Cluster Leader, MDG Support Cluster
Through the Millennium Declaration and the Millennium Development Goals the world is addressing the many dimensions of sustainable human development, including halving by 2015 the proportion of people living in extreme poverty. Inclusive growth with pillars of sustained pro-poor growth, equity in resources, services and income and productive employment has been identified as a major strategy for accelerating and achieving the MDGs. The issue of low-carbon and climate-resilient development is key to sustainable human development. But in recent times, countries have found that the normal development trajectories can be severely affected by shocks and vulnerabilities, coming from different sources – economic and financial crisis, food price and energy price hikes, natural disasters and so on. Climate change also remains as a major source of shocks. Resilience of nations is an important development goal and in that context, issues of social protection remain critical interventions. Vulnerabilities have extended beyond the economic arena. The widening inequalities in capabilities, opportunities and development outcomes across nations and within countries have created socio-political tensions regionally and within countries. Changing demographic patterns in many parts of the world have added to it. People’s empowerment is thus a major objective. As a result, the MDG progress provides a mixed picture. Impressive achievements have been made on several fronts, but progress has been uneven across regions and countries as well as within countries. Furthermore, with multiple crises and emerging challenges, there have been decelerations and even reversals in many MDGs in many situations. Last but not the least, significant deprivations and gaps remain in many areas of human well-being. With five years to go, MDGs thus represent an unfinished agenda. In these contexts, countries are working to create their own national and local strategies, based on their own aspirations, needs and priorities. UNDP advocates for these nationally-owned solutions and helps countries to make them effective through ensuring a greater voice for poor people, expanding access to productive assets and economic opportunities, and linking poverty programmes with countries' international economic and financial policies. At the same time, UNDP contributes to efforts at reforming trade, debt relief and investment arrangements to better support national poverty reduction strategies and make globalization work for the poor. UNDP supports countries to address structural challenges as well as sudden shocks and vulnerabilities. It brings to the table knowledge products, tools and methodologies, innovative solutions and development experiences. In that process, it builds on South-South cooperation and uses Teamworks. Over the years, UNDP has provided significant support to countries for integrating the MDGs into their national development plans and strategies, in determining the cost implications for various strategies for achieving the MDGs and also in assessing and monitoring the MDG progress. Last year, UNDP undertook the intellectual leadership in bringing to the table evidence on proven interventions, in informing the process as well as the MDG Outcome document for the 2010 MDG Summit and also formulating a MDG Breakthrough Strategy. UNDP has also led in developing and rolling-out a MDG Acceleration Framework (MAF), endorsed by UNDG as a living document, in 14 countries. The MAF, which focuses on diagnosing the lagging MDGs and the binding constraints, identifying the relevant solutions from the proven set and supporting countries in implementing it. It has led to country-level MDG Action Plans, anchored in the national development process and aligned with UNDAFs. UNDP is now engaged in extending MAF in more countries and is working on the issue of sustenance of MDG progress. UNDP's core services in the area of poverty reduction and the achievement of the MDGs focus on three main areas: Inclusive Development, Inclusive Globalization, and Support for MDG Acceleration and Sustenance. In addition, UNDP's work on poverty and inclusive growth is reinforced by the International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth (IPC-IG), a joint initiative between UNDP and the Brazilian Government that promotes South-South Cooperation on applied poverty research and by Regional Poverty Practice Leaders and Policy Advisers in Regional Service Centre (RSCs) and over 166 country offices. Our core services to support national efforts to reduce poverty and inequalities, ensure inclusive growth and achieve the MDGs involve: (1) Policy advice and technical support; (2) Strengthening capacity of institutions and individuals (3) Advocacy, communications, and public information; (4) Promoting and brokering dialogue; and (5) Knowledge networking and sharing of good practices. Within this overall context, the work of the MDG Support Cluster (MSC) will focus on global debate and discourse on MDG issues; concrete support to MDG acceleration through MAF and sustaining the MDG progress with a specific focus on localizing MDGs; on partnership and resources for MDG achievements and the intellectual discourse issues beyond 2015. It will also drive on corporate priorities on MDGs, acting as the Secretariat to MDG Acceleration Group, providing support to UNDG MDG Task Force and to MDG Africa Steering and Working Groups convened by the Secretary-General and the Deputy Secretary-General.
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Duties and Responsibilities | |
Within the overall vision and the work of the Poverty Practice, the Cluster Leader of MSC will lead the Cluster in terms of providing strategic leadership and vision to it – both substantively and operationally, implement the work plan of the Cluster including the management of assigned staff resources - both in New York and also in Regional Service Centres, and effective use of resources and timely delivery of outputs. As a member of the Management Team of the Poverty Practice, the Cluster Leader of MSC will assist the Practice Director, support the Practice Manager and coordinate with other Cluster Leaders in determining the strategic direction and focus of the Poverty Practice, implementing its work plan and ensuring effective management of the Practice in terms of financial and human resources implications. The Cluster Leader will contribute to practice advocacy, practice management and coordination, research and content development as well as policy development and policy advisory and programme support and delivery in various areas of the MDGs. In these context, he/she will participate in global debate and dialogue on the MDGs; formulate the UNDP position on various issues of the MDGs; provide policy guidance to UNCTs and UNDP country offices on MDG acceleration and sustenance of MDG progress; provide substantive leadership and backup for a global network of UNDP practitioners and field-based policy specialists in giving direct policy support to developing countries; and build a global network of experts and institutions to provide research, policy guidance and technical assistance that are relevant to the practical needs of programme countries. He/she will work closely with other Clusters of Poverty Practice, other UNDP practices and with other UN agencies with substantive expertise in different Practice areas, including Democratic Governance, Environment and Energy, HIV/AIDS and Conflict Prevention and Recovery and such cross-cutting themes as capacity development and gender equality. He/she will play a key role in promoting the exchange of good practices and innovative thinking across regions and in providing substantive leadership. The Cluster Leader is expected to represent UNDP in key international and global for on the subject matter and to be able to engage leading thinkers, academics, and high-level government functionaries/Ministers on UNDP’s position, comparative advantage, and activities in this field. In all these contexts, development entrepreneurship is a key to strategically position UNDP and move forward its agenda in a rapidly changing complex development scenario. As a development entrepreneur, the Cluster Leader is expected to lead formulation of innovative solutions to MDG acceleration, including MAF, sustaining MDG progress and MDG localization in the backdrop of different development challenges, develop partnership and contribute to resources mobilization. The Cluster Leader for MSC will also serve as a Senior Adviser on MDG acceleration, MAF, sustaining MDG progress and MDG localization. He/she would be a thought leader in terms of issues beyond 2015 and would engage strategically both in house and the outside world in informing the discussion and shaping the agenda. The specific tasks of the Cluster Leader of MSC will be: Cluster management and coordination
Policy Development
Research and content development
Policy advisory/programme support
Practice advocacy
Development entrepreneurship
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Competencies | |
Leadership & Management:
Substantive skills:
Integrity:
Professionalism:
Communication:
Judgment/Decision-Making:
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Required Skills and Experience | |
Education:
Experience:
Language:
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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. |
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