Chief, Strategy, Analysis and Research

Added Date: Wednesday, 03 July 2019

Organization: UN Office Africa

Country: United States

City: New York City

Contract Type: FTA International

Post Level: D1

UNDP is the UN’s global development network, an organization advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help build nations that can withstand crisis and support their efforts to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and achieve the new Sustainable Development Goals. UNDP works in nearly 170 countries and territories, helping to achieve the eradication of poverty, and the reduction of inequalities and exclusion. We help countries to develop policies, leadership skills, partnering abilities, institutional capabilities and build resilience in order to sustain development results.

UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Africa (RBA) is its largest regional bureau, covering 46 countries, ranging from high middle-income economies to least developed countries, as well as countries in crisis and post-crisis situations. UNDP works with its national counterparts in the Africa region to help them implement national development priorities and achieve their national development goals. Its work is guided by global and regional development and normative frameworks to which countries in Africa are signatories, including the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063.

Under the direct supervision of the RBA Director, the Chief, Strategy, Analysis and Research, leads a team of professionals driving RBA’s substantive work in line with UNDP’s corporate priorities and RBA’s strategic offer to the Africa region. S/he advises the Bureau on macro-economic and sustainable development trends and policies, in order to define regional policy and programmatic priorities and inform regional and country programmes in the Africa region. S/he provides analysis of emerging trends and formulates strategies and briefings to the Bureau leadership, identifying policy options to enhance the impact of UNDP’s work in the region. S/he manages RBA’s research agenda, formulating research topics and leading field research on issues pertinent to Africa’s development. S/he represents the RBA Director at high level international fora and maintains a network with colleagues and high-level officials from UN Agencies, IFIs, Government officials, multi-lateral and bi-lateral donors, research and academic institutions and the international media. In addition, s/he oversees the network of Senior Economic Advisors, engaging in the assessment of their performance, recruitment, and control of the quality of their regional and strategic work, while leveraging this network to enhance the policy-practice feedback loop in the bureau and, ultimately, the impact of its regional and country programmes.

1) Regional Forward Analysis

Articulates the overarching narrative for macroeconomic and sustainable development considerations for UNDP in Africa and for how this analysis informs Regional Bureau for Africa priorities;
Undertakes the continuous review of the economic, political, social and environment trends in the region, identifying and analyzing emerging socioeconomic and sustainable development issues that may impact the region’s development, the Bureau’s programming portfolio and the strategic planning process;
Analyzes and aggregate macroeconomic and sustainable development data at regional level to inform the formulation of regional cooperation frameworks and diagnostic tools;
Develops issues and position papers on evolving African political and sustainable development trends, ad hoc reports and advocacy strategies as requested by the RBA Director, or proactively initiated by the Strategy, Analysis and Research team as part of its strategic advisory functions, to strengthen UNDP’s positioning on key African policy and strategy issues, ensuring continued alignment with corporate policies;
Manages RBA’s research agenda, formulating research topics and leading field research on issues relevant to Africa’s development
Prepare and launch economic reports on key issues facing the region, and review and input on major publications, including the regional Human Development Report.

2) Policy-Programme feedback loop

Drives RBA’s analytical and substantive work in key areas of the Bureau’s Strategic Offer for Africa to ensure that RBA’s programme and operations rest on a robust, evidence-based understanding of key development needs and opportunities in the Africa region;
Advises on adjustments to on-going global, regional and country programmes, in order to strengthen the quality and complementarity of initiatives and to ensure that they are in line with changing global, regional and national policies and priorities;
Provides for a close collaboration between the Strategy, Analysis and Research Team and other RBA units to ensure an effective policy-practice feedback loop between RBA’s programme and the substantive work led by the Strategy, Analysis and Research Team;
Works closely with BPPS and the Global Policy Network, including the SDG Integrator Team, to ensure strong linkages between UNDP’s corporate policy and programming work and RBA’s operations in the Africa region;
Formulates and monitor the implementation of regional and sub-regional strategies, drawing on aggregate results from country and regional programmes;
Monitors and advises the Bureau’s leadership on new policy options, innovative approaches to programming and entry points to support its strategic positioning and leverage visibility and impact.

3) Knowledge Management

Leads a robust set of networks of expertise together with regional and country offices, including the Economic Advisors and policy specialists networks and the centres of excellence with a view of providing conceptual leadership and keeping the Bureau abreast of current thinking on the region’s development agenda and to identify best practices and knowledge products for dissemination;
Defines quality criteria for knowledge generation, management and dissemination activities in the region and develop example knowledge products and/or guidelines to demonstrate elevated standards on RBA knowledge products;
Oversees the overall quality assurance process for all related knowledge generation for the region;
Ensures proper coordination of, and information sharing on, region-wide initiatives and activities to ensure staff awareness, solicit inputs into the strategic thinking process and strengthen capacity building;
Based on strategy implementation assessment, recommends ways of strengthening knowledge management to position UNDP as knowledge provider on the region’s key development issues;
Ensures that the work of the Strategy, Analysis and Research Team informs the work of other UNDP’s Bureaus, especially BPPS and its Global Policy Network, as well as UNDP’s corporate strategic analysis and forward-looking thinking.

4) Advocacy, External Relations and Strategic Positioning

Serves as a key voice for UNDP’s positioning in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in Africa, and equips the RBA Directors and country leadership with compelling and pivotal advocacy packages for UNDP’s contributions in Africa;
Maintains strong relations and forges partnerships with other bureaus and networks in UNDP, including the Global Policy Network (GPN) and BPPS’ SDG integrator Team;
In close collaboration with RBA’s Partnerships and Communications team, builds and expands the Bureau’s partnerships and networks, especially with regional institutions such as RECs, ECA, AfDB and AUC, as well as with leading global and regional policy research centres, and plays a key role in the Bureau’s advocacy in relevant forums, conferences and trainings;
Leverages reports and position papers to enhance the Bureau’s communication and sensitization tools for partnership building and resource mobilization;
Provides authoritative and specialized advice and training on emerging economic issues to UNDP staff, Government officials and public institutions;
Provides proactive stewardship of regional, sub-regional and inter-agency consultations and conferences, encouraging the participation of new entities to enhance partnerships and substantive exchange and information sharing with critical stakeholders.

5) Leadership and Overall Management of the Strategy, Analysis and Research Team

Provides strategic guidance and oversee the overall management of the Strategy, Analysis and Research Team including human resources and financial management, to ensure adherence to policies and procedures and the accountability framework;
Establishes the Team’s annual work plans and set objectives, performance measurements, standards and expected results in collaboration and discussion with the team;
Guides the preparation of and approve budget proposal for financial, human and other required resources to ensure the office operates efficiently. Decide on the optimum and appropriate allocation and management of resources;
Supervises and assess work in progress to ensure delivery of results according to performance standards, overall objectives and accountability framework. Provide intellectual leadership and technical guidance and timely take decisions to meet objectives;
Promotes teamwork to facilitate harmonization, linkages, collaboration and synergy in order to ensure that staff members are provided sufficient information, guidance and support to perform and deliver results according to organizational and professional standards of efficiency, accountability and integrity;
Provides for a strong collaboration between the Strategy, Analysis and Research Team and other bureaus in UNDP, including with BPPS, its global policy network and its SDG Integrator Team.

CORE:

Innovation

Ability to make new and useful ideas work.

Level 6: Exercises stakeholder-centered design approaches for office / programme / division.

Leadership

Ability to persuade others to follow.

Level 6: Ensures teams are resourced for success and empowered to deliver.

People Management

Ability to improve performance and satisfaction.

Level 6: Guides substantive specialists / teams and expands credibility and innovation capacity.

Communication

Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform.

Level 6: Creates confidence among stakeholders by delivering authoritative positions, compelling analysis, and contextual acumen.

Delivery

Ability to get things done while exercising good judgement.

Level 6: Accepts accountability for the outcomes of programme delivery and facilitates improvement and innovation in the delivery of products and services.

TECHNICAL/FUNCTIONAL

Strategic Planning

Ability to make decisions that align with strategy, vision and mission.