Senior Development Coordination Officer, Strategic Planning and RCO Team Leader, P5

Senior Development Coordination Officer, Strategic Planning and RCO Team Leader, P5

United Nations - Resident Coordinator System

Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

Org. Setting and Reporting

In its Resolution A/RES/72/279, the United Nations General Assembly endorsed the transformation of the Development Operations Coordination Office (DCO) as a stand-alone coordination office within the United Nations Secretariat. DCO exercises managerial and oversight functions of the resident coordinator system under the collective ownership of the members of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group (UNSDG).

The UN Secretary-General launched on 1 January 2019 a bold and new global reform which repositioned the UN Development System to deliver more effectively and efficiently with the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As part of this reform, UN Resident Coordinator Offices (UN RCO), under the leadership of an empowered and independent UN Resident Coordinator - the highest-ranking official of the UN Development System and Representative of the UN Secretary-General at country level - support countries in the achievement of their development priorities and the attainment of the SDGs. The position is located in the United Nations Resident Coordinator's Office (RCO) in Burkina Faso and reports to the UN Resident Coordinator (RC). The Head of the RCO manages the resources of the Office in order to provide support to the Resident Coordinator and the UNCT on sustainable development analysis, strategic planning, programming, financing, communications, advocacy, and partnerships. The Head of RCO serves as a key adviser to the RC in the pursuit of all their functions and is accountable for the overall quality and timeliness of the work of the office.

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the Senior Development Coordination Officer, Head of RCO/Strategic Planner will be responsible of the following duties: (These duties are generic and may not be carried out by all Senior Development Coordination Officers, Head of RCO and Strategic Planner).

Summary of Functions:

• Leads the provision of strategic guidance to the RC and UN Country Team (UNCT) on effective, quality, and timely UN support for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda through the Common Country Analysis (CCA) and UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF);
• Facilitates and oversees the initiation, establishment and coordination of external partnerships and joint resource mobilization efforts for the new generation UNSDCF;
• Coordinates and supports roll-out and implementation of the efficiency agenda (Business Operations Strategy, Common Premises and Local Shared Service Centers/Common Back- Office);
• Manages and directs knowledge management and capacity development activities in and outside the UN System;
• Leads and coordinates overall management of the RCO to ensure efficient and effective substantive coordination support to the RC/UNCT and adherence to organizational policies and procedures.

Description of Functions:

• Leads the provision of strategic guidance to the RC and UNCT of effective, quality, and timely UN support for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda through a new generation CCA/UNSDCF:
  • Leads and coordinates substantive support to the RC/UNCT in articulating and actively communicating a credible and convincing strategic vision for the UN, articulated through the UNSDCF, which is consistent with national development goals and priorities, UN values, aligned with the 2030 Agenda and committed to the principles of universality, equality and leaving no one behind;
  • In line with CCA/UNSDCF, provides strategic direction and develops recommendations to facilitate decision-making by the RC/UNCT to reposition the UN in country to advance the objectives of UN development system reform;
  • Develops policy recommendations to the RC/UNCT on the development, implementation, monitoring, reporting and evaluation of the new generation CCA/UNSDCF as the primary instrument for the planning and implementation of UN development activities in country;
  • Ensures effective guidance to the RC/UNCT in asserting vision and accountability for the UN to operate as a nimble, innovative, and enterprising development partner, demonstrating characteristics of a knowledge-based organization and thought leader;
  • Leads the strategic design of UN's policy and programmatic services, operational capabilities, and partnership mechanisms;
  • Establishes and promotes close engagement across the humanitarian, development, and peace domains, as required by the country context;
  • Leads the identification, analysis, and prioritization of joint programmatic work of UN entities in response to national priorities and in line with the UNSDCF and the 2030 Agenda;
  • Leads the coordination of the UNSDCF through the Joint Workplan and results groups; directs UNSDCF monitoring, evaluation, learning (MEL) and reporting through the UNINFO platform; and guides preparation and provision of the annual UN Country Results Report to the Government and other stakeholders;
  • Promotes the engagement of all relevant agencies – with and without physical presence in country – from across the UN system, including at Headquarters and at the (sub-)regional level in inter-agency fora and in discussions with external partners;
  • Ensures quality control and oversight over strategic communications and advocacy activities related the implementation of the UNSCDF;
  • Ensures coherence across the different intra-agency coordination bodies, including with Humanitarian Country Teams and the Security Management Team.
• Facilitates and oversees the initiation, establishment and coordination of external partnerships and joint resource mobilization efforts for the new generation UNSDCF:
  • Facilitates and oversees the initiation, establishment, and coordination of effective working relationships with national and international public and private partners to ensure knowledge sharing throughout the UNSDCF cycle;
  • Directs substantive support for positioning the UN as a key provider of integrated services and as a platform in support of the SDGs, in consultation with a broad range of stakeholders;
  • Based on the UNSDCF, and in close collaboration with the Development Partnerships Officer, oversees the formulation and implementation of the partnership approach as well as the resource mobilization strategy, and other initiatives in support of SDG achievement through the UNSDCF;
  • Oversees the implementation of the SDG Country Fund/country-level pooled fund (where relevant) in support of the UNSDCF and SDG acceleration;
  • Oversees strategic messaging and communication initiatives by RC/UNCT.
• Coordinates and supports roll-out and implementation of the Efficiency agenda (Business Operations Strategy, Common Premises and Local Shared Service Centers/Common Back Office):
  • In collaboration with the Operations Management Team (OMT), directs substantive support to the RC/UNCT on business innovations for the UN in country;
  • Provides substantive support to the Resident Coordinator and UNCT in formulating, implementing, and monitoring the UN Country level Business Operations Strategy;
  • Supports the RC and the UNCT in their leading role in implementing common premises, and in establishing a common back office for location-dependent services;
  • Promotes a culture of continuous improvement and client-orientation in operational service delivery, including the implementation of high impact standardized common services, fostering the SDG impact through common operations;
  • Coordinates effective participation of entities at the country level in operations management team and represents the RC in the OMT.
• Manages and directs knowledge management and capacity development activities in- and outside the UN System:
  • Creates an enabling environment for the knowledge generation, sharing, collaboration, as well as usage of existing good practices and lessons learnt within the RCO and in the UN Country Team. Leads by example;
  • Coordinates the effective communications within the RCO, in UN Country Team and among other stakeholders;
  • Leads and coordinates the sharing of good practices and lessons learned on issues related to UN strategic planning frameworks, methodologies, and tools, among others, within the DCO (at regional and global levels), across the UN system and with external partners;
  • Oversees the analysis of UN experiences, lessons learned and knowledge networking to contribute to strategic planning processes;
  • Keeps abreast of emerging innovative approaches and encourages the RCO and UNCT to apply new ways of working, where relevant.
• Leads and coordinates overall management of the RCO to ensure efficient and effective substantive coordination support to the RC/UNCT and adherence to organizational policies and procedures:
  • Coordinates the formulation and implementation of the substantive work programme of the UNCT; allocates and monitors RCO resources for delivery of outputs and reporting on results;
  • Supervises the activities undertaken by the RCO and manage performance of RCO staff, ensuring that programmed activities are carried out in a timely fashion;
  • In close collaboration with Service Providers, performs the role of certifying officer in the UNDP IRIS platform and performs the UMOJA approver role over processes related to human and financial resource management, procurement, general administration, security, time management, and information technology for the RCO;
  • Manages, guides and trains staff under his/her supervision; promotes teamwork and communications among staff in the RCO and across organizational boundaries; ensures staff complete mandatory trainings and UMOJA certifications;
  • Establishes and maintains a work environment in the RC Office and across UN entities that is conducive to innovation and engagement with a diverse set of stakeholders and delivers results in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Competencies

• PROFESSIONALISM: Proven knowledge and understanding of theories, concepts and approaches relevant to sustainable development. Ability to identify key strategic issues, opportunities, and risks. Ability to generate and communicate broad and compelling organizational direction. Ability to communicate clearly links between the Organization's strategy and the work unit's goals. Demonstrated ability to provide innovative technical leadership by performing and/or overseeing the planning, development, and management of operation. Demonstrated ability to negotiate and apply good judgment. Proven ability to analyze complex data and produce reports leading to sound policy recommendations for achieving sustainable development; Solid understanding of the political environment and the programmes and activities of the UN system in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals; Ability to think strategically, to identify key emerging sustainable development issues and related policy implications. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and proficiency in subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines, and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations;
• CREATIVITY: Actively seeks to improve programmes or services; offers new and different options to solve problems or meet client needs; promotes and persuades others to consider new ideas; takes calculated risks on new and unusual ideas; thinks "outside the box"; takes an interest in new ideas and new ways of doing things; is not bound by current thinking or traditional approaches;
• TECHNOLOGICAL AWARENESS: Keeps abreast of available technology; understands applicability and limitation of technology to the work of the office; actively seeks to apply technology to appropriate tasks; shows willingness to learn new technology;
• BUILDING TRUST: Provides an environment in which others can talk and act without fear of repercussion; manages in a deliberate and predictable way; operates with transparency; has no hidden agenda; places confidence in colleagues, staff members and clients; gives proper credit to others; follows through on agreed upon actions; treats sensitive or confidential information appropriately;
• JUDGEMENT/DECISION-MAKING: Identifies key issues in complex situations, and comes to the heart of the problem quickly; gathers relevant information before making a decision; considers positive and negative impacts of decisions prior to making them; takes decisions with an eye to the impact on others and on the Organization; proposes a course of action or makes a recommendation based on all available information; checks assumptions against facts; determines actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision; makes tough decisions when necessary.

Education

• Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent degree) in business or public administration, sustainable development, social sciences, education, or related area. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience

• A minimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience in strategic planning, sustainable development policy and programme development and management in the context of development cooperation or related area is required;
• Experience with multi-stakeholder coordination on the context of development cooperation or related area is required;
• Experience in team leadership and management is required;
• Experience in UN interagency coordination is desirable;
• Experience in designing and implementing partnership and resources mobilization strategies is desirable;
• Experience in promoting knowledge management in the context of development cooperation is desirable.

Languages

• English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in both English and French is required; knowledge of the other is desirable. Knowledge of another UN official language is an advantage.

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