UNDP’s Strategic Plan 2022-2025 emphasizes strategic innovation and development finance as key enablers for accelerating and scaling up development impact. UNDP has already invested significantly in innovative approaches and infrastructure and now is the time to orient these assets more purposefully towards supporting partners with systems transformation and mobilizing financing at scale.

The UNDP Regional Hub for Europe and the CIS (based in Istanbul, Turkiye) is UNDP’s main knowledge and advisory hub for the countries serviced by UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Europe and the CIS (RBEC). Through its regional programme, the Hub provides advisory support, organizational learning and innovation services to UNDP Country Offices in the ECIS region in the areas of sustainable development, effective democratic governance, energy and resilience, gender, health and development, development finance, and partnerships.

Based on the experience accumulated in the last years, and in line with the guidance articulated by the new UNDP Strategic Plan 2022-2025, the Partnerships team aims to broaden the scope of its activities, expanding its donor portfolio, including the emerging donors portfolio and further stimulating partnerships with IFIs, the private sector and partner governments for a more efficient and coordinated development financing ecosystem, for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

In line with the Regional Programme 2022-2025, the Partnerships Team provides support to Country Offices as well as thematic teams at the Istanbul Regional Hub in identifying and building partnerships with wide range of actors in advancing the Agenda 2030. In addition, the Team plays a lead role in coordinating UNDP partnerships with emerging donors in the region, including capacity building and project implementation.

The main goal of the Czech-UNDP Partnership for SDGs (CUP) is to bring Czech expertise and innovative solutions for SDGs to partner countries. Since 2020, 6 partner countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Moldova, and Zambia) are included in the programme. Three components of the programme include:

1) Expertise on Demand (according to the local demand, the Czech expertise is implemented in the priority countries)

2) Challenge Fund – Czech Solutions for SDGs (Innovative solutions for the priority countries are supported)

3) Knowledge Management

The Project Analyst will work together with the Senior Programme Specialist under direct supervision of the Partnerships Development Specialist of the Partnerships Team.

Project management of the Czech-UNDP Partnership for SDGs:

• Provide support to the design, implementation, and evaluation of project activities, including by contributing to preparation of Annual Work Plan (AWP), definition of goals and targets, project board meeting agenda and coordination within the governing structure of the project;
• Provide feedback to management, participate in drafting concept notes or related project documents for project components;
• Initiate and maintain partnerships with development partners, government institutions, private sector, civil society and other stakeholders to contribute to the achievement of project’s goal;
• Consult with UNDP Country Offices on the programmatic focus of the development interventions;
• Identify related activities of partners and encourages collaboration and synergies;
• Contribute to preparation and formulation of project documents; project monitoring plans and agendas;
• Support implementation of all 3 project components, Expertise on Demand, Challenge Fund and Knowledge Management;
• Monitor the annual workplan and budget of the project;
• Regularly monitor project activities and inform UNDP management on issues or actions to be taken;
• Prepare monitoring reports and carry out the secretariat of the Project Board (in cooperation with the Project Specialist/secondee).

Expertise on Demand:

• Engage with UNDP Country Offices and thematic teams to identify opportunities for the Expertise on Demand component;
• Draft procurement documents as well as terms of reference in order to hire consultants under the Expertise on Demand component (cooperation with procurement and HR unit);
• Manage Experts’ contracts, project delivery monitoring and performance reviews;
• Analyse and research information, prepare substantive briefs on possible areas of cooperation, identify opportunities for initiation of new EoD projects;
• Lead systematic efforts on identification of possible experts and their inclusion to the GPN Roster;
• Manage contacts of experts and vendors under the programme and their performance evaluations.

Knowledge Management:

• Lead projects knowledge management function (collecting sorting and analysing project data);
• Prepare inputs for reporting, including donor reporting, evaluations;
• Coordinate with other teams (including comms) on visibility, promotion and KM functions;
• Identify, synthesize and document best practices and lessons learned that are generated from the project and implementing partners;
• Organize training, workshops, and capacity building activities in a consultative manner, involving technical experts and stakeholders that may include the government, private sector, NGOs, donors, and/or academia;
• Analyze and help to resolve problems in project implementation;
• Facilitate and prepare seminars and workshops;
• Participate in and ensure sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice on project related issues. Support establishment of knowledge platforms for the project, facilitate innovative mechanisms for dissemination of knowledge from the project, and develop knowledge resources and products to share with project partners and to support UNDP’s engagement in this area;
• Contribute to knowledge networks and communities of practice.

Other:

• Organize meetings with the implementing partners and visits to the projects sites as appropriate;
• Work closely with the relevant Regional Hub’s staff and external partners;
• Participate in relevant national/regional/global events;
• Provide administrative backstopping to the Partnerships Team.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organisation. 

Institutional Arrangement

• The incumbent will be based in Istanbul;
• The incumbent will report to, and be directly supervised by the Partnerships Development Specialist of the Partnerships Team;
• The incumbent will be given access to relevant information necessary for the execution of the tasks under this assignment;
• The incumbent will be responsible for providing her/his own workstation (i.e. laptop, internet, phone, scanner/printer, etc.) and must have access to reliable internet connection;
• Given the global consultations to be undertaken during this assignment, the incumbent is expected to be reasonably flexible with his/her availability for such consultations taking into consideration different time zones.

• Achieve Results:
  • LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline.
• Think Innovatively:
  • LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements.
• Learn Continuously:
  • LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback.
• Adapt with Agility:
  • LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible.
• Act with Determination:
  • LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident.
• Engage and Partner:
  •  LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships.
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion:
  • LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination.

Cross-Functional & Technical Competencies:

• Knowledge Generation:
  • Ability to research information and to turn it into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need.
  • Ability to apply existing concepts to new situations, and to develop new concepts to generate workable solutions and new approaches.
  • Knowledge of relevant concepts, conceptual models, and theories that can be useful in addressing new situations.
• Results-based Management:   
  • Ability to manage the implementation of strategies, programmes, and projects with a focus at improved performance and demonstrable results.
  • Knowledge and understanding of relevant theories, concepts, methodologies, instruments, and tools.
• Project Management: 
  • Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals.
• Partnerships Management: 
  • Build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies.
• Portfolio Management:
  • Ability to select, prioritise and control the organization’s programmes and projects in line with its strategic objectives and capacity.
  • Ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives with regular activities for optimal return on investment.
  • Knowledge and understanding of key principles of project, programme, and portfolio management.
• Event planning and execution: 
  • Ability to plan, manage and execute public and private events to ensure that they support and amplify individual communications and advocacy initiatives, as well as UNDP’s overall brand and mandate.
• Social Media:  
  • Knowledge of social media and ability to advise the use of social media for development outcomes.

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: No requirements