UNDP International Consultant – Development Solution Architect 88 views

Main scope of work for the consultant

In collaboration with the programme and policy teams in the Regional Hub, including the Regional Innovation Centre, Country Accelerator Labs, SDG Finance Team, UNDP SDG Integration Team (global and country levels), and UNDP’s wider Global Policy Network (GPN) s/he is responsible for supporting the provision of technical expertise and policy and programme advisory services to COs, by lending, inter alia, their solutions design support to BRH support efforts to CO implementation and delivery of the SDGs, and promoting integrated delivery as the preferred modality for implementing solutions. The consultant also ensures alignment with SDG Integration Strategy and other global/regional corporate priorities, policies and workplans, and advances the credibility and recognition of UNDP’s capabilities in this knowledge domain and associated community of practice.

The services and expertise of the Development Solution Architect of the SDG Integration team include:

· Support UNDP COs with systems engagement and solution design assistance on integrated development solutions for complex, large scale development challenges at the regional, country, and local levels. The support provision focuses on complex requests/problems that relate to multiple thematic/SDG areas in defining their complexity, scalability, entry points as well as the integration of policy and programming, data and analytics, innovation and learning, and financing.

· Supporting the Regional SDG Integration Team Lead, the Development Solution Architect will work as a connector to fulfill the support which include, inter alia: planning and designing integrated strategies that influence GPN’s programming, streamline monitoring and evaluation; that closes both positive feedback loop and lessons-learned; and also assistance in acquisition of expert consultants/contractors.

· Support the Regional SDG Integration Team Lead in coordinating multi-disciplinary engagement and collaboration across the SDGs, including the provision of a common Secretariat capability for UNDP pilot initiatives, as well as an in-house coordination platform for scoping and deploying technical engagements that draw from UNDP’s network of SDG advisory expertise;

· Direct provision, working closely with SDGi Lead and Team, the Regional Innovation Centre, and relevant GPN colleagues, of technical advice on comprehensive SDG themes and/or processes to national and regional leaders/counterparts and external industry leaders, which include strategic development planning, specific technical support on various complex challenges, collaborative design, research/data analysis, facilitating ‘sense making’ of development trends, sensitization/stakeholder engagement, advisory support on establishment of country platforms, etc.

· In an autonomous manner, facilitate joint planning and design work to advancing a coherent narrative and operational platform for integrated development approaches within the SDG Framework, as well as information management of UNDP’s integration offers and Inter-Agency investments in collaborative SDG engagement.

· This shall include working closely with the Regional Innovation Centre and GPN, towards curating the innovative engagements, and implementation experiences of new tools and innovations into a “toolkit” of approaches and other knowledge management products that can be accessed in the long term by COs and GPN Thematic areas to further SDG Integration and Innovation;

· Apply corporate’s integrated strategies to regional projects managed by UNDP’s development experts and consistently provide thought-provoking perspectives and approaches to ensure the coherency of the corporate’s strategy and projects being implemented on the ground.

Scope of work and Responsibilities

In all areas, SDGi Lead may also indicate need for direct collaboration with SDGi New York specialists, Digital Transformation Specialists, and others, as appropriate, to ensure strategic continuity and alignment of all activities. In addition, the consultant shall work across SDG Integration priorities, bringing their skills of strategic and technical design to all outputs.

1. Strategic Planning and Design of Integrated SDG offers

o In collaboration with the SDG Integration Team Lead, the Bureau and Hub’s senior management, the Regional Innovation Centre and other relevant teams, serve as a strategic planner and designer to structure coherent and integrated strategies and storylines.

o Ensure effective responses to complex, multi-sectoral and integrated development solutions by providing coordinated technical support in planning and visualized structures that help make sense of the UNDP’s unique integrator role within and beyond the UN system and external partners, including government partners and the private sector.

o Fit-for-purpose planning and design based on requests for any integrated SDG support from UNDP COs, and sub-regional requests, working closely with the CO Desk Officers and BRH Teams;

o Help the SDG Integration team grasp the complexity of requests by visually mapping different layers and categories of the challenges and proactively engage in planning and designing integrated offers.

o Maintain high-quality collaborative networks with UNDP and non-UNDP experts across knowledge domains through regular and episodic substantive work, as required in the design and delivery of integrated SDG services.

o Support the SDG Integration Team Lead in assuring the quality of the delivery of integrated SDG advisory engagements.

o Engage with service requestors to drive demand and collectively define the scope of anticipated technical support and define the detailed service offer, including through the Country Support Platform;

o Support the Regional SDG Integration Team Lead, collaborating across the Team, , in developing integrated offers in emerging areas/requests, while also jointly working with the Regional Invention Centre, SDG Finance Team Leader, the Sustainable Development Advisor in Bangkok, and UNDP’s wider GPN, including the Strategy and Systems Management team and help identify valuable expertise from across the GPN’s capacity network/roster to coordinate the release and deployment of experts within SDG integration engagements;

2. Provision of Technical Design Research and Pilot Support on Solutions to Complex Development Challenges

o Based on a systems and holistic approach, provide technical support on complex and multi-faceted development challenges for the regional bureau and country offices as they emerge, especially those attached to environmental and spatial challenges such as air pollution, waste and plastic pollution, hydrological services, climate induced disasters, land-use planning and conflicts, etc.

o Working closely with the SDGi Team, Regional Innovation Centre, and other relevant personnel, provide technical support on incorporation of digital transformation into development solutions that are associated with digital transformation and support GPN’s digital services in promoting standardized Principles for Digital Transformation, and appropriate tools and approaches that can help in preventing and mitigating undesirable harm to people and nature during the development process of digital projects, initiatives, to help foster favorable impacts for vulnerable areas and populations. This work shall complement other BRH GPN efforts associated with incorporation and acceleration of digital transformation across the region, and more detailed areas such as: access to digital literacy, digital services, digital infrastructure, digital identity and digital payments, and investigation of the cost of exclusion for digital citizenship.

o Support the SDG Integration Team Lead in providing technical support on SDG planning, monitoring, campaigning, and coordination

o In tandem with the SDG Integration Team Lead, deliver UNDP’s SDG integration services in collaboration with technical experts from across UNDP’s GPN network of capacity and in-house resources across knowledge domains (including the Accelerator Labs Network, SDG Impact, and the Country Support Platforms) to demonstrate intersectional policy advice and integration capabilities.

3. Advocacy and Partner Engagement for Effective Institutional Positioning of UNDP’s SDG Integration Offer

o Jointly collaborate with the UNDP Global SDG Integration team, country offices and GPN to advocate the work of UNDP in leading SDG Integration efforts on social media and UNDP SDG Integration global webpage

o Provide technical support to SDGi Team Lead, if requested, to support efforts of SDGi BRH to engage with, mobilize and foster external partnerships (UN and non-UN) behind large scale and integrated SDG solutions.

o Support the SDGi Team Lead in maintaining high-quality collaborative networks with UNDP and non-UNDP experts across knowledge domains through regular and episodic substantive work, as required in the delivery of integrated SDG services

o Support the Regional SDG Integration Team Lead in refining UNDP’s roadmap and engage proactively with funding partners to influence the global discourse on the 2030 Agenda by feeding the outcomes of UNDP work into other UN and non-UN processes.

o Participate in UN interagency coordination as well as in other fora with the aim to advance UNDP’s strategic agenda in the thematic area, as assigned by the SDGi Lead.

o Support the SDGi Lead in advocating policy and positioning of this thematic area in various fora and through programme efforts, including academia, private sector, and civil society.

o Help the SDGi Lead develop the building of strategic alliances and partnerships, especially with key think tanks, governmental organizations (or funders) and non-governmental organizations.

4. Contribution to knowledge management, community of practice networking, content development and curation of tools and resources to build capacity around integrated SDG engagement for governments and national counterparts

o Under guidance of SDGi Lead, provide technical expertise in knowledge codification, content development and repository for regional/CO knowledge products, identifying tools, developing methodologies and programmatic solutions and producing knowledge to facilitate and advance innovation in driving and accelerating SDG achievement in close collaboration with the Regional Innovation Centre and SDG Accelerator Lab network team

o Where appropriate (eg arising out of piloting experiencing and establishment of proof of concept), and coordinating with the SDGi Team and Regional Innovation Centre in particular, design and deliver training on programming tools including by developing training packs for COs (and GPN) to facilitate innovation learning, foster and encourage policy and technical innovation and continuous improvement to enhance programme delivery;

o Support to showcase UNDP knowledge on integrated SDG solutions and engagement processes at internal or external fora, as required by SDG Lead, and ensure that UNDP’s SDG integration capability is contextualized in relevant and impactful ways in multi-disciplinary and multi-sectoral arenas;

o Work closely with SDGi Team Lead to develop and strengthen linkages with the global SDGs Community of Practice and across regions.

Expected Outputs and Deliverables

The successful Contractor will provide continuous support to the Asia Pacific SDGi Lead to deliver the following outputs throughout the assignment:

• Up-to-date structure coherent and integrated strategies and storylines;
• Coordinated technical support in planning and visualized structures of SDG Integration;
• Integrated development offers design and delivery planning;
• Identification of valuable expertise from across the GPN’s capacity network/roster to coordinate the release and deployment of experts within SDG integration engagements;
• Technical support on incorporation of environmental and spatial challenges as well as digital transformation into development solutions and promotion of standardized Principles for Digital Transformation, and appropriate tools and approaches;
• Technical support on SDG planning, monitoring, campaigning, and coordination;
• Knowledge codification, content development and repository for regional/CO knowledge products.

Institutional Arrangement

The consultant will report to the Asia Pacific SDG Integration Lead in Bangkok Regional Hub, and will work closely with colleagues in the Asia Pacific Global Policy Network (GPN).

The consultant will be given access to relevant information necessary for execution of the tasks under this assignment. She/he will be responsible for providing her/his own laptop.

Duration of the Work

1 January 2021 – 31 December 2021 (Up to 261 working days.)

Duty Station

ome based with potential travel to countries in the Asia- Pacific region.