island developing states (SIDs): Jamaica, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, The Bahamas and Turks and Caicos. Under the supervision and guidance of the UNDP Resident Representative, the Assistant Resident Representative covers a broad range of issues from programme formulation to delivery, monitoring of UNDP programmes and operations, representation of UNDP in Country Programme Development (CPD) in the context of the United Nations Multi-Country Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for the Caribbean (UNMSDCF), formulation and delivery of joint programmes and resource mobilization. The Assistant Resident Representative supports the Resident Representative in positioning UNDP as a strategic partner for sustainable development within the Agenda 2030 framework, steers strategic planning, programme formulation and creative responses to emerging complex challenges, design of UNDP’s policy and programmatic offer, signature services and partnership engagement mechanism. The Assistant Resident Representative ensures that the UNDP programme and services are consistent with the national development priorities of the host country government, and supportive of the UN’s development efforts in the country in line with the UNMSDCF and CPD.
The Programme Unit works to support achievement of UNDP strategic objectives to create a world where people and planet thrive together, and to help the Country Office act with both ambition and scale to address urgent problems facing the country as well as global climate deteriorating conditions. Programme staff assist the Country Office in formulating and implementing programme strategies that go beyond solving immediate development challenges to create future smart and integrated systemic changes in resilience and capacity building within the country.
Position Purpose
Under the guidance of the Resident Representative, the Assistant Resident Representative Programme (ARR(P)) serves as advisor to Senior Management and a manager of a major programme portfolio in one (in medium/large office) or more than one programme practice area (in smaller country offices). Programme management responsibilities include leading the programme team in strategic planning, identifying new programme areas and creative responses to emerging challenges and opportunities, and monitoring of programme implementation to ensure consistency with CPD priorities.
The ARR (P) heads and supervises a Programme team and works in close collaboration with the Operations team in the CO, Programme staff in other UN Agencies, UNDP staff in HQs and Regional Hubs, technical advisors and experts, external specialists, government officials and partners, donors and civil society to successfully implement the UNDP programme.
UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.
Duties and Responsibilities
1.) As a member of the Country Office management team, ensure the formulation and implementation of UNDP programme strategies and policies within one or more thematic areas.
- Contribute to the thorough analysis of the political, social and economic situation in the country; and contribute collaborative inputs to the UN Common Country Assessment and Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNCCA and UNSDCF) as well as to the preparation/revision of the Country Programme Document (CPD), Integrated Work Plan (IWP) and other strategic documents.
- Ensure that programme strategy formulation considers societal digital technology risks and opportunities and other future signals.
- Operationalize UNSDCF / CPD in collaboration with the main partners and other UN Agencies.
- Establish relevant programme Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to ensure the effectiveness of CO business processes. Oversee workflows and ensure cross collaboration in the Programme Unit.
- Review and sign-off on proposals at programme level.
- Analyze, present, and implement UNDP policies in the CO.
2.) Effectively manage the CO programme and supervise the Programme team focusing on quality assurance and risk management of the full cycle of programming from formulation to implementation.
- Design and formulate CO programme, and translate UNDP priorities into local interventions. Oversee programme implementation with the implementing partners.
- Provide strategic oversight of planning, budgeting, implementation and monitoring of the programme as well as tracking use of financial resources in accordance with UNDP rules and regulations. Ensure digital technology solutions in programme implementation are managed towards scalability and sustainability in line with UNDP’s digital standards.
- Ensure the effective use of data in programme implementation, across the data lifecycle, and ensure effective monitoring, evaluation and learning on programme impact.
- Constantly monitor trends analysis for future informed and anticipatory programming; track achievement of strategic results, and effectively apply results-based management tools.
- Follow up on audit recommendations and ensure the implementation of management responses.
- Ensure aggregate reports are regularly prepared on activities, outputs and outcomes, including preparation of donor and corporate reports.
- Organize cost-recovery system for the services provided by the CO to projects in close collaboration with Operations Manager.
3.) Establish and maintain strategic Country Office partnerships and support resource mobilization efforts to achieve programme outcomes.
- Implement CO partnerships and resource mobilization strategies.
- Develop partnerships with the UN Agencies, international financial institutions (IFIs), government institutions, donors, private sector (if applicable to CO), and civil society in assigned programme/thematic areas.
- Determine strategic programmatic areas of cooperation, including for joint programming, in line with agreed global, regional and national priorities.
- Analyze and research information on donors, prepare substantive briefs on possible areas of cooperation, and ensure due cost recovery.
- Lead development of Country office pipeline and portfolio that includes designing Programme/Project documents, concept notes, proposals and cross-sectoral coordination to bring resources for projects.
4.) Ensure provision of top-quality advisory services and facilitation of knowledge building and management.
- Identify policy-driven issues; and identify and synthesize best practices and lessons learned directly linked to programme country policy goals.
- Establish/strengthen national and international advocacy networks. Implement relevant, high -impact advocacy with key partners.
- Coordinate and ensure integrated support in development of policies and institutions to address country problems and needs in collaboration with the Government and other strategic partners.
- Support policy advisory services that contribute to inclusive societal digital transformation and take digital technology risks and opportunities or futures signals into account.
- Provide sound contributions to knowledge networks, communities of practice, and digital knowledge platforms.
- Organize and deliver training for the operations/ projects staff on programme related matters.
The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: Supervision and performance management of Country Office Programme Team.
Competencies
Core Competencies
- ACHIEVE RESULTS – LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact.
- THINK INNOVATEVELY – LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems.
- LEARN CONTINUOUSLY – LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences.
- ADAPT WITH AGILITY – LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands.
- ACT WITH DETERMINATION – LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results.
- ENGAGE AND PARTNER – LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration.
- ENABLE DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION – LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity.
People Management
UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated
site.
Cross-Functional Competencies
- BUSINESS DIRECTION & STRATEGY
- SYSTEM THINKING: Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system.
- BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
- KNOWLEDGE FACILITATION: Ability to animate individuals and communities of contributors to participate and share, particularly externally.
- BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
- CLIENT SATISFACTION / CLIENT MANAGEMENT: Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to fulfil and understand the real customers’ needs. Provide inputs to the development of customer service strategy. Look for ways to add value beyond clients’ immediate requests. Ability to anticipate client’s upcoming needs and concerns.
- RESULTS-BASED MANAGEMENT: Ability to manage programmes and projects with a focus at improved performance and demonstrable results.
- PROJECT MANAGEMENT: Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals.
- PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT: Ability to select, prioritize and control the organization’s programmes and projects, in line with its strategic objectives and capacity; ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives and the maintenance of business-as-usual, while optimizing return on investment.
Technical Competencies
- EXTERNAL RELATIONS & ADVOCACY
- PARTNERSHIP MANAGEMENT – STRATEGIC ENGAGEMENT: Ability to capture and sustain attention, interest and agreement of high-level, influential policy and decision makers and secure their buy-in of high-level vision and objectives.
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
- Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Business Administration, Public Administration, Economics, Political Sciences, Social Sciences, or related field is required, or
- A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Experience:
- Minimum 5 years (with master’s degree) or 7 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience at the national and/or international level in providing management advisory services, hands-on experience in design, monitoring and evaluation of development portfolios and projects in relevant thematic areas; and establishing inter-relationships among international organizations and national governments.
- Experience in the use of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc), database packages, and web-based management systems such as ERP.
Desired Skills/Experience:
- Experience in office coordination and the formulation and delivery of programmes is desirable.
- Experience in the supervision and oversight of teams is desirable.
- Experience in building external partnerships and mobilization of resources is desirable.
- Quality advisory services and facilitation of knowledge building and management is desirable.
- Knowledge of crisis management and recovery frameworks and modalities is desirable.
- Strong understanding of results-based monitoring is an asset.
- Experience working in the UN System or international organizations is an asset.
Languages:
- Fluency in English (both written and oral) is required.
- Knowledge of other official UN languages desirable.
Disclaimer
Important applicant information
All posts in the NO categories are subject to local recruitment.
Candidates selected pursuant to this vacancy may be subject to UNDP’s policy on Probation upon assignment.
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.
Workforce diversity
UNDP is committed to achieving diversity within its workforce, and encourages all qualified applicants, irrespective of gender, nationality, disabilities, sexual orientation, culture, religious and ethnic backgrounds to apply. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.
Scam warning
The United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web.