Career opportunity
Position: Portfolio Support Officer
Location: Kathmandu, NEPAL
Application Deadline: 26-Jun-21 (Midnight New
York, USA)
Additional Category: Sustainable Development and
Poverty Reduction
Type of Contract: Other
Post Level: Other
Languages Require: English
Starting Date :
(date when the selected candidate is expected to start) 01-Jul-2021
Duration of Initial Contract: Six months
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.
UNDP
does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment,
including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will,
therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.
Background
Office/Unit/Project
Description
a. Briefly describe the office/ unit structure and context
Nepal has made successful strides in reducing poverty from 25.2 percent in 2011
to 16.7 percent in 2020. But these numbers belie a harsh reality: huge
disparities and inequalities persist between regions and social groups.
Underdeveloped trade and industry, low agricultural productivity, and lack of
access to affordable credit are among the key factors contributing to high
unemployment rates and the relative weakness of Nepal’s economy. It is feared
that COVID-19 along with massive earthquake of 2015, flooding, drought and
other shocks may have pushed a significant number of people who had managed to
climb out of poverty back into poverty. Crucially, from a longer-term
perspective, the Covid-19, harder than those crisis Nepal faced previously, is
widely recognized as severely inhibiting Nepal’s development gains over years,
and the ambition of graduating from the status of Least Developed Country in
2021, meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and becoming a
middle-income nation by 2030.
The UNDP country programme, 2018-2022, is based on the premise of ‘leaving no
one behind’ and ‘reaching those furthest behind first’. The programme includes
integrated solutions to complex, interconnected development challenges. The
following interconnected priority areas define the 2018-2022 programme: (a)
inclusive economic growth; (b) inclusive governance and rule of law; and (c)
resilience and reconstruction. UNDP’s efforts to eradicate poverty and promote
economic growth in Nepal seek to address the relationships that link those
factors and to ensure that the vulnerable are the priority beneficiaries and no
one is left behind. The central focus of the intervention is to ensure the
economic growth that Nepal aims to achieve translates into improved lives and
the availability of better choices for all its citizens.
b.
Rationale / background and the objectives of the unit
Nepal
has tremendous potential for development and subsequent job creation through
sustainable use of natural resource-based enterprises in the country. However,
lack of awareness, education and skills to utilize existing resources continues
to perpetuate underemployment and underdevelopment. To help address challenges
and tap opportunities, UNDP’s work in Nepal on poverty and sustainable
development has been designed around three broad pillars: employment creation,
access to energy and policy support in pro-poor development planning and
monitoring. For this, UNDP prioritized helping Nepal’s socio-economic recovery
efforts through different projects and programmes under the Inclusive Economic
Growth portfolio.
c. Briefly
describe how the required services will contribute to the work of the
unit/project
Currently,
Inclusive Economic growth porfoilo is handling eight projects and programmes
across the socio economic support, employment creation, livelihood recovery
along the institutional strengthening of government agencies, municipalities,
CSOs, and service providers. This requires rigorous engagement, consultation
and support to the programmes and projects of the Inclusive Economic Growth
portfolio unit. The demand of these services is further magnified with the
prevalence of Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent prolonged national wise
lockdown. This service is anticipated to facilitate in accelerating the
implementation process, tracking delivery and supporting projects and
programmes to ensure consistency in service delivery and operating protocols of
UNDP under the Inclusive Growth portfolio.
Duties and
Responsibilities
Scope of
Work
Under
the direct supervision of Inclusive Economic Growth Portfolio Manager, the
incumbent will perform following responsibilities to support Inclusive Economic
Growth Portfolio, UNDP:
·
Appraise
and follow up with projects and programmes for tracking on annual work ,
procurement plan, preparation of acceleration plan and take timely &
appropriate actions to meet work, procurement plan objectives and reporting
requirements to ensure consistency in service delivery and operating protocols
of UNDP;
·
Analyze
the project/programme resource allocation, delivery tracking with projects to
reallocate resources as required within the resource planning and results
management framework requirements;
·
Actively
work in close collaboration within the team and with project staff and the
client to review all operational aspects, undertake monitoring missions to
evaluate progress, identify problems and report back to the Portfolio Manager
for necessary actions;
·
Support
to prepare and finalize documentation and contracts required for service
delivery under the Inclusive Economic Growth portfolio’s management;
·
Support
Project and Programme for ensuring Gender and Social Inclusion in project
planning, implementation and reportings;
·
Review
and assist to the projects and programmes to evaluate proposals; make
suggestion for contract awards; progress and completion reports;
·
Work
closely with project/programme staff in the timely preparation of reports, annual
workplan, amendment; Support portfolio for socio economic response activities;
·
Provide
support to the portfolio for the development of new project and programme; and
·
Any
other duties assigned by Supervisor.
Institutional
Arrangement:
Under
the direct supervision of Inclusive Economic Growth Portfolio Manager, the
incumbent will provide support Inclusive Economic Growth Portfolio, UNDP.
Competencies
Core
Competencies: Level
2: Supervisor / Associate / Analyst / e.g. Programme Associate or Analyst with
supervisory responsibility.
Achieve
Results
·
Demonstrates
focus on achieving quality results and impact;
·
Consistently
strives to meet or exceed excellent standards;
·
Efficiently
establishes appropriate plans and resources for self and others to accomplish
goals;
·
Holds
self and others accountable for results.
Think
Innovatively
·
Seeks
patterns and clarity outside, across and beyond boxes and categories, resists
false certainty and simplistic binary choices;
·
Looks
beyond conventional approaches and established methods;
·
Proposes
new ideas, approaches and solutions to problems.
Learn
Continuously
·
Actively
pursues opportunities for learning and self-development, professionally and
personally;
·
Keeps
up to date with new developments in own professional area;
·
Proactively
seeks feedback, demonstrates a desire to learn from others as well as from
experience, both positive and negative;
·
Contributes
to the learning of others.
Adapt with
Agility
·
Actively
pursues opportunities for learning and self-development, professionally and
personally;
·
Keeps
up to date with new developments in own professional area;
·
Proactively
seeks feedback, demonstrates a desire to learn from others as well as from
experience, both positive and negative;
·
Contributes
to the learning of others.
Act with
Determination
·
Is
flexible in handling change, and adopts new ideas, approaches and ways of
working;
·
Seamlessly
adapts to working with new situations or contexts, with new people, and in
different ways;
·
Participates
in, supports, or drives meaningful change in UNDP
·
Is
comfortable with ambiguity and effectively manages juggling multiple demands.
Engage and
Partner
·
Establishes
and develops networks that deliver powerful collaborations;
·
Demonstrates
and encourages teamwork and co-creation, internally and externally, to achieve
joint objectives and results;
·
Acts
in a way that demonstrates empathy and emotional intelligence, showing
consideration for the needs and feelings of others.
Enable
Diversity and Inclusion
·
Understands
and appreciates issues from the perspective of others;
·
Treats
all individuals with respect, considers ethical implications and responds
sensitively to all differences among people;
·
Fully
accepts and values all people, creating an inclusive environment;
·
Understands
that inclusion is multi-faceted (e.g. race, gender, age, disability, culture,
etc.) and treats everyone fairly and equally;
·
Demonstrates
honesty and transparency.
Cross
Functional Competencies:
Project
Management: Ability
to plan, organise, prioritise and control resources, procedures and protocols
to achieve specific goals.
Risk Management: Ability to identify and organise
action around mitigating and proactively managing risks.
System 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.
Negotiation and Influence: Ability to reach an
understanding, persuade others, resolve points of difference, gain advantage in
the outcome of dialogue, negotiate mutually acceptable solutions through
compromise and create ‘win-win’ situations.
Technical
Competencies:
Inclusive
Growth: Addressing
developmental impacts of COVID 19 and safeguarding progress towards the SDGs
Inclusive Growth: Development Planning
Inclusive Growth: Economic Transformation, Policy
and Planning
Inclusive Growth: Inequality and exclusion
Inclusive Growth: Job/ Employment /Decent work
Promotion
Inclusive Growth: Local Economic Development
Inclusive Growth: Poverty and Human Development
Inclusive Growth: SDGs/National Development Strategy
and Planning
Inclusive Growth: Social Inclusion
Required
Skills and Experience
Minimum
Qualifications of the Successful NPSA
Min.
Academic Education
·
Advanced
University Degree (Master’s) in a related Developing Studies, Engineering,
Social Science, and other relevant field.
Min. years of relevant Work experience
·
At
least 6 years of professional, hands on experience in project management in
sustainable development, livelihood recovery, community Infrastructures,
socio-economic development issues in Nepal with proven track record of project
management, implementation, and policy advocacy experience.
Required
skills and competencies
·
Strong
operational (task management) and analytical skills and demonstrated ability to
translate analytical work into policy advice and actionable, practical
recommendations;
·
Excellent
interpersonal, problem-solving, communication and team skills, and ability to
think innovatively and strategically to find balanced solutions to complex
development problems, with a strong client focus;
·
Acting
with integrity at all times to build trust and to create an enabling work
environment in team; and
·
Ability
to work in multidisciplinary team.
Desired
additional skills
·
Prior
experience working with Government of Nepal, United Nations and donors would be
an asset;
·
Knowledge
and experience working with provincial and local government context, is an
advantage;
·
Good
understanding of UNDP rules and procedures or experience of completing UN
assignments would be an asset;
·
High
level of energy, initiative and self-motivation; willingness to travel and work
under challenging circumstances; and
·
Ability
to work across practices, work in cross-thematic teams, foster team work, and
mentor junior staff.
Required
Language(s) (at working level)
·
Fluency
in English and Nepali is a prerequisite. Excellent communications and writing
skills in English.
Travel: Incumbent is
expected to travel for the monitoring of field level project
activities/interventions.
The
following documents shall be required from the applicants:
1.
Personal CV or P11, indicating all past positions held and their main
underlying functions, their durations (month/year), the qualifications, as well
as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate, and at
least three (3) the most recent professional references of previous
supervisors. References may also include peers;
2. A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page) indicating why the candidate
considers him-/herself to be suitable for the position; and
3. Managers may ask (ad hoc) for any other materials relevant to pre-assessing
the relevance of their experience, such as reports, presentations,
publications, campaigns or other materials.
If
you are experiencing difficulties with online job applications, please
contact erecruit.helpdesk@undp.org.
