Job Vacancy For Programme Officer



Background

The UNDP Country Office in Ghana has just initiated the implementation of its new Country Programme Document (2018-2022). Under the Green, Equitable and Resilient Development pillar, UNDP is planning to:

a) Strengthen public institutional capacities to reduce environmental degradation and implement climate action

• UNDP will collaborate with the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation and other institutions to strengthen the planning and delivery process for gender-responsive mitigation and adaptation measures at national and local levels. This will involve focusing on internalizing and implementing global environmental agreements, promoting policy coherence, and coordinating climate change, disaster risk reduction (DRR), and green economy interventions across sectors. In addition, UNDP will work with research institutions to improve climate and environment-related information and knowledge management systems. UNDP will support the Ministry of Finance and other institutions on new ways to mobilize financial resources for policy implementation (including climate finance), and promote an enabling environment for green private sector investments. UNDP is also planning to strengthen partnerships with civil society organizations (CSOs) to better advocate and support action on inclusive participation for all segments of society, women in decision-making processes, and the management of natural resources.

b) Facilitate access to information, knowledge and tools that promote green jobs, citizen participation in environmental conservation, and community resilience

• UNDP will undertake targeted and catalytic interventions that have a clear potential to generate best practices to be upscaled and replicated. Drawing on its global expertise and network, UNDP will facilitate access to innovative tools, approaches and technologies developed and tested worldwide to: (i) help communities adapt to climate change, reduce their vulnerabilities to disasters and promote environmental conservation; (ii) support the private sector to make production/manufacturing more environmentally sustainable and enhance their involvement in inclusive markets and the delivery of green products and services.

• While promoting a cross-sectoral and integrated approach, UNDP will focus its interventions in these sectors: sustainable energy, forestry, agriculture, waste and chemicals management, and small-scale artisanal mining.

• The Programme Officer (Sustainable Development) will be the focal person for the management of selected projects and will provide programme management and technical/administrative assistance. She/he will directly report to the Cluster Manager of the Sustainable Development Cluster. In order to successfully deliver his/her work, she/he will need to work in close collaboration with the operations team, programme staff in other UN Agencies, UNDP HQs staff and Government officials, technical advisors and experts, multi-lateral and bi-lateral donors and civil society ensuring successful UNDP programme implementation.

Duties and Responsibilities

Programme Management: (50%)

• Support implementation and development of UNDP programme on sustainable development (climate change, disaster risk reduction, sustainable energy, biodiversity, etc.)
• Monitor project activities and progress and ensure that the agreed deliverables are produced satisfactorily according to plans
• Participate in various meetings in the sector, and seek the synergy of other ongoing projects by other development partners.
• Implement M&E tools and plans for the Sustainable Development Cluster.
• Perform other tasks as required by the Head of Programme and the Head of the Sustainable Development Cluster.

Technical and Administrative Assistance: (35%)

• Assist in review and comment on relevant submissions of the project reports to improve the technical quality.
• Support preparation of cluster work plans and facilitate of coordination of project implementation at the cluster level.
• Support procurement of goods and services (e.g. consultants), as well as administrative work for the cluster.

Resource Mobilization and Strategic Partnerships: (10%)

• Support resource mobilization efforts of the government
• Explore possible areas of cooperation and identify opportunities for initiation of new projects.

Knowledge Building and Management: (5%)

• Synthesize and document lessons learnt and best practices in programme.
• Develop success stories and articles to communicate UNDP’s achievements.

Competencies

• Communicating information and ideas: Communicating clearly and effectively. Seeking to understand the ideas of others. Facilitating and encouraging open communication. Creating an environment for open communication. Inspiring and persuading others.
• Ethics and values: Taking actions that are congruent with what he/she says. Reliably delivering on promises and honoring commitments made. Demonstrating consistency in upholding and promoting the values of UN/UNDP in actions and decisions. Demonstrating an appreciation of differences in values and learning from cultural diversity. Moves from demonstrating sensitivity to encouraging full participation, to leveraging diversity.
• Knowledge sharing/continuous learning: Taking responsibility for self-learning and development. Actively seeking learning and career development opportunities. Promoting organizational learning and knowledge management. Building a culture of knowledge sharing and learning.
• Organizational awareness: Understanding, building and using formal/ informal systems and contacts in a complex organizational and global environment to obtain results. Moves from an ability to use organizational services to assist others, to applying corporate thinking and applying judgment, to building support and finally, demonstrating political acumen.
• Self-management and emotional intelligence: Managing moods, responding effectively to stress, situations of ambiguity or crisis. Managing relationships with others to achieve mutual benefits. Building an emotionally intelligent organization.
• Working in teams: Working effectively with colleagues in ways that allow the achievement of shared objectives. Building teams both within existing organizational structures and outside of them. Creating team spirit and unity of purpose across the business unit.

Functional competencies:

• Building strategic partnerships: Establishing, maintaining, and utilizing a broad network of contacts. Building partnerships and strategic alliances. Leveraging the resources of national governments and other development partners.
• Client orientation: Understanding and meeting or exceeding client needs. Anticipating and addressing client needs and concerns. Developing innovative approaches to meeting client needs. Ensuring overall provision of quality services to clients.
• Job knowledge and technical expertise: Demonstrating and applying professional and/or technical expertise/knowledge of the post or discipline. Focusing on the knowledge and skill areas necessary to effectively perform the functions of the post. Identifying and seeking to expand knowledge and improve work processes.
• Conceptual innovation in the provision of technical expertise: Supporting UNDP’s advocacy by developing innovative and creative approaches to the provision of technical expertise. Moves from research to analysis to developing innovative and creative approach to conceptual leadership and championing conceptual innovation.
• Creating visibility for UNDP/supporting UNDP’s capacity to advocate: Ensuring that UNDP has the visibility and corporate image it requires as the key development actor.
• Design and implementation of management systems: Ensuring that UNDP has the internal management systems it requires as the key development actor
• Innovation and marketing new approaches: Enhance existing processes or products. Developing original and innovative ideas and approaches.
• Integration in a multi-disciplinary environment
• Promoting accountability and results-based management: Monitoring and promoting practices, procedures and systems that support accountability and results-based management, while also influencing change in the organizational culture.
• Results-based programme development and management. Effectively managing core and non-core resources to achieve UN development results

Qualification Required & Experience

Education:

• Master’s degree in Development, Social Science, Environment, or closely relevant fields

Experience:

• At least two years of experience in programme management in at least one of the areas of work of the Sustainable Development Cluster.
• Demonstrated skills in drafting reports, knowledge and competencies/experience in policy analysis and capacity development
• Experience in working and collaboration with government donors, NGOs and/or research institutions.

Language Requirements: Fluency in written and spoken English

Technical Requirements:

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Powerpoint, Excel, Outlook, etc)
• Proficiency in Internet Research and Data Gathering

Location: Accra

How To Apply For The Job

To submit your application, click on the link below and complete all relevant fields on the online application form.

Click Here To Apply Online

Closing Date: 05 April, 2019

Women are strongly encouraged to apply