Team Leader, Decentralization and Local Governance – P4

Background
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UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Cabo Verde has experienced a positive path towards sustainable development for more than two decades. It has been ranking within the top 11 African countries in human development and classified among medium income countries since 2008. 

However, the country remains vulnerable to external shocks owing to its dependency on tourism. In the past couple of years, multiple crises have challenged the country’s development progress: COVID-19, with a socio-economic impact amongst the highest in the world, led to a decrease of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 14.8%, public revenues by 25%. Climate change impacts on biodiversity and food security as changing weather patterns (especially droughts) influence agricultural production and ocean warming with decreasing fish stocks. Also, the current war in Ukraine is having a negative impact on the economy that is heavily relying on fossil fuels and where 80% of food stocks are imported. 

Vulnerable groups are the most affected: 32% of the population are still living under the poverty line with 13% being extremely poor. But not all islands and communities are equally affected. There are significant territorial differences. 

Cabo Verde adopted a decentralization reform with the aim to promote national cohesion by reducing regional asymmetries, improving effectiveness of public policies, and aiming at fulfilment of rights by all citizens. The new National Strategic Development Plan (PEDS II 2022-2026), stipulates that: “by 2026, 100% of municipalities have adopted results-based planning and budgeting instruments”. The new United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2023-2027, as well as the new Common Country Program Document of UNDP, UNFPA and UNICEF for the cycle 2023-2027, is aligned to that vision, with one of the three strategic areas, “Transformative governance and strengthened territorial cohesion”, tackling the problem of territorial inequality. 

Significant progress has been achieved concerning decentralization during the last five years. Each municipality has defined its agenda for local sustainable development through Municipal Strategic Sustainable Development Plans (PEMDS), established participation mechanisms (‘Local Platforms’) and built the capacity of local actors.

This new Joint Programme (JP) builds upon these achievements to accelerate local development by tackling some of the main issues that persist, including in particular the limited capacity of local authorities to generate own-source revenues, to manage effectively and efficiently existing resources (including natural resources), to effectively engage local populations in local development agenda as well as to allow them to better access basic services, economic infrastructures and assets.

The Joint Programme implementation will be overseen by a Steering Committee and led by a Joint Programme Management Team. On the United Nations side, the Resident Coordinator’s Office (RCO) will lead the steering process while the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) will collaboratively implement the Joint Programme activities.

UNDP has been a key partner in the country supporting local development and decentralization. The recent implementation of the Programa “Plataformas locais” (local Platforms) and the “Fundo de Descentralização” programmes showed the importance of the territorial approach in supporting sustainable development based on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the country, achieving profound transformations and impacts on territorial capacities and local development. UN-Habitat is the United Nations (UN) agency mandated to promote inclusive, sustainable and resilient cities and communities. In Cabo Verde, it has supported national and local governments in several normative and operational processes, including the establishment of the National Urban and Housing Policies, Local Housing Plans, and participatory upgrading of informal settlements.

The Joint Programme will support local governments, local and community development actors, national entities, especially the newly created Ministry of Territorial Cohesion (MCT), and also entail significant engagement with the National Association of Municipalities (ANMCV) and other city associations in organizing fora related to experience sharing, at national level and with international partners. It will support the production of guidelines, handbooks, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and templates to standardize and sustain all good practices consensually agreed.
 

 

Position Purpose

Taking into account the particular context of intervention of the Joint Programme and the wide range of technical areas targeted (Decentralization, Local Governance, Municipal Finances, Results-Based Management, and Local Development), a significant emphasis will be placed on the coordination of efforts within the program itself, the synergies with other ongoing local development programmes and the leverage of capacity-building efforts of Programme counterparts throughout its implementation. Therefore, the Chief Technical Adviser will lead the strategic and operational implementation of Joint Programme to ensure its effective implementation.

To carry out this Joint Programme, the Team Lead (Principal Technical Manager) will be assisted by a team composed of: i)  a programme management officer (administrative and financial support); a national senior project manager (Outcome 1) (85% of dedication, based in Cabo Verde) ; a national expert in local administration (Outcome 2) (100% dedication, based in Cabo Verde, for 1 year); a national expert in local economic development (Outcome 3) (100% dedication, based in Cabo Verde); three national experts in local finances and local development (based in Cabo Verde, regionally). 

At the nationallevel, the main implementing partners will be the Directorate of Decentralization in the Ministry of Territorial Cohesion and the NationalAssociation of Cabo Verde Municipalities (ANMCV). Other partners include:  the Embassy of Luxembourg, other United Nations agenciessuch as UNICEF, UNFPA, UNIDO and IOM; decentralized cooperation in Cabo Verde, national and international NGOs, bilateral development agencies and academic institutions. 

At the local level the main partners will be the 22 Cabo Verde’s municipalities, associations, NGOs, and the private sector and, above all, the local “Concelhos de Concertação Local” that replace the platforms created in the framework of precedents projects.

To manage the Joint Program, the recruitment of a Team Lead ) is foreseen in agreement with steering committee members (co-chaired by The Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg, the Ministry of Territorial Cohesion, and the United Nations Resident Coordinator’s Office, and with representatives from (i) UNDP; (ii) UN-Habitat; (iii) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs; (vii) The Ministry of Finances; (vii) the National Association of Cabo Verdean Municipalities).

The Team Lead will work under the joint supervision of the Resident Representative of the UNDP, UNFPA and UNICEF Joint Office in Cabo Verde in matrix with the DRR and the Portfolio Manager for West Africa on the Regional Office for Africa (ROAf) of UN-Habitat.

The Team Leader Adviser will also :

• Provide strategic orientations for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (Agenda2030) as well as of the Local Governance and Local Development strategy of the Joint Office and UN Habitat in Cabo Verde, in line with the globalapproach of the UNDP and UN-Habitat.
• Provide advice and expertise on decentralization and local development issues to national and local partners and the United Nations System to develop partnerships and contribute to additional resourcesmobilize, in collaboration with the Government, UNDP and UN-Habitat.
• Advocate for theJoint Programme and build knowledge in the field of local governance and local development.

The Team Leader will have to master the use of technical project monitoring tools to facilitate the localization of SDGs at the local level, the management of the Joint Programme and the integration of the LocalEconomic Development (LED) approach in the entireprocess of strategic planning, monitoring and evaluation of the Joint Programmer’s activities and ensure sound communication with partners and donors on this issue.

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

Provide Technical leadership:

• During inception phase: review and update Programme Document, finalise logical framework, define (jointly with national authorities and other stakeholders) the procedures for selecting and financing subnational projects (all three documents to be approved at the first Steering Committee meeting).
• Supervise, coordinate, and contribute to the achievement of the Programme outcomes and production of project outputs across all technical components, as per the Joint Programme document, in a timely and high-quality fashion.
• Ensure technical soundness and alignment between the different products to be developed throughout the Programme, in alignment with national policies, regulations and other relevant references, as well as global frameworks on the fields covered by the Programme, in articulation with national and international experts.
• Ensure adequate engagement, appropriation and leadership from governmental and municipal counterparts on the implementation of Programme activities, and that the implementation of the Programme actively and consistently leverage capacity-building opportunities for the Programme counterparts.
• Capture lessons learnt during the Joint Programme implementation and oversee the exchange and sharing of experiences and lessons learnt with relevant partners and development projects nationally and internationally.
• Assist MCT, municipalities, associations, CSOs, staff, students, and others with development of essential skills through training workshops and on-the-job training thereby increasing their institutional capabilities, prepare a capacity buildingprogram for both municipalities and local associations to reach out in an easy manner to the Joint Program resources available.
• Encourage staff, partners, and consultants such that strategic, intentional and demonstrable efforts are made to actively includewomen in the Joint Programme, including activity design and planning, budgeting, staff and consultant hiring, subcontracting, purchasing, formal community governance and advocacy, outreachto social organizations, training, participation in meetings; and access to program benefits.
  

Ensure the management of the Joint Programme:

• Coordinate, in consultation with the Project Management Unit, the local, national and international activities of the project, and supervise their implementation.
• Coordinate the recruitment and selection of the Joint Programme personnel, consultants and subcontracts, including drafting terms of reference and work specifications and overseeing all contractors’ work.
• Support the formulation, implementation and monitoring (technical and budgetary) of the project/Programme: Annual working plans, procurement plans, ensuring their alignment with the guidelines of the Government of Cabo Verde, UNDP and UN-Habitat in Cabo Verde.
• Ensure the use of resources is in accordance with UNDP regulations and rules, as well as its policies and procedures.
• Mainstream gender, environmental and human rights approaches in all project’s activities.
• Organize annual Steering Committee meetings to seek approval of annual reports and annual work plans.
• Represent the Joint Programme at technical level in the Steering Committee and any other consultation and coordination body at the local, national and international levels.
• Liaise with UNDP, UN-Habitat, Steering Committee, relevant government agencies, municipalities and all Joint Programme partners, including donor organizations and CSOs for effective coordination of all project activities.
• Prepare and ensure timely submission of annual Reports, annual Joint Program Implementation Reports, Technical reports, quarterly financial reports, and other reports as may be required by UNDP, UN-Habitat, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, and the Government of Cabo Verde. Establish a committeefor guiding and facilitating decision-making for financing projectsfor the 22 Municipalities of Cabo Verde in accordance with approved procedures.
• Systematize and facilitate access to all information and lessons learnt during the implementation of the Joint Programme.
• Communicate the resultsobtained throughout the program on the main areas covered by the Programme, such as poverty reduction, community engagement, disaggregated by location, sex and age.
  

Ensure provision of oversight, monitoring & evaluation:

• Monitor the progress of the Joint Programme according to the framework established during the Programmer’s inception phase.
• Provide direction and guidance to the Joint Programme team(s)/ responsible party(ies); supervise and coordinate the work of all Joint Programme staff, consultants and subcontractors ensuring timing and quality of outputs.
• Execute activities by managing personnel, goods and services, training and grant and low-value grants, including drafting terms of reference and work specifications, and overseeing all contractors’ work.
• Provide oversight to the management of requests for the provision of financial resources to project counterparts, through advance of funds, direct payments, or reimbursement using relevant guidelines and templates.
• Provide oversight of management of financial resources and accounting to ensure accuracy and reliability of financial reports, submitted on a quarterly basis.
• Monitor progress, watch for plan deviations and make course corrections when needed to achieve results.
• Provide support for completion of assessments required by UNDP, spot checks and audits.
• Perform regular progress reporting to the Joint Programme Board as agreed with the board, including measures to address challenges and opportunities.
• Support and inform the Mid-term review and Terminal Evaluation processes.
• Monitor implementation plans including the gender action plan, stakeholder engagement plan, and any environmental and social management plans.
• Disseminate the Joint Programme reports and respond to queries from concerned stakeholders.
• Ensure that the indicators included in the Joint Programme results framework are monitored annually in advance of the annual steering committee.
• Monitor and track progress against the UNSDCF and JWP of the UNDP and UN-Habitat indicators.
• Manage and monitor the Joint Programme risks – including social and environmental risks – initially identified and submit new risks to the Steering Committee for consideration and decision on possible actions if required; update the status of these risks by maintaining the project risks log.

Building Partnership/Resource Mobilization:

• Support in the implementation and coordination overall resource mobilization.
• Advise the Resident Representative in providing and driving opportunities of the partnerships, resource mobilization, directly engaging local development partners, resulting in concrete contributions to results and enhanced financing for the SDGs.
• Advise the Resident Representative in building and deepening partnerships, engaging diverse stakeholders, fostering strategic partnerships with the Government, private sector, NGOs, donor community, international financial institutions and other UN entities.
• Advocates catalyze advocacy activities and information sharing

Knowledge Management: The Team leader ensures knowledge building and management by focusing on the following results:

• Promote identification and synthesis of best practices and lessons learned from the Joint Program for organizational sharing and learning.
• Promote a knowledge-sharing and learning culture in the Project team.
• Apply lessons learned from the project management efforts and program development.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: 

• Project management officer (administrative and financial support, based in Praia, Cabo Verde).
• National senior project manager (Outcome 1) (85% dedication, based in Praia, Cabo Verde).
• National expert in local administration (Outcome 2) (100% dedication, based in, Praia, Cabo Verde).
• National expert in local economic development (Outcome 3) (100% dedication, based in Praia, Cabo Verde).
• Three national experts in local finances and local development (based in Cabo Verde, regionally).

 

Competencies

Core Competencies:

Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact.

Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems.

Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences.

Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands 

Act with Determination: LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results.

Engage and Partner: LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration.

Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity.

 

 

Cross Functional and  Technical Competencies:

Business Management – Portfolio Management: Ability to select, prioritize and control the organizations programmes and projects, in line with its strategic objectives and capacity; ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives and the maintenance of business-as-usual, while optimizing return on investment.

Business Direction & Strategy – System Thinking: Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system.

Partnership Management – Resource Mobilization: Ability to identify funding sources, match funding needs (programmes/ projects/ initiatives) with funding opportunities and establish a plan to meet funding requirements. 

Business Management – Partnership 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.

2030 Agenda: Peace – Governance: 

• Localization of the SDGs
• Local Governance

2030 Agenda: Peace – Conflict Prevention, Peacebuilding and Responsive Institutions: State-building and Governance. 

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Social Sciences, Political Sciences, Economic Sciences or International Relations or related relevant field is required. Or
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the above -mentioned fields of study, in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

 

Experience:

• Minimum of 7 years (with master’s degree) or 9 years (with bachelor’s degree) of professional experience in the fields of international cooperation, human development, project and team management in governance and local development is required.
• At least 5 years of experience in the management of integrated localdevelopment projects in the fields of Local Governance, Local Economic Development and Municipal Finances is an asset.
• At least5 years of experience workingwith ministries, nationaland subnational institutions and other stakeholders concerned with local development planning and management is an asset.
• Experience in the use of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc), database packages, and web-based management systems such as ERP is required.
• Proven experience and knowledge of negotiation skills with technical and financial partners is an asset.
• Experience in functioning of the UN system and projects aiming to meet the SDGs is an asset.
• Experience in leadership, managerial and coordination of the implementation of large multi- stakeholder projects, including financial and technical aspects is an asset.
• Experience in coordination and supervision of multiple project implementation units, in partnership with a variety of subnational stakeholder groups, at government and community levels is an asset.
• Demonstrated excellent analytical and drafting/ presentation/reporting skills, particularly in the context of donor-funded UN projects is an asset.

 

Language:

• Fluency in oral and written English or French is required.
• Working knowledge of Portuguese is desirable.

Please note that continuance of appointment beyond the initial 12 months is contingent upon the successful completion of a probationary period.

 

Disclaimer

Important information for US Permanent Residents (‘Green Card’ holders) 

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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