The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the UN’s global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. We are on the ground in 170 countries and territories, working with governments and people on their own solutions to global and national development challenges to help empower lives and build resilient nations.
The 2030 Agenda for SDGs and the pledge to leave no one behind reflect the interconnectedness of health and sustainable development, including widening economic and social inequalities, the climate crisis, rapid urbanization, the continuing burden of HIV and other infectious diseases (e.g, malaria, tuberculosis), the growing burden of non-communicable diseases and the emergence of health threats. The scope and scale of delivering health and well-being for all demands innovative partnerships and financing.
UNDP has an important role in supporting health outcomes by supporting countries to address the social, cultural and economic determinants of HIV and health, in partnership with UN entities and other organizations. This is done through UNDP’s core work in reducing inequalities and social exclusion that drive HIV and poor health, promoting effective and inclusive governance for health, and building resilient and sustainable systems for health. UNDP also contributes through its coordinating and convening role in bringing together multiple partners and resources at national and local levels.
UNDP works with partners to address the interactions between governance, human rights and health responses. Sometimes this is done through focused or specialized programmes, such as promoting attention to the role of legal environments (law and access to justice) in facilitating stronger HIV responses, including the use of flexibilities in intellectual property and human rights law to lower the cost of drugs and diagnostics and to increase access to HIV-related treatment. UNDP also works to empower and include people living with HIV and marginalized populations who are disproportionately affected by HIV - also known as key populations - such as sex workers, men who have sex with men, transgender people. Beyond these focused efforts, UNDP plays a key role in ensuring attention to HIV and health within broader governance and rights initiatives, strengthening of national human rights institutions and increasing access to justice for marginalized populations. UNDP’s partnership with the Global Fund, in line with UNDP’s HIV, Health and Development Strategy 2016-2021: Connecting the Dots, makes a vital contribution to UNDP’s Strategic Plan 2018-2021, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the SDGs and the pledge to leave no one behind.
As a trusted, long-term partner with extensive operational experience, UNDP supports countries in effective implementation of complex, multilateral and multi-sectoral health programmes while simultaneously investing in capacity development so that national and local partners can assume these responsibilities over time. When requested, UNDP acts as interim Principal Recipient (PR), working with national partners and The Global Fund (GF) to improve management, implementation and oversight, while simultaneously strengthening health institutions and systems for national entities to assume the PR’role over time. Within the HIV, Health and Development Group, Bureau of Policy and Programme Support, Global Policy Network, the Global Fund Partnership/Health Implementation Support Team (GF-HIST) is a dedicated team providing support to UNDP Country Offices throughout the grant lifecycle.
In Angola, the Ministry of Health and UNDP have had a long-standing, strategic partnership for health service delivery through Global Fund grants. Currently, UNDP is acting as the Principal Recipient for the 2018-2021 HIV Grant, in partnership with the National HIV/Aids Institute (INLS), other Government and Civil society partners. UNDP exercises its PR role in consultation with other UN agencies, bilateral donors and International Financing Institutions. In 2020-2021, UNDP will act as Principal Recipient for a consolidated HIV, malaria and tuberculosis Grant.
The Programme Coordinator (PC) will assume overall reasonability for the management of the programmes funded by the Global Fund, including strategic, programmatic and operational management and oversight. S/he will be responsible for leading a multi-disciplinary team (Programme Management Unit) (PMU)), achieving a high level of programme performance while assuring compliance with UNDP’s rules, regulations, policies and procedures and grant agreements with the Global Fund. Within this, the PC will ensure strong Sub-recipient management, risk management and capacity development, as key components of grant performance. The PC will promote a collaborative, client-oriented approach, ensuring integration across functional areas within the PMU and support to the integration of capacity building activities.
1. Ensures strategic leadership, programme planning and execution focusing on achievement of the following results:
- Leads on the strategic planning, oversight and programme management in compliance with UNDP’s rules, policies and procedures, and the terms and conditions of the grant agreement with the Global Fund;
- Leads on the coordination of the PMU across all functional areas and units (e.g. programme, finance, monitoring, procurement and supply management, capacity development and policy) and Sub-recipients and fosters strategic discussions to develop a cohesive, organization-wide approach to implementation, to ensure programmatic performance will achieve or surpass UNDP’s commitments;
- Provides quality and timely management of programme lifecycle, including meeting programmatic and financial deliverables;
- Leads the PMU to proactively diagnose underperformance, bottlenecks and ensure accountability of corrective action plans;
- Develops and maintains an organizational structure which ensures UNDP is resourced to deliver its commitments;
- Leads on recruitment processes of PMU staff, performance management and supervision fostering diversity, equity and inclusion in everyday work, build technical, management and leadership capacity of staff, and develop an environment which recognizes strong employee performance and morale; and
- Ensures strong collaboration with UNDP regional and headquarters on all areas of strategic implementation and donor communication.
2. Ensures proactive financial oversight and controls are met and proactively performs risk assessments focusing on achievement of the following results:
- Ensures that all UNDP financial and asset management policies and procedures are followed and validated by internal reviews;
- Leads on timely and quality submissions of core documents and reports to the Global Fund;
- Proactively performs risk assessments to identify and mitigate risks, including operational, financial, legal, contractual, reputational and safety. Ensure that mitigation actions are implemented and proactively work with other units to ensure adequate oversight and support is provided;
- Ensures compliance of procedures, systems to ensure safety and security of staff and assets in line with UNDP’s rules, policies and procedures;
- Supervises and ensure accountability for Sub-recipient (SR) assessments, contracting, monitoring, with SRs work plan and budgets implemented in compliance with UNDP’s SR agreement, contracts, while ensuring quality of the programme;
- Liaises with headquarters on crucial events, high-risk periods, incident reporting;
- Leads on programme audits (including Sub-recipients) and investigations under the guidance of the Resident Representative and in coordination with the Regional Bureau, Office of Audit and Investigations, GF/HIST and ensure follow up on audit recommendations; and
- Develops and completes regular reviews of the risk management matrix for the GF grant, SRs and technical partners.
3. Ensures creation of strategic partnerships and support the implementation of the resource mobilization, focusing on achievement of the following results:
- Coordinates, build partnerships and maintain excellent relationship with national partners, including the Ministry of Health and its different departments, UN Agencies, NGOs/CSOs, financial and technical partners and other implementing partners as well as with international and local stakeholders to ensure transparent and effective implementation of the GF programme;
- Supports national planning processes related to the GF programme, based on evidence gained during implementation of the programme;
- Maintains close co-ordination between the GF programme and other health initiatives in the country to ensure and promote continuity, partnership building and avoid duplication of programmatic activities;
- Supports implementation of interventions and policy guidance related to the removal of human rights and gender related barriers to the access to and uptake of services;
- Maintains effective partnership with government and regional institutions, implementing partners and UNDP colleagues to exchange critical and technical information and resolve programme/project implementation issues to ensure results are achieved as planned; and
- Establishes dialogue with donors, partners and stakeholders to maintain effective working relationships, sustain interests, resource mobilization and cooperation.
4. Ensures provision of policy advice and strategic technical guidance focusing on achievement of the following results:
- Ensures harmonization and integration of the Global Fund funded programme(s) into the national strategic plans/policies on disease programmes;
- Provides policy and technical advice to the Ministry of Health, other government ministries, national disease programmes, and implementing partners and support work on programme adjustments, as necessary;
- Coordinates planned studies and programme review(s) with the national programme(s), in collaboration with other government ministries, civil society, UN agencies and technical partners;
- Supports implementation of interventions and policy guidance related to the removal of human rights and gender related barriers to the access to and uptake of services;
- Coordinates the involvement of involvements of all SR and partners (civil society, government, NGOs, etc.); and
- Participates in technical committees of the Country Coordinating Mechanism as appropriate.
5. Actively leads on the development of a capacity building and transition plan and facilitation of knowledge building and sharing focusing on achievement of the following results:
- Engages with national partners to strengthen resilient health systems and institutions including national disease programmes and across functional areas including, procurement and supply management, monitoring, financial management and oversight, risk management, programme and SR management and monitoring;
- Engages with national partners and oversee the development of capacity development and transition strategies aimed at assisting governments and national programmes to increase implementation and assume the PR role over time;
- Undertakes a synthesis of lessons learnt and disseminate best practices for management of the programme;
- Represents UNDP in relevant technical meetings with partners, working groups;
- Contributes substantially to information sharing with other agencies/partners at the global, regional and local level and within UNDP; and
- Actively participates in UNDP and other relevant external networks to promote UNDP’s health and development work in relevant forums (conferences, e-forum).
6. Any other duty assigned by the Deputy Resident Representative.
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
Technical/Functional
Primary
- HIV, Health, and Development: Understanding and practical experience of issues related to HIV, Health, and Development and social determinants of health and the ability to apply them to strategic and/or practical situations
- Project Management: Ability to plan, organize, and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals
- Development Effectiveness: Knowledge of development effectiveness concepts, principles and issues and the ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations, covering the economic, social and environmental dimensions
- Capacity Development: Ability to strengthen and maintain the capabilities of individuals, societies, organizations and governments to set and achieve development objectives over time
- Resource Mobilization: Ability to identify and organize programmes and projects to implement solutions and generate resources
- Partnerships: Ability to engage with other agencies and forge productive working relationships
- Risk Management: Ability to identify and prioritize risks, and organize action around mitigating them
Secondary
- Knowledge Management and Communications: Ability to efficiently handle and share information and knowledge
- Representation: Ability to productively share UNDP knowledge and activities (at UN and other venues)
- Advocacy: Ability to advocate a point of view and influence others
Education:
- Master’s degree in Public Administration, Public Health, International Development, Business Administration, Social Sciences or related field.
- A Masters in Public Health is an asset.
Experience:
- At least 10 years of relevant professional experience managing people, budgets and public health programmes.
- Lived and worked in challenging operating environments.
- Demonstrated experience in developing and managing effective partnerships with government and civil society organizations in the context of health and development programmes.
- Knowledge and experience working with UN or UNDP agencies is an asset.
- Knowledge of Global Fund policies and procedures.
- Successful track record in management of Global Fund programmes is an asset.
Language Requirements:
- Fluency in English, both written and oral.
- Fluency in Spanish or Portuguese, both written and oral.
Other:
- Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages
- Experience in handling web-based management systems
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.
Workforce diversity
UNDP is committed to achieving diversity within its workforce, and encourages all qualified applicants, irrespective of gender, nationality, disabilities, sexual orientation, culture, religious and ethnic backgrounds to apply. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.
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Contract Duration: 1 Year with possibility for extension