Background
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has taken steps to position itself as a regional and global leader in key sectors such as water, energy reform, digitalization and peace and security and in alignment with Vision 2030. Recently we witnessed the establishment of a set of regional and global initiatives such as the Global Water Organization, the Digital Cooperation Organization, Middle East Green Initiative and the Red Sea Initiative. These provide UNDP with good opportunities to strategically engage with KSA at country office level and most importantly at the corporate level to ensure all efforts are aligned.
The Country Office priorities for the year 2025 and beyond will focus on furthering the ongoing support across several priority sectors including water, energy, digitalization, urbanization, health and anti-corruption, with UNDP being identified as a partner of choice and with a strong level of trust from Government partners, and initiating dialogue to tackle emerging national priorities from the other hand.
The Programme Unit works to support achievement of UNDP strategic objectives to create a world where people and planet thrive together, and to help the Country Office act with both ambition and scale to address urgent problems facing the country as well as global climate deteriorating conditions. Programme staff assist the Country Office in formulating and implementing programme strategies that go beyond solving immediate development challenges to create future smart and integrated systemic changes in resilience and capacity building within the country.
Position Purpose:
Under the overall guidance of the Resident Representative (RR), and the day-to-day supervision of the Deputy Resident Representative (DRR) the Programme Analyst is responsible for management of UNDP programme within the thematic/sectoral areas assigned. The Programme Analyst analyzes political, social and economic trends; leads formulation, management and evaluation of programme activities within his/her portfolio; and provides policy advice services.
The Programme Analyst supervises and leads the programme staff and coordinates activities of the projects’ staff. The Programme Analyst works in close collaboration with the Programme and Operations teams in the CO, programme staff in other UN Agencies, UNDP staff in HQs and Regional Hubs, technical advisors/experts, external specialists, government officials and partners, donors, and civil society to ensure successful implementation of the UNDP programme.
UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Substantively contribute to formulation and implementation of UNDP programme strategies and policies.
- Contribute to analysis of the political, social and economic situation in the country; and contribute collaborative inputs to the UN Common Country Assessment and Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNCCA and UNSDCF) as well as to the preparation/revision of the Country Programme Document (CPD), Integrated Work Plan (IWP) and other strategic documents.
- Contribute to operationalizing UNSDCF/ CPD in collaboration with the main partners and other UN Agencies.
- Ensure implementation of relevant programme Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to ensure the effectiveness CO business processes.
- Analyze and synthesize proposals in assigned programme areas.
- Ensure effective management of the CO programme within the assigned thematic/sector areas focusing on quality assurance and risk management from formulation to implementation of the country programme.
- Contribute to design and formulation of CO programme, translate UNDP priorities into local interventions, and oversee programme implementation with the implementing partners within the assigned programme areas. Ensure that design and formulation of programme considers societal digital technology risks and opportunities and other future signals.
- Oversee planning, budgeting, implementation and monitoring of the assigned programme areas; and track use of financial resources in accordance with UNDP rules and regulations. Ensure digital technology solutions in programme implementation are managed towards scalability and sustainability in line with UNDP’s digital standards.
- Ensure effective application of results-based management tools and track achievement of strategic results.
- Ensure the effective use of data in programme implementation, across the data lifecycle; and ensure effective monitoring, evaluation and learning on programme impact.
- Support trends analysis for future informed and anticipatory programming.
- Follow up on audit recommendations and ensure the implementation of management responses.
- Prepare and aggregate reports on activities, outputs and outcomes, including donor and corporate reports.
- Support to the rollout of new initiatives and programmes including through presentation of the project to PAC; finalize contribution agreements; and determine required revisions.
- Ensure creation of strategic partnerships and implementation of the resource mobilization strategy.
- Develop partnerships with the UN Agencies, international financial institutions (IFIs), government institutions, donors, private sector (if applicable to CO), and civil society in assigned programme/ thematic areas.
- Identify strategic programme areas of cooperation including for joint programming.
- Analyze and research information on donors, prepare substantive briefs on possible areas of cooperation, identify opportunities for initiation of new projects, and substantively contribute to Country office resource mobilization efforts.
- Support development of portfolios and Country office pipeline including through the design of Programme/Project documents, concept notes, proposals, and cross-sectoral coordination in assigned areas to bring resources for projects.
- Ensure provision of top-quality advisory services and facilitation of knowledge building and management.
- Identify policy-driven issues; and identify and synthesize best practices and lessons learned directly linked to programme country policy goals.
- Establish/strengthen national and international advocacy networks. Implement relevant, high -impact advocacy with key partners.
- Provide substantive support in the development of policies and institutions to address country problems and needs in collaboration with the Government and other strategic partners.
- Provide input so that policy advisory contributes to inclusive societal digital transformation and takes digital technology risks and opportunities or futures signals into account.
- Provide sound contributions to knowledge networks, communities of practice, and digital knowledge platforms.
- Organize training for the operations/ projects staff on programme related matters in assigned areas.
- The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
- Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: Supervises programme and project staff.
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/maintain coalitions/partnerships
- Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 2: Facilitate conversations to bridge differences, considers in decision making
- People Management: UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated site.
Cross-Functional & Technical competencies:
Business Management
- Results-based Management: Ability to manage programmes and projects with a focus at improved performance and demonstrable results
- Project Management: Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals
- Portfolio Management: Ability to select, prioritize and control the organization’s programmes and projects, in line with its strategic objectives and capacity; ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives and the maintenance of business-as-usual, while optimizing return on investment
- Monitoring: Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback on the consistency or discrepancy between planned and actual activities and programme performance and results
- Working with Evidence and Data: Ability to inspect, cleanse, transform and model data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions and supporting decision-making
Business Direction & 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
2030 Agenda:
- Engagement & Effectiveness: Effectiveness: Project Quality Assurance
Required Skills and Experience
Education
- Advanced university degree (master's degree or equivalent) in Business Administration, Public Administration, Economics, Political Sciences, Social Sciences, or related field is required or
- 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, Knowledge, and Skills
- Minimum of 2 years (with master’s degree) or 4 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience at the national and/or international level in providing management advisory services, hands-on experience in design, monitoring and evaluation of development portfolios and projects in a related thematic area.
- Experience in the use of computers, office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.), database packages, and web-based management systems such as ERP.
Desired Skills
- Experience at both national and international levels with programme/project design and implementation.
- Experience with design, oversight and implementation of programmes/projects.
- Experience with application of results-based programme development and management
- Proven experience with client orientation and understanding of client needs
- Knowledge of UNDP Policies and Procedures
Language requirements
- Fluency in English and Arabic, written and spoken, is required
- Knowledge of another UN language is desirable
Equal opportunity
As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination.
UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.
Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority
UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles.
Right to select multiple candidates
UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.
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