United Nations – UN-Secretariat

Junior Professional Officer Program (JPO) Chiffre Nr. 2025-1-04

TERMS OF REFERENCE

I. General Information

Title: JPO in Intergovernmental Affairs and Data Science

Sector of Assignment: Political Affairs and Programme Management

Organization/Office: United Nations / Department for General Assembly and Conference Management, General Assembly and ECOSOC Affairs Division

Country and Duty Station: New York, United States

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).

II. Supervision

Title of Supervisor:

Intergovernmental Affairs Officer

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 meet weekly with the supervisor, participate in branch and divisional meetings and be a member of the e-deleGATE programme team.

III. Duties, Responsibilities and Output Expectations

Within delegated authority, the Junior Professional Officer will be responsible for the following duties:

AREA 1: INTERGOVERNMENTAL RESEARCH & DATA SCIENCE

• Conduct in-depth research on intergovernmental procedure and practice of the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council, and their subsidiary bodies, including to support the development of the intergovernmental data model and new initiatives;
• Track and analyze intergovernmental activity in assigned bodies, maintain related data sets, and ensure data accuracy and completeness;
• Collaborate with stakeholders to design and implement the intergovernmental data model and innovative solutions for presenting intergovernmental information on the e-deleGATE platform and the iGov portal (http://igov.un.org);
• Implement key aspects of the Secretary-General’s data strategy related to intergovernmental services, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and best practices.

AREA 2: INTERGOVERNMENTAL SERVICES

• Prepare comprehensive procedural scripts for various meetings, including formal and informal meetings of the General Assembly, informal consultations by Co-Facilitators, and other meetings;
• Draft analytical and/or procedural summaries of meetings attended, capturing key discussions, decisions, and action points;
• Provide logistical support during meetings, including managing interactive presentations, assisting with the list of speakers, and ensuring smooth meeting operations;
• Contribute to the preparation of high-quality talking points, papers, and briefing materials for senior officials and stakeholders;
• Actively participate in the design and implementation of new functionality to digitally transform intergovernmental services, leveraging technology to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.

AREA 3: PROJECT MANAGEMENT

• Provide day-to-day management support for the e-deleGATE programme, its “core” project, the Speech-to-Summary project, and the Delegates Relationship Management project, ensuring timely delivery of project objectives;
• Manage internal databases, including user acceptance, quality assurance, and change management processes, to maintain data integrity and user satisfaction;
• Handle issue management processes, prepare related correspondence, and communicate effectively with stakeholders to resolve project-related challenges;
• Assist in the formulation of project-related strategies and policies, contributing to the overall success of the e-deleGATE programme;
• Organize and prepare meetings with various internal stakeholders to facilitate project coordination, communication, and decision-making.

IV. Qualifications and Experience

Education:

Master’s degree in Political Science, Administration or similar field.

Work experience:

A minimum of 2 years of relevant work experience in law, political science or administration. Familiarity with law, jurisprudence, procedure, philosophy or political science is desirable. Familiarity with data management, data modeling, data mining or statistical analysis is desirable.

Languages:

English and French are the working languages of the UN Secretariat. For this position, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another UN official language is an advantage.

Other skills:

• Data analysis
• Data management
• Data governance

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.

PLANNING & ORGANIZING: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; Identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; Allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; Foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; Monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; Uses time efficiently.

TECHNOLOGICAL AWARENESS: Keeps abreast of available technology; Understands applicability and limitations of technology to the work of the office; Actively seeks to apply technology to appropriate tasks; Shows willingness to learn new technology.

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.

V. Learning Elements

Depending on the exact area of assignment, on completion, the JPO will be more fully able to:

• Draft reports and other substantive material relating to the bodies supported to applicable UN standards for senior officials within the Organization;
• Provide substantive support to multilateral legislative bodies and processes through research and analysis and monitoring and assessing the evolution of their practices;
• Participate in the management of a programme and its projects, including drafting project proposals and reports;
• Support the implementation of a data strategy, including by identifying and implementing new use cases;
• Liaise with other divisions, departments, and bodies, and with delegations, NGOs, and others;
• Appreciate the roles played by the bodies covered and by the United Nations.

VI. Background Information

An integral part of the United Nations’ Department for General Assembly and Conference Management (DGACM), the General Assembly and ECOSOC Affairs Division consists of three Branches: the General Assembly Affairs Branch; the ECOSOC Affairs Branch; and the Disarmament and Peace Affairs Branch.

The General Assembly and ECOSOC Affairs Division (GAEAD) provides substantive and technical support for the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council, their subsidiary bodies, and other meetings and conferences held under their auspices. It performs these same services in and for extraordinary meetings (including emergency special sessions), thematic debates, panel discussions, and round tables. GAEAD also provides support and procedural advice to: the President of the General Assembly and his/her Office; the Secretary-General and his/her Office; the President of ECOSOC and his/her Office; the Chair of the General Committee; the Chairs of subsidiary bodies; the Co-Facilitators of a broad range of processes; Member States; observer delegations, and others.

The Division as a whole is responsible for the programme management of the e-deleGATE programme, a five-year programme aimed at the transformation of the United Nations’ intergovernmental services. The e-deleGATE programme seeks to modernize the working methods of intergovernmental bodies, realign internal processes, and deliver capabilities across all areas of intergovernmental services by 2027. Building upon existing e-deleGATE modules and capabilities, the programme will work with various technical secretariats to support organizational change management and embed the outcomes of the programme fully. As part of the programme, the “speech-to-summary” project aims to transcribe meeting records, provide downloadable transcripts and summaries, and ensure the handling of recordings and transcripts according to confidentiality and security requirements. The “delegates relationship management” project will deliver a replacement for the existing e-deleGATE helpdesk and the survey to delegates, while also transitioning DGACM surveys to a more structured solution.

The General Assembly Affairs Branch (GAAB) organizes the activities of the General Assembly and provides secretariat services to its plenary and ad hoc working groups. It assists with thematic debates, special events, and elections held in the plenary. The Branch also supports the Office of the President of the General Assembly on various key issues.

The Disarmament and Peace Affairs Branch (DPAB) supports the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) and the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) of the General Assembly. It also supports various other committees, working groups, and UN conferences related to disarmament, peacekeeping, decolonization, and other related topics.

The ECOSOC Affairs Branch (EAB) supports the Economic and Social Council and the Second Committee (economic and financial matters) and Third Committee (social, humanitarian, cultural, and human rights questions) of the General Assembly. It also handles ad hoc committees and special conferences dealing with these topics. The Branch is responsible for elections of ECOSOC subsidiary bodies and other Council-related election processes.

The responsibilities of the Division and its three Branches include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Liaising with Member States, representatives of regional and other organizations, representatives of civil society, the private sector, and other stakeholders;
• Liaising with other divisions, departments, and offices within the Secretariat;
• Liaising with other organs and bodies of the United Nations system;
• Preparing summaries of meetings and activities for the Office of the President of the General Assembly, the Executive Office of the Secretary-General, the Under-Secretary-General for General Assembly and Conference Management, and/or other senior UN officials;
• Processing and issuing reports of the Secretary-General and communications received from the Secretary-General and Member States as official documents;
• Drafting reports of subsidiary bodies to the General Assembly and/or ECOSOC, as required;
• Preparing analyses and assessments relating to the work of the bodies covered;
• Providing contributions to other departments and offices on issues related to the work of the bodies covered.

Bitte senden Sie Ihre JPO-Bewerbung direkt an das Büro Führungskräfte zu Internationalen Organisationen (BFIO) unter Angabe der Chiffre Nr. 2025-1-04 auf dem Bewerbungsbogen

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