BACKGROUND
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the UN’s global development network, working in 177 countries and territories. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, UNDP is committed to helping the country through strengthened national and local capacities to carry out political, economic and social reforms and promote development.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH), in line with its 2021-2025 Country Programme, UNDP focuses on sustainable and inclusive growth, people-centred governance and social cohesion. UNDP is fully committed to support BIH with regards to its Agenda 2030 commitments as well as the European Union (EU) accession process. The UNDP Country Programme Document for BIH outcomes correspond to three outcomes of the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2021-2025 (outcome 1 on resilient, sustainable and inclusive growth, outcome 4 on accountable and transparent governance systems, and outcome 5 on social cohesion and trust).
Position Purpose :
Under the guidance and direct supervision of the Deputy Resident Representative the Programme Management Specialist will be responsible for management of UNDP programme activities geared towards supporting national and subnational institutions and provision of strategic policy advice within the assigned thematic/sectoral areas of the country programme. It is expected that the Programme Management Specialist will provide substantive and strategic leadership in the governance area and will work with other teams and staff to design interventions representing transformative, integrated and innovative solutions to development challenges. The Programme Management Specialist analyzes the relevant political, economic and social trends, leads identification, development, formulation and evaluation of programme activities within his/her area and provides policy advice to the Country Office management team and local partners.
The Programme Management Specialist works in close collaboration with programme staff in other sectors and other UN Agencies, with UNDP operations team, with UNDP HQs staff and Government officials, technical advisors and experts, multi-lateral and bi-lateral donors and civil society ensuring successful UNDP programme implementation.
DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
Strategic development and implementation of programme strategies:
Identification of areas for support and interventions within the thematic/sectoral areas assigned, including cross-cutting and/or integrated initiatives in close cooperation with other sectors; Provision of expert advice to the CO Senior Management in terms of substantive priorities in assigned areas, collaboration and harmonisation of interventions with other sectors; Programme assurance within the assigned thematic areas; Liaison regarding programme development with Istanbul Regional Hub and relevant HQ departments in coordination with the Senior Management; Support to the inclusion of BiH in UNDP regional projects and multi-agency projects.Management of the CO Programme within the thematic/sectoral areas:
Design and formulation of CO programme within the area of responsibility, translating UNDP’s priorities into local interventions: Coordination of efforts resulting in the preparation of full – fledged project documents, with incorporated overall and specific findings, leading to full harmonization between UNDP’s and the country’s priorities, and resulting in the increased mobilization of donor support in the thematic/sectoral areas assigned; Coordination of cross-cutting efforts across relevant projects, including among the sectors, and formulation of similar activities into combined interventions for the sake of aggregating the results and increasing impact; Coordination of programme implementation with the executing agencies; Effective application of Result-based Management (RBM) tools, establishment of management targets (BSC) and monitoring achievement of results; Ultimate quality assurance throughout all project implementation phases, for projects within the sector, including initiation of a project, presentation of the project to Project Appraisal Committee (PAC), participation in the work of Project Boards, timely implementation of the project activities in line with planned delivery, recruitment of project staff, and closure of projects through review; Direct and indirect supervision and appraisal of project staff within the sector; Introduction of performance indicators/ success criteria, cost recovery, targets and milestones; Ensure on a monthly basis the following inputs for review and discussion of the Senior Management Team: list of the activities, expenditures and results achieved during the previous month as compared to the work plan for each project within the Sector; Follow up on audit recommendations; Ensure that donor reports for all projects within the sector are regularly prepared reflecting programme activities, outputs, outcomes, and specific impacts.Creation of strategic partnerships and implementation of the resource mobilization strategy focusing on achievement of the following results:
Development of partnerships with UN Agencies, international financing organizations, government institutions, bi-lateral and multi-lateral donors, private sector, civil society in the specific thematic areas based on strategic goals of UNDP, country needs and donors’ priorities; Analysis of information on donors, facilitate information sharing and dialogue within the donor community preparation of substantive briefs on possible areas of cooperation, identification of opportunities for initiation of new projects, active contribution to the overall office effort in resource mobilization; Identifies government and donor funding opportunities based on the UNDP programmatic agenda; Proposes strategic investments for maximised programme results.Provision of top quality policy advice services to the Government and facilitation of knowledge building and management:
With the assistance of project staff, organizes and coordinates sector efforts geared towards providing technical assistance, training, or advice to relevant government entities in the analysis of their performance, planning, developing strategic priorities or tools for financial cooperation; Ensures sufficient time for own and sector members substantive learning and up-dating of knowledge of UNDP processes; Takes active role in the training activities of sector and projects; Leads sector and projects knowledge management activities; Contributes to the relevant knowledge networks and communities of practice.Substantive contributions to key CO policy, strategy and programme documents:
Thorough analysis of the political, social and economic situation in the country and preparation of substantive inputs to Common Country Assessment (CCA), United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework, Country Programme Document, and other documents; In-depth analysis of specific thematic areas from the viewpoint of both the CO’s and the country’s programmatic priorities, for the sake of better adjusting the programme/project implementation strategies with the latest trends and developments; Ensure sufficient time for own and Sector members substantive learning and up-dating of knowledge of UNDP processes; Liaise with Istanbul Regional Hub and relevant HQ departments in support of knowledge development.Ensure gender mainstreaming within the Sector:
Provides critical feedback and inputs to the Country Office Senior Management on the implementation of specific programme components in mainstreaming gender equality and women empowerment; Analyses the relevance and effectiveness of the programme, reviews and provides specific inputs to the monitoring system and assists the evaluation of the programme impact from the gender, diversity and inclusion perspectives; Ensures gender considerations are effectively mainstreamed throughout the Sector plans and activities, project documents and work plans, budgets, reports, researches, analyses and, where specifically relevant, analyzed in detail gender aspects and make recommendations; Ensure gender equality is mainstreamed throughout team, consultants and staff management activities; Ensures knowledge on gender equality is incorporated in cluster’s knowledge management activities and products.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:
The incumbent will be direct supervisor to portfolio analysts, programme associates, and project managers engaged with the Sector.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 inclusivityFunctional & Technical competencies:
Business Direction & Strategy - System Thinking: Ability to develop effective strategies and prioritized plans in line with UNDP’s objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, potential risks and opportunities, linking the vision to reality on the ground, and creating tangible solutions. Ability to leverage learning from a variety of sources to anticipate and respond to future trends; to demonstrate foresight in order to model what future developments and possible ways forward look like for UNDP. 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. Business Direction & Strategy - Effective Decision Making : Ability to take decisions in a timely and efficient manner in line with one’s authority, area of expertise and resources. Business Development - Portfolio Management : Ability to select, prioritize and control the organization as 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 Management - Partnerships 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. Digital & Innovation - Agile methodologies and practices : Ability to manage projects and processes through continuous iteration, learning and improvement. Ability to manage a self-organising cross-functional teams, foster a team culture of curiosity and learning. Being nimble and being able to improvise and quickly adjust to unforeseen events or changes in conditions or context. 2030 Agenda: Peace – Governance: Inclusion and ParticipationREQUIREMENTS
Education:
Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in Business Administration, Public Administration, Economics, Political Sciences, Social Sciences or related field or A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s degree) in in Business Administration, Public Administration, Economics, Political Sciences, Social Sciences or related field with additional two years of work experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the Advanced degree.Experience:
Minimum 5 years with Master’s degree or 7 years with Bachelor’s at the national or international level in providing management advisory services, hands-on experience in design, monitoring and evaluation of development projects. Relevant professional experience in BIH and the region in the area of governance is an asset. Knowledge of relevant development trends, issues and policies in BiH and EU; understanding of the country context is an asset. Proven experience in dealing with counterparts in government, NGOs and donor community is an asset. Proficiency in using office software packages, experience in handling of web-based management and knowledge systems. Ability to identify discrimination, address it, and maintain an enabling working environment based on fairness, respect and freedom from any forms of harassment and abuse; Ability to strategically and effectively communicate results from gender lens Fluency in the UN language of the duty station is required Fluency in the national language of the duty station is required for local staff Fluency in English and official languages of BIH is required Knowledge of another UN language is desirableIMPORTANT NOTE:
Candidates selected pursuant to this vacancy may be subject to UNDP’s policy on Probation upon assignment.
This vacancy is archived.