United Nations Development Program Office is seeking a highly qualified professional to fill in the position of Regional Development Advisor

• Project Title: UNDP Crimea InteGration and Development Programme (CIDP)
• Post Title: Regional Development Advisor
• Duration: 6-month probation period and further the possibility of yearly extensions
• Duty Station: Simferopol, Crimea, Ukraine (with frequent travel to project sites in the districts)
• Contract type: Service Contract or ALD 3

Introduction:

The main goal of UNDP’s Crimea Integration and Development Programme (CIDP) is to foster sustainable human development in a manner that contributes to the maintenance of peace and stability in Crimea through initiatives aimed at preventing interethnic violence and enhancing peaceful coexistence among different ethnic groups.

This includes the following five sub-goals:

Promote good governance and integration by encouraging citizens of multi-ethnic communities to actively participate in improving living conditions in partnership with local authorities

Reduce marked economic disparities between underprivileged groups and the rest of the population by promoting income and employment creation with special emphasis on entrepreneurship and small and medium enterprise development

Increase tolerance and social cohesion through education and culture

Improve quality and accessibility of basic infrastructure and social services in needy areas

Increase responsiveness to potential conflict areas through the setting up of a Human Security Monitoring System

Responding to the changing development situation in Crimea over the last 10 years, the Crimea Integration and Development Programme (CIDP) has been applying different approaches in different programme phases to achieve its objective of integration and development in Crimea. While previous CIDP interventions have successfully contributed to increased social cohesion in the target communities, major structural risk factors to stability and development in Crimea prevail.

During its fourth phase, CIDP will therefore need to complement the currently applied social mobilization approach with an integrated approach to regional development in Crimea that goes beyond the community level to intervene at the policy level.

Effective and sustainable local development depends on a set of internal and external factors, i.e. empowered local actors with enhanced capacities, good local governance, functional local service provision systems and viable local economies supported by an enabling environment and external support.

CIDP is a multi-donor funded programme with an annual budget of approximately USD 3 million, implemented by 62 local and international staff members.

Responsibilities and Duties:

The Regional Development Advisor (RDA) will work under the direct supervision of the CIDP International Programme Co-coordinator (IPC) and will be primarily responsible for managing CIDP’s programme department and implementing CIDP’s programme strategy. S/he will act as the Officer-in-Charge of CIDP in the case of absence of the IPC and assist the IPC in his/her assignments if and when required.

The RDA will directly supervise the technical specialists and work in close collaboration with the Senior Administrative/Finance Assistant, the UNDP Country Office and relevant Government counterparts and target communities to achieve the programme’s objectives as specified in the CIDP Programme Strategy.

With regard to the strategy, outcomes, outputs and activities specified in CIDP’s Programme Strategy and individual CIDP Project Documents, the RDA will

1. Ensure overall quality, consistency and timely delivery in programme implementation in close coordination with relevant Government counterparts. Prepare the work plan of the programme department in line with CIDP’s Results and Resources Framework and monitor overall progress towards outputs and outcomes in accordance with CIDP’s Performance Measurement Plan.

2. Promote CIDP’s objectives, concept and methodology at different levels of governments (national, republican, districts and Village Councils), with community organizations and within UNDP and the wider development community.

3. Provide technical support to the Crimean and local level governments in CIDP’s fields of intervention.

4. Prepare substantive reports from the programme, provide technical inputs for the preparation of high-quality funding proposals to donors and assist the IPC in further developing the strategy and conceptual framework of the programme and individual projects.

5. Cooperate with the CIDP Communications Specialist in PR activities and the preparation of information materials about the programme.

6. Cooperate with the CIDP Senior Administrative / Finance Assistant in overall programme implementation, preparation of reports and in assuring proper operational, financial and administrative management in the project, as well as adherence to UNDP rules and procedures.

7. Act as Officer-in-Charge of CIDP in case of absence of the IPC. Perform the functions of Manager Level II in Atlas and of alternative bank signatory.

8. Perform other duties as assigned by the International Programme Coordinator.

The RDA will guide, manage, coordinate and supervise CIDP’s technical specialists to perform the following functions within their area of responsibility:

1. Develop, document and implement the details of CIDP’s programme strategy as well as prepare policy papers for individual aspects of this strategy.

2. Prepare the annual work plan and budget for the implementation of CIDP’s interventions, manage the respective finances and prepare budget revisions if required.

3. Coordinate activities with programme partners to ensure timely and successful implementation of CIDP’s interventions. Ensure that all stakeholders are well informed and fully participate in this undertaking. Promote networking and experience sharing between programme stakeholders and target groups.

4. Assess and identify training needs of partner organizations. Organize and provide training to relevant actors to enhance their capacity.

5. Identify experienced and qualified organizations/experts for the implementation of certain aspects of CIDP’s strategy; prepare Terms of Reference, tender documents, Invitation to Bids; oversee, check and approve the work of the contractor

6. Extract and document practical guidelines and lessons learned from CIDP’s interventions for continuously improving CIDP’s interventions as well as facilitating its application within the context of other activities and programmes of UNDP in Ukraine and elsewhere.

7. Organize seminar and workshops to share experiences on CIDP’s programme interventions with the partner organizations. Make presentations to programme partners.

8. Provide timely inputs to the CIDP communication unit for the preparation of quarterly and annual progress as well as final reports to donors, CIDP management and UNDP. Provide technical inputs for the preparation of high-quality funding proposals to donors.

9. Monitor progress of programme activities and regularly report to the Regional Development Advisor and the International Programme Coordinator. Maintain proper electronic and paper filing systems.

Qualifications:

1. Master’s degree in development studies, social sciences and/or related fields.

2. At least five years of practical experience in working on regional / area-based development, preferably both at the community and policy levels

3. Capacity to motivate people and to build relationships with partners, Governments and other stakeholders.

4. Excellent interpersonal, management and leadership skills. At least three years of management experience.

5. Sound analytical, organizational, project management and negotiation skills and the ability to conduct training and workshops/seminars.

6. Proven ability and skill to work under high pressure, with strong delivery orientation.

7. Excellent command of English and good command of Russian or Ukrainian languages and of word processing, spreadsheet and other computer programmes.

8. Excellent writing, presentation and communication skills.

9. Ability to work effectively in a multi-cultural team.

10. Affinity with United Nations mandate and principles.

Applications (most recent CVs) in English language are to be submitted to the e-mail address vyacheslav.egorov@undp.org

Please indicate "Regional Development Advisor, CIDP" in the Subject line of your message. Please also mention the minimal salary level expected in your application/CV.

UNDP will use a transparent and competitive screening process, though will only contact those applicants in whom there is further interest. Applications may only be submitted for specific vacancies. We regret that we will not be able to acknowledge all unsolicited general applications for employment.

THIS POST IS OPEN FOR BOTH NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL EXPERTS