Team Leader, Poverty

New Delhi

Organization: UNDP - United Nations Development Programme
Location: New Delhi
Grade: Mid level - NO-C, National Professional Officer - Locally recruited position
Occupational Groups:
- Poverty Reduction
- Sustainable Development and Poverty Reduction
- Managerial positions
Closing Date: Closed

Background

UNDP Global Mission Statement:

UNDP is the UN’s global development network, an organization advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP is on the ground in about 170 countries and territories, working with national counterparts on solutions to global and national development challenges.

UNDP India Mission Statement:

UNDP’s Country Programme in India is aimed at facilitating transformative change and development impact at scale by improving systems for service delivery, expanding livelihood opportunities, promoting environmental sustainability and resilience, and strengthening capacities and financing for accelerating SDG implementation.

Organizational Context

UNDP has worked in India since 1951 in almost all areas of human development, from systems and institutional strengthening to inclusive growth and sustainable livelihoods, to sustainable energy, environment, and resilience. The Country Programme 2018-2022 was formulated in close consultation with the Government of India and guided by the UNDP Strategic Plan 2018-2021 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Framework for India 2018-2022. The Programme includes three outcomes: institutional and systems strengthening for service delivery; inclusive growth; and energy, environment, and resilience. This approach is underpinned by promoting multi-stakeholder partnerships and supporting innovations to transform traditional models of development.

Outcome 1, institutional and systems strengthening for service delivery, is anchored in the national priorities of e-governance, Digital India, citizen-centric service delivery, effective implementation, and effective justice delivery. This includes SDG planning, budgeting, coordination and monitoring and strengthening health and governance systems including through digital innovation.

Outcome 2, inclusive growth, is anchored in the national priority of poverty reduction and accelerated growth with inclusion and equity, employment generation, and skill India. This includes facilitating partnership with state institutions, private sector and community groups to provide access to sustainable skills, jobs, livelihoods and productive assets, with a focus on women and youth.

Outcome 3, energy, environment and resilience, is anchored in the national priority of energy conservation and efficiency, environmental sustainability, stronger natural resource management, and community resilience. UNDP provides leadership support to the Government and its partners to promote innovation and deliver high quality results through Global Environment Facility (GEF) and climate financing, and leverages South-South exchange of policy, analysis and expertise. This includes addressing climate change, enhancing access to clean energy, improving management of hazardous chemicals and waste, and strengthening natural resource management and disaster resilience.

In this context, the Poverty Reduction portfolio provides thought leadership on cross-cutting poverty, jobs and livelihoods issues in India, and globally, to ensure that UNDP’s mandate of convening development partners in support of the national development agenda is amplified by internal knowledge, research, and stand-out policy advice, informed by a commitment to the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Team Leader leads the Country Office team in developing, designing and executing the poverty reduction portfolio for UNDP India under the guidance of the Deputy Resident Representative. S/he also works in close collaboration with other policy and programme portfolios to ensure a collaborative and harmonized joint UNDP programme.

She/he ensures:

•Provision of quality policy advice services to the Government and facilitation of knowledge building and management.

•Alignment of the strategic direction of the programme with UNDP’s vision for India.

•Effective management of the programme portfolio and team.

•Advancement of strategic partnerships and resource mobilization and expansion of country portfolio.

The Team Leader also ensures thorough research and analysis of the India context in furthering and extending programmes and projects in line with UNDP’s priorities for the Country’s development, with special focus on sustainability, community development and economic wellbeing. He/she will also:

•Advocate with a variety of stakeholders for the implementation and embedding of poverty reduction initiatives in country programme design.

•Identify and develop strategic programme areas of cooperation.

•Actively participate in formulation of the Country Programme Document (CPD) in collaboration with other partners.

•Identify possibilities for and contribute to joint programming.

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of Key Functions:

•Leads strategic policy and overall guidance for the Poverty Reduction portfolio.

•Ensures effective management, implementation and quality assurance of the country programme portfolio.

•Establishes and maintains strategic partnerships and leads resource mobilization.

•Designs and develops new programmes and projects in line with national and corporate priorities.

1.Leads strategic policy and overall guidance for the Poverty Reduction portfolio:

•Provides thought leadership and identifies strategic policy and programme issues in close collaboration with national partners;

•Guides, designs and formulates the UNDP Poverty Reduction portfolio translating programme priorities into local interventions and ensuring coordination and networking with clients, stakeholders and programme partners;

•Conducts thorough analysis of the political, social and economic situation in the country and collaborative preparation/revision of project documents and other documents;

•Ensures contribution to the CPD though ongoing Poverty Reduction programmes and projects and in collaboration with main partners and other UN agencies;

•Collaborates with colleagues in the Bangkok Regional Hub (BRH) and HQ to apply learning from new global and regional initiatives in country programming, policies and knowledge products that further the Poverty Reduction Portfolio.

2.Ensures effective management and implementation of the country programme portfolio in compliance with UNDP policies:

•Leads, organizes and coordinates implementation of all Poverty Reduction project activities in close collaboration with colleagues as well as with Headquarters and BRH as required;

•Coordinates and guides UNDP activities/programme/ projects in close coordination with national stakeholders;

•Liaises with Government counterparts, funding and development partners and other partners for the smooth implementation of activities;

•Manages the Portfolio team and provides proper guidance to and supervision of staff, employees and consultants;

•Monitors and ensures effective implementation progress, financial management and achievement of results, in accordance with UNDP policies, UN rules and regulations and applicable donor requirements.

•Ensures sound design, planning, management and coordination associated with the design and implementation of the programme strategy, including by preparing thematic interventions, detailed and costed work and staffing plans for the timely and realistic achievement of projects’ objectives;

•Ensures quality control of the full cycle of programming from formulation to implementation;

•Continuously monitors and analyses programme environment and impact, and makes timely readjustments to programmes as needed;

•Advices on effective application of RBM tools, establishes management targets and supports evaluation;

•Writes and communicates on best practices and lessons learned linked to programme and policy goals;

•Effectively contributes to knowledge networks and communities of practice;

•Regularly prepares aggregate reports on programme activities, outputs and outcomes and prepares donor reports and other reports and briefs.

3. Establishes and maintains strategic partnerships and leads resource mobilization:

•Leads and maintains strong and strategic working relations with Government counterparts as well as well as other national stakeholders and international partners;

•Promotes long-term sustainability and growth through the establishment of strategic partnerships with a variety of stakeholders and the securing of financial support by governments, international, public and private sector donors in the country;

•Identifies funding opportunities for ongoing and new projects and oversees and ensures effective CO partnerships and resource mobilization strategies to achieve programme outcomes;

•Engages proactively and closely with the UN Country Team with a view to design and implement joint programmes where relevant and participate in joint resource mobilization activities.

•Represents UNDP at external meetings within his/her area of programming.

4. Designs and develops new programmes and projects in line with national and corporate priorities

•Designs and formulates projects and programmes within the area of responsibility, translating UNDP priorities into local interventions;

•Identifies opportunities for new programme/project development including joint programming with UN agencies;

•Determines programmatic areas of cooperation in line with the CPD and UNDP Strategic Plan, based on strategic goals, country needs and donor priorities;

•Identifies linkages with other UNDP supported programmes;

•Establishes advocacy networks and supports implementation of high impact advocacy campaigns with key partners.

Competencies

Innovation

Ability to make new and useful ideas work

Level 5: Creates new and relevant ideas and leads others to implement them

Leadership

Ability to persuade others to follow

Level 5: Plans and acts transparently, actively works to remove barriers

People Management

Ability to improve performance and satisfaction

Level 5: Models high professional standards and motivates excellence in others

Communication

Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform

Level 5: Gains trust of peers, partners, clients by presenting complex concepts in practical terms to others

Delivery

Ability to get things done while exercising good judgement

Level 5: Critically assesses value and relevance of existing policy / practice and contributes to enhanced delivery of products, services, and innovative solutions

Technical/Functional

Primary

Trends and emerging areas analytics

Ability to scan the horizon and identify approaches and initiatives to bring into environment and climate change policy and programme design

Level 5: Originate: Catalyzes new ideas, methods, and applications to pave a path for innovation and continuous improvement in professional area of expertise

Results-Based Management

Ability to manage programmes and projects with a strategy aimed at improved performance and demonstrable results

Level 5: Originate: Catalyzes new ideas, methods, and applications to pave a path for innovation and continuous improvement in professional area of expertise

Partnerships

Ability to engage with other agencies, donors, and other development stakeholders and forge productive working relationships

Level 5:Originate: Catalyzes new ideas, methods, and applications to pave a path for innovation and continuous improvement in professional area of expertise

Project Management

Ability to plan, organize, and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals.

Level 5: Originate: Catalyzes new ideas, methods, and applications to pave a path for innovation and continuous improvement in professional area of expertise

Knowledge Management

Ability to efficiently handle and share information and knowledge

Level 5: Originate: Catalyzes new ideas, methods, and applications to pave a path for innovation and continuous improvement in professional area of expertise

Secondary

Resource Mobilization

Ability to identify and organize programmes and projects to implement solutions and generate resources.

Level 5: Originate: Catalyses new ideas, methods, and applications to pave a path for innovation and continuous improvement in professional area of expertise

Level 5: Integrate & Empower (Strategic Advisor)

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

An advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in economics, political/social science, international relations or related field, is required. A first-level university degree in similar fields in combination with seven years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

•A minimum of 5 years with a Master’s degree or 7 years with Bachelor’s degree, of progressively responsible experience in programme/project management in international development organizations, bilateral development agencies and/or international NGOs. ·

•Additional years of relevant professional experience highly desirable.

•Experience of working with UNDP or another UN agency would be an asset.

•Proven ability to work effectively in multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural teams.

•Proven programme management experience with sound knowledge of all aspects of the project cycle (design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation).

•Strong interpersonal and written and oral communication skills

Language Requirements:

•Good written and spoken English.

•Fluency in national language.

Disclaimer

Important applicant information

All posts in the GS categories are subject to local recruitment.

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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.

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