The UN Resident Coordinator (RC) provides leadership to the Pacific Joint UN Country Team and the UN’s programming work, as outlined in the UN Pacific Strategy, in support of national priorities. The RC has a team composed of national and international staff, forming the Fiji RC Multi-Country Office (RCO), and is based in Suva, Fiji. The RCO Fiji oversees 10 Pacific Small Island Developing States (Pacific SIDS or PSIDS), namely Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. Twenty-six resident and non-resident UN entities are signatories to the UNPS and members of The Pacific Joint UN Country Team.

The RCO fulfils ten core coordination functions, namely strategic analysis and planning; oversight of the UN country programming cycle; representation of and support of UN Secretariat and UN agencies (incl. non-resident agencies); support to national coordination systems and processes; development and management of shared operational support services; crisis management preparedness and response; external communication and advocacy; human rights and development; joint resource mobilisation and fund management; and general UNCT oversight and coordination.

UN’s support to Tonga include regional and country focused programmes in the areas of Climate Change, Disaster Resilience and Environmental Protection; Gender Equality; Inclusive Growth, Equitably Basic Services; Governance and Community Engagement; and Human Rights. Most UN technical advisory assistance is provided from the office in Fiji; the current UN staffing in Tonga is approx. 25 international and national personnel.

The Country Coordination Specialist will be based in the UN Office in Tonga and report directly to the RC in Fiji.  The work includes substantive collaboration with the team in Fiji as well as UN colleagues and national partners in Tonga. Tasks include but is not limited to support to strategic planning, coordination, monitoring and reporting of UN country level programming and partnership to advance on Agenda 2030 and the SDGs in line with national priorities and other functions as may be delegated by the RC. 

Under the guidance of the RCO Team Leader and in close collaboration with the M&E Specialist in Fiji RC Multi-Country Office, ensure strategic planning, coordination, monitoring, and reporting of UN country level programming:

• support the country level planning of UN programming aligned with the UN Pacific Strategy/UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework;
• support continuous monitoring, population and analysis of country level indicator data to inform reporting as well as further programming and resource mobilisation;
• Identify entry points for UN programming in support of national development strategies and the SDGs;
• Provide country context information to results groups and other inter-agency working groups under the UNPS;
• Support the RC and Pacific UNCT in identifying risks and opportunities related with specific partnerships and programming, and suggest mitigation measures as relevant;
• Support UN’s accountability to national entities through reporting, dialogue and consultations as required;
• Support facilitation of UN agencies’ correspondences and communication to national entities;
• Support UN incoming missions with establishing contact with relevant entities, suggestion for mission programme, provide supporting materials;
• Participate on behalf of the UN in development and coordination platforms.
• Strategic inputs and technical support to policy integration work on Samoa Pathway and SDF for RCO in Government and stakeholders’ platforms.
• In cases of humanitarian responses, under the guidance of the RC, liaise with relevant entities to support collaborative UN response and assistance.
• Together with the Partnership and Development Finance Specialist based in Fiji Fiji RC Multi-Country Office strengthen partnership for resource mobilisation with country and regional level development entities, including:
• Provide strategic guidance and support to development and implementation of locally tailored partnerships and resource mobilization strategies and initiatives to engage partners, both traditional and non-traditional, for example through analysis of UN financial data, Common Budgetary Framework details and national development budgets as relevant to Tonga;
• Ensure good understanding of all existing resource mobilization partnerships and relationships at the country level, including organising development partners/donor meetings;
• Support in development of partnership engagement for continuity;
• In alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Frameworks and MAPS (Mainstreaming, Acceleration and Policy Support) and similar processes, provide technical and advisory support on Financing for Development options, instruments, and modalities to the RC and the UNCT;
• Analyze trends and provide advisory services on new and innovative financing mechanisms for development and SDG acceleration;
• Facilitate engagement with, and guide and support external stakeholders -including national government, international financial institutions and others – on Financing for SDG acceleration.
• Provide country context guidance in design and implementation of innovative proposals to strengthen the UNCT’s engagement and reputation, and to generate greater financial resources in support of the SDGs.
• Encourage country context in design, formulation, and implementation, monitoring and reporting of joint programmes, and joint programming processes amongst UN entities with a view for joint resource mobilization;

Together with the Communications Staff based in Fiji RC Multi-Country Office strengthen Advocacy, External Relations, Communications at the country level:

• In support of the UN Communications Strategy and the UN Communications Group, establish and build the UN brand via events, media and public relations opportunities targeted to the diverse partners. This could include lead country level commemorations of international days such as UN Day, Humanitarian Day, 16 Days of Activism and other globally established days as appropriate;
• Identify developments at country level which will require communications actions by the RC;
• Support the roll out of the UN75 Campaign;

Together with Fiji RC Multi-Country Office Team ensure effective and efficient Knowledge Generation and Management advocating for country contexts;

• Manage the development, maintenance and sharing of knowledge and intelligence such as political, socio-economic and environmental development and communicate such, to ensure RC and Pacific UNCT are informed and well positioned to effectively generate and harness opportunities to advance on the Agenda 2030 as well as maintain political dialogue with member states;
• Coordinate country level UN meetings to facilitate information sharing amongst UN resident agencies, identify common areas of work and ensure areas of common concern are addressed appropriately;
• Provide briefings and information on UN’s activities and mandates as required to national entities;
• Develop briefing papers, talking points, speeches, concept notes, letters, presentations etc, on issues related to the country context for the RC and other colleagues as appropriate;
• Attend RCO Fiji Team meetings and other platforms to remain up-to-date on developments around the Pacific and share information and experience about the country context.

UN Office Management

• Ensure appropriate admin, finance and logistic management of the UN Office as per UN Regulations and Rules and in close collaboration with relevant UN entity and national counterparts
• Liaise with Area Security Coordinator and UNDSS staff to support UN personnel’s security and safety both at residence as well as work place;
• Facilitate inputs to, and follow-up of, Operation Management Team tasks conducted at the country level as outlined in the Business Operations Strategy;
• Develop a work plan and budget related to coordination of UN activities in the country;
• Any other tasks assigned related to management of the Office.

The key results are in positioning a UN Country Team that is relevant and responsive to their Hosting Governments and to successfully impact UN Country Team activities at the country level with strengthening of overall coordination capacity, and implementation of the UN System reform. In particular, the key results have an impact on the design and operation of UN activities, creation of strategic partnerships for UNCT Programming including UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework implementation and support of national strategies and priorities, as well as accountability towards member states.

Functional Competencies:

Advocacy/Advancing a Policy-Oriented Agenda

Level 2: analysis and creation of messages and strategies

• Creates effective advocacy strategies
• Contributes to the elaboration of advocacy strategies by identifying and prioritizing audiences and communication means
• Performs analysis of political situations and scenarios, and contributes to the formulation of institutional responses

Results-Based Programme Development and Management

Level 2: Achieving results through programme design and innovative resourcing strategies

• Identifies country needs and strategies using a fact-based approach
• Sets performance standards, monitors progress and intervenes at an early stage to ensure results are in accordance with agreed-upon quality and timeframes and reports on it
• Makes use of a variety of resources based on UN/UNCT priorities to achieve results, such as cross-functional teams, secondments and developmental assignments, and collaborative funding approaches
• Oversees and documents the process of strategy formulation for programmes at country level

Building Strategic Partnerships

Level 2: Identifying and building partnerships

• Effectively networks with partners seizing opportunities to build strategic alliances relevant to UN/UNCT’s strategic agenda
• Sensitizes UN Partners, donors and other regional and multilateral organizations to the UN/UNCT’s strategic agenda, identifying areas for joint efforts
• Develops positive ties with civil society to build/strengthen UN/UNCT’s mandate
• Identifies needs and interventions for capacity building of counterparts, clients and potential partners
• Effectively attentive to programmatic synergies in inter-agency meetings

Innovation and Marketing New Approaches

Level 2: Developing new approaches

• Seeks a broad range of perspectives in developing project proposals
• Generates for regional and innovative ideas and effective solutions to problems
• Looks at experience critically, drawing lessons, and building them into the design of new approaches
• Identifies new approaches and promotes their use in other situations
• Documents successes and uses them to project a positive image

Resource Mobilization

Level 2: Building and maintaining donor relations; implementing resource mobilization strategy

• Develops detailed knowledge and understanding of key donors, their priorities and areas of interest and adapts content and approach of resource mobilization activities to their requirements
• Builds and maintains relationships with donors demonstrating professionalism in providing advice and information on UN activities and sensitivity to donor concerns

Promoting Organizational Learning and Knowledge Sharing

Level 2: Developing tools and mechanisms

• Makes the case for innovative ideas documenting successes and building them into the design of new approaches
• Identifies new approaches and strategies that promote the use of tools and mechanisms

Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise

Level 2: In-depth knowledge of the subject-matter

• Understands more advanced aspects of primary area of specialization as well as the fundamental concepts of related disciplines
• Serves as internal consultant in the area of expertise and shares knowledge with staff
• Continues to seeks new and improved methods and systems for accomplishing the work of the unit
• Keeps abreast of new developments in area of professional discipline and job knowledge and seeks to develop him/herself professionally
• Demonstrates comprehensive knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments  
• Demonstrates comprehensive understanding and knowledge of the current guidelines and project management tools and utilizes these regularly in work assignments

Global Leadership and Advocacy for UN’s Goals

Level 2: Analysis and creation of messages and strategies

• Performed analysis of political situations and scenarios, and contributes to the formulation of institutional responses
• Uses the opportunity to bring forward and disseminate materials for global advocacy work and adapts it for use at country level

Client Orientation

Level 2: Contributing to positive outcomes for the client

• Anticipates client needs
• Works towards creating an enabling environment for a smooth relationship between the clients and service provider
• Demonstrates understanding of client’s perspective

Core Competencies

• Promoting ethics and integrity, creating organizational precedents
• Building support and political acumen
• Building staff competence,  creating an environment of creativity and innovation
• Building and promoting effective teams
• Creating and promoting enabling environment for open communication
• Creating an emotionally intelligent organization
• Leveraging conflict in the interests of UNDP & setting standards
• Sharing knowledge across the organization and building a culture of knowledge sharing and learning. Promoting learning and knowledge management/sharing is the responsibility of each staff member.
• Fair and transparent decision making; calculated risk-taking

Education: Master’s Degree or equivalent in Economics, Social Sciences, International Relations, Political Sciences or related field.

Experience:5 years of relevant experience at the national or international level in providing management advisory services, hands-on experience in design, monitoring and evaluation of development projects. Knowledge about the UN and RC systems would be an advantage. Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages, experience in handling of web based management systems.

Language Requirements: Fluency in English and the working language of the duty station

Important applicant information

All posts in the NO categories are subject to local recruitment.

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Contract Duration: Less Than a Year