Latest Vacancies at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

Job ID: 39596
Grade: P3
Vacancy Type: FTA International
Posting Type: Common System
Contract Duration: 1 Year with possibility for extension
Practice Area - Job Family: Management - Public Engagement and Partnerships

Background

• UNDP is systemically changing how its institutional and programmatic activities are portrayed and financed. Country Offices are now compelled to unlock new innovative partnerships and business models that enable programmes, projects, and services that support countries to accelerate sustainable development.
• Adopting a new resource management paradigm, as the global funding landscape for development cooperation is transforming requires the enabling self-sustaining initiatives that are people centered, results oriented and impactful.
• As a result, dynamic positioning of UNDP for emerging opportunities that help communities to address the complex and evolving development challenges is core to country office programming and delivery.
• UNDP has identified partnerships and communications as a core strategic area of growth in support of its work at global, regional and country level. Focus on this area is motivated by the new demands posed by the 2030 and 2063 Agendas, which require of concerted actions from all development actors, in order to achieve their ambitious goals for socioeconomic transformation and sustainable development.
• It is also driven by the growing number of development actors active in the development landscape and the demands that this places on UNDP as convener of national and regional policy dialogue and facilitator of development partnerships.
• In Nigeria, UNDP works with its national counterparts to the government implement its development priorities towards achievement of sustainable development.
• The work is guided by global, regional and national development and normative frameworks to which Nigeria is signatory to, including the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063.
• Achieving these core strategic ambitions at country level requires UNDP to take action in a number of areas that support programmatic delivery in crisis and post-crisis settings, to national capacity development, the provision of innovative policy advice to national governments, or the convening of national dialogues around key development issues.
• To support this work successfully, the UNDP Nigeria intends to engage qualified professionals to support the reimagination of its development offer and support the acceleration the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through integration of community voices, ideas and action as informed by context, leaving no one behind.
• To support its work in this area, the UNDP Nigeria country office intends to engage a professional expert to support the reimagination of its outreach, partnerships and public engagement initiatives and function.
• Under the direct supervision and guidance of the Resident Representative, the Public engagement, Outreach, and Partnerships Lead is expected to provide creative, innovative, visionary and strategic leadership to the country office, through distinct approaches and tangible actions that helps to position UNDP Nigeria  in key development areas as a thought leader in ways that boost demand for various service lines and increase overall business opportunities.
• The incumbent will invest time and experience in proactive public engagement and management for the benefit of the country office and its partners, with the aim of enhancing UNDP's programmatic profile and promote accountability and, public engagement.
• With the leadership of the Resident Representative and in consultation with the Deputy Resident Representatives (Programmes and Operations) the incumbent will ensure support for inter-agency/multi-sector partnerships and collaboration through critical actions geared towards the strategic positioning, partnership building and business development  with a view to influence the development agenda and, mobilize political and financial support for UNDP.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Design and implementation of public engagement and outreach initiatives
• Strategic positioning and partnerships (corporate/private and public sector)
• Proactive Media engagement and management
• Knowledge Development and Management
• Effective team management

Ensures design and implementation of public engagement and outreach initiatives focusing on the following results:

• Curates and oversees implementation of the country office public engagement and outreach strategies based on goals and priorities
• Assesses the impact of the country office public engagement and outreach implementation and makes adjustments accordingly as informed by trends, media and audience analysis
• Integrates issue-based and people-centered advocacy around key priority areas relevant to UNDP's work in Nigeria in support of accountability and transparency
• Ensures communication on and around UNDP contribution and that of its partners to Nigeria’s development agenda is relatable, contextualised, locally understood and visible through evidence-based stories of impact and documentation of lessons learned
• Fosters outreach partnerships with communication innovators, creatives and social influencers to achieve programmatic visibility and engagement
• In collaboration with team leaders, and based on their insight, guides the production of results-based communications assets that enhance understanding of UNDP work, programmatic accountability and public appreciation of the UNDP offer
• Leverages innovative communication approaches, tools and outlets including digital and social media campaigns to enhance understanding of UNDP work in Nigeria
• Provides technical and oversight support to the packaging and promotion of work carried out under Regional Stabilization Programme, the Accelerator Lab and ECOWAS/EU Small Arms and Light Weapons Programme

Supports strategic positioning and innovative partnerships (corporate/private and public sector) focusing on the following:

• Supports country office efforts to position UNDP as a trusted partner of choice and convener of policy dialogues on crucial development priorities  
• Identifies opportunities to convene development partners, think-tanks, academia, civil society, media, UN and others around development issues and priorities that can support Nigeria’s acceleration of the SDGs
• Works with the Senior Management Team (SMT) and team leaders in positioning UNDP Nigeria as a thought leader and an integrator within the development domain, in a manner that promotes UNDP's offer and boosts demand for collaboration at programmatic and policy level
• Liaises with UNDP’s Bureau for External Relations and Advocacy to ensure full alignment of the country office partnerships and communications strategy with UNDP corporate partnerships, policies and procedures
• Contextualises and integrates regional and global public campaigns that promote UNDP as a leading development partner and influences national development agendas based on current programmes and new initiatives
• Strategically supports UNDP engagement with the Nigeria creative sector for development

Manages proactive media engagement and management focusing on the following:

• Supports country office and programme inoculators' public engagement and messaging to articulate UNDP's offer, programmatic priorities, key milestones, impact and results
• Works with the Resident Representative, senior officials, team leaders and project focal persons to produce blogs, op-eds and speeches, talking points, organise interviews and support high-level programme visits and events that showcase UNDP work
• Provides timely support on responses to reputational management inquiries raised by media and donors in close consultation with the Regional Service Centre in Addis Ababa, RBA regional and sub-regional teams and, BERA
• Delivers substantive oversight and quality assurance of communication products, including external website and social media platforms by strengthening their utility for public engagement.

Ensures Effective team management focusing on the following:

• Manages Partnerships and Communications unit and delivery of its work plan as aligned to the country office vision and priorities
• Under the guidance of the Resident Representative, sets priorities of the Partnerships and Communications unit in support of programmatic delivery and resource mobilisation
• Oversees the development and implementation of the Partnerships and Communications unit annual work plans
• Encourages and fosters intra-team collaboration to ensure the provision of an integrated package of partnerships and public engagement support to the country office
• Supports staff development and professional growth to achieve the desired results as outlined in UNDP's people management strategy
• Represents the Partnerships and Communications unit at various internal and external engagements
• Manages recruitment of consultants and delivery of their tasks

Ensures facilitation of knowledge building and management focusing on the following:

• Shares an instrumental culture of knowledge management and sharing within the team and with partners
• Actively engages in relevant UNDP communities of practice and other practice networks, within UNDP, in the broader UN landscape and externally
• Leverages the use of blogs, social media, and communities of practice to ensure wide dissemination of positions, events, debates on programmatic work and related issues
• Ensures the continuous analysis and collation of lessons learnt, best practices and impact in the area of communications for development
• Provides advice and support to UNDP inputs to CCA, United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF), Country Programme Document (CPD) and other documents
• Organization and provision of training, consultancy and advice to UNDP staff on communications and advocacy.

Required Skills and Experience
Education:

• Master's Degree or equivalent in Mass Media, Public Relations, Journalism, International Relations or related studies

Experience:

• Master's Degree with 5 years or Bachelor’s Degree with 7 years of progressively responsible for teams with relevant professional work experience in communication, print, broadcast, and/or new media and or fundraising/corporate communication, advocacy, Public Relations, project management, brand management including
• Work experience in conflict related contexts, ideally at national or regional level is an asset
• Demonstrated experience in partnership development, collaboration and management is required
• Demonstrated skills and experience in media and public engagement through dynamic platforms is required.
• Experience in communications for development is not mandatory but an asset
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills is required.
• Experience in leading teams to create highly effective content targeting various audiences for use on digital platforms and mainstream media using innovative approaches and tools is required
• Experience in the United Nations, a governmental, other multilateral or civil society organization is an asset.

Competencies

Core:
Innovation:

• Ability to make new and useful ideas work.
• Creates new and relevant ideas and leads others to implement them

Leadership:

• Ability to persuade others to follow.
• Plans and acts transparently, actively works to remove barriers

People Management:

• Ability to improve performance and satisfaction.
• Models high professional standards and motivates excellence in others

Communication:

• Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform.
• Gains trust of peers, partners, clients by presenting complex concepts in practical terms to others

Delivery:

• Ability to get things done while exercising good judgement
• Critically assesses value and relevance of existing policy / practice and contributes to enhanced delivery of products, services, and innovative solutions

Technical/Functional:
Brand & Quality Management:

• Ability to strengthen UNDP's identity and distinction through its brand and uphold it to a high level of quality.
• Catalyzes new ideas, methods, and applications to pave a path for innovation and continuous improvement in professional area of expertise

Marketing

• Ability to communicate the value and distinct characteristics of a product or service and to understand the market landscape.

Media Relations:

• Ability to form and maintain meaningful working relationships with various members of the media.

Multimedia writing/editing:

• Originating and/or editing written content for media and the general public to be disseminated through press or other online outlets

Public Relations:

• Ability to manage information sharing and partnership alliances between the UNDP and the public

Social Media:

• Ability to represent and promote the UNDP brand in virtual communities / networks and promote citizen engagement in UNDP's work

Building Strategic Partnerships:

• Ability to maintain and establish networks of contacts for general information sharing and to remain up to date on partnership related issues.

Language Requirements:

• English Proficiency.
• Other official language of the UN will be desirable.

go to method of application »

Additional Category: Management
Type of Contract: Individual Contract
Post Level: International Consultant
Starting Date: 01-Oct-2021 (date when the selected candidate is expected to start)    
Duration of Initial Contract: 30 Days
Expected Duration of Assignment: 30 Days

Background and Rationale  

• UNDP Nigeria has established a Knowledge Hub to enhance its ability to make timely and evidence-based interventions, particularly in areas of Preventing and Responding to Violent Extremism, conflict prevention and human security.
• A new type of ‘development intelligence gathering’, i.e. continuous monitoring and data collection, is crucial to inform UNDP’s work for early warning, adjust interventions to maximize preventive efforts and initiate new thematic approaches.
• Trend analyses and ad-hoc policy briefs will also inform interventions of UNDP’s development partners in this field.
• Through harnessing the potential offered by both old and new sources of data, it is UNDP’s hope that the accuracy and precision of its development responses are increased and a strong foundation for meaningful public policy making, efficient resource allocation and effective public service delivery is created.
• The ultimate objective of the Knowledge Hub is to harness data, including real time data, for development through providing evidence-based intelligence that can be translated to meaningful policies and planning for development impact.
• Part of the strategy of the Knowledge Hub includes the use of digital real-time data analytics and data mining to strengthen human security, improve provision of services and support the development of sustainable cities and communities.
• To achieve this goals, UNDP Nigeria is looking for a Data Scientist to apply data mining techniques (anomaly detection, association learning, cluster detection, classification, and predictive modeling) to create actionable insights from a broad range of structured and unstructured data that is growing rapidly in scale.
• In addition, given monumental secondary impact of COVID-19 in the country, UNDP’s support to the Governement’s strategy to reestablish conditions for quick recovery and return to a path of economic growth, improved social contract and overall human development that can foster more inclusive societies in the future.
• A key foundation for this is availing rapid intelligence gathering, R&D support and Data Innovation, to provide the much-needed socio-economic trend analysis to compliment epidemiological analytics that will frame the risk stratification in society and across sectors with policy actions for the immediate long term.
• UNDP therefore seeks the expertise of a Data Scientist to work with the Knowledge Hub for the acquisition, analysis and visualization of data from a variety of sources in order to:
  • Help understand emerging human vulnerabilities to socio-economic shocks,
  • Detect and highlight patterns that could indicate how people are coping with emerging hardship, and
  • Gather evidence of changes in behavior and perception correlated with public sector policies and programmes.

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of Work:

• Under the direct supervision of the Knowledge Hub Coordinator, the Data Scientist will:
• Define, design and implement research projects harnessing Big Data to improve both understanding of population behavior, needs, and vulnerabilities as well as capacity to monitor and evaluate the impacts of public sector polices and programmes;
• Perform data discovery studies and software prototypes. Assist in developing new approaches to detecting events, and trends within real-time data sources such as mobile technology as well as online media, social networks, imagery, geospatial data, communications logs, transaction records, etc.;
• Write code and scripts to perform data cleaning, analysis and modeling;
• Document advances in big data and artificial intelligence including sectoral deep dives in fields such as human security and service provision;
• Support and coordinate data innovation projects with multiple partners including UN agencies, government entities, the private sector and academia;
• Design and implement statistical data quality procedures around new data sources in the context of their application to development and humanitarian issues;  
• Implement any software required for accessing and handling data appropriately;
• Produce high quality written technical reports and visualize data findings creatively in a variety of formats;
• Draft and review project proposals, concept notes and scientific articles;
• Prepare presentations and communication materials as required;
• Support and advise the Knowledge Hub activities as required;
• Interact with the global community through a variety of media.

Areas of research and exploration include:

• Estimating higher frequency and more granular population-related metrics such as vulnerability and migration through alternative data such as cellular phone use
• Characterization and modelling of regional traffic patterns
• Extracting sentiment from social media such as Twitter.

Expected Outcome/ Deliverables
The Expert will be expected to deliver the following for each project:

• A research brief or presentation deck detailing the research question, statistical and enginering methodology, results, technical recommendations for practical use, and policy implications.
• Well-documented code in either the R or Python programming language that allows other technical staff to use.
• Supporting visualizations that enable intuitive communication with stakeholders.

Required Skills and Experience
Qualifications and Experience:

• Proven experience in conducting various methods of statistical analysis including machine learning, predictive modeling;
• Proven ability to translate findings statistical findings to policy recommendations
• Ability to lead the statistical analysis and to combine with broader analytical trends and observations. This work includes explaining and applying findings and recommendations following the assessment;
• Proven experience writing procedure documents and analysis reports for an international audience.
• Excellent command of English

Competencies

Core:
Innovation:

• Ability to make new and useful ideas work
• Level 4: Adept with complex concepts and challenges convention purposefully

Communication:

• Sharing knowledge across the organization and building a culture of knowledge sharing and learning.
• Level 4: Synthesizes information to communicate independent analysis

Delivery:

• Ability to get things done while exercising good judgement
• Level 5: Critically assesses value and relevance of existing policy / practice and contributes to enhanced delivery of products, services, and innovative solutions

Technical expertise:

• Knowledge of advanced data analytics, including methodologies related to big data and data science.
• Level 4: Apply & Adapt: Contributes skills and knowledge with demonstrated ability to advance innovation and continuous improvement, in professional area of expertise

Knowledge Management:

• Ability to capture, develop, share and effectively use information and knowledge.
• Level 4: Apply & Adapt: Contributes skills and knowledge with demonstrated ability to advance innovation and continuous improvement, in professional area of expertise

Gender Sensitivity

• Demonstrates awareness and sensitivity regarding gender issues;
• Level 4: Apply & Adapt: Contributes skills and knowledge with demonstrated ability to advance innovation and continuous improvement, in professional area of expertise

Secondary:
Report Writing:

• Ability to prepare quality reports.
• Level 4: Apply & Adapt: Contributes skills and knowledge with demonstrated ability to advance innovation and continuous improvement, in professional area of expertise
• Data Analysis/Measurement Ability to evaluate, transform and  model data to derive relevant findings.
• Level 4: Apply & Adapt: Contributes skills and knowledge with demonstrated ability to advance innovation and continuous improvement, in professional area of expertise