UNFPA Representative, Somalia: United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Jobs

UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, is an international development agency that promotes the right of every woman, man and child to enjoy a life of health and equal opportunity.

UNFPA supports countries in using population data for policies and programmes to reduce poverty and to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, every young person is free of HIV/AIDS, and every girl and woman is treated with dignity and respect.

Closing date: 11 Mar 2010
Location: Kenya - Nairobi

Under the guidance of the Regional Director of the Arab States Regional Office, the Representative has overall responsibilities for UNFPA representation, policy, programme, finance, staff and office administration in Somalia.

The Representative leads and motivates the UNFPA team in the development of innovative, relevant approaches for engagement on issues related to population and development, sexual and reproductive health and gender.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Strategic direction, planning and management

• Lead the positioning of UNFPA on strategic and substantive issues in the country on the basis of global and regional policies and strategies;
• Lead and direct the process of scanning the environment on country level issues and analyzing the implications for the work of the Fund and the Country Office;
• Identify and promote UNFPA’s comparative substantive role and specific contribution in the national development environment and agenda, and in the changing aid environment;
• Provide overall vision, direction and management for the work of UNFPA in the country;
• Establish priorities for the work of the Country Office in line with UNFPA priorities and substantive global, regional and country level priorities;
• Establish processes to ensure that policies and procedures; programming tools and mechanisms; and sound business practices are incorporated into UNFPA country and regional operations;
• Establish processes to ensure that state-of-the-art knowledge incorporated into the UNFPA knowledge sharing mechanism is available for use in country and regional operations; and
• Build institutional relationships with government counterparts, civil society, the UN community, other international organizations and bilateral that marshal support and galvanize action for UNFPA mandate.

Programme leadership and representation

• Act as the principal adviser on country level issues to the Regional Director and senior management of UNFPA;
• Act as senior advisor for the promotion of the organization’s capacity for effective delivery, including on the development of regional and global policies, positioning, strategies, and plans;
• Provide leadership in the substantive development and execution of the organization’s country level policy dialogue and country programme, assessing and addressing implications of national trends on UNFPA’s work in the country;
• Direct the process of developing strategies and plans for the implementation of the Country Programme, including for the delivery of technical assistance for capacity development and for humanitarian and emergency situations; and guide the implementation of these strategies and plans;
• Represent UNFPA at the country level and provide its perspective in high level national, UN, and other initiatives and events;
• Represent UNFPA within the United Nations Country Team (UNCT), promoting effective coordination on development issues with integration of population and development, and sexual and reproductive health issues in the larger development agenda;
• Engage national counterparts through effective advocacy on UNFPA agenda, build support for programme objectives and validate UNFPA as effective partner; and creates awareness of the critical role of International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) issues in the overall development agenda and the achievement of the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs), including in the development of Common Country Assessment (CCA), United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) and other national development frameworks;
• Actively promote and support participation of civil society and private sector in development processes at national and sub-national levels;
• Target local initiatives that promote relevance and greatest impact in issues of population and development and sexual and reproductive health at the community level;
• Support the Resident Coordinator (RC) system and is an active member of the UNCT promoting inter-agency coordination and consultative processes;
• Proactively contribute to and promote the UN reform process within the country UNCT context; and
• Initiate opportunities for South to South collaboration, especially for programme and technical support to countries in the region.

Programme oversight and coordination

• Oversee implementation of the country programme, ensuring that it reflects country priorities;
• Ensure the application of results-based management and quality assurance frameworks and procedures for the work of the Country Office, including in the delivery of technical assistance;
• Ensure the application of financial and substantive monitoring processes, and the evaluation of the country programme;
• Establish processes for the incorporation of evaluation results in the work of the country office;
• Promote and support national execution modalities through appropriate UN, sectoral or direct budget support modalities, based on a risk based approach;
• Establish processes to ensure the Country Office complies with Audit recommendations; and
• Ensure UNFPA accountability for UNDAF results.

Management of resources

• Assume overall accountability for the management and work of the Country Office;
• Propose and secure annual allocations for the country programme, and ensure the efficient and effective use of such resources in compliance with UNFPA financial rules, regulations, and procedures;
• Direct the formulation and implementation of a resource mobilization strategy for the country, and mobilize, in coordination with Information and External Relations Division (IERD) and the RO, additional financial resources for the country;
• Develop and guide an integrated and systems approach to the work of the Country Office;
• Oversee staff accountability, learning and career management within the office;
• Supervise the Deputy Representative and other international and national staff, providing them with managerial direction and motivation;
• Contribute to the appraisal of RC performance; ensure RC in the country is adequately briefed on UNFPA mandate and organizational strategies and priorities;
• Communicate standards of performance, and assign responsibilities for achieving results according to the Country Office Management Plan (OMP) and the Performance Appraisal & Development (PAD) system;
• Uphold standards for the recruitment and selection of the highest quality of staff for the Country Office;
• Establish and maintain a harmonious working environment; seek to strengthen team-building by encouraging active participation and interaction at all levels; foster staff motivation, development and empowerment; and lead by example;
• Establish a CO security strategy and plan in line with UN procedures and requirements;
• Ensure an ethics-based approach to management of all human and financial resources; and

Carry out any other duties as may be required by the Regional Director.

Core Competencies:

• Values/Guiding Principles
• Performance management
• Developing People/Fostering Innovation and Empowerment
• Working in teams
• Communicating information and ideas/Knowledge Sharing
• Self-management/Emotional intelligence and Conflict Management/Negotiating and Resolving Disagreements
• Appropriate and transparent decision making
• Analytical and Strategic Thinking/Results Orientation/Commitment to excellence

Functional Competencies:

• Advocacy/Advancing a Policy Oriented Agenda;
• Results-Based Programme Development and Management;
• Leveraging the Resources of National Governments and Partners/Building Strategic Alliances and Partnerships;
• Innovation and Marketing of New Approaches;
• Resource Mobilization;
• Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise

Qualifications:

• Advanced university degree in one or more of the following disciplines: Public Health, Medicine, Sociology, Demography, Gender, International Relations, International Development, Economics, Public Administration, Management or other related field.
• 10 years of increasingly relevant responsible professional experience in public administration and international development of which at least 8 years in the field of population and development at the international level;
• Job knowledge and technical expertise –up-to-date knowledge of issues of population and development, sexual and reproductive health, and gender, and their place in the development agenda
• Proven ability to lead and manage teams to achieve demonstrable results;
• Excellent communication skills in speaking and writing in English; Arabic is desirable.
• Strong interest in development work, especially the mission of the United Nations Population Fund and dedication to the principles of the United Nations; and,
• Field experience is essential.

UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, teamwork, respect for diversity, integrity and a healthy balance of work and life.

We are committed to maintaining our balanced gender distribution and therefore encourage women to apply.

We offer an attractive remuneration package commensurate with the level of the position. The package includes a competitive net salary plus health insurance and other benefits.

How to apply

UNFPA has established an electronic application management system. This allows applicants to create a candidate profile, which can be updated regularly and submitted for more than one vacancy.

Download the Step by Step Guide to Applying in the E-Recruit System of UNFPA at http://www.unfpa.org/employment/application_guide.doc.”

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