Jobs at United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

Task description

• UNDP Kenya is looking for a Project Manager to provide strategic and operational support and project management of the Center of Competence on Public Sector Digital Skilling. Under the direct supervision of the Program Analyst- Governance and Inclusive Growth Program, and in collaboration with the relevant teams in the country office, the position will support the development and implementation of strategic initiatives driving public sector digital skilling in the Country.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Building a Digitally Savvy Public Sector (Coherence & Coordination):

• Strategic Planning and Support: Collaborate with the Kenyan country office on strategic planning, implementation, and monitoring of initiatives focused on digital skilling for public sector workers. This includes aligning program goals with national digital transformation strategies and UNDP's broader objectives.
• Internal & External Collaboration: Champion internal alignment among UNDP teams and forge strong relationships with external consultants and advisors, ensuring everyone works cohesively towards the success of the project.
• Project Management Expertise: Provide support for project execution, including managing timelines, milestones, and progress reporting for digital skilling initiatives.
• Cross-Functional Liaison: Act as a bridge between different UNDP workstreams and external stakeholders to ensure seamless implementation of the digital skilling initiatives.

Scaling Up Digital Skilling Impact (Scaling Impact):

• Developing a National Skilling Strategy: Lead the development of a national or regional strategy for scaling up of UNDP's digital skilling initiatives in Kenya. This strategy will identify priority skills gaps within the public sector and outline a plan for implementing the Center of Competence.
• Delivery of High-Impact Initiatives: Support the delivery of initiatives designed to maximize impact and address critical skills gaps within the Kenyan public sector workforce.
• Scaling Up Success Stories: Develop regional or global expansion strategies for existing successful digital skilling projects, providing guidance and operational support to replicate their effectiveness in other contexts.
• Identifying Best Practices: Continuously identify and document best practices in digital skilling, ensuring program design leverages cutting-edge approaches for maximum impact.

Fostering a Collaborative Ecosystem for Digital Skilling (Stakeholder Engagement):

• Driving Strategic Partnerships: Spearhead partner engagement initiatives to position UNDP as a leader in supporting Kenya's digital skilling efforts. Partnerships can include government agencies, international organizations, development agencies, private sector entities, and civil society actors.
• Building Coalitions: Identify new areas for programmatic partnerships and actively engage in coalition building with key public and private sector stakeholders to strengthen program reach and effectiveness.
• Organizing High-Profile Events: Plan and manage high-profile events that bring together key stakeholders, including government officials, development partners, private sector representatives, and civil society organizations, to foster collaboration and advance the digital skilling agenda in Kenya.
• Aligning Programs with Partnerships: Work collaboratively with UNDP country office teams to ensure digital skilling programs are strategically aligned with existing and new partnerships to maximize impact.

Reporting and Efficiency (Proposal Writing and Reporting):

• Concept Notes and Project Planning: Support the development of concept notes, project planning documents, and budget forecasts for digital skilling programs in Kenya.
• Donor Reporting and Compliance: Coordinate all donor reporting activities, ensuring timely collection of key results, lessons learned, and other essential data for comprehensive and transparent communication with donors.
• Internal Process Management: Guide the program team on internal UNDP procedures related to program implementation aspects like budgeting and contracting, ensuring compliance and smooth operation.
• Progress Reporting and Monitoring: Manage progress reporting for all digital skilling program activities, providing clear and concise information on program advancement.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Coordinate with relevant units (communications, finance) to ensure their activities support the program's overall impact on digital skilling within the Kenyan public sector.
• Financial Strategy and Efficiency: Participate in decision-making regarding funding sources and financial structures for digital skilling programs, ensuring these decisions align with the program's resource allocation model and optimize efficiency.
• Developing Cost-Effectiveness Benchmarks: Establish benchmarks and other methods to assess the cost-effectiveness of technical assistance provided through contracts, grants, and other program expenditures related to digital skilling initiatives.

Eligibility criteria
Age

• 35 - 80

Nationality

• Candidate must be a national or legal resident of the country of assignment.

Requirements
Required experience

• 15 years of experience in strategy consulting, technology, government, international organizations systems, leadership, program management).
• Exceptional program management skills, including an entrepreneurial drive to develop and execute self-designed initiatives.
• Ability to lead large, complex initiatives with a diverse, multi-disciplinary set of internal and external stakeholder groups.
• Comfortable interacting with leaders across public, private, and civil society sectors.
• Energetic, flexible, collaborative, and proactive team player, with the ability to engage and influence peers and colleagues, generate buy-in and trust, and positively and productively impact at the programmatic level.
• Strategic thinking with a drive and passion for collaboration and tactical execution.
• High-level analytical and organizational skills with intellectual rigor and flawless execution.
• Values-based, collaborative working style with a demonstrated commitment to the highest standards of ethics and confidentiality.
• Demonstrate understanding of the latest trends and developments across technology, science, innovation, and talent.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with ability to use common software tools for word processing, presentation, and spreadsheets (especially Google Sheets, Slides, and Docs).

Area(s) of expertise

• Information technology, Business management, Development programmes

Languages

• English, Level: Fluent, Required

Required education level

• Master degree or equivalent in International Affairs, Business, Public Policy, Development, Entrepreneurship, Project Management, Marketing or Communications or any other related field.

Competencies and values

• Achieve Results: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact.
• Think Innovatively: Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic/integrated thinking.
• Learn Continuously: Go outside comfort zone, learn from others and support their learning.
• Adapt with Agility: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands.
• Act with Determination: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results.
• Engage and Partner: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration.
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity.

Apply Before

03/06/2024

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• Under the direct supervision of the Head of the Programme Management Support Unit (PMSU), the RBM Analyst will be responsible for implementation of the UNDP monitoring and result-based management policies and strategies in the Country Office (CO). The specific tasks include establishing and maintaining an integrated planning and monitoring system, supporting results-based management of the country programme, management of the country programme evaluations, and provision of management support services to the CO senior management, programme and operations units. The management support services include corporate monitoring and evaluation processes, capacity building for results-based management.
• The RBM Analyst works in close collaboration with colleagues in PMSU, and with UNDP programme and operations teams, programme staff in other UN agencies, UNDP HQ staff and Government officials, technical advisers and experts, multi-lateral and bi-lateral donors.
• The incumbent directly underpins country office high performance extending the reach and rigor of quality, ethical and client facing management practices to programme and operations support activities, including continuous team learning, and models an approach to support services characterized by technical excellence, pride in accountability and high regard by users and clients.

Duties And Responsibilities
Summary of key function

• Management of country programme and projects planning, monitoring and reporting systems and processes.
• Management and follow up on the country programme reviews and evaluations.
• Ensure results-based management of Country Office programmes and projects in accordance with UNDP Programme and Operations Policies and Procedures.
• Manage and support capacity building of programme and project staff in RBM and M&E.
• Management of country programme and projects planning, monitoring and reporting systems and processes
• Develop monitoring policy, protocols and tools for the country programme and projects;
• Develop an integrated, web-based programme and project monitoring system in line with UNDP corporate tools and international best practices;
• Manage implementation of the CO monitoring system through training and back up support to programme and project teams/M&E Officers;
• Establish a system to ensure regular project monitoring and spot checks and follow up on the implementation of recommendations by the programme and project teams;
• Prepare CO Result Oriented Annual Reports (ROAR) and other periodic reports for the government and stakeholders.
• Management and follow up on the country programme reviews and evaluations
• Develop and support the implementation of the CO Evaluation Plan;
• Provide advisory services to programme and project staff on project evaluations, including through review of terms of reference, evaluation methodology and draft reports;
• Design, commission and manage CO programme/outcome evaluations and contribute to UN joint reviews and evaluations;
• Establish a system to follow up on the implementation of evaluation findings and recommendations with programme and project managers.
• Ensures results-based management of Country Office programmes and projects in accordance with UNDP Programme and Operations Policies and Procedures through by focusing on quality control of the full cycle of programming from formulation to implementation achieving the following results:
• Effective application of RBM tools, establishment of management targets (BSC) and monitoring achievement of results;
• Contribution to the design and formulation of CO programme;
• Contribution to strategic oversight of planning, budgeting, implementing and monitoring of the programme, tracking use of financial resources in accordance with UNDP rules and regulations;
• Prepare CO Project Quality Assurance (QA) Plan and coordinate implementation of the QA Plan;
• Effective monitoring, measuring the impact of the CO programme and evaluation. Constant monitoring and analysis of the programme environment, timely readjustment of programme;
• Support the implementation of follow up on audit recommendations;
• Prepare regular aggregate reports on activities, outputs and outcomes;
• Support preparation of donor reports and monitor donor agreements;
• Support CO management decision making and compliance with corporate programming and reporting requirements by preparing and sharing programme quality dashboards;
• Review project Annual Work Plans and Progress Reports and ensure consistency with country programme and UNDP Programme and Operations Policies and Procedures;
• Support planning, budgeting, implementing and monitoring of projects, tracking use of financial resources in accordance with UNDP rules and regulations;
• Advise and support programme and project teams on the implementation of UNDP POPP, RBM and risk management policies and procedures;
• Support establishment and/or coordination of the risk management team for the Country Office;
• Advise on and coordinate, and report on Social and Environmental Safeguards processes (SESP) for the Country Office.
• Support capacity building of programme and project staff in RBM and M&E and facilitate knowledge building and management focusing on achievement of the following results:
• Maximize the use of RBM tools and M&E systems through training sessions and need-based guidance and support to the programme and project teams;
• Enhance impact and beneficiary monitoring at the project level;
• Promote knowledge sharing for development and organizational effectiveness of the CO;
• Create cohesion and synergies between Programme and Operations Teams, as well as between the CO and projects identification of sources of information related to policy-driven issues. Identification and synthesis of best practices and lessons learned directly linked to programme country policy goals;
• Coordinates the CO’s Monitoring and Evaluation Hub.

Institutional Arrangement

• The RBM Analyst works under the direct supervision of the Head of PMSU and collaborates closely with the Senior Project Associates, Programme Team Leaders and Analysts, M&E Hub and the Project Management Unit (PMU).

Competencies
Core Competencies

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 2: Scale up solutions and simplifies processes, balances speed and accuracy in doing work.
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 2: Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic/integrated thinking.
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 2: Go outside comfort zone, learn from others and support their learning.
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 2: Adapt processes/approaches to new situations, involve others in change process.
• Act with Determination: LEVEL 2: Able to persevere and deal with multiple sources of pressure simultaneously.
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 2: Is facilitator/integrator, bring people together, build and/or /maintain coalitions/partnership.
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 2: Facilitate conversations to bridge differences, considers in decision making.

Functional/Technical competencies
Business Direction and Strategy

• System Thinking: Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system.

Business Development

• Knowledge Facilitation: Ability to animate individuals and communities of contributors to participate and share, particularly externally.

Business Management

• Project Management: Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals.

Business Management

• Results-based Management: Ability to manage programmes and projects Zith a focus at improved performance and demonstrable results.

Programme & policy

• Effectiveness: RBM standards and practices for programming.

Education
Required Skills and Experience

• Advanced degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in project management, economics, business management, social policy, public policy, politics, development studies or a related area.
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience

• Minimum 2 years (with master’s degree) or 4 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience in working in results-based management or Monitoring and Evaluation is required.

Required Skills

• Experience in programme and/or project management is required;
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel etc.) and advance knowledge of spreadsheet and database packages.

Desired Skills

• Experience in handling of web-based management systems and ERP (desired);
• Proven good networking abilities and partnership development;
• Excellent writing and analytical skills in drafting concept notes and reports;
• Experience in writing donor reports and working within the Development agencies.

Language

• Fluency in English and national language is required.
• Knowledge of other UN official language is desirable.

Professional Certificates

• Professional certification in Monitoring & Evaluation or relevant area is an advantage.

Apply Before

06/06/2024

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• In this context, the Analyst will build on the progress and achievements in past years and will aim to support policy processes to enable the contribution of forest-based solutions to climate change mitigation. The main objective is to assist government and other national/regional stakeholders to consolidate progress on their processes and initiatives on forest solutions and forest finance instruments such as carbon markets in Kenya, while fostering UNDP synergies and harnessing new finance opportunities in the domain.

Duties And Responsibilities
The Policy and Institutions Analyst will support the UNDP Climate & Forest work in East Africa, with a focus in Kenya, as follows:

• NDC implementation, financing and tracking: Support to the forest pillar of the UNDP Climate Promise initiative in Kenya, notably the effective operationalization and management of the IPLC Community Grants Programme and the development of the NDC implementation plan/roadmap for the LULUCF sector linked to the REDD+ National Strategy and REDD+ Investment Plan;
• National REDD+ process consolidation : Support to UNDP Kenya on the consolidation of national REDD+ outcomes from the REDD+ Readiness Project as follows: 1) finalization of the National REDD+ Investment Plan, and support government and stakeholders to identify 1-2 REDD+ priority interventions in Kenya, aligning and exploring investments through other climate finance instruments such as green bonds; 2) operationalization of the Safeguards Information System, and support with the submission of the Kenya’s first Summary of Information to the UNFCCC Secretariat; and 3) development of a jurisdictional REDD+ concept to accelerate the implementation of forest-based solutions (this will be one of the REDD+ priority interventions defined in (1));
• Carbon markets readiness support: Supportto on-going institutional and regulatory capacity building process for implementing Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, including the finalization of the national Carbon Markets Access Strategy, further engagement into the LEAF, and sumbmission of a TREES document to the ART/TREES Secretariat;
• International Kenya Outreach: Support the engagement and positioning of Kenya on forest and climate solutions in Africa-wide and international processes, including organization of events at the Africa Climate Summit, the Africa Climate Week and the Climate COP28; in collaboration with the the Forest Declaration Platform and the Forest and Climate Leaders’ Partnership;
• Knowledge Management & Regional Cooperation: Support regional knowledge exchanges and south-south experience sharing between Kenya and other developing countries on various thematic areas (such as carbon markets, nesting). Generation and dissemination of knowledge products and communication materials related to the above-mentioned streams, including progress and innovations of Kenya on forest protection/restoration, NDC implementation and financing, Support regional country and stakeholder events in which the UNDP Climate & Forests team engages;
• The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Institutional Arrangement

• The Policy and Institutions Analyst will report to the Senior Regional Technical Advisor, Climate & Forests (Africa), together with the UNDP/Kenya Environment Team Leader. S/he will be office-based, following arrangements with the UNDP Kenya Country Office, and will be given access to relevant information necessary for the execution of the tasks under this assignment.

Competencies
Core

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline.
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements.
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback.
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible.
• Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident.
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships.
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination.

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

• 2030 Agenda: Planet: Nature, Climate & Energy : Climate & Forests: National REDD+ Strategies and Processes
• 2030 Agenda: Planet: Nature, Climate & Energy: Climate & Forests: Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation
• 2030 Agenda: Planet: Nature, Climate & Energy: Climate Change Policies: Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC)

Digital & Innovation: Futures & foresight: Ability to look at information from the past and present, identify patterns and trends and use them to inform decision making with a long-term view.

• Being sensitive and able to scan horizons and pick up weak signals of change, explore their potential implications and assess their impact and urgency.
• Using creativity and imagination to communicate insights in compelling and engaging ways to challenge current mental models; ability to develop scenarios, speculative designs to present future visions or by making it experiential.
• Being able to facilitate debate and discussion about possible futures; help people to feel comfortable with the discomfort of uncertainty.

Digital & Innovation: Solutions mapping:Ability to appreciate and integrate various sources of knowledge (academic, experiential, observational, traditional, indigenous) in problem solving processes.

• Having the sensitivity and ability to identify grassroots solutions, capacities, assets, coping strategies that impacted communities have developed or used to address (emerging) development challenges.
• Being able to understand these solutions from a people's perspective and learn about the conditions that enable or prevent communities from developing such grassroots solutions or coping mechanisms.
• Understand how solutions and needs are paired, and how grassroots solutions can be used as an entry point to identify unaddressed or unmet development challenges and how to use these insights to inform policy design.
• Ability to reverse engineer solutions, understanding what aspects (artefactual, principles, conditions, configuration) can be scaled and how, being able to assess their potential to be transferred to other domains, regions or contexts and build a case for that.
• Ability to appreciate and integrate various sources of knowledge (academic, experiential, observational, traditional, indigenous) in problem solving processes. Set up structures and processes to collect ideas, solutions and facilitate matchmaking between supply and demand of solutions."
• Business Direction and Strategy: System Thinking: Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system.
• Partnership management: Multi-stakeholder engagement and funding: Knowledge and ability to forge multi-stakeholder partnerships, and remove any obstacles to resource mobilization and multi-stakeholder funding platforms.

Education
Required Skills and Experience

• Master´s degree in environment, agriculture, international development, management, social sciences or other relevant fields;
• Bachelor´s degree in a relevant field with additional 2 years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of Master´s degree.

Experience

• Minimum of 2 years experience (with master's degree ) or 4 years experience (with bachelor's degree) of progressive work experience in natural resources management and sustainable development.

Required Skills

• Experience in policy work and/or projects/ partnerships for sustainable development in Kenya or East Africa;
• Experience and strong knowledge on climate change mitigation themes.

Desired Skills

• Direct working experience with REDD+ is an advantage;
• Experience in engaging with the multiple sectors, including the agriculture, forest and land use sector is desirable;
• Experience in organizing and facilitating multi-stakeholder dialogue processes between governments, the private sector and civil society, including building stakeholder consensus is an advantage;
• Experience with UNDP country offices or UNDP projects is an advantage;
• Experience in sustainable agricultural, natural resource management related policies, investments and systems is an advantage.

Required Language(s)

• Fluency in English and the national language of the duty station is required.

Apply Before

06/05/2024