Post Description

Post Title:      Assistant Representative (Head of Programs) 

Level:             ICS 11 (NOD)

The Assistant Representative functions under the supervision of the UNFPA Representative and acts on behalf of the Representative in his/her absence.  S/he supports the Representative in the leadership and management of the office, creating and sustaining a strong programme team, staff learning and development, and ensuring excellent internal and external communication and coordination.

S/he leads the programme team, inspiring it to translate the global, regional and country goals into specific results.  S/he designs, develops and manages an innovative, integrated and responsive country programme. The Assistant Representative substantively contributes to the promotion of population, reproductive health and gender issues into national development agendas. S/he interacts closely with the Representative with regards to the political, social, cultural, and economic environment and on achievement of results in the implementation of social development programmes. 

S/he responds creatively to opportunities for aid effectiveness by creating a sustainable resource base, expanding the range of funding arrangements, and improving programme delivery modalities. The Assistant Representative proactively advocates for the integration of population, reproductive health and gender in supporting the government in implementing its policy agenda. 

The Assistant Representative provides and coordinates technical advice and expertise; and promotes partnership, synergy and strategic alliances with national, bilateral and multilateral partners. S/he contributes to UN systems coordination through participation in policy dialogue and provision of inputs and achievement of outputs/outcomes in joint common system initiatives. 

More specifically, s/he carries out the following duties:

• Builds support for UNFPA’s strategic interventions. Conducts substantive policy dialogues with national partners, UN agencies and other development partners to facilitate the incorporation of the ICPD agenda into national plans and strategies, UN systems initiatives and development frameworks.
• Leads the UNFPA office in translating global and regional strategies into country specific advocacy strategies, creates and delivers effective evidence-based advocacy messages to promote UNFPA’s programme goals taking into account political, economic, gender and social dimensions. Provides substantive support to the Representative in articulating that vision and identifying linkages with the Government of Morocco’s New Development Model.
• Promotes a results-focus and human rights-based approach and integrates innovative policies and strategies into the design and formulation of country and national programmes and work plans based on strategic priorities responsive to the countries’ needs in the areas of reproductive health, population and development and gender.  
• Promotes the diffusion of substantive knowledge of population and development, reproductive health and gender issues in the country, works with partners to assess technical assistance needs and gaps in these areas and advises on the suitability of policies, programmes and plans to meet these needs. Strengthens staff capacity to utilize population-related data in their daily work.
• Advises and reports on achievement of programme results, proactively measuring substantive progress and the effective utilization of financial and human resources using appropriate monitoring and evaluation mechanisms and tools. 
• Promotes knowledge-sharing and continuous learning, testing, linking and documenting innovative strategies, approaches, lessons learned and best practices inside and outside UNFPA and replicating these strategies and approaches. Ensures that programme staff integrate new substantive policies, methodologies tools and approaches (results-orientation, gender concepts, rights-based approach, etc) into programming. Ensures that the office plans, strategizes, and delivers programs in a consultative, integrated manner, mindful of the necessity of clear feedback loops and opportunities for whole-of-office learning.
• Mobilizes and leverages financial resources for the implementation of ICPD, including through alliance- building and participation in new programme approaches and aid modalities. 
•  Assists the government and other partners in the coordination of assistance for population programmes.

FUNCTIONAL COMPETENCIES

Advocacy/Advancing a policy-oriented agenda

Creates effective evidence-based advocacy messages and strategies using opportunities to bring forward and disseminate advocacy work. Performs analysis of economic and political situations and scenarios and contributes to the formulation of institutional responses.

Results-based programme development and management

Achieves results through the effective monitoring and evaluation of programmes and management of the human, financial and information resources. Seeks out best practices and innovative approaches and applies them to programme/project development and implementation.

Innovation and marketing of new approaches

Seeks a broad range of perspectives for developing programme proposals by using documented successes and lessons learned in the design of innovative approaches. Identifies new approaches that are replicable and promotes their use.

Leveraging the resources of national governments and partners/Building strategic alliances and partnerships

Effectively networks with partners seizing opportunities to build strategic alliances with institutions and individuals relevant to UNFPA’s mandate and strategic agenda. Sensitizes UN partners, donors and government authorities to the Fund’s strategic agenda and identifies areas for joint efforts.

Resource mobilization

Analyzes information on potential bilateral donors and government authorities to recommend a strategic approach. Promotes and encourages Country Office action for increased contribution to core resources, including cost sharing modalities.

CORPORATE  COMPETENCIES 

Values 

Integrity/Commitment to mandate:  Maintains consistent values and performance standards and expresses UN/UNFPA core values in all functions and roles. Exercises critical judgment in analyzing institutional directions, procedures and guidelines in order to contribute to the improved fulfilment of the mandate. 

Knowledge sharing/Continuous learning:  Encourages the learning of others by acknowledging their skill sets and expertise and creating learning opportunities. Creates mechanisms to collect and share knowledge evaluating project and ongoing experience for lessons learned by also modelling this behaviour 

Valuing diversity:  Demonstrates inclusive behaviour towards all colleagues and stakeholders, successfully developing cross-cultural relationships. Adapts programme/project implementation to take account of the political, religious and cultural context. Actively promotes gender equity in all programme activities as well as in office management.

Managing Relationships 

Working in teams:  Promotes teamwork, shared values and harmony collaborating with team members integrating others’ ideas into his/her thinking. Leverages the different experiences and expertise of members to achieve better, more innovative outcomes. 

Communicating information and ideas:  Encourages honesty and open communication in the team demonstrating the ability to see issues and situations from different team members’ perspective. Frankly expresses ideas and concerns and encourages dialogue to develop an optimal solution without jeopardizing rapport with colleagues. 

Conflict and self-management:  Surfaces conflicts and addresses them proactively acknowledging feelings and views of all sides and redirecting energy towards a mutually acceptable solution. Creates a climate of enthusiasm and flexibility where people feel encouraged to be innovative and achieve their full potential. 

Working with people

Empowerment/ Developing people/ Performance-management: Delegates appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision-making to staff and recognizes and rewards effort and achievement. Builds staff competence helping them to conceptualize long-term development goals and to reach a higher performance level. Manages the performance of others by conducting work planning, providing helpful feedback, expressing appreciation, and addressing poor performance fairly and consistently. Promotes a working environment build on shared trust and mutual support, putting others before self with the aim of advancing achievement of UNFPA’s programmatic commitments to achievement of UN/Morocco joint UNSCDF outcomes. Leads with humility and shows openness to acknowledging own shortcomings. 

Personal Leadership and Effectiveness  

Strategic and analytical thinking:  Develops a long-term strategic perspective on issues and programmes converting UNFPA strategic goals into plans and action. Applies results of analysis building persuasive arguments based on logic, data and the objective merits of a situation. 

Results-orientation/Commitment to excellence:  Ensures that work methods and processes are effective and appropriate for the achievement of desired results and seeks ways to maximize the efficient use of resources. Redirects staff activities to ensure timely completion of the unit’s work using tact and sensitivity.

Appropriate and transparent decision making:  Makes decisions in a fair, transparent and expeditious manner based on available information and commits to a position.

OTHER JOB REQUIREMENTS

Academic Requirements:

Advanced university degree (master’s level or equivalent) in international development, population sciences, demography, public/social policies, economics, sociology, social communication and/or other related field. Excellent knowledge in human rights approach, gender planning, analysis and budgeting. 

Experience:

A minimum of seven years professional experience preferably in development programme/project management in the public or private sector. Proven skills in analysis, leadership, negotiation, results-based management.

Languages:

Fluency and excellent command of Arabic and French, good command of English is necessary. 

Computer skills:

Proficiency in current office software applications, and web-based applications. 

OTHER INFORMATION

UNFPA reserves the right to make an appointment one grade level below the level at which the post is budgeted and classified in exceptional cases if contemplated that the successful candidate appears to fulfill some/many but not all of the functional competency requirements of the post or the requirements relating to professional experience or academic qualifications.

NB: Please note that successful candidates that are selected are subject to compensation and benefits that are paid on the basis of salary scales applied worldwide and established by the General Assembly of the United Nations. Kindly use this tool (https://info.undp.org/gssu/onlinetools/SalCalcLocal/SalCalcLocal.aspx) to generate an estimate of what the compensation successful candidates are expected to receive. All selected candidates coming from outside the UN system will start at Step 1, by default. We would like to inform you that UNFPA provides insurance coverage for yourself and your dependents up to 80% of your medical fees. You will be entitled to 2.5 days of AL for each complete month. For your professional development, online resources are available. Teleworking on an ad-hoc basis is an option.