Policy Specialist, Colombo
Closing Date: Friday, 21 February 2014
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Organization
Country
City
Office
Location :
Colombo, SRI LANKA
Application Deadline :
21-Feb-14
Additional Category
Management
Type of Contract :
FTA Local
Post Level :
NO-C
Languages Required :
Starting Date :
(date when the selected candidate is expected to start)
01-Mar-2014
Duration of Initial Contract :
One Year
Background
Under the guidance of RC/RR and under the direct supervision of Country Director, the Policy Specialist advises Senior Management on macro-economic policies and trends and relevant linkages to UNDP programmes, with an emphasis on Environmental Sustainability and Disaster Resilience (ESDR) . The Policy Specialist provides analysis for formulation of strategies and briefings to Senior Management. The Policy Specialist monitors economic, environmental and disaster resilience policy developments and advises the Resident Representative and other members of the UNDP and its partners on policy issues. He/she contributes to UNDP’s policy dialogue with the Government and donors.
The Policy Specialist establishes networks of policy advisors/institutions for policy change and advocacy in ESDR areas. He/she works in close collaboration with other members of the Policy team as well with the Management Support teams, Programme and Operations teams in the CO, Programme staff in other UN Agencies, UNDP HQs staff and Government officials, technical advisors and experts, multi-lateral and bi-lateral donors and civil society to successfully implement the UNDP programme.
Duties and Responsibilities
Summary of key functions:
- Advice/support to UN/DP on economic, social and environmental governance related policy integration and resource mobilization;
- Strategic positioning of UNDP to ensure the sustainability of the post-conflict rapid economic growth scenario of the country through knowledge transfer within and across countries;
- Promoting/sustaining strategic partnerships and enabling environment for effective advocacy and stakeholder engagement towards post 2015 sustainable development agenda.
- Compilation, analysis and interpretation of relevant information and statistical data and development of synthesis papers, case studies and concepts to support policy integration in the country, especially in Environment Sustainability and Disaster Resilience areas;
- Develop advocacy material for policy integration, primarily for the use of National Planners highlighting pollution and health linkages in human development and global approaches towards sustainable development;
- Articulate the relevance and linkages of UNDAF process, UNDP CPD and CPAP approaches towards achieving Mahinda Chintana vision and UNDP corporate agenda;
- Production of periodic updates and briefs on country situation to be used by stakeholders, CO and HQ, mainly on sustainable development issues;
- Advise UNDP on the potential areas of substantive involvement through UNDP projects and mobilize resources accordingly, actively engaging with the private sector in the process.
- Research and development on multilateral, bi-lateral and global donor approaches as well as the private sector to identify possible areas of cooperation and provision of substantive guidance documentation;
- Analyze the status of global conventions (over 35) that Sri Lanka has signed in the areas related to Environment and Disaster Management and identify niches to provide technical and policy assistance to the Government to meet the obligations and benefit from them;
- Support to carry out Institutional Capacity Assessments in the country to promote green growth and new global development thinking including policy integration for sustainable development;
- Undertake selected studies/research on emerging development concerns that feed into government/development partners sustainable development processes and to ensure UNDP positions itself strategically as a quality technical assistance provider;
- Identify entry points to add value to the development agenda through South-South or North-South Co-operation and UNDP and other knowledge networks.
- Study, analyze and summarize developments in the global development agenda including the post 2015 Rio+20 implementation, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Hyogo Framework for Action in Disaster Risk Reduction after 2015 (HFA2), etc.;
- Develop and sustain forums for policy advocacy on new approaches and promote low carbon climate resilient growth agenda that also include pro-poor and equitable sustainable development;
- Production of high quality materials/research papers through partnerships and engage policy makers to promote the ideas developed;
- Develop joint programmes with Private Sector in Environment Sustainability and Disaster Resilience to address policy issues as well as to carry out pilot interventions at institutional, geographic or river basin levels;
- Promote UNDP mandate and mission through established partnerships and networks and highlight the work carried out through partnerships in UNDP knowledge networks.
The key results of the post strengthen UNDP’s contributions to the national policy dialogue and enhance the policy impact of UNDP programmes and projects. In particular, the key results have an impact on the design of programmes, and creation of strategic partnerships as well as reaching resource mobilization targets. The post increases visibility of UNDP in the discussion about economic, environmental sustainability and disaster resilience policies and analysis.
Competencies
Functional Competencies:
Advocacy/Advancing A Policy-Oriented Agenda
Analysis and creation of messages and strategies
- Creates effective advocacy strategies:
- Performs analysis of political situations and scenarios, and contributes to the formulation of institutional response.
Contributing to results through provision of information
- Provides information for linkages across programme activities to help identify critical points of integration;
- Provides information and documentation on specific stages of projects/programme implementation;
- Provides background information to identify opportunities for project development and helps drafting proposals
Participates in the formulation of project proposals.
Identifying and building partnerships
- Effectively networks with partners seizing opportunities to build strategic alliances relevant to UNDP’s mandate and strategic agenda;
- Identifies needs and interventions for capacity building of counterparts, clients and potential partners;
- Promotes UNDP’s agenda in inter-agency meetings.
Developing new approaches
- Seeks a broad range of perspectives in developing project proposals;
- Identifies new approaches and promotes their use in other situations;
- Creates an environment that fosters innovation and innovative thinking;
- Makes the case for innovative ideas from the team with own supervisor.
Implementing resource mobilization strategies
- Analyzes information on potential bilateral donors and national counterparts to recommend a strategic approach;
- Identifies and compiles lessons learned;
- Develops a resource mobilization strategy at the country level.
Developing tools and mechanisms
- Makes the case for innovative ideas documenting successes and building them into the design of new approaches;
- Identifies new approaches and strategies that promote the use of tools and mechanisms.
In-depth knowledge of the subject-matter
- Understands more advanced aspects of primary area of specialization as well as the fundamental concepts of related disciplines;
- Keeps abreast of new developments in area of professional discipline and job knowledge and seeks to develop him/herself professionally;
- Demonstrates comprehensive knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments;
- Demonstrates comprehensive understanding and knowledge of the current guidelines and project management tools and utilizes these regularly in work assignments.
Analysis and creation of messages and strategies
- Performs analysis of political situations and scenarios, and contributes to the formulation of institutional responses;
- Uses the opportunity to bring forward and disseminate materials for global advocacy work and adapts it for use at country level.
Contributing to positive outcomes for the client
- Anticipates client needs;
- Works towards creating an enabling environment for a smooth relationship between the clients and service provider;
- Demonstrates understanding of client’s perspective;
- Solicits feedback on service provision and quality.
- Promoting ethics and integrity, creating organizational precedents;
- Building support and political acumen;
- Building staff competence, creating an environment of creativity and innovation;
- Building and promoting effective teams;
- Creating and promoting enabling environment for open communication;
- Creating an emotionally intelligent organization;
- Leveraging conflict in the interests of UNDP & setting standards;
- Sharing knowledge across the organization and building a culture of knowledge sharing and learning. Promoting learning and knowledge management/sharing is the responsibility of each staff member;
- Fair and transparent decision making; calculated risk-taking.
Education:
- Master’s Degree in Environmental Economics, Economics, Environment Sustainability, Disaster Management, Social Sciences or related field.
- 5 years of relevant experience at the national or international level, with a focus on economics, environmental sustainability and disaster resilience. Relevant experience in research and policy-level analysis;
- Some experience in providing substantive/technical inputs to the design, monitoring and evaluation of development projects is desirable;
- Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages, experience in handling of web-based management systems and advanced programmes for statistical analysis of data.
- Fluency in the UN and national language/s of the duty station.
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