Policy Specialist, Inclusive Growth

Policy Specialist, Inclusive Growth

Background and Organizational Context:
UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.
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.
UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s policy work carried out at HQ, Regional and Country Office levels, forms a contiguous spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP invests in the Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in the Strategic Plan.

Within the GPN, the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance to support the results of UNDP’s Strategic Plan. BPPS’s staff provides technical advice to Country Offices; advocates for UNDP corporate messages, represents UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora including public-private dialogues, government and civil society dialogues, and engages in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas. BPPS works closely with UNDP’s Crisis Bureau (CB) to support emergency and crisis response. BPPS ensures that issues of risk are fully integrated into UNDP’s development programmes. BPPS assists UNDP and partners to achieve higher quality development results through an integrated approach that links results-based management and performance monitoring with more effective and new ways of working. BPPS supports UNDP and partners to be more innovative, knowledge and data driven including in its programme support efforts

Position Purpose:
The Policy Specialist, Inclusive Growth is based in the Regional Hub in Amman, Jordan, and is responsible for conducting research and analysis to provide policy and programme advisory, advocacy, relationship building, and knowledge to the thematic area of Inclusive Growth within the Bureau and UNDP as a whole. S/he works with teams across UNDP’s Regional Hubs, Country Offices and Global Policy Centers, and relevant partners (e.g. UNDG). S/he supports the use and effective implementation of SDG related policy tools, and the codification of lessons learnt for potential application across countries. S/he supports the development of tools and methods to support countries achieve priorities for poverty eradication and sustainable human development in the most effective means possible through national and local plans. S/he support the provision of quality policy services and advance UNDP’s credibility in the following thematic areas: fiscal policy, inequality, informal economy, green economy, women and youth economic empowerment, decent and future of work.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Policy Research and Development

• Contribute to development of guidance in the specific thematic areas mentioned above, and related tools for the implementation of global policy standards, including coordinating testing and rolling out of tools and methodologies;
• Conduct analysis of data in the above-mentioned subjects, case evidence and research findings to distill relevant lessons in support of policy and strategy development;
• Take part in the process of analyzing, improving and adapting policies for different contexts on key emerging policy agendas based on policy initiatives designed, including on SDGs and mainstreaming of issues related to the above-mentioned thematic areas;
• Conduct data analysis and research to identify relevant potential new research areas for commissioning including through the Global Policy Centers and focusing on demands and gaps at the country level;
• Provide context input to support the quality assurance of policy services and foster policy innovation in the specific thematic areas to enhance programme delivery.

Policy Advice/ Programme and Project Delivery Support

• Support the policy teams in the Amman Regional Hub in preparing initial drafts of technical advice that responds to country office needs, including through the provision of capacity building and backstopping in the above-mentioned areas;
• Prepare material as requested by supervisor to support the application of integrated multi-disciplinary approaches, including through Development Solutions Teams (DSTs), to meet policy and programming needs in line with corporate guidance and standards;
• Provide support to roll out and application of relevant risk management tools across country typologies; and
• Support the Team Leader in liaising with the CB to ensure a rapid and well-coordinated response to crisis and conflict situations and provide related contributions to UNDP SURGE for country offices.

Policy Positioning and Representation

• Conduct research and analysis and draft materials to support mobilizing, fostering and strengthening strategic partnerships with UN entities and other relevant bodies;
• Draft and aid the development of briefings and speeches, as applicable;
• Prepare materials to aid in advocating the importance of the thematic area in various fora, including academia and civil society, with a view to deepen related political commitment and related reforms; and
• Support team’s engagement in UN interagency coordination in relevant policy areas by providing research insight in specific above-mentioned thematic area.

Partnerships and Resource Mobilization

• Undertake research to support Team Leader and Advisors in partnership building and resource mobilization, developing first drafts of papers and marketing materials, and participating in relevant external meetings, in line with the Bureau’s partnership and resource mobilization strategy;
• Perform analysis and research to support the implementation of partnership strategies with UN and external partner institutions, including governments, private sector, academia, NGOs, and CSOs in relevant areas; and
• Participate in relevant external meetings, including resource mobilization, partnership and advocacy activities with UN partners, permanent missions, and external stakeholders.

Knowledge Management

• Keep an up-to-date library of knowledge related to the thematic area, whether at the global, cross-regional or region-specific level to and proactively share documents with team members and respond to their specific requests for information; and
• Contribute to the development and review of knowledge products in close coordination with HQ and Regional Hub teams by analyzing and sharing lessons learnt and programme evaluation results.

Competencies

Core CoreBehaviouralCompetencies.pdf (undp.org)

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

2030 Agenda: Prosperity: Inclusive Growth: Multidimensional Poverty and Human Development

• Knowledge of the Multidimensional poverty and human development and the ability to analyze and apply to strategic and/or practical situations

2030 Agenda: Prosperity: Inclusive Growth: Economic Transformation, Policy and Planning

• Knowledge of development planning processes at the national and local level and the ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations

Business Management: Working with Evidence and Data

• Ability to inspect, cleanse, transform and model data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions and supporting decision-making

2030 Agenda: Prosperity: Inclusive Growth: Inequality and exclusion

• Knowledge of Multidimensional inequality and social exclusion and the ability to analyze and apply to strategic and/or practical situations

2030 Agenda: Prosperity: Inclusive Growth: Job/ Employment /Decent work Promotion

• Knowledge of the world of work and a decent job agenda and ability apply to strategic and/or practical situations

Business Development: Knowledge Generation

• Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant to context

Required Skills and Experience
Education:

• Advanced University Degree (Master’s or equivalent) in Economics, Public Policy, Business Administration, Finance, or related disciplines.

Experience:

• Minimum 5 years of professional work experience providing policy advice and programme support in the general area of Inclusive Growth and in any of the reported thematic areas, including development and implementation of approaches in the three dimensions of sustainable development, in different development contexts.
• At least 3 years of experience working in developing country settings is required and experience in crisis contexts is an asset.

Language Requirement:

• Fluency in English, both written and oral.
• Working knowledge of French and/or Arabic is an asset.

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.
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