Governance Advisor

UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s policy work carried out at HQ, Regional and Country Office levels, forms a contiguous spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP invests in the Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in the Strategic Plan.

Governance is one of the six signature solutions in UNDP’s Strategic Plan 2022-2025 – alongside poverty and inequality, resilience, environment, energy, and gender equality - to support countries towards three directions of change: structural transformation, leaving no one behind and resilience.  The objective of UNDP’s Governance work is to ensure that accountable, inclusive, and effective Governance underpins sustainable development.  UNDP’s Governance assistance, including that provided through UNDP’s Global Programme, Governance for People and Planet (G4PP), is multi-dimensional and multi-level and goes beyond technical solutions to support a “systems approach” which is human rights based, problem-driven and participatory to accelerate development and ensure no one is left behind.  

The Governance portfolio at the regional level integrates and connects with a wide range of Governance areas including public sector and public administration reform; digitalization and e-Governance; information integrity; accountability and anti-corruption; decentralization and local Governance; environmental Governance; parliamentary development; electoral support and political participation; civic engagement and strengthening political inclusion of traditionally underrepresented groups, such as persons with disabilities, ensuring that democratic Governance support is holistic, multi-level and multi-dimensional.  

Position Purpose:

Based in the Amman Regional Hub, and under the direct supervision of the Governance and Peacebuilding Team Leader for Arab States with matrixed reporting to the Head of Governance in BPPS, the Senior Regional Governance Advisor is responsible for growing and leading RBAS’ work on Governance in line with the UNDP Strategic Plan, the Governance Global Programme (Governance for People and Planet), the Regional Governance and Peacebuilding framework priorities, and the RBAS Regional Programme. The incumbent acts in response to requests from RBAS, country offices and HQ and coordinates with the BPPS and other global advisors.

The Senior Regional Governance Advisor will work across Regional Hub teams, support programme integration, and ensure development and execution of quality and coherent policy and programme advisory services within the region and across the GPN. The incumbent advances the mission of UNDP and increases the credibility and recognition in this thematic area.

• Provide programme support to Amman Hub and Country Offices in the region on Governance issues, including Anticipatory, Adaptive and Agile Governance (AAAG), Governance of Public Goods and Services, Local and Multi-level Governance, Policy Reforms, SDG 16, inclusive participation, etc.
• Ensure policy and programme coherence at the regional level across the 4 outcomes of the Governance Global programme.
• Support the development and implementation of integrated portfolios that respond to emerging socio-economic and political multi-dimensional crises at national and sub-national level, and provide policy advisory and programming services at the request of the Country Offices including through the conceptualization of programmes, capacity development and backstopping. Pursue this objective through close collaboration with Hub specialists in areas such as Rule of Law and Human Rights, Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding, Anti-corruption, Youth empowerment, Inclusive Growth, Environment, Gender, etc., and in collaboration with HQ (BPPS and CB) Teams.
• Promote and support the mainstreaming of Governance in GPN teams at regional and country office levels, also supporting the emergence of Governance approaches across the Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus, cross-border and sub-regional programming and areas-based programming as relevant.
• Incorporate gender equality, human rights’-based approach and conflict sensitivity in policy and programming work, and consider portfolio approaches, adaptive and risk-informed programming in development solutions.
• Provide relevant contribution to UNDP SURGE and other requests coordinated by the GPN, as agreed with supervisors
• Supervise staff, as needed, in agreement with their supervisor/s, and in the context of the achievement of the objectives of the team and the function.

Identify and support:

1. Innovative approaches to foster sustainable peace and the social contact through inclusive participation, collaboration between public and private stakeholders and trust in institutions at national and local level, including through rights-based digitalization.
2. Mechanisms to support people’s agency, especially women, youth, people with disabilities, and marginalized populations.
3. Innovative approaches to foster transparency, efficiency, and effectiveness of public institutions for better delivery of public goods and services.

Policy Development:

• Lead the integration of UNDP’s work on Governance within the region into a coherent policy and programming framework that is aligned to UNDP’s Strategic Plan, the Governance Global Programme and other Global Programmes, Regional Frameworks and RBAS’s Regional Programme Document, as part of the Governance and Peacebuilding Team and working with other Teams in the Hub and in HQ.
• Provide technical expertise in identifying tools, developing methodologies and producing knowledge products linked to Governance issues, such as public sector reform, modernization of public services, transparency and accountability, electoral assistance, civic engagement, youth and gender responsive Governance programming, etc.
• Advise RBAS on policy gaps and opportunities for development of priorities and workplans, and contribute to the identification and scoping of technical issues warranting collaboration with HQ and regional teams to research, develop and share knowledge-based products to advance policy dialogue in the domain and present UNDP’s knowledge assets and capabilities at global and regional forums.
• Provide technical expertise on the content development for regional/CO knowledge products through the analysis of data, case evidence, and research findings in accordance with corporate standards; for example, functional reviews of institutional capacity and mandates; and public sector Governance reforms.
• Critically assess policy services in the Governance field and recommend strategic alignment options to RBAS, COs, and the GPN anchor bureaus (BPPS and the Crisis Bureau).
• Act as Governance resource person including for the design and delivery of training on programming tools for Governments as well as for COs and facilitate innovation learning, foster and encourage policy innovation and continuous improvement to enhance programme delivery.
• Integrate issues relating to gender equality, youth empowerment, disability inclusion, the elderly, other vulnerable and marginalized groups as well as conflict-sensitivity into Governance related analytical processes.

Knowledge Management:

• Oversee the knowledge extraction, data analysis, documentation, codification of results/lessons learned in Governance at the regional level, ensuring that knowledge sharing and content management is in line with guidelines and performed using corporate tools and well coordinated with and supportive of the work of the Community of Practice in Governance;
• Guide and coordinate cross-regional exchange of knowledge by collaborating with policy teams in HQ, Global Leads in BPPS, RBs and COs to research, develop and share knowledge-based tools on Governance, especially through engagement with the Community of Practice in Governance.
• Guide and coordinate cross-country exchange of knowledge by collaborating with Governance focal points in COs to research, develop and share knowledge-based tools and explore programming collaboration, especially through  the Community of Practice.

Advocacy, Partnerships, Resource Mobilization and Representation:

• Strengthen and develop alliances, partnerships and resource mobilization strategies with donor countries, multi-lateral organizations, IFIs, national and sub-national governments, the business sector, academia, NGOs, CSOs and the media.
• Mobilize and strengthen strategic partnerships with UN entities and other relevant regional bodies and provide substantive inputs to those partnerships in support of UNDP initiatives.
• Represent UNDP and engage in UN interagency coordination at the regional level as well as in other fora with the aim to advance UNDP’s strategic agenda on Governance.
• Engages in policy dialogue on Governance issues with Governments, donors, civil society, private sector and academia.
• Collaborate with UNDP advisors / programme managers and country-based and regional Governance and Development Advisors.

Achieve Results:

• Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact

Think Innovatively:

• Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems

Learn Continuously:

• Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences

Adapt with Agility:

• Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands

Act with Determination:

• Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results

Engage and Partner:

• Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration

Enable Diversity and Inclusion:

• Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity

People Management: UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated site.

Cross-Functional & Technical Competencies:

Business Direction & Strategy - Strategic Thinking:

• Ability to develop effective strategies and prioritized plans in line with UNDP’s objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, potential risks and opportunities; linking the vision to reality on the ground, and creating tangible solutions

Business Development - UNDP Representation:

• Ability to represent UNDP and productively share UNDP knowledge and activities; advocate for UNDP, its values, mission and work with various constituencies

2030 Agenda: Peace - Governance:

• Public Sector Reform and Innovation

2030 Agenda: Peace - Governance:

• Civil Society Engagement

2030 Agenda: Peace - Governance:

• Public Administration and Local Governance

2030 Agenda: Peace - Governance:

• SDG16