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Closing date: 27 January 2016, 5 p.m. (New York time)

[i] No expectancy of renewal in accordance with UN Staff Regulations 4.5

To apply, click here.

Background Information

The Technical Adviser provides strategic, technical and programmatic leadership for the region in the area of Adolescent and Youth SRH to ensure that the Regional Office (RO) and Country Offices (CO) remain abreast of the Fund’s policies and programmes as well as current thinking and academic advance in youth-related areas of the ICPD Programme of Action.  S/he ensures that AYSRH is adequately addressed within national development frameworks and programmes, including the achievement of Agenda 2030.

The primary roles of the Technical Adviser in the area of AYSRH are:

  • Strategic, technical and programmatic support
  • Capacity development
  • Evidence and knowledge development and dissemination
  • Policy dialogue and technical representation
  • Effective programme and project result-based management

Responsibilities of the Technical Adviser include: to support the implementation of UNFPA’s strategic plan in the region; to identify new and emerging needs and optimize delivery modalities for technical and programme guidance and support; to develop and maintain technical partnerships in the region; and, to ensure that technical and programme knowledge is updated, generated, collected and disseminated for effective technical support, capacity building at regional and national level and high level policy dialogue.

Organizational Setting

The Technical Adviser for Adolescent and Youth Sexual and Reproductive Health (AYSRH) is located in the Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office and is a member of the integrated SRHR Unit which receives overall guidance from the Deputy Regional Director.  S/He leads the Adolescents and Youth (AYP) components of the Regional Programme and provides technical advice and support on ASRH and youth development to Country Offices.

Main Tasks & Responsibilities

A.  Management of Strategic Technical, Programmatic and Policy Support

·         Contribute to the substantive elaboration of UNFPA Strategic Plan for Adolescents and Youth and coordinate the development of the regional ASRH strategy and manage its implementation in the region;

·         Contribute to the development and implementation of an integrated strategy for the delivery of  technical assistance, policy and programme support in the region;

·         Provide technical and related programme leadership and strategic support and guidance to the region, in the area of expertise, in the context of the SDGs and Agenda 2030, and encompassing the MIC context and emergency preparedness, humanitarian assistance, and recovery & transition in collaboration with technical and programme staff in the RO;

·         Provide technical and related programme leadership, in the planning,  management and co-ordination of technical assistance to the region at key stages of UNFPA, UN, and national development planning exercises;

·         Identify and analyze trends, threats and risks in the thematic area of work that may affect the ICPD agenda and UNFPA’s work within the region and ensure gaps are appropriately addressed at the regional,  sub-regional and national levels

·         Identify requirements for and contribute to the development of new or updated policies, positioning, frameworks, guidance, standards, instruments and tools; 

·         Advise on the implementation of substantive UNFPA policies and strategies in the sub-region, and provide an effective integrated technical and programming approach;

·         Participate in the UNFPA technical network in the substantive area, maintaining communication and feedback loops on all substantive work;

·         Analyze technical and other substantive reports from the sub-region and recommend required follow-up actions; contribute to development and review of CPDs;  and

·         Identify and provide analytical based advice, in the substantive area, on UNFPA’s comparative substantive role and specific contribution in the changing development agenda, and participate in policy dialogue.

B.  Capacity development

·         Initiate, develop, strengthen and monitor substantive and intellectual sub-regional partnerships in the substantive and related programme areas, including for South-South technical support to countries and for the implementation of the regional programme; 

·         Develop and manage partnerships and collaborations with other UN agencies, in the area of expertise, including in the context of the UNDG, particularly with the regional technical arms of UN agencies covering the sub-region;

·         Support the regional adaptation of training materials, manuals and tools in the substantive area, ensure their availability and promote their use for capacity development;

·         Organize sub-regional or regional and inter-country training activities in the substantive area and related programme matters for capacity development;

·         Support the development of regional institutional capacities for delivering high-quality technical support in select areas of UNFPA’s mandate;

·         Coach and manage professional staff with specific reference to technical specialists, national programme officers, expert consultants, interns/volunteers, youth network members and facilitate working groups and task teams.

C.  Evidence and knowledge development and dissemination

·         Identify areas for research and lead the analysis and synthesis of substantive trends, emerging needs and research findings in the sub-region in order to produce new and cutting edge technical knowledge;

·         Lead the preparation of white papers, briefing and materials for evidence-based policy dialogues at sub-regional or regional levels, provide similar support at the request of country offices;

·         Disseminate and promote the use of state-of-the-art technical knowledge, evidence, lessons learned, and success stories and ensure their use to improve the effectiveness of UNFPA operations;

·         Facilitate and help maintain and make accessible data bases on best practices, partnerships and consultant rosters and help ensure their accessibility;

·         Contribute evidence-based and knowledge sharing in the area of work, and sub-regional experiences of working with UN-wide frameworks and instruments related to the new aid environment.

D. Policy Dialogue and Technical Representation

·         Provide inputs to efforts to mobilize additional resources in the sub-region, in coordination with the RO and  IERD;

·         Represent UNFPA on substantive issues in the sub-region and elaborate UNFPA’s substantive sub-regional, regional and global perspectives;

·         Participate in policy dialogues, and advocate for substantive issues in international, inter-governmental, U.N., and other policy and technical meetings and fora at the sub-regional level, sharing this at the regional events as required;

·         Collaborate on substantive issues with UN agencies, academia, research and training institutions, think tanks, centres of excellence, professional societies in the sub-region, and act as focal point for inter-agency working groups in the substantive area: and,

·         Act as focal point for inter-agency working groups/task teams in the substantive area including IATT on young people and education.

E.  Carry out any other duties as may be requested by the Regional Director and the Deputy Regional Director including serving as a focal person for selected number of country offices

Qualifications and Experience

Education: 

Post-graduate University Degree or equivalent (preferably Ph. D.) in public health, medicine, sociology, social anthropology, health education, health economics, epidemiology, behavioral studies, communication or other related field. The graduate or post graduate degree must be directly related to the substantive area identified in the title of the post.     

Knowledge and Experience:

·         10 years of increasingly responsible professional experience in the substantive area, of which seven years at the international level;

·         Sound knowledge of medical ethics, an asset

·         Understanding of Gender, Human Rights, and cultural dimensions of Adolescent and Youth SRH is essential

·         Experience in developing and implementing outreach, demand creation, BCC or counseling, a strong asset

·         Ability to work in highly sensitive areas is essential

·         Experience of working with vulnerable population groups and community and traditional leaders, an asset

·         Demonstrated expertise in the substantive area of work; the incumbent is expected to be an expert in the field and recognized authority in the area of assignment;

·         Experience in programming; including evidence of innovative approaches

·         Strong track record of technical leadership, and proven ability to produce demonstrable results;

·         Strong verbal and written communications skills in English and/or in the relevant language in the region

·         Demonstrated ability to network within the academic and development community;

·         Familiarity with management and monitoring tools is desirable;

·         Familiarity with ICT/ERP is an asset;

·         Field experience is strongly desirable.

Required Competencies

i) Values: Exemplifying integrity, Demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system, Embracing cultural diversity, Embracing change

ii) Core Competencies: Achieving results, Being accountable, Developing and applying professional expertise/business acumen, Thinking analytically and strategically, Working in teams/managing ourselves and our relationships, Communicating for impact

iii) Required Skillset:

·                     Advocacy/Advancing a policy-oriented agenda - Influencing the public policy agenda - Demonstrates political/cultural acumen in proposing technically sound, evidence based approaches/solution

·                     Results-based programme development and management - Achieving results through programme design and innovative resourcing strategies – Makes use of a variety of resources within UNFPA to achieve results, such as cross-functional teams, secondments and developmental assignments, and collaborative funding approaches

·                     Building strategic alliances and partnerships – Makes effective use of UNFPA’s resources and comparative advantage to strengthen alliances

·                     Innovation and marketing of new approaches - Fostering innovation in others

·                     Facilitates change and influences senior decision makers to implement change strategies

·                     Resource mobilization - Contributes to the development of a resource mobilization strategy at regional (sub-regional) level

·                     Job knowledge/Technical expertise - Possesses expert knowledge of advanced concepts in primary discipline, a broad knowledge of related disciplines, as well as an in-depth knowledge of relevant organizational policies and procedures.

UNFPA Work Environment

UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, teamwork, respect for diversity, integrity and a healthy balance of work and life.  We are committed to maintaining our balanced gender distribution and therefore encourage women to apply.

Compensation and Benefits

This position offers an attractive remuneration package commensurate with the level of the post.   The package includes a competitive net salary plus cost of living adjustment, housing allowance, home leave, health insurance and other benefits.

Closing Statement

Notice: There is no application, processing or other fee at any stage of the application process. UNFPA does not solicit or screen for information in respect of HIV or AIDS and does not discriminate on the basis of HIV/AIDS status.

This is a project funded post.

To apply, click here.

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