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.
Job Purpose and Organizational Context
UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Africa (RBA) is the largest regional bureau, covering 46 countries, ranging from high middle-income economies to least developed countries, as well as countries in crisis and post-crisis situations. UNDP works with its national counterparts in the Africa region to help them implement national development priorities and achieve their national development goals. Its work is guided by global and regional development and normative frameworks to which countries in Africa are signatories, including the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063. Achieving these core strategic goals requires UNDP to take action in a number of areas that conform its programme for the Africa region. These range from service delivery support in crisis and post-crisis settings, to national capacity development, the provision of innovative policy advice to national governments, or the convening of national and regional dialogues around key development issues.
RBA has identified partnerships and communications as a core strategic area of growth in support of its work in the Africa region. Focus on this area is motivated by the new demands posed by the 2030 and 2063 Agendas, which require of concerted actions from all development actors, in order to achieve their ambitious goals for socioeconomic transformation and sustainable development. In line with the UNDP Africa Strategic Offer, RBA seeks to catalyze action that will help governments leverage financing for development and lead to new and innovative partnerships with IFIs and DFIs. Recognizing that traditional sources of development finance are increasingly limited, while the universal and comprehensive nature of SDGs calls for greater financing flows and national ownership, collaboration with IFIs is vital to leverage greater development returns at a time of historic opportunities and significant risks.
This position of Programme Specialist IFI Partnerships will be an integral part of the RBA Partnerships and Communications team that will help RBA forge strategic partnerships with key global and regional partners in the private sector, civil society, think tanks, philanthropies and academia and leverage its role as convener and facilitator, connecting development actors across the world and the Africa region in support of Africa’s ambition for socio-economic transformation and sustainable development, as well as of UNDP’s activities in the Africa region.
The RBA Programme Specialist in charge of IFI partnerships will carry out the below-enumerated functions under the direct supervision of the Head of the Partnerships and Communications Unit (PAC) and overall guidance from the Deputy Regional Director. The post requires coordination with the RBA partnerships specialist, the RBA country oversight team and other units within UNDP, mainly BERA. S/he contributes to the work of the PAC team in the area of building partnership with International Financial Institutions, provides support and advice to activities of the RBA Country Offices and contributes to resource mobilization and partnerships building.
Duties and Responsibilities
Summary of key functions:
Build partnerships and RBA’s strategic engagement with global, regional, sub-regional and national development banks and IFIs;
Support the regional hubs/programmes and county offices in relation to IFI partnerships and programme development;
Promote knowledge-building/sharing and increase the visibility of IFI-UNDP partnerships through outreach and communications products, tools and training materials.
Under the overall guidance of Chief, RBA Partnerships and Communications, the RBA Partnership and Policy Specialist will perform the following key functions:
1. Build partnerships and RBA’s strategic engagement with global, regional, sub-regional and national development banks and IFIs
Establish close functional relationships with IFIs to ensure that RBA is effectively positioned to partner on policy and programmatic initiatives;
Oversee the development of IFIs profiles and mappings of IFIs partnership opportunities/trends at global, regional or country levels;
Identify IFI interests and try to match with ongoing RBA work and service offers;
Initiate and maintain relationships with global and regional IFIs, coordinate information requests and enable Country Office engagement with IFIs.
Support the preparation of portfolio negotiations between UNDP and priority IFIs;
Support implementation of corporate strategies, initiatives, action plans, tools, guidance to help advance IFI partnerships, at the regional and country levels, including through the development of action plans with specific IFIs;
Support high-level events, presentations and meeting’ and inter-bureau coordination efforts;
Represent UNDP at relevant meetings, events and initiatives as necessary in coordination with Regional Bureaus and BPPS.
2. Support the regional hubs/programmes and county offices in relation to IFI partnerships and programme development
Provide support to the Country Offices by assisting them to develop country-specific IFI engagement plans (from mapping partnership opportunities at the country level to formulating project proposals);
Support the identification of specific entry points for IFI cooperation at the regional and national level by gathering and connecting relevant intelligence on the operations of the banks and UNDP’s portfolio;• Support COs in evaluating capacity-building gaps and needs to implement IFI partnerships successfully;
Support capacity-building efforts in RBA to increase COs awareness about opportunities to work with IFIs;
Facilitate CO access to information and evidence in the area of work, and keep COs updated on latest developments and topical discussions;
Support CO’s in locating the correct agreement formats and documents to prepare for negotiations with IFIs, connecting with corporate legal advice if and as needed;
Link COs to appropriate experts and to relevant focal points in the partnering IFIs.
3. Promote knowledge-building/sharing and increase the visibility of IFI-UNDP partnerships through outreach and communications products, tools and training materials.
Collaborate with BERA IFI Team for partner visibility and marketing/outreach products, assets and approaches.
Provide information to update corporate partnerships briefs/newsletter and BERA weekly IFI updates.
Identify and help craft success stories/lessons learned of ongoing UNDP-IFI cooperation in collaboration with the communications team and the BERA IFI team
Support the organization of webinars for COs to develop their capacity to engage with IFIs.
Competencies
Core
Innovation
Ability to make new and useful ideas work.
Leadership
Ability to persuade others to follow.
People Management
Ability to improve performance and satisfaction.
Communication
Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform.
Delivery
Ability to get things done while exercising good judgement.
Technical/Functional
Relationship Management and Partnerships.
Advocacy and Representation.
Risk assessment.
Resource mobilization.
Quality assurance.
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
Advanced University Degree in international development, economics, political or social sciences, or any development related field.
Experience:
Five years of relevant experience at the national or international level in a partnerships development or organization liaison role working with IFIs, DFIs, donors, private sector, foundations, think tanks or civil society, preferably with UN or development agency engagement.
Proven track record of developing partnerships with international financial institutions or partnerships with the private sector on international development issues (minimum 2 similar/relevant partnerships/contracts);
Proven relevant experience in developing partnerships in Africa.
Language Requirements:
Excellent English (both oral and written).
French would be an asset.
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.
Scam warning
The United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web.
Apply Now
To help us track our recruitment effort, please indicate in your cover letter where (ngotenders.net) you saw this job posting.