UNDP – UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

Junior Professional Officer Programme (JPO) Chiffre Nr. 2025-1-20

I. Position Information

Title: JPO Governance Analyst

Agency: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

Department: Governance

Bureau: BPPS

Country and Duty Station: New York, USA

Duration and Type of Assignment: 2 years with possibility of extension for another year. The extension of appointment is subject to yearly review concerning priorities, availability of funds, and satisfactory performance

Please note that for participants of the JPO-Programme two years work experience are mandatory! Relevant work experience can be counted. In order to assess the eligibility of the candidates, we review the relevant experience acquired after obtaining the first university degree (usually bachelor’s degree).

II. Background and Organizational Context

The UNDP Junior Professional Officer (JPO) Programme:

The UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) JPO Programme equips outstanding young leaders with the skills and experience required to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and make a positive difference in the world. As a pathway into the world of development, the programme offers young professionals excellent exposure to multilateral cooperation and sustainable development while providing a valuable entry point into the UN system.

During their assignments, JPOs benefit from the guidance of experienced UNDP staff members and are actively involved in supporting the design and implementation of UNDP’s programs within UNDP’s headquarters, regional or country offices. Additionally, the JPO will undergo a journey of exposure and growth which will build both personal and professional capacity for a career within the multilateral development sector.

As a JPO and young professional in UNDP you should be interested in pursuing a global career with aspiration to work for a field-based organization in support of the development agenda.

The JPO will work as part of a team and be supervised by an experienced UNDP staff member, including:

• Structured guidance and feedback, especially in the beginning of the assignment, with the purpose of gradually increasing of responsibilities.
• Establishment of a work plan, with clear key results.
• Guidance and advice in relation to learning and training opportunities within the field of expertise.
• Completion of the yearly UNDP Annual Performance Review (APR) including learning and development objectives.

The JPO will benefit from the following learning and development opportunities:

• Participation in a virtual Programme Policy and Operations Induction Course within the first 4 to 6 months of assignment.
• Use of yearly JPO duty-related travel and training allocation (DTTA), as per the online DTTA guide.
• On-going Masterclasses on relevant and inspiring themes.
• Career development support mechanisms and activities.
• Networking with fellow JPOs, young professionals and senior UNDP colleagues.
• Mentoring programme.
• Other training and learning opportunities.

Organisational context

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, forms a contiguous spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In 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 and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in the Strategic Plan.

Governance is one of UNDP’s six signature solutions in the Strategic Plan 2022-2025 – alongside poverty and inequality, resilience, environment, energy and gender equality – to support countries towards three directions of change: structural transformation, leaving no one behind and resilience. The objective of UNDP’s governance work is to ensure that accountable, inclusive and effective governance underpins sustainable development.  UNDP’s governance assistance, including that provided through the Global Programme, Governance for People and Planet (G4PP), is multi-dimensional and multi-level and goes beyond technical solutions to support a “systems approach” which is human rights based, problem-driven and participatory to accelerate development and ensure no one is left behind.

III. Position Purpose

The Governance Analyst will support the development and delivery of the strategic vision of UNDP’s Governance portfolio, working with the BPPS Governance Team, teams across the GPN, Regional Bureaux and Region Hubs, with a focus on providing strategic advice to positioning and implementation of UNDP’s governance offer; working with the Head of Governance, to support the development, management and coordination of UNDP’s Governance offer across key programmatic areas in collaboration with colleagues across the GPN; supporting and coordinating work on SDG 16 across UNDP thematic areas and with key external partners and stakeholders and supporting the development of partnerships to enhance delivery and resource mobilization.

IV. Key Duties and Accountabilities

Policy Research and Development:

• Contribute to the production of governance analysis, guidance and new research, in close collaboration with different teams in HQ, the Regional Service Centers and Country Offices.
• Contribute to the design of cross cutting policy and programming initiatives on governance bringing in country and regional perspectives and knowledge. Keep abreast of global research and contribute to policy development and programming on governance frontier issues such as the intersection between governance, digital and emerging technologies.

Program Support Delivery:

• Support coordination of technical policy advice and programme activities on selected cross cutting governance issues that respond to regional service centres, hubs and country offices’ needs.
• Lead in designing, coordinating and contributing to the G4PP’s monitoring, reporting, evaluation and learning activities.
• Liaise with relevant teams and colleagues, both at HQ and in Regional Service Centers and Hubs, to ensure a well-coordinated input to UNDP’s overall integrated offer.
• Contribute to cross-regional exchange of knowledge development on selected cross cutting governance issues by collaborating with Global Policy Network (GPN) teams at HQ and in Regional Service Centres and Hubs to research, develop and share knowledge based tools and guidance.
• Coordinate and contribute to the management of the Governance Team’s knowledge products.

Policy Positioning, Representation and Communications:

• Prepare and coordinate briefing notes and speeches, as required.
• Provide substantive and content input to contribute to mobilizing, fostering and strengthening strategic partnerships with UN entities and other relevant bodies and provide inputs to those partnerships.
• Coordinate, represent and provide substantive inputs in positioning UNDP on SDG 16  in UN processes (e.g SDG 16 Expert Group Meeting, HLPF, UNGA, Summit of the Future) and SDG 16 networks and coalitions).
• Oversee coordination and contribute to G4PP communications activities including the G4PP website, serving as communications focal point for the Governance Team.

Partnerships and Resource Mobilization:

• Support the Head of Governance to engage with external partners and strengthen partnerships including with UN missions.   including especially UN missions.
• Support with input to donor consultations and resource mobilization efforts.
• Provide substantive inputs related to global external partnerships on governance.

V. Recruitment Qualifications

Education:

Master’s Degree in political science, other social sciences or related disciplines is required.

Experience, Knowledge and Skills:

• A minimum of two years of paid working experience in a relevant field.
• Essential knowledge and skills required on issues of inclusion. Specific knowledge related to the promotion of the rights persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples or other historically marginalized population groups would be an asset.
• Understanding of development opportunities and challenges in the Global South as well as of the role of the multilateral system as a development actor.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in both oral and written English
• Knowledge of other UN languages would be an asset.

Expected Demonstration of Competencies – Competency Levels:

Achieve Results:

LEVEL 2: Scale up solutions and simplifies processes, balances speed and accuracy in doing work

Think Innovatively:

LEVEL 2: Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic/integrated thinking

Learn Continuously

LEVEL 2: Go outside comfort zone, learn from others and support their learning

Adapt with Agility

LEVEL 2: Adapt processes/approaches to new situations, involve others in change process

Act with Determination

LEVEL 2: Able to persevere and deal with multiple sources of pressure simultaneously

Engage and Partner

LEVEL 2: Is facilitator/integrator, bring people together, build/maintain coalitions/partnerships

Enable Diversity and Inclusion

LEVEL 2: Facilitate conversations to bridge differences, considers in decision making

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

Thematic Area/ Name: 2030 Agenda: Peace/ Governance: Inclusion and Participation

Thematic Area/ Name: 2030 Agenda: Peace/ Governance: SDG 16

Thematic Area/ Name: 2030 Agenda: Peace/ Governance: Civil Society Engagement

Thematic Area/ Name: 2030 Agenda: Engagement & Effectiveness/ Effectiveness: Performance and data analysis and sharing lessons

Thematic Area/ Name: Business Development/ Knowledge Generation: Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need

Thematic Area/ Name: Business Development/ Knowledge Generation: Ability to animate individuals and communities of contributors to participate and share, particularly externally

VI. Keywords

• SDG 16
• Inclusion and participation
• Advocacy and representation
• Governance programming support

Bitte senden Sie Ihre JPO-Bewerbung direkt an das Büro Führungskräfte zu Internationalen Organisationen (BFIO) unter Angabe der Chiffre Nr. 2025-1-20 auf dem Bewerbungsbogen.

Alle Informationen finden Sie unter www.bfio.de