Programme Specialist

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Description

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Under the overall guidance and direct supervision of the Deputy Resident Representative, the Programme Specialist acts as advisor to Senior Management on all aspects in the area of Risk, Resilience, and Governance. The Programme Specialist leads in policy development, capacity building and strategic planning for new programme areas within the Risk, Resilience and Governance unit, while ensuring consistency of CPD priorities. S/he manages and steers the exploration of new areas of cooperation and work, including with the advancement of strategic partnership, resource mobilization and expansion of the country portfolio. S/he works in close collaboration with other policy and programme portfolios and the Operations Team to ensure a collaborative and harmonized joint UNDP programme. Cross-cutting coordination with CO Communications, Gender and other relevant experts will be required to increase the impact of the development interventions. The Programme Specialist develops innovative solutions while ensuring oversight and compliance with UNDP rules, regulations, and policies. S/he manages partnership building and resource mobilization.

The Programme Specialist ensures effective oversight of programme/ portfolio management, accountability, and achievement of the CPD results within the assigned outcome, and supervises staff assigned within the unit. The incumbent works in close collaboration with Bangkok Regional Hub, UNDP HQ, staff from other UN Agencies and national partners from the Government, civil society, and donors through multilateral and/or bilateral arrangements.

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

Provides strategic direction and effective management of the office programme, focusing on the area of Risk, Resilience, and Governance:

• Leads programme/ project design with development partners, UN Agencies and implementing partners for the portfolio, ensuring robust articulation of Theory of Change and results from framework linking inputs and activities to programme outputs and outcomes, supported with evidence to report on the Strategic Plan and CPD indicators.
• Leads and facilitates sector mapping to inform financing priorities and strategies for Risk, Resilience, and Governance programming. Ensures the development of project pipeline generation for development financing. 
• Advise senior management in a timely manner of issues, trends, challenges and risk to enable timely remedial actions.
• Contributes to the analysis of the political, social, and economic situationin the country and ensures collaborative and coordinated preparation/revision of CCA, UNSCDF, CPD, annual business planning, Integrated Work Plan and results reporting, project documents, policy briefs, briefing notes and other programmatic documents.
• Identifies and pursues strategic programmatic areas of cooperation based on strategic goals of UNDP, country needs and donors’ priorities and operationalization of CPD with the Government and other partners of UNDP.
• Identifies, promotes and facilitates innovative development solutions to the delivery of results. 
• Leverages innovative approaches, resources, and collaborative efforts to enhance programme and project impact.
• Leads the comprehensive landscape and key stakeholder analysis to determine implementation activities for development financing and to identify key stakeholders involved. 
• Ensures regular monitoring and analysis of the programme environment, timely adjustment of programme, measuring of the impact of the projects, and that results, and lessons learned inform analysis, policy and programme, and project work.
• Ensures that women empowerment and gender mainstreaming aspects are integrated and applied in all programmes/projects from the design to implementation, including planning and budgeting, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, as well as reporting in line with and using the corporate gender equality commitments, tools and strategies. 
• Ensures effective application of results-based management tools and high-quality reporting of results for internal and external audiences.
• Participates and contributes to the CO and Inter-Agency (if applicable) thematic focal teams actively making sure that the responsible activities under the respective plans are delivered successfully. 
• Facilitates robust monitoring of key performance indicators and risks of the portfolio. Leads the direction and implementation of corrective strategies and management measures based on risk-informed analysis and trends, and keeps up to date on changing risk probability, risk factors, and potential impact.
• Ensures effective monitoring of pipeline management system, programme delivery and applies appropriate actions for delivery acceleration measures.
• Applies UNDP’s Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) framework in the assigned portfolio, including the application of the Social and Environmental Standards in each project and ensures adequate safeguards measures. 
• Manages team(s) and ensures that the team-specific enabling actions are included in the annual plans and implemented to meet the set targets contributing to the CO’s performance in corporate and regional KPIs.
• Coordinates UNDP’s support to development institutions working towards addressing national development priorities in collaboration with the Government and other strategic partners.
• Contributes to portfolio development and ensures cross-cutting collaboration between projects under the entrusted portfolio, stimulates synergies and aggregates data for portfolio reporting

Oversees accountability, quality control and effective oversight of the projects:

• Provides strategic planning and oversight of the assigned portfolio of programmes/projects and ensures their compliance with programme and operations policies and procedures (POPP) and quality assurance standards.
• Ensures annual work planning, monitoring, evaluation and reporting of assigned portfolio in line with requirements (e.g., budget revisions, approval of CDRs, etc.).
• Provides quality assurance of the entire cycle of programming and management of portfolios. Performs project assurance function in projects and serves as Quality Assessors.
• Facilitates and quality assures the project documentation prior to final approval by the Senior Management and ensures proper document management and update in the corporate systems and regional platforms (CPS, Quantum, Vital Signs, etc.) 
• Exercises and effectively manages transaction approval for development projects as delegated in line with the established internal control framework and ensures appropriate separation of duties is in place and maintained throughout the project cycle. 
• Implements Harmonized Approach to Cash Transfer (HACT) framework covering micro assessments, assurance plans and assurance activities, carries out programme/monitoring visits, ensuring appropriate remedial actions are implemented; and ensures the establishment of the tracking mechanism for cash transfers to Implementing Partners/Responsible Parties in accordance with UNDP Financial Rules and Regulations and HACT policies.
• Manages clearance measures (incl. tracking of NIM advances/reimbursements, liquidation of NIM advances, clearance of FACE forms, escalating and advising the CO Management on timely remedial actions required).
• Facilitates assessment of barriers and opportunities to enable private sector engagement and participation and quality assures all required capacity and risk assessments, including private sector due diligence.
• Provides strategic oversight of planning, budgeting, implementing, and monitoring of the programme, tracking use of financial resources in accordance with UNDP rules and regulations.
• Ensures compliance and effectively identifies cost-recovery system and opportunities for the services provided in close collaboration with the Operations colleagues.
• Facilitates and quality assures the completion of the global funds, financiers, including but not limited to vertical funds, at project development stage and ensures appropriate separation of duties is in place and maintained throughout the project cycle. 
• Ensures adherence to the UNDP Programme and Operations Policies and Procedures (POPP) as well as established CO business processes and internal controls, contributes to design of the Standard Operating Procedures on programme and project management.

Ensures establishment and maintenance of strategic partnerships and leads resources mobilization efforts in the area of Risk, Resilience, and Governance:

• Identifies strategic opportunities and leads engagement on potential joint programming with other UN Agencies and entities.
• Identifies diverse sources of funding and financing beyond the vertical funds to ensure a balanced portfolio, looking particularly at private sector opportunities, and other non-traditional sources.
• Ensures development and implementation of CO partnerships and resource mobilization strategies to achieve country programme outcomes related to Risk, Resilience, and Governance. Contributes to effective pipeline development in the Office in this area. Ensures effective and timely pipeline management through timely and accurate update of the pipeline management module in UNITY (corporate ERP system).
• Supports deployment of partnership strategies and related actions with a focus on programme portfolio development and the identification of sustainable and predictable funding/financing mechanisms for the implementation of the country programme.
• Leads and maintains strong partnerships with relevant development partners and government, UN Agencies, IFIs, government institutions, bilateral and multilateral donors, private sector, and civil society in the designated support areas.
• As part of the overall CO partnerships and communications strategy and action plans, develops new project concepts to ensure project documents and financing agreements are developed with high quality and in line with UNDP corporate rules and procedures. 
• Ensures the preparation of analysis and research of information on partners, donor profiles, preparation of substantive briefs on possible areas of cooperation, identification of opportunities for cost-sharing and initiation of new projects, active contribution to the overall CO efforts in resource mobilization.
• Leads engagement, networking and mobilization of experts of the international development community, government partners, UN Agencies, and prominent think tanks.
• Leads development of strategies for government co-financing in the Risk, Resilience, and Governance area.
• Ensures quality and timely donor reporting and adherence to the conditions and requirements of partnership agreements by programme teams and projects.

Leads provision of top-quality advisory services and facilitates knowledge building and management:

• Stays ahead of the curve with regard to developments and evolutions in areas related to Risk, Resilience, and Governance, to adapt programmes, resource mobilization strategies, and advice to Senior Management accordingly. 
• Ensure that UNDP remains a though-leader in the area of Risk, Resilience, and Governance 
• Integrates evaluation findings, real-time monitoring data, and applied learning to adaptive programme and project management and policy advisory work.
• Leads capacity building of national counterparts for effective management and compliance with funding partner’s requirements within UNDP projects.
• Maintains effective network with development partners and Government at the national level and sub-national level and where necessary links up with the corporateGlobal Policy Networkof UNDP and other international development actors.
• Leads the implementation of awareness building and advocacy around UN/UNDP events and supports strategic communications work and knowledge management initiatives. 
• Provides sound and proactive contributions to corporate, regional and CO events, knowledge networks and communities of practice.
• Writes and communicates on best practices and lessons learned linked to programme and policy goals.
• Facilitates knowledge building and management especially between the programme and projects and facilitates trainings for the UNDP staff and personnel and national counterparts on relevant programme issues.
• Contributes to development of training materials and organizes workshops, as required by the supervisor.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Political Science, Social Sciences, Law, International Relations, Public Administration, Development Financing, International Development, Business Administration, Development Economics, Economics, or related field is required. or
• A first level university degree (bachelor’s degree or equivalent) in the above-mentioned fields with an additional 2 years relevant experience will be given due consideration in lieu of master’s degree.
• Professional Certification in programme or project management (e.g., PMP, PRINCE-2, MSP etc.) is a distinct advantage.

Experience:

Minimum 5 years (with master’s degree) or 7 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant working experience at the national or international level in providing policy and/or management advisory services on Risk, Resilience, and Governance including providing oversight and advisory services to multiple complex development projects in the area of Risk, Resilience, and Governance, development financing or disaster risk reduction.

• Managerial experience in a supervisory role is required.
• Understanding and experience of policy development processes is an advantage.
• Demonstrated experience in multi-stakeholder facilitation and coordination is desirable.
• Prior experience in a UN Agency and/or international organizations is an advantage.
• Experience engaging and working with high-ranking officials is an asset.
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages, experience in handling web-based management systems is required.

Language:

• Fluency in English and local language (Bahasa) is required. 

Source: https://estm.fa.em2.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_1/requisitions/job/17826

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