The Resident Coordinator System encompasses all organizations of the UN System dealing with operational activities for development, regardless of their formal presence in the country. As the designated Representative of the UN Secretary-General and team leader of the UN Country Team (UNCT), the UN Resident Coordinator (UNRC), in consultation with the UNCT, assumes overall responsibility for, and coordination of, the development activities carried out by the UN at country level.
In Ethiopia, the UNCT is composed of representatives of more than 26 resident and non-resident UN funds and programmes and specialised agencies. In addition, a number of agencies perform regional and sub-regional responsibilities, including liaison to the African Union. Hence, the composition of the UNCT reflects a diverse and rich array of mandates, including those that are highly operational as well as those that undertake liaison activities.
The UNCT assists the Ethiopian Government in achieving its development priorities, through the provision of strategic support to important national processes, such as the Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Since 2008, the UN system in Ethiopia has undertaken important steps towards the implementation of the Delivering as One UN Reform agenda, searching for new ways to work better and more efficiently, as one UN system.
The UN works in the larger community of development partners and the Development Assistance Group (DAG) is the main forum among development partners for dialogue on development assistance to Ethiopia. The DAG comprises 26 bilateral and multilateral development agencies providing assistance to Ethiopia. The DAG was established in 2001 initially as a forum for donors to share and exchange information. The main objective of the DAG is to ensure a more effective delivery and utilization of development assistance to Ethiopia. DAG actively works within the Paris Declaration framework of Aid Effectiveness and Harmonisation to foster and catalyze policy dialogue and co-ordinate support in the preparation, monitoring and evaluation of the country’s development plan and the universal Millennium Development Goals.
Ethiopia also requires humanitarian assistance mainly to respond to recurring drought. Effective coordination among Government, UN agencies, NGOs and donors is crucial to ensure timely and comprehensive humanitarian response through proper implementation of the strategies and approaches developed by the Government to address humanitarian needs and effectively avert the risks of disasters. The Ethiopian Humanitarian Country Team (EHCT), led by the Humanitarian Coordinator (HC) and comprising the heads of UN Agencies, including FAO, OCHA, UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF, WFP and WHO, the country directors of IOM, ICRC, the Ethiopian Red Cross, CARE, Mercy Corps, Oxfam GB, and Save the Children/UK and the national NGO consortium, CRDA; and representatives from the European Union Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO), United Kingdom Department of International Development (DfID) and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) continues working with the Government on all aspects of humanitarian response.
Under the guidance and direct supervision of the UNRC/HC, the incumbent will work to improve the capacity of the UN to better understand a complex and dynamic situation with highly significant implications for Ethiopia, and to factor this improved understanding into UN development programmes and decision-making. S/he will advise the UNRC/HC in developing and implementing strategic initiatives aimed at strengthening national and local capacities for building collaboration and consensus on critical policy questions in the above-mentioned three main domains: UN coordination, aid effectiveness particularly in relation to the work of the Development Assistance Group (DAG) in Ethiopia, and humanitarian assistance through the EHCT.
The incumbent works in close collaboration with the UNRC/HC, UNCT members, RC Office staff members, UNDP senior management and Strategic Advisory Unit, members of the various inter-agency teams, Government officials, technical advisors and experts, multi-lateral and bi-lateral donors and civil society organizations, UN Development Operations Coordination Office (DOCO) staff and other relevant HQ staff members.
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Duties and Responsibilities
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Major Responsibilities:
- Provide policy advice to the UN RC in his capacity as the leader of the UN Country Team to provide enhanced policy response on issues affecting the development agenda of Ethiopia particularly in order to strategically position the UN in priority policy issues.
- Provide strategic advice to the UN RC and the other UN representatives in the Development Assistance Group (DAG) based on rigorous analysis of the political, economic and social environments in Ethiopia and in the Africa region to strengthen the positioning of the UN in leading policy debates on key development issues.
- Support the RC in his capacity as the Chair of the Ethiopia Humanitarian Country Team by providing strategic analysis on the current situation and future scenarios of the humanitarian situation in Ethiopia.
- Supports the RC/RR in furthering the UN SG’s priority agenda, making effective use of expertise and knowledge existing within the UNCT and UN Agencies’ Regional Offices. The ‘Post 2015 Development Agenda’ and the ‘Sustainable Energy for All’ being some examples of the collective UN work to be pursued in support of the UN system wide strategic initiatives.
- Supports the RC/RR to distill and codify best practices and successes attained by the UN system in Ethiopia.
Key Functions/Results:
- Based on reviews of available materials, meetings with national and international actors, including the UN, Government, development community and other national partners, identify priority research areas, prepare periodic reports and think-pieces describing and analyzing events and trends in Ethiopia and their direct and indirect impacts on UN development and humanitarian programmes.
- Support the design and implementation of strategic initiatives aimed at building consensus and collaboration around development and humanitarian priorities, including by strengthening the capacities of relevant national and local institutions and forums working to facilitate such consensus.
- Advise the UN RC and UNCT on possible programmatic ‘entry points’ as appropriate and necessary, for engagement with relevant national counterparts on priority policy issues.
- Support the UN RC in his engagement with key bilateral and multilateral partners including the Development Assistance Group (DAG) with a view to soliciting their inputs into, and apprising them on key developments so as to support the UN and international partners assess their programmatic implications.
- Advise the UN RC and UNCT on the issues pertinent to the transition from humanitarian assistance to recovery and development. Propose ways forward for the UN to take strategic roles in the transition in close partnership with the Government and other stakeholders.
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Competencies
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Corporate Competencies:
- Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards
- Advocates and promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UN
- Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability
Functional Competencies:
- Strategic vision and strong analytical capabilities. Good political judgment.
- Demonstrated tracked record of policy research and production of strategic papers
- Substantial experience in aid effectiveness, coordination and management in relief, recovery and development
- Experience in development, transition and humanitarian coordination.
- Extensive knowledge of UN system, procedures and operational activities.
- Dependability, reliability and initiative.
- Demonstrated ability to design and implement information and knowledge management systems
- Recent country and/or regional experience in capacity development
- Proven advocacy skills in complex policy environments
Researching, Planning and Organizing:
- Excellent research, analytical planning, organizational and management skills.
- Ability to plan own work and coordinate the work of others
- Capacity to deliver tasks on time and to meet goals, including in highly pressured, insecure environments
- Manages conflicting priorities and / or with limited supervision
- Develops innovative approaches to deal with complex policy/technical issues
Managing Relationships:
- Ability to work under pressure and to effectively handle multiple tasks without compromising quality, team spirit and positive working relationships.
- Cultural sensitivity, strong interpersonal and communication skills.
- Ability to work as part of team, and carry responsibilities of the larger team as needed
- Demonstrated well developed people management and organizational skills
- Excellent negotiating and networking skills
- Builds strong relationships with partners, focuses on impact for the client and responds positively to feedback
- Ability to implement new systems and affect staff behavioral / attitudinal change
- Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude
Judgment/Decision-Making:
- Ability to negotiate at decision-making level.
- Mature judgment and initiative, combined with a very strong analytical talent
- Proven ability to provide strategic direction in her/his area of expertise
- Independent judgment and discretion in advising on handling major policy issues and challenges
Knowledge Management and Learning:
- Ability to strongly promote and build knowledge products
- Seeks and applies knowledge, information and best practices from within and outside the UN System
Communication:
- Excellent spoken and written communication skills
- Ability to draft/edit a variety of reports, presentations and communications
- Articulates ideas in a clear, concise style
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Required Skills and Experience
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Education:
- Master's level university degree or higher, in a related field such as but not limited to international relations, social sciences, political science, legal, economics, international development and/or management.
Experience:
- A minimum of 10 years relevant work experience, in recovery, development, humanitarian, political and/or transitional operations, including work experience in the field is required.
- Demonstrated experience in policy research
- Extensive experience in providing high-level political, policy and strategic advice – essential; including a proven track record of success and progressive responsibility in such a role.
- Detailed knowledge of UN system policies, priorities, and programming in a complex country context.
- Full working knowledge of English, and excellent drafting, presentation and facilitation skills.
- Strong communication and advocacy skills and a proven ability to work in an environment requiring liaison and collaboration with multiple actors.
- Proficiency in all basic computer application programs
Language Requirements:
- Fluency in the language of the duty station; knowledge of other UN languages is an advantage.
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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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