GOVERNANCE AND PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION OFFICER

Org. Setting and ReportingThis position is located in the Programme Management and Capacity Development Unit (PMCDU), Division of Public Institutions and Digital Government (DPIDG) of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA). DPIDG focuses on supporting countries in building effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels for internationally agreed development goals, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Governance and Public Administration Officer will support the project on strengthening local and national government capacities for SDG localization in Africa. The incumbent will report to the Chief of the Unit. More information on DPIDG available on https://publicadministration.un.org ResponsibilitiesUnder the Director supervision of the Chief of Programme Management and Capacity Development Unit (PMCDU) and the overall guidance of the Director, Division of Public Institutions and Digital Government (DPIDG), within delegated authority, the duties of the Governance and Public Administration Officer as below: Governance and Public Administration analysis • Participates in the formulation, organization and management of mandated programmes of governance, public administration and development management and in the formulation of possible governance, public administration and development management strategies, policies and actions for adoption by individual countries and/or the international community. • Participates in the identification of new or emerging governance, public administration and development management issues of potential concern to Member States and/or the international community, particularly those of a regional or global nature and design and in the development of programmes to address them; • Commissions and manages governance, public administration and development management studies and analyses that cannot be undertaken internally. • Proposes, designs and supervises substantive research, studies, and prepares or reviews reports, and publications included in the Division’s regular budget programmes. • Conceives, plans and manages expert group meetings, seminars and similar consultations that contribute to the finalization of the work branch’s outputs. • Prepares reports on governance, public administration and development management and on a wide range of development and related issues for issuance by the Division. • Prepares briefing notes and speeches for senior staff and makes presentations on governance, public administration and development management related issues for specialist or non-specialist audiences. • Prepares first drafts of sectoral, country or regional components of analytical studies on governance, public administration and development management. • Proposes, designs and supervises research analyzing key trends to continuously enrich the substantive work of the Division. Technical cooperation • Develops and maintains relations with senior officials of member governments and ensures a response to requests for advice and/or assistance on governance, public administration and development management issues and policies; • Conceives, plans and manages capacity development activities to strengthen institutional capacities of developing countries for SDG localization, aligned with the principles of effective governance for sustainable development, especially subsidiarity • Negotiates with recipient governments on technical assistance programmes and projects • Organizes and coordinates cooperation among Member States on governance, public administration and development management technical cooperation programmes, particularly in preparing action-oriented Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs), ensuring stakeholder engagement, data driven assessments, and integration of findings into local development plans; • Leads or participates in technical cooperation missions • Plans and oversees implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of projects in governance, public administration and development management • Designs and undertakes research and studies in support of programme and project formulation. • Takes a leading role in supervising the administration of technical support of seminars and workshops organized by the Division and its partners. • Contributed to the development of toolkits, case studies, and analytical materials; and support dissemination of good practices on SDG localization in partnership with UN regional economic commissions, regional organizations, and other stakeholders. Programme support • Participates and provides direct support in the formulation of the medium-term plan, the programme of work and the budget of the branch and in the formulation of the organization’s overall programme of work and other similar endeavors. • Attends to various administrative matters concerning the Branch or Division. • Maintains records and data related to programmes within his/her responsibility and enters data, information and documentation in the UNPAN. • Collects and analyzes data to identify trends or patterns and provide insights through graphs, charts, tables and reports using data visualization methods to enable data-driven planning, decision-making, presentation and reporting. • Performs other related duties as required. Work implies frequent interaction with the following: Colleagues and senior staff within immediate work unit and peers in the broader organizational unit and occasionally with OIOS Counterpart and senior officials in other UN, regional, global organizations and international and regional governance, public administration and development management institutions, academia and research institutions Officials of Member States Missions, delegations, Governments and NGOs Results expected: Provides in-depth qualitative and quantitative analyses of diverse aspects of governance, public administration and development management challenges faced by developing countries and economies in transition, particularly at the local level of government. Develops well-designed programmes to analyze economic and social development issues, makes sound policy proposals that are useful to governments and other clients. Participates in technical cooperation activities that contribute to governance, public and socio-economic development in recipient countries and provide effective support to the intergovernmental processes. Effectively leads and manages major reports, projects and work teams and delivers outputs in a timely manner in accordance with overall objectives and policies. Offers guidance and leadership to less senior and/or experienced staff. Serves as an effective spokesperson internally and externally and forms strong partnerships with relevant parties to help met the organization’s objectives Competencies• Professionalism: Knowledge and understanding of governance, public administration and development theories, principles and applications, especially at the local level of government. Ability to produce quality reports and publications in selected areas of governance, public administration and development management. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work. Able to analyze and interpret data in support of decision-making and convey resulting information to management. • Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed. • Planning & Organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently. EducationAdvanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in public administration, governance, political science, social science, business administration, law, public finance or related field. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Job - Specific QualificationNot available. Work ExperienceA minimum of 7 years or progressively responsible experience in governance, public administration, development management or related area is required. Experience in principles of effective governance for sustainable development is required. Experience in capacity development building on governance and the localization of SDGs is required. Experience in an international organization, preferably the United Nations, is desirable. LanguagesEnglish and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in English is required; knowledge of another UN official language is an advantage. AssessmentEvaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview. Special Notice• This is a Project-funded post. The post is temporarily available for three months with a possibility of extension. If the selected candidate is a staff member from the United Nations Secretariat, the selection will be administered as a temporary assignment. The appointment or assignment and renewal are subject to the availability of the post or funds, budgetary approval, and extension of the mandate. • While this temporary assignment may provide the successful applicant with an opportunity to gain new work experience, the selection for this position is for a limited period and has no bearing on the future incumbency of the post. • Subject to the funding source of the position, the eligibility for this temporary job opening may be limited to candidates based at the duty station. • This temporary job opening may be limited to \"internal candidates,\" who have been recruited through a competitive examination administered according to staff rule 4.16 or staff selection process including the review of a central review body established according to staff rule 4.15. • Staff members of the United Nations common system organizations who will reach the mandatory age of separation or retirement within the duration of the current temporary need period are not eligible to apply. Submitting an application or selection for the current temporary job opening does not delay or increase the mandatory age of separation. • Retirees above the mandatory age of separation who wish to be considered for the current temporary job opening must indicate the reason for their last separation as \"retirement.\" Such retirees shall not be employed by the Organization, unless (a) the operational requirements of the Organization cannot be met by staff members who are qualified and available to perform the required functions; and (b) the proposed employment would not adversely affect the career development or redeployment opportunities of other staff members and represents both a cost-effective and operationally sound solution to meet the needs of the service. • At the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the recruitment and employment of staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence and integrity, with due regard to geographic diversity. All employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications and organizational needs. The United Nations is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. The United Nations recruits and employs staff regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds or disabilities. • The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance and geographical diversity in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position. United Nations ConsiderationsAccording to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. By accepting a letter of appointment, staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). Further, staff members in the Professional and higher category up to and including the D-2 level and the Field Service category are normally required to move periodically to discharge functions in different duty stations under conditions established in ST/AI/2023/3 on Mobility, as may be amended or revised. This condition of service applies to all position specific job openings and does not apply to temporary positions. Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira, and to refer to the Applicant Guide by clicking on “Manuals” in the “Help” tile of the inspira account-holder homepage. The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application. Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date. No FeeTHE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.