Pakistan: Junior Professional Officer - Policy advisory, Research and Advocacy

IMPORTANT: This post is opened in the context of the Junior Professional Officer (JPO) scheme sponsored by the Government of the United Kingdom and is addressed exclusively to United Kingdom nationals.

Background:

In light of the focus of UNDP’s Country Programme Document and in view of the emerging development priorities in Pakistan, the newly constituted Development Policy Unit (DPU) leads UNDP’s policy research and advisory support to the government and its development partners. The key objective of DPU is to positively influence policy formulation of the government and its development partners in favor of MDGs / SDGs and inclusive human development. The initial themes / focus areas of DPU include MDGs / SDGs, poverty and inequality measurement and monitoring, knowledge management on key development issues and reform and innovation for human development in Pakistan. DPU regularly engages local / international universities/think tanks and other institutions in the government and outside for policy oriented analysis / research, advocacy, reform and knowledge exchange.

Non-family Duty Station – this means that you are not allowed to bring any family members

Duties and Responsibilities

• Providing technical support on UNDP’s policy initiatives, especially in doing research, writing policy briefs, developing concept notes, presentations and briefs on potential initiatives that could be considered for UNDP support for poverty reduction and inclusive development. 25%


• Providing support to the unit in facilitating high level policy dialogues and providing technical support to government partners related to their work on MDGs, poverty reduction and inclusive growth. 25%


• Assisting the ACD and Policy Analyst in setting Annual Work Plans and Targets and monitor progress to achieve the set goal and targets. 20%


• Providing assistance to the Unit in preparation and oversight of partnership agreements 10%


• Liaising with various development partners, government counterparts, civil society organizations, and think tanks to achieve intended objectives with regard to UNDP Common Country Programme Document and One UN Programme II. 10%


• Drafting routine letters, power point presentations, and respond to e-mail communications on a daily basis.


• Support the unit in conducting various advocacy events such as workshops, seminars and conferences and provide support to the knowledge management specialist in organizing and managing the solution exchange network


• Help establish and facilitate Community of Practice / Solution Exchange Networks to gather inputs on different thematic issues


• Facilitate local and international missions including logistical arrangements 10%

Competencies

Core competences:

• Ethics & Values


• Working in Teams


• Communicating Information & Ideas


• Self-management & Emotional intelligence


• Decision making

Functional competences:

• Strong analytical and communication skills


• Ability to work within a team as well as carry out tasks independently


• Strong planning and organizing skills with ability to identify priority activities and assignments and to use time efficiently


• Ability to take decisions and manage political/cultural sensitivities

Required Skills and Experience

Education : •Master’s Degree or equivalent Advanced Degree in in International Development, Social Science or other related field of expertise

Work Experience: •A minimum of two years of paid working experience in a relevant field

Language: •Working knowledge of English •Other working knowledge of a UN language desirable

IMPORTANT: This post is opened in the context of the Junior Professional Officer (JPO) scheme sponsored by the Government of the United Kingdom and is addressed exclusively to United Kingdom nationals.