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Assistant Country Director (Programme)

Under the direct guidance of the Deputy Country Director (DCD) and the overall guidance of the Country Director, the Assistant Country Director Programme (ACD-P) acts as a manager and advisor to Senior Management on CO programme, ensuring quality control and managing specific programme portfolio in one of the UNDP practice areas. The main role is to ensure the quality of programme implementation and to manage a specific program portfolio. The ACD (P) leads the programme quality control and identifies new programme areas while ensuring consistency with CPD priorities and creative responses to emerging challenges and opportunities.

ACD-P heads the program support unit and supervises the project under his/her responsibility.

Summary of Key Functions:

  • Ensuring the program quality assurance function in the country office and strengthen country office national capacity in this field
  • Ensuring communications of results to partners, both Government and donor countriesm, as well as overall visibility
  • Management of the specific CO programme under his/her responsiblity
  • Strategic partnerships and support to resource mobilization
  • Facilitation of knowledge building and management

Note: This position is a Development Project Funded (DPF) Post.

Duties and Responsibilities

As a member of the management team of the country office, ensure the program quality assurance in line with UNDP policies and procedures, focusing on the following results:

  • Support to operationalization of CPD and CPAP in collaboration with the main partners and other UN Agencies. Identification of possibilities for joint programming.
  • Analysis and presentation of UNDP policies and their implementation in the CO.
  • CO business processes mapping and establishment of internal Standard Operating Procedures in Results Management, control of the workflows in the Programme Unit.
  • Ensure timely programme results through the team
  • Ensure and monitor full compliance with quality standards and rules
  • Setting clear results and assessing performance of team members

Ensures communications of results to partners, both Government and donor partners, as well as overall visibility, specifically focusing on achieving the following results:

  • Effective application of RBM tools, establishment of management targets (BSC) and monitoring achievement of results.
  • Design and formulation of CO programme within the area of responsibility, translating UNDP priorities into local interventions. Coordination of programme implementation with the executing agencies.
  • Strategic oversight of planning, budgeting, implementing and monitoring of the programme, tracking use of financial resources in accordance with UNDP rules and regulations. ACD(P) performs the function of Manager Level 2 in Atlas for development projects transactions approval.
  • Effective monitoring, measuring the impact of the CO programme and evaluation. Constant monitoring and analysis of the programme environment, timely readjustment of programme.
  • Follow up on audit recommendations. All exceptions are timely reported.
    Aggregate reports are regularly prepared on activities, outputs and outcomes. Preparation of donor reports.
  • Organization of cost-recovery system for the services provided by the CO to projects in close collaboration with Operations Manager.
  • Assist CO in organizing regular donor meeting and field visits

Establishes and maintains strategic partnerships and supports the resource mobilization in cooperation with the Management Support and Business Development Team focusing on achievement of the following results:

  • Implementation of the CO partnerships and resources mobilization strategies to achieve programme outcomes.
  • Creation and coordination of partnerships with the UN Agencies, IFI’s, government institutions, bi-lateral and multi-lateral donors, private sector, civil society etc.
  • Determination of programmatic areas of cooperation, based on strategic goals of UNDP, country needs and donors’ priorities.
  • Analysis and research of information on donors, preparation of substantive briefs on possible areas of cooperation, identification of opportunities for cost-sharing.
  • Ensure regular and ad-hoc results based reports to donors as required.

Ensures provision of top quality advisory services and facilitation of knowledge building and management focusing on achievement of the following results:

  • Identification of sources of information related to policy-driven issues. Identification and synthesis of best practices and lessons learned directly linked to programme country policy goals.
  • Coordination of development of policies and institutions that will address the country problems and needs in collaboration with the Government and other strategic partners.
  • Establishment of advocacy networks at national level and linked to international networks. Relevant, high-impact advocacy campaigns are implemented with key partners.
  • Sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice.
  • Organization of trainings for the operations/ projects staff on programme.
  • Promote national staff skills and technical knowledge development through coaching, mentoring and encouraging staff learning and participation in specialized knowledge networks

Impact of Results

As a Leader of the one of the programmatic thematic focus area and as a senior expert, this function has significant impact on the reputation, relevance and strategic positioning of the UNDP Country Office both in the relevant thematic focus area and as a whole. Effective leadership, management and oversight of the programme and the team will contribute to the overall delivery and success of the country programme, reaching CPD goals and to the capacity of the Country Office to carry out successful resource mobilization. Effective oversight and management of financial resources and compliance with rules will protect the organizational accountability and maximize value for money. Effective management of the team will result in harmonious work environment, quality results and staff development.

Competencies

Functional Competencies:

Advocacy/Advancing A Policy-Oriented Agenda
Analysis and creation of messages and strategies
  • Creates effective advocacy strategies
  • Performs analysis of political situations and scenarios, and contributes to the formulation of institutional responses
Results-Based Programme Development and Management
Contributing to results through provision of information
  • Provides information for linkages across programme activities to help identify critical points of integration
  • Provides information and documentation on specific stages of projects/programme implementation
  • Provides background information to identify opportunities for project development and helps drafting proposals
  • Participates in the formulation of project proposals
Building Strategic Partnerships
Identifying and building partnerships
  • Effectively networks with partners seizing opportunities to build strategic alliances relevant to UNDP’s mandate and strategic agenda
  • Identifies needs and interventions for capacity building of counterparts, clients and potential partners
  • Promotes UNDP’s agenda in inter-agency meetings
Innovation and Marketing New Approaches
Developing new approaches
  • Seeks a broad range of perspectives in developing project proposals
  • Identifies new approaches and promotes their use in other situations
  • Creates an environment that fosters innovation and innovative thinking
  • Makes the case for innovative ideas from the team with own supervisor
Resource Mobilization (Field Duty Stations)
Implementing resource mobilization strategies
  • Analyzes information on potential bilateral donors and national counterparts to recommend a strategic approach
  • Identifies and compiles lessons learned
  • Develops a resource mobilization strategy at the country level
Promoting Organizational Learning and Knowledge Sharing
Developing tools and mechanisms
  • Makes the case for innovative ideas documenting successes and building them into the design of new approaches
  • Identifies new approaches and strategies that promote the use of tools and mechanisms
Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise
In-depth knowledge of the subject-matter
  • Understands more advanced aspects of primary area of specialization as well as the fundamental concepts of related disciplines
  • Keeps abreast of new developments in area of professional discipline and job knowledge and seeks to develop him/herself professionally
  • Demonstrates comprehensive knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments
  • Demonstrates comprehensive understanding and knowledge of the current guidelines and project management tools and utilizes these regularly in work assignments
Global Leadership and Advocacy for UNDP’s Goals
Analysis and creation of messages and strategies
  • Performed analysis of political situations and scenarios, and contributes to the formulation of institutional responses
  • Uses the opportunity to bring forward and disseminate materials for global advocacy work and adapts it for use at country level
Client Orientation
Contributing to positive outcomes for the client
  • Anticipates client needs
  • Works towards creating an enabling environment for a smooth relationship between the clients and service provider
  • Demonstrates understanding of client’s perspective
  • Solicits feedback on service provision and quality
Core Competencies:
  • Promoting ethics and integrity, creating organizational precedents
  • Building support and political acumen
  • Building staff competence, creating an environment of creativity and innovation
  • Building and promoting effective team
  • Creating and promoting enabling environment for open communication
  • Creating an emotionally intelligent organization
  • Leveraging conflict in the interests of UNDP & setting standards
  • Sharing knowledge across the organization and building a culture of knowledge sharing and learning. Promoting learning and knowledge management/sharing is the responsibility of each staff member.
  • Fair and transparent decision making; calculated risk-taking
Prince2 training and certification, RMG

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

  • Master’s Degree or equivalent in Business Administration, Public Administration, Economics, Political Sciences, Social Sciences or related field.

Experience:

  • 5 years of relevant experience at the national or international level in design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development projects and establishing inter-relationships among international organization and national governments. Practical experience in Governance reform and advisory services in a post conflict environment.
  • Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages, experience in handling of web based management systems.

Language Requirements:

  • Fluency in English both oral and written
  • Working knowledge of Arabic would be an asset
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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.

Assistant Country Director (Programme)