Organozatrion Setting and Reporting
The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is the agency for human settlements mandated by the UN General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities. The Global Solutions Division (GSD) is responsible for providing programmatic direction for UN-Habitat and is responsible and accountable for the programmatic delivery of the Strategic Plan.
The Division leads the tools and methodology production and the integration of the various substantive competencies towards effective delivery of the Strategic Plan and the mandate of UN-Habitat. It provides substantive training to staff members and supports capacity development of Member States and partners.
The Programme Development Branch (PDB) is responsible for the overall coordination of programme development. It brings together normative and operational expertise supporting high-quality integrated programmes that maximize results across the outcomes and the domains of change in the Strategic Plan. It builds on concrete demands of national and local governments, strengthening the capacity of government and urban stakeholders at all levels to address the social, economic, environmental and crisis dimensions of sustainable urbanization. The Branch also focuses on supporting global programme development to strengthen normative capacity and knowledge generation to increase impact and influence, through strategic partnerships.
The Capacity Development and Training Unit is responsible to develop and maintain Capacity Building Expert, Institution Database and learning portals (Knowledge Management); to develop and monitor capacity building strategy and internal evaluation capacity; to ensure integration of capacity development as a cross-cutting function across the Agency and to strengthen in-house training and presentation techniques (Internal Capacity Development). The position is located in the Capacity Development and Training Unit of the Programme Development Branch with the Global Solution Division in Nairobi.
The position heads the Unit and reports to the Chief Programme Development Branch. Within delegated authority, the incumbent will be responsible for the following.
• Provides policy guidance to the Chief of Branch/ on conceptual strategy development and management of the implementation of overall strategies and intra and inter-divisional and UN-Habitat policies and procedures for Capacity Building, Capacity Development and substantive training in human settlements matters.
• Plans and oversees the management of activities undertaken by the Capacity Development and Training Unit ensures that substantive work programmes and programmed activities are carried out in a timely fashion, coordinating diverse projects in the Unit, and, in liaison with other organizations of the United Nations System, donors and agencies as appropriate.
• Manages, supervises and carries out the work programme of the Capacity Development and Training Unit. Co-ordinates the work carried out by the Unit/Section; provides programmatic and substantive reviews of drafts prepared by others.
• Provides substantive input in the preparation of position papers and reports for presentation to intergovernmental bodies such as the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budget Questions, Committee for Programme Coordination, Economic and Social Council, the General Assembly, the UN-Habitat Assembly, the Executive Board and other policy-making organs, as appropriate.
• Contributes to the reporting to intergovernmental bodies on budget/programme performance or on programmatic/ substantive issues, as appropriate, particularly those presented in biannual and/or annual reports.
• Ensures that the outputs produced by the Capacity Development and Training Unit maintain high-quality standards; that reports are clear, objective and based on comprehensive data. Ensures that all outputs produced by the Unit meet required standards before completion to ensure they comply with the relevant mandates.
• Prepares inputs for the work programme of the Programme Development Branch/ determining priorities and allocating resources for the completion of outputs and their timely delivery.
• Carries out programmatic/administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of the Capacity Development and Training Unit, including preparation of budgets, assigning and monitoring of performance parameters and critical indicators, reporting on budget/programme performance, preparation of inputs for results-based budgeting, evaluation of staff performance (PAS), interviews of candidates for job openings and evaluation of candidates.
• Recruits staff for the Unit taking due account geographical and gender balance and other institutional values.
• Manages, guides, develops and trains staff under his/her supervision.
• Fosters teamwork and communication among staff in the Section and across organizational boundaries.
• Represents the Organization at inter-agency meetings, seminars, etc. on substantive-related issues.
• Participates in international, regional or national meetings and provides programmatic/substantive expertise on an issue or hold programmatic/substantive and organizational discussions with representatives of other institutions.
• Leads team members efforts to collect and analyze data and provides insight to identify trends or patterns for data-driven planning, decision-making, presentation and reporting. Ensures that everyone can discover, access, integrate and share the data they need.
• Perform other related duties as required.
Competencies
PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge of the substantive field of work in general and of specific areas being supervised. Ability to produce reports and papers on technical issues and to review and edit the work of others. Ability to apply UN rules, regulations, policies and guidelines in work situations. The ability to analyze and interpret data in support of decision-making and convey resulting information to 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.
LEADERSHIP: Serves as a role model that other people want to follow: empowers others to translate vision into results; is proactive in developing strategies to accomplish objectives; establishes and maintains relationships with a broad range of people to understand needs and gain support; anticipates and resolves conflicts by pursuing mutually agreeable solutions; drives for change and improvements; does not accept the status quo; shows the courage to take unpopular stands. Provides leadership and takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work; demonstrates knowledge of strategies and commitment to the goal of gender balance in staffing.
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.
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.
ACCOUNTABILITY: Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honors commitments; delivers outputs for which one has responsibility within prescribed time, cost and quality standards; operates in compliance with organizational regulations and rules; supports subordinates, provides oversight and takes responsibility for delegated assignments; takes personal responsibility for his/her own shortcomings and those of the work unit, where applicable.
Education
Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in business or public administration, finance, accounting, law or related area. A first-level university degree in combination with two (2) additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Successful completion of both degree and non-degree programs in data analytics, business analytics or data science programs is desirable.
Work Experience
A minimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience in administration, budget, finance, human resources management or related field is required
Experience in data analytics or related area is desirable.
Experience in human settlements development field, projects/programme design and implementation with the United Nations or other related international organizations, in particular related to capacity development is desirable.
Experience with policies and procedures of the United Nations or other related international organizations is desirable
Languages
English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the position advertised, fluency in English is required, knowledge of French or Spanish is desirable. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is also desirable.
