Programme Specialist, Quality Assurance; Quality Programming Branch, Programme Division, P-4 at United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

The Position:

• The Programme Specialist, Quality Assurance, ensures that UNFPA's country, regional, and global programmes align with the UNFPA strategic plan priorities and adhere to established quality standards. Reporting to the Chief of the Quality Programming Branch, the incumbent manages the Programme Review Committee Secretariat and facilitates strategic dialogues as well as the development, review, and approval processes of country programmes. The Programme Specialist, Quality Assurance, also oversees the work of the Programme Analyst, Quality Assurance.

How you can make a difference:

• UNFPA is the lead United Nations agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled.  UNFPA’s strategic plan reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths, end unmet need for family planning, and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. These results capture UNFPA's strategic commitments to accelerating progress towards realizing the International Conference on Population and Development and Sustainable Development Goals in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. UNFPA's strategic plan calls upon United Nations Member States, organizations and individuals to “build forward better”.
• In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, UNFPA needs principled and ethical staff who embody these international norms and standards and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.
• UNFPA is seeking candidates who transform, inspire and deliver high-impact and sustained results; the Fund needs staff who are transparent, and exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.

Job Purpose:

Responsibilities of the Programme Specialist, Quality Assurance, include: 

• Develop, manage, revise, and implement organizational policies and procedures for the development, review, and approval of country programme documents and global and regional programmes, ensuring alignment with UNFPA strategic plan priorities and adherence to established guidelines and standards;
• Develop guidelines, standards, and tools, and facilitate corporate Strategic Dialogue and theory of change processes for programme strategic visioning and design;
• Manage the Programme Review Committee Secretariat, chaired by the Deputy Executive Director (Programme), including facilitating periodic meetings and global quality assurance exercises;
• Provide strategic analysis and technical advisory support to the Chief, QPB for engagement with the Executive Board on country programme and related agenda items, including drafting remarks for approval of new country programme documents and extensions;
• Develop guidelines, standards, tools, formats, assessment criteria, and rating methodologies for programme quality assurance, and manage compliance with social and environmental standards and United Nations system-wide commitments at country, regional, and global levels, including in humanitarian contexts;
• Conduct critical quality analyses of programmes, identifying gaps, bottlenecks, lessons learned, and best practices to inform quality programming and executive decision-making, promoting innovative tools, approaches, and strategies such as programme costing, strategic interventions, and leveraging artificial intelligence analytical brainpower for strengthening and improving quality programming;
• Manage and facilitate strategic partnerships internally and at inter-agency levels related to the derivation, alignment, and sequencing of United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Frameworks and country programme documents, including facilitating coordination for Executive Board approval processes.
• Support the roll-out of collaborative actions with field offices, including newer programme design initiatives

Qualifications and Experience: 

Education:  

• Advanced university degree in international relations, public health, development studies, political science, sociology, or other related field.

Knowledge and Experience: 

• At least seven years of relevant professional experience;
• Job knowledge and expertise – the incumbent is expected to have in-depth knowledge of UNFPA mandate areas;
• Professional experience in programme data management and quality assurance experience;
• Knowledge of and proven experience in development programming, particularly at country/regional levels, including programme and financial management;
• Demonstrated expertise in data management software and analytic skills;
• Involvement in and understanding of UN intergovernmental and interagency systems would be an asset.

Languages: 

Fluency in English is required. Working knowledge of another official United Nations language is an added advantage.