Date of last update: 14/08/2022 2022-08-14
UNDP is the UN Development Programme and works in some 170 countries and territories, helping to achieve the eradication of poverty, and the reduction of inequalities and exclusion. UNDP helps countries to develop policies, leadership skills, partnering abilities, institutional capabilities and build resilience in order to sustain development results. UNDP supports the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as they help shape global sustainable development for the next 10 years.
Please note that not all types of contracts and advertisements are listed in cinfoPoste. Find all of them, including General Service staff and Consultancies (IPSA) here. For UNV positions with UNDP please refer to the UNV page on cinfoPoste or here.
Find in-depth information on careers with UNDP and related cinfo's support on cinfo.ch: Visit the organisation's profile
Job Description
The Position:
The Regional Population and Development Policy Adviser post is placed in the West and Central Africa Regional Office (WCARO). The adviser will work with the WCARO, WCA Country Offices and UNFPA HQs technical advisors to formulate and generate strategic UNFPA contributions toward advancing ICPD Programme of Action (PoA), the 2030 agenda and the AU Agenda 2063 in the West and Central Africa Region, particularly focusing on incorporating population issues into environmental, economic and social policies, with a focus on the mega-trends impacting the region.
The adviser will work under the overall guidance and leadership of the Regional Director and reports directly to the Deputy Regional Director who supervises this position. S/he is the Principal adviser at the regional level for evidence-based advocacy, policy dialogue/advice, capacity building and technical assistance in population and development issues including implications of population dynamics, demographic changes and megatrends such as the impact of climate change, migration and population aging on sustainable development. S/he works in an integrated manner with the technical, operations, programme and communications staff in the WCARO.
How you can make a difference:
UNFPA is the lead UN 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 (2022-2025), 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 our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the ICPD and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations and individuals to "build forward better", while addressing the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on women's and girls' access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, recover lost gains and realize our goals.
In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need 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 that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.
Job Purpose:
The adviser provides strategic technical and programmatic leadership and policy direction on population and development issues for the region to ensure that WCARO and the UNFPA Country Offices in the region play a leadership role in advancing the Strategic Plan, ICPD PoA and the 2030 agenda. S/he maintains primary responsibility for coordination of provision of technical assistance, and for providing policy and programme support to the countries of the region on population and development issues including coordinating and providing evidence based guidance on how population dynamics, demographic transition and megatrends such as the impact of climate change, urbanization, population movements, migration and displacement, pandemics, to name a few, are likely to affect attainment of UNFPA Transformative Results and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). S/he analyses regional as well as specific sub-regional trends and contributes to strategic action in response of these as well as to the monitoring of UNFPA substantive areas being firmly placed within national development frameworks and programmes, including the achievement of Agenda 2030 and the AU Agenda 2063.
You would be responsible for:
Responsibilities will include identifying new and emerging needs in the area of evidence-based advocacy and policy dialogue, providing guidance on the impact of population dynamics and demographic transition in public policies and investments; establishing clear links between investments in SRHR, education, gender equality, young people, and the reduction of poverty and inequality, and maintaining technical partnerships in the region; coordinating and providing leadership to regional efforts around evidence, knowledge and innovation; and ensuring that technical knowledge is updated, generated, disseminated and utilized for effective technical, capacity building, policy dialogue and advocacy.
The primary roles of the Population and Development Policy Adviser are:
Evidence Generation and Analyses
Quality technical support and capacity development
Evidence and knowledge management
Technical Representation, Strategic Partnerships and Strategic Positioning
Carry out any other duties as may be required by the Regional Director or the Deputy Regional Director.
Qualifications and Experience:
Education:
Advanced degree in Economic Demography and/or Economics with Demography, or other population and policy related fields directly related to the substantive area.
Knowledge and Experience:
Languages:
Fluency in English is required and French is desirable to enable effective communication with English speaking and French speaking country coordination groups and local organizations (West and Central Africa region).
Required Competencies:
Values:
Exemplifying integrity,
Demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system,
Embracing cultural diversity,
Embracing change,
Core Competencies:
Achieving results,
Being accountable,
Developing and applying professional expertise/business acumen,
Thinking analytically and strategically,
Working in teams/managing ourselves and our relationships,
Communicating for impact,
Functional Competencies:
Managerial Competencies:
Compensation and Benefits:
This position offers an attractive remuneration package including a competitive net salary plus health insurance and other benefits as applicable.
This is how cinfo can support you in the application process for this specific position:
Interested in a career with multilateral institutions? Read more:
Working with the United Nations
Working with International Financial Institutions
For Swiss nationals
Type of contract: Staff (Permanent and Fixed Term)
Duration: 1 year
Macro-area: Sub-Saharan Africa
Level of experience: Senior Professional, more than 5 years
Area of work Definition: Economics
Type of organisation: Multilateral Organisations