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.

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 Promote cluster coherence across Poverty Practice, ensure cluster work planning, financial and human resources management and as a member of the management Team of the Poverty Practice, support the Practice Director both in substantive and operational areas 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 Liaise substantively with other Practices (e.g. Democratic Governance, Environment and Energy, HIV/AIDS and Crisis Prevention and Recovery) and with cross-cutting areas (e.g. gender, capacity development) to ensure integrated policy guidance and advisory services to UNDP country offices Manage programmes within the Cluster and ensuring oversight and Integrate meaningfully the operating principles into the MSC Cluster work and mobilize resources for Global programmes, Trust Funds and flagship initiatives Provide strategic leadership in indentifying the scope of multi-practice work, develop the content in relevant areas, mobilize the Team and move it forward Ensure the secretariat function to the MDG Acceleration Group and strategic support to UNDG MDG Task Force, and Executive Office of the Secretary-General on the MDG Africa Steering and Working Group, as well as other MDG initiatives led by the Secretary-General. Policy Development Play the leading role in the Poverty Practice for policies for MDG acceleration and sustaining MDG progress. This focus will cover diagnostic aspects, identification of proven interventions, innovative approaches; mutually synergetic solutions etc. Lead the MDG localization initiatives in terms of nationally scaling up locally successful interventions or replicating the initiatives across countries Take a lead role in testing and piloting designed policies and programmes in global, regional and country-level programmes in close collaboration with Policy Advisers in RSCs Interact substantively with other UN agencies and development partners to ensure mutual synergies in policy development through exchanges of ideas, learning from mutual experiences and collective research Provide substantive inputs in international and regional conferences and other fora on issues of MDG acceleration and sustenance of MDG progress Research and content development Lead work on analysis of data, case studies, applied policy research in order to distil good practices and lessons in various areas of MDG acceleration, MDG localization, sustaining MDG progress and innovative approaches to MDG achievement Lead discussions and debates on MDG acceleration, sustaining MDG progress, MDG localization and innovative approaches to MDG achievement in Teamworks, UNDP’s Poverty Network and UNDG Policy Network and thus promote knowledge networking within UNDP and with other UN agencies Produce cutting-edge discussion papers, Human Development Viewpoints, IPC-IG One-Pagers, working papers, practice notes, major research papers and book publications on MDG acceleration, sustaining MDG progress, MDG localization and innovative approaches to MDG achievements Generate, based upon research and analysis, innovative operational concepts and develop, test and roll out tools and methodologies in areas of MDG acceleration, sustaining MDG progress, MDG localization and innovative approaches to MDG achievements Policy advisory/programme support Spearhead the provision of technical and policy advisory services on MDG acceleration, sustaining MDG progress, MDG localization and innovative approaches and supervising other Poverty Practice Policy Advisors working in the MSC and through active collaboration with regional bureaux and RSCs and with selected strategically important country offices Provide policy advice at the country level by ensuring the highest caliber policy analysis and substantive support. Undertake participatory and broad-based multi-stakeholder consultation processes to accomplish this task. Contribute to strengthening the capacity of national governments, private sector, civil society including media in such diverse areas as effective participation in national and local economic policy-making processes, fostering skills in coalition-building, monitoring the implementation of MDG Action Plan and making information about decision-making available to people, providing access by civil society including the voices of the poor in policy-making mechanisms. Play a leading role in training and capacity development in MDG areas for effective programme support Practice advocacy Contribute to strategic partnerships, where appropriate, with U.N. organizations for advocacy and development of MDG acceleration, sustenance of MDG progress, MDG localization and issues beyond 2015 Develop partnerships at the highest level with NGOs and civil society institutions working in areas of MDGs Formulate, with guidance from the Senior Management of UNDP, the position of the organization in various areas of MDGs Contribute to the communication strategy of the Poverty Practice and liaise with the BDP Directorate, the Communication Office and others Represent the organization in key international fora where appropriate and contribute to present the UNDP’s position and work to the outside world. Development entrepreneurship In policy development, research and content development, innovate strategies and policy options and development solution. In that context, draw on southern solutions, development experiments and experiences In policy support and programme, experiment with new modus operandi for service delivery. Develop new partnerships and draw on concentric circles of COP. Innovate new ways of public and policy advocacy for resource mobilization, greater visibility of the organization in a mutually synergetic way Lead the discussion and discourse on the issue of beyond 2015. Build alliance with other partners, inform the process within UN and UNDP, influence the agenda and strategically position UNDP in that context

Competencies

Leadership & Management: Strong managerial/leadership and decision-making skills; Proven record of building and managing teams and creating an enabling environment, including the ability to effectively lead, supervise, mentor, develop and evaluate staff, and design training/skills enhancement initiatives to ensure effective transfer of knowledge/skills; Demonstrated flexibility in leadership by performing and/or overseeing the analysis of complex programme issues Excellent management and team building skills Strong resource mobilization and partnering skills; Strong management experience, including change management experience, in a global multicultural setting respecting gender equality and an ability to contribute to team work; Substantive skills: Demonstrated intellectual leadership and ability to integrate knowledge with broader strategic, policy and operational objectives; Well-versed in all key facets of poverty reduction and solid analytical knowledge of MDG issues and the ability to frame them in a holistic manner. Strong research skills on general topics of sustainable human development; Innovative approach to problem solving and to global development issues Substantive knowledge and understanding of development cooperation, with emphasis on functional issues related to analysis, advocacy, partnership building, outreach to RSCs and Country Offices, and resource mobilization efforts Experience in providing advisory services to developing countries in areas related to MDG acceleration, sustaining MDG progress, MDG localization and innovative approaches to MDG achievements Integrity: Demonstrated integrity, ability to stand by the decisions that are in the Organization’s interest and resist undue pressure in decision-making; Ability to act without consideration of personal gain and take prompt action in case of unprofessional and unethical behavior. Professionalism: Ability to assume higher-level responsibility within large international organizations and to respond flexibly to their structural changes; Flexibility in carrying out responsibilities and responsiveness to complex needs and demands Ability to effectively represent UNDP at the senior level in internal and external meetings; Communication: Excellent drafting ability and communication skills, both oral and written; ability to defend and explain difficult and complex issues with respect to key decisions and positions to staff, senior officials and members of legislative and oversight bodies. Excellent presentation skills. An extensive global network of institutional and individual contacts; Judgment/Decision-Making: Mature judgment and initiative and Independent judgment and discretion in advising on and handling major management and operational-related issues and problems; Proven ability to provide strategic direction and ensure an effective work structure to maximize productivity and achieve goals. Demonstrated ability to serve in a senior management team and to provide leadership to a team Dedication to UN principles and demonstrated management abilities, including being able to work harmoniously with persons of different cultural backgrounds. Extensive experience with the UN system, and development cooperation more broadly. Familiarity with UN global policies, treaties, processes and partners the ability to forge partnerships with other UN agencies, Bretton Woods Institutions and other development actors.

Required Skills and Experience

Education: Master's in Economics or other development-focused discipline with proven expertise in one particular area. Experience: 15 years of work experience in national/international organizations with a proven substantive (research and publications) and managerial track record. Experience in developing regions is desired. Language: Fluent and proficient in English. Fluency in at least one other UN language strongly desirable.

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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.