Project Analyst (Office-Based)

Position description

The Regional Bureau Africa (RBA) team in New York provides overall strategic oversight, guidance and quality assurance, management support and broader regional analysis, including on global issues. RBA promotes UNDP Strategic Plan that aims to strengthen UNDP’s position as Africa’s premier enabler and integrator for the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. The Directorate provides strategic analysis and political advisement to RBA leadership in managing interagency affairs, engagement with UNCTs and Country Offices, participation in UN working groups and guidance on continuous engagement with large-scale regional initiatives and programmes, and is the interoffice focal point. The portfolio of the Directorate includes the Regional Strategy Team, the timbuktoo Initiative for strengthening entrepreneurship and innovation through pan-African startup support and the RBA Front Office, which provides executive support functions for senior management. 

Under the direct supervision of the timbuktoo Initiative Global Lead (Global Lead), the Project Analyst acts in his/her capacity to contribute to the mandate of Directorate’s Flagship Initiative agenda through informed research and analysis, support to Global Lead, and the regular production of knowledge products. The Analyst will support the Global Lead in positioning UNDP as a thought leader in African multilateralism, a proactive force in shaping the continent’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, and an informed agent in reacting to developments from regional agents and organizations. The Analyst will also enhance the efficacy of, backstop for, and assist the overall timbuktoo Initiative team and the Global Lead in the responsibilities of their portfolio including as it pertains to UN reporting, partnerships, UN-UN engagement and coordination with UNDP Country Offices and the timbuktoo Africa Innovation Foundation. The Analyst will report regularly on and assist the Global Lead in preparing concepts and briefings for UNDP senior management as they relate to the functions of the Directorate. Finally, the Analyst will respond to ad-hoc taskings from the Global Lead as necessary and improve the organizational efficiency of the Directorate and timbuktoo team by handling logistics and operations for the Global Lead related to mission travel, event planning and coordination, meeting engagements and associated organization. 

Scope of Work

The Analyst will support the Global Lead, Timbuktoo in the following areas:

1.Reporting and Analysis – Provision of high-quality reporting and analysis to the Global Lead

• Provide support in fact-checking and formatting of reports; ensuring accuracy and adherence to organizational standards in all documentations; analyzing and interpreting the timbuktoo initiative processes and their associated outcomes.  This includes documenting and communicating results clearly and understandably to facilitate decision-making within the timbuktoo initiative and RBA.
• The Analyst will contribute to the managing of the reporting mechanisms executed by the Initiative as a project within UNDP and oversee documentation and organization of Initiative engagements and mandated execution to instantiate standard operating procedures and build institutional memory.

2. Ensure effective coordination of Headquarters timbuktoo Initiative 

• Serve as a focal point between timbuktoo units, coordinating with their respective section leads, the Directorate and project Senior Technical Advisor. They will contribute to building UNDP project institutionalization through timely and quality mandated reporting.

3. Liaison with Country Offices and Regional Service Center: 

• Coordinate with UNDP Country Offices and the Regional Service Center under the guidance of relevant timbuktoo section leads when appropriate to facilitate the flow of information to the RBA Directorate.
• Respond rapidly to requests relating to Directorate projects and initiatives from COs and the RSCA and will work closely with their counterparts at RSCA in mutual support of the Global Lead on workstreams that engage both HQ and the RSCA.

4.  Support to RBA Directorate

• Act as the focal point for the timbuktoo initiative to manage responses to requests and taskings from the units of the Directorate as necessary.  This includes coordinating timbuktoo inputs to briefing notes, concept notes and related documentation for the Regional Director, the EXO as required.
• Through providing updates, analyses, insights and knowledge products to drive a clear narrative for timbuktoo in corporate processes, the incumbent will support the Global Lead, timbuktoo

5. Provide general and operations support: 

• Support procurement processes within the Directorate, assist in the organization of high-level and technical meetings, liaise with internal and external stakeholders, and organizing and coordinating events, seminars and conferences as appropriate and facilitate mission travel and other internal processes for the Global Lead.

6. Facilitate knowledge and capacity building, knowledge sharing and advocacy relevant to the assigned thematic area(s). 

• Organize training, workshops, and capacity building activities in a consultative manner, involving technical experts and stakeholders that may include the government, private sector, NGOs, donors, and/or academia.
• Identify, synthesize and document best practices and lessons learned that are generated from the project and implementing partners.
• The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Institutional Arrangement

• This position will be reporting exclusively to the timbuktoo Initiative Global Lead, Directorate, Regional Bureau for Africa, United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

Competencies

CoreAchieve Results:LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadlineThink Innovatively:LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements Learn Continuously:LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedbackAdapt with Agility:LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confidentEngage and Partner:LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationshipsEnable Diversity and Inclusion:LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination 

 

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies 

Thematic AreaNameDefinitionBusiness Direction & StrategyStrategic Thinking

• Develop effective strategies and prioritised plans in line with UNDP’s mission and objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, opportunities and potential risks; link the general vision to reality on the ground to create tangible targeted solutions; learn from a variety of sources to anticipate and effectively respond to both current and future trends; demonstrate foresight.

Business Development Knowledge Generation

• Ability to research information and to turn it into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need. Ability to apply existing concepts to new situations, and to develop new concepts to generate workable solutions and new approaches. Knowledge of relevant concepts, conceptual models, and theories that can be useful in addressing new situations.

Business Direction & StrategySystems Thinking

• Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system.

Business ManagementMonitoring & Evaluation

• Ability to systematically monitor results of strategies, programmes, and activities with a view to make sure that they are being implemented effectively; Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback and reporting on the consistency or discrepancy between planned activities and programme management and results.
• Ability to make independent judgment of the management and results of strategies, programmes and activities based on set criteria and benchmark, keeping in mind the needs and concerns of client, current and upcoming. Knowledge and understanding of monitoring and evaluation frameworks, concepts, methodologies, systems, processes, and tools. Ability to make an independent judgement based on set criteria and benchmarks. Ability to anticipate client’s upcoming needs and concerns.

Business managementPartnership management

• Build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies.

UN Systems AffairsIntergovernmental Affairs

• Knowledge of intergovernmental bodies (General Assembly, ECOSOC, UNDESA, etc.), including respective mandates, ways of working, and negotiation processes.

 

Please refer to the competency framework site for the entire list of competencies and further explanations. 

 

Minimum Qualifications of the Successful IPSA

Min. Education requirements          

• Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in development-linked field such as International Development, International Relations, Economics, Political Science or relevant field is required. OR
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the above-mentioned fields of studies in combination with an additional (2) two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of an advanced university degree.

Min. years of relevant work experience   

• Applicants with master’s degree (or equivalent) in a relevant field of study are not required to have professional work experience.
• Applicants with a bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) are required to have a minimum of 2 years of experience in Project Management, Research, Administration and/or Operations Support.

Required skills            

• Proven track record of solid background and knowledge of development theory and development issues.
• Familiarity with Africa’s development context and prospects.
• Ability to deliver timely and high-quality documentation and knowledge products consistent with the portfolio of RBA’s Directorate.
• Demonstrated experience using policy-level analysis to produce informative, actionable documentation for senior management based on partnership and policy outcomes.

Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section

• Familiarity with operational structure of UNDP RBA Flagship Initiatives.
• Demonstrated experience in the usage of relevant software packages.
• Experience handling UN web-based operations systems.
• Experience working in a multi-cultural environment with multiple
• stakeholders, especially with a UN agency.
• Prior UN experience

Required Language(s)            

• Fluency in written and spoken English is required.
• Working knowledge of another UN language would be an asset.

 

Application instructions

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