Background
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Over the past two decades, Cambodia has realized striking rates of economic growth before the COVID-19 pandemic (of around 7% per year), accompanied by a persistent decline in poverty levels and improvements in human development. As such, growth has been exceptionally inclusive, with initially rising levels of income inequality falling back in recent years. Yet as poverty has fallen, vulnerability has risen, and a large proportion of the population is now living just above the poverty line. Going forward, a series of pressures stemming from Cambodia’s progression as a Middle-Income County (MIC), will also place stress on its development model and give rise to new economic and social challenges.
UNDP is supporting the Royal Government of Cambodia to deal with the uncertainties complex associated with the triple planetary crisis, by strengthening socio-economic resilience and social protection, fostering climate resilience and access to clean and affordable energy in isolated areas, and promoting circular economy. The Country Office is also supporting the country to prepare for LDC graduation, including through technical support for fiscal space expansion and alternative financing for SDGs. There is a need to support the diversification of economic growth and tuning the development model for ensuring more inclusive, resilient and green development, but also to strengthen and expand development finance to achieve the Cambodian Sustainable Development Goals.
UNDP is the UN’s global development network. In Cambodia, UNDP works to help create sustainable and inclusive growth and prosperity, strengthen environmental protection, adapt to and mitigate climate change impacts, and to improve governance and participation. We work in partnership with the Royal Government of Cambodia, other UN agencies, civil society, multilateral development agencies, bilateral donors, and the private sector.
UNDP is looking to fill the Economic Policy Officer to contribute to the implementation of the Inclusive Growth Initiation Plan and other economic policy initiatives.
The incumbent will work under the overall supervision of the Country Economist. S/he will be based in the Economic Policy Team but will work closely with the programme team and liaise with colleagues in the country office.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Under the direct supervision of the Country Economist, the incumbent will perform the following key functions:
- Undertaking socio-economic, micro-economic, macro-economic analysis and policy-based research.
- Contributing to build an evidence base to support technical assistance (TA), M&E and policy advice/ formulation in government, think tanks and UN.
- Contributing to the analytical works on socio-economic development, macroeconomics, and financing for development through applying statistical and econometric analyses and synthesizing more complex modelling approaches to inform policy decision making.
- Research in key topic areas – for example poverty, human development, public finance, international trade, capital markets, SDG planning and implementation (study on financial inclusion, health financing, green financing, electric Tuk-Tuk feasibility study).
As part of the policy team, provide policy advice and technical assistance to national counterparts and UNDP CO, in written and oral forms:
- Contributing to the finalization and institutionalization of national financing strategy for Pentagonal Strategy Phase I and coordination mechanism.
- Contributing to the official adoption of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) budget tagging.
- Drafting statements/ speeches/ press release/op-ed at key policy events.
- Contributing to the economic team on the Common Country Analysis, Annual Report and other UN and UNDP documents.
- Collecting key development data and trend on key topic areas, especially connected to SDG delivery and other UN wide initiatives.
Advise existing UNDP projects, programmes and portfolios, as well as formulating new interventions for resource mobilization:
- Guiding UNDP project management and staff to deliver the planned activities, in particular financial literacy initiative.
- Advising the economic team to undertake cross-cutting project-based analyses for CO management, on programme themes, performance etc.
- Advise and support in identifying and developing new project ideas to support the CO pipeline, including drafting project proposal and drafting full project documents.
Contributing to the policy team’s work on social protection, socio-economic development, development finance and economic policy:
- Advise and support UNDP’s economic team at meetings and events with Government, UN agencies, development partners, civil society and other stakeholders.
- Advocating for UNDP’s position, projects and programmes, including assisting with resource mobilization efforts.
- Contributing to the works of UNDP’s economic team in the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF), Joint Programmes and other UN bodies.
Other tasks required by the office:
- The incumbent may also be required to take on other relevant initiatives/projects within the scope of TOR depending on the workload at the time.
- The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
Competencies:
Core Competencies
- Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline.
- Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements.
- Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback.
- Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible.
- Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident.
- Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships.
- Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination.
Cross-Functional & Technical competencies:
Digital & Innovation
- Data analysis: Ability to extract, analyze and visualize data (including Real-Time Data) to form meaningful insights and aid effective decision making.
- Data storytelling and communications: Skilled in building a narrative around a set of data and its accompanying visualizations to help convey the meaning of that data in a powerful and compelling fashion.
Business Development
- Knowledge Generation: Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need.
Business Management
- Partnerships Management: Ability to build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies.
- Communication: Ability to communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience.; Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels
2030 Agenda: Partnerships
- SDG Finance: Financial Inclusion
2030 Agenda: Prosperity
- Inclusive Growth: Economic Diversification
Required Skills and Experience:
Education:
- Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Economics, Econometrics, International Relations, Development, Social Sciences, or other related field is required.
- A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the areas mentioned above in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Experience:
- A minimum of up to two (2) years (with master’s degree) or two (2) years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience in the development and economics work, preferably in Cambodia or Southeast Asia, is required.
- Working experience with governments and other stakeholders on related policy and implementation and formulation of relevant strategies and action plans.
- Proven experience and knowledge of key concepts in macroeconomics and financing for development.
- Knowledge and proven research and analytical experience, such as statistics and/or econometrics.
- Demonstrated ability to write policy papers and working documents (reports/ assessments/ reviews).
- Strong experience in numeracy and statistical skills with ability to present in high quality English to both policy and technical audiences.
- Experience with the UN or other development agency, involving economic, financing and/or development work is an asset; Knowledge of the SDGs and their application at the national level is an asset.
- Experience in design and implementation of multi-stakeholder approaches is an asset.
Required Languages:
- Fluency in English required.
- Working knowledge of Khmer is an advantage.
- Working knowledge of another UN language is desired.
Disclaimer
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.
Non-discrimination
UNDP has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.
UNDP is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer that does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.
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