United Nations – UN-Secretariat

Junior Professional Officer Program (JPO) Chiffre Nr. 2024-1-03

TERMS OF REFERENCE

I. General Information

Title: JPO in Coordination

Sector of Assignment: Coordination support, Political affairs

Organization/Office: United Nations / Resident Coordinator System (RCS)

Country and Duty Station: Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

Duration 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).

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II. Supervision

Title of Supervisor:

Resident Coordinator

Content and methodology of supervision:

Establishment of a Work Plan: During the first month of the assignment, the Junior Professional Officer (JPO) will work jointly with his/her direct supervisor to finalize an agreed upon work plan. The final work plan will be discussed and mutually agreed to by the JPO and his/her supervisor.

Evaluation:

The United Nations Performance Evaluation System (e-performance) will serve as a primary platform to evaluate of the JPO’s performance.

The JPO will attend weekly RCO meeting and one on one meetings with the RC as required. 

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III. Duties, Responsibilities and Output Expectations

• Front Office Management
• Provide substantive support to the Resident Coordinator (RC) on the planning, coordination and management. Keep the RC informed on all matters requiring her personal attention, and ensure appropriate follow-up, as directed.
• Follow key developments in the Kyrgyz Republic and keep the RC informed accordingly.
• In coordination with the Executive Assistant to the RC, assists in planning the RC’s schedule and mission, participates in relevant meetings, preparing notes for file. Organize and manage the RC’s meetings and mission events, prepare written summaries and ensure follow-up activities, as appropriate.
• Review information received by the RC from the UNCT, within RCO, DCO and identify priority matters and facilitate prompt disposal.
• Draft and review substantive correspondence for the RC, as well as, draft and clear briefing notes and talking points, including communication to inform UN Country Team meetings. Support RCs communication (both internal and external) efforts, in close collaboration with the Team Leader, RCO Communications Officer and UN Communications Group.
• In close collaboration with the RC and Team Leader, facilitate communication and information flow between RC/RCO and UNCT.
• Conduct research, prepare analytical reports and background notes on a wide range of issues.
• Assist in liaison with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, government entities, development partners and other interlocutors as advised by the RC or her Head of Office.

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 IV. Qualifications and Experience

Education:

Master’s degree in Development studies, Public Policy, Social Sciences, Political Science.

Work experience:

A minimum of 2 years of relevant work experience in programme management, front office management, programme coordination, research in social sciences.

Knowledge of the UN and UN reforms is desirable. Knowledge of Central Asia is desirable.

Languages:

English and French are the working languages of the UN Secretariat. For this position, fluency in English is required, Russian and/or Turkish are desirable.

Other skills:

This JPO position is expected to directly support the Resident Coordinator in the Kyrgyz Republic. The post requires experience and knowledge in planning, coordination and analysis; particularly experience in organizing and preparing meetings, draft talking points and speeches, prepare written summaries for further follow-up activities and prepare analytical reports and background notes. The candidate should have the necessary skills to review and analyze information on a wide range of issues and to liaise and coordinate with UN and external interlocutors. Knowledge of the UN and UN reforms is desirable. Knowledge of Central Asia and fluency in Russian are desirable.

UN competencies:

PROFESSIONALISM: Shows pride in work and in achievements; Demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; Is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; Is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; Shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; Remains calm in stressful situations.

COMMUNICATION: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; Listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; Asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; Tailors language, tone, style and format to match the audience; Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

TEAMWORK: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; Solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; Places team agenda before personal agenda; Supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; Shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.

Workforce Diversity

The United Nations believes that an inclusive culture attracts the best talent and encourages all qualified applicants, regardless of gender, disability, sexual orientation, cultural or religious backgrounds, to apply.

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V. Learning Elements

On completion of the assignment, the JPO will have/be able to…

• A good all-round understanding of the Resident Coordinator’s functions and roles.
• Understanding of various UN agencies work and how they present coherent development assistance to the Government under the leadership of the RC.
• Prepare notes, etc. for high level meetings.
• Analysis of reports.
• Understanding of the UN Reform.

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VI. Background Information

With the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at its core, and in response to the General Assembly resolution 71/243, on the quadrennial comprehensive policy review of operational activities for development of the United Nations system, the UN Secretary General’s report – “Repositioning the United Nations development system to deliver on the 2030 Agenda: our promise for dignity, prosperity and peace on a healthy planet” puts forward a comprehensive proposal on further improvements to the resident coordinator system to ensure coherent, accountable and effective support for the 2030 Agenda. This was further reinforced by General Assembly resolution 72/729 of 1 June 2018, which gave the Secretary-General the mandate to implement the repositioning. Therefore, a reinvigorated resident coordinator (RC) system is at the centre of a repositioned United Nations Development System. The report stresses that Resident Coordinator Offices will need to be adequately staffed to ensure sufficient substantive capacities to lead United Nations Country Teams (UNCT). The core capacity will include expertise in coordination and strategic planning, economics, tailored policy support, results monitoring and evaluation, and strategic partnerships, plus a robust standing communications capacity within United Nations country teams.

In pursuance of the UN Reform, the UN in Kyrgyzstan is at an advance stage of rolling out the new generation of the Cooperation Framework, the UNSDCF 2023-2027 of the Kyrgyz Republic. The UNSDCF has been signed by the Government in June 2022. Under the overall leadership of the RC and with the coordination support of the RCO, the UNCT is taking forward next steps to facilitate UNSDCF’s implementation from 2023.

Institutional Arrangement

The JPO will physically work at the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office (RCO) in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic and will report directly to the Resident Coordinator and will maintain a close working relationship with the Head of RCO/Team Leader and other members of the RCO.

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Bitte senden Sie Ihre JPO-Bewerbung direkt an das Büro Führungskräfte zu Internationalen Organisationen (BFIO) unter Angabe der Chiffre Nr. 2024-1-03 auf dem Bewerbungsbogen

Alle Informationen finden Sie unter www.bfio.de