JOB DESCRIPTION

Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is within the Office of the DSRSG – Resident Coordinator/Humanitarian Coordinator (RC/HC) of the United Nations Organizational Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO). The Senior Mission Planning Officer will be based in Kinshasa and will report to the Head of Integrated Office of the DSRSGRC/HC.

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the Senior Mission Planning Officer will be responsible for the following:

• Facilitates joint and integrated planning between Mission components, heads of Regional Offices, UNCT members and other relevant partners in accordance with the Policy on Integrated Assessments and Planning, and senior management guidance.
• Acts as a senior advisor to the Mission leadership on strategic planning issues, in the context of mission transition and withdrawal, including engaging with UN partners and external actors in respect of integrated planning and assessment processes.
• With all relevant stakeholders, facilitates the coordination of the development of relevant planning documents and operational plans at both national and provincial levels, including in depth conflict analysis, identification of priorities, roles and responsibilities for the United Nations, and a system for monitoring and evaluation of progress.
• Leads the coordination of mission transition and withdrawal plans, built on the vision of the Special Representative, translates the mission mandated tasks into a form that fuses objectives, timelines and expected outcomes into a coherent whole, serving as an authoritative guide for the development and implementation of Mission component plans and integrated regional work plans; and ensures the integration of mandated cross-cutting issues in the mission concept, strategic documents and the results based budget;
• Acts as a liaison with representatives of the Government of the DRC and partners regarding the Mission’s transition, including as member of the Joint Technical Secretariat .
• Supports the establishment and/or operationalization of provincial planning mechanisms for the transition
• Support Mission components to implement planning and assessment monitoring and data collection mechanisms, including CPAS and the Strategic Management Application, ensuring that all components of the Mission are adopting monitoring and reporting practices in line DPO requirements.
• Provides advice to Mission components on the development of component-level plans and strategies, ensuring coherence with the Mission”s overall strategic direction.
• In coordination with mission leadership and the Strategic Planning Cell, supports overall resource management of the DSRSG-RC/HC pillar and coordinates the Mission Results-Based Budget framework and performance reports, and prepares inputs as required for audits, budget monitoring and performance reporting as it pertains to the pillar. As directed by the Mission leadership, designs and facilitates development of other strategies and plans required for implementation of the Mission”s mandate.
• Contributes to monitoring implementation of the budget, including staffing needs and workplace planning, and advises senior management on how to ensure resources are used to support effective implementation of the results-based budget, component plans, and to advance mission priorities for overall mandate implementation.
• Provides authoritative advice and technical support enabling UN senior management to develop, implement, and monitor strategies that maximize the individual and collective impact of the UN”s response in the country of deployment, concentrating on mandated tasks and objectives required to consolidate peace and security through a strategic partnership between the Mission and the UN Country Team.
• Provides authoritative advice to senior management and programme managers on strategic and operational planning policy, procedures, and best practices in line with the UN Policy on Integrated Assessment and Planning (IAP); provides recommendations on design of specific mechanisms, in line with policy and best practice, to meet the needs of the Mission and partners.
• Ensures the establishment and operation of integrated field coordination structures, including a senior leadership forum, providing policy guidance and technical assistance on joint strategic and operational issues as required.
• Coordinates Mission-level engagement with the Headquarters-based Integrated Task Force (ITF) or equivalent body and supports Technical Assessment Missions, Strategic Assessment Missions and Strategic Reviews.
• Serves as a strategy and planning point of contact as it pertains to transition for Headquarters and facilitates linkages between field-based structures and the Headquarters-based Integrated Task Forces.
• Performs other duties as required.

Competencies

Professionalism: Comprehensive understanding of the issues and challenges in volatile conflict or post-conflict environments; Comprehensive knowledge of relevant UN policies, procedures and operations; Proven ability to facilitate and produce integrated strategic plans, strategies, or similar documents; Well-developed understanding of peace and security, development, and humanitarian actors and perspectives; Demonstrated experience with monitoring and evaluation in complex organizational settings; Proven success integrating strategic planning processes with requisite funding, staffing, and other resource requirements; Strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to manage challenging multi-stakeholder analytical and planning processes; Proven ability to build consensus with colleagues and contacts in pursuit of common objectives; 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. 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 the audience; Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed. Client Orientation: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be “clients” and seeks to see things from clients” point of view; Establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; Identifies clients” needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; Monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients” environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; Keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; Meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client. Vision: Identifies strategic issues, opportunities, and risks; Clearly communicates links between the Organization”s strategy and the work unit”s goals; Generates and communicates broad and compelling organizational direction, inspiring others to pursue that same direction; Conveys enthusiasm about future possibilities. Judgement/ Decision-making: Identifies the key issues in a complex situation and comes to the heart of the problem quickly; Gathers relevant information before making a decision; Considers positive and negative impacts of decisions prior to making them; Takes decisions with an eye to the impact on others and on the Organization; Proposes a course of action or makes a recommendation based on all available information; Checks assumptions against facts; Determines that the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision; Makes tough decisions when necessary.

Education

Advanced university degree (Master”s degree or equivalent) in social sciences, political science, international relations, economics, finance, management, development studies, or a related field is required. A first-level university degree in combination with an additional 2 years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Job – Specific Qualification

Not available.

Work Experience

A minimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible relevant professional experience, including in planning, programme management, political affairs or policy development at a strategic level, as well as facilitating and coordinating multi-stakeholder processes in emergency, conflict or post-conflict settings, is required. Experience developing and supporting mission transition planning processes is desirable. Practical experience developing and implementing monitoring and evaluation systems is required. Experience developing or implementing relevant UN Secretariat policies, procedures and operations, including for Integrated Assessment and Planning, country or conflict analysis, results-based budgeting, risk management and monitoring and evaluation, is required. At least three (3) years of experience related to strategic planning, Program Management or any related field for emergency, conflict or post-conflict environments is required. Experience working in a United Nations common system field operation (inclusive of peacekeeping, political missions and UN agencies, funds, and programmes) – or similar international organization or non-governmental organization in a field-based environment is desirable. Experience working in the Great Lake Region is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this job opening, English and French are required. The table below shows the minimum required level for each skill in these languages, according to the UN Language Framework (please consult https://languages.un.org for details).

Required Languages

LanguageReadingWritingListeningSpeakingEnglishUN Level IIIUN Level IIIUN Level IIIUN Level IIIFrenchUN Level IIIUN Level IIIUN Level IIIUN Level III

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.

Special Notice

This job opening is to identify the most qualified candidate for the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO). The entire assessment process takes an average of six months; all applicants will be notified in writing of the outcome of their application (whether successful or unsuccessful) within 14 days of the conclusion of the process. Appointment or assignment against this position is for an initial period of one year. The appointment or assignment and renewal thereof are subject to the availability of the post or funds, budgetary approval or extension of the mandate. The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position. Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures.

United Nations Considerations

According 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 Fee

THE 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.