UN Senior Mission Administration and Resource Training Programme

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DEPARTMENT OF FIELD SUPPORT

(UN SMART)

Job Description

INT-150-09-P058-01-V

1. General Information

Title: Associate Expert for UN SMART Programme at Department of Field Support

Duration: 1 year (with possible extension for another year)

Date required: as soon as possible

Duty station: New York, United States

2. Supervision

Direct supervision by: UN SMART Programme Manager

Content and methodology of supervision:

The Associate Expert would work under the daily and close supervision of the UN SMART Programme Manager.

3. Duties, responsibilities and output expectations

The primary responsibility of the Associate Expert will be to manage and support SMART Programme activities. The Programme seeks to develop and prepare administrative and managerial experts for the positions of head of Mission Support in UN field operations down to section and unit chief level. To this end, the Associate Expert will perform the following tasks:

(a) SMART Programme activities:

· Oversee the coordination, design, development, delivery and evaluation of the SMART training modules on the following themes: ethical and regulatory framework; resource management including people, funds, integrated support planning and delivery; and administrative control mechanisms;

· Prepare various written outputs; e.g., donor reports, donor proposals, PowerPoint presentations to senior leadership, analyses of SMART workshops and e-learning modules;

· Develop and maintain networks and donor contacts for exploring partnership interest with the SMART Programme, within context of funding and implementing projects of the SMART Programme;

· Further develop drafts on project for the delivery/ roll-out of the SMART Programme for senior management and SAMRT Advisory Committee review.

(b) Other substantive issues

· Interact with research institutes and non-governmental organisations relevant to leadership and management training and education;

· Monitor developments, i.e., audit reports and recommendations related to senior management in peacekeeping operations;

· Prepare background papers for SMART Programme related meetings as well as draft all publications, reports and briefings related to SMART Programme activities.

· Assist in raising funds for the activities and projects;

· Update and maintain the public information on the activities and projects;

· Other duties, as required.

4. Qualifications and experiences

Education: Advanced university degree or equivalent in human resource management, public administration, or social sciences;

Work Experience: Prior work experience in human resource development, adult learning, training or a related area; Some prior work experience with projects related to distance learning programme would be an asset; Familiarity with the United Nations system would be useful.

Languages: The candidate will have an excellent command of English

Other skills: The candidate will be fully computer literate and master various office software.

UN Competencies:

The Associate Expert should have the following core competencies:

· Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;

· Advocates and promotes the vision, mission and strategic goals of the UN;

· Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

The Associate Expert should have the following functional and technical competencies:

· Demonstrates excellent oral and written communication skills;

· Ability to manage and complete projects;

· Ability to work a part of a team and under stringent time constraints;

· Outstanding analytical capabilities;

· Ability to build and strengthen effective partnerships with UN agencies and main constituents, advocate effectively and communicate sensitively across different constituencies;

· Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities.

5. Learning Elements

After the assignment, the Associate Expert will have acquired:

· In-depth knowledge of the workings of the United Nations;

· A substantive knowledge of the work of the UN in the field missions, and more specifically of practical administration and resource management in UN peacekeeping;

· Project management and project development experience, specifically in assisting revising SMART Programme as a means of promoting efficiency and effectiveness of peacekeeping operations;

· Technical skills in implementing projects, and organizing workshops within the UN system;

· Exposure to a wide range of actors in field missions, and to the operation of the UN system in the field, its programmes as well as its outreach;

· The Associate Expert will have the opportunity to sharpen her/his analytical and drafting skills, and manage complex processes;

· Experience of working in a multicultural environment.

6. Background information

The UN SMART Programme

Objective:

The UN SMART Programme is a leadership and management development programme geared uniquely for administration and resource management in UN peacekeeping. The main objective of the Programme is to increase efficiency and effectiveness of peacekeeping operations by assisting peacekeeping personnel in performing their specialist and senior leader functions in a professional and integrated manner.

Contents and Design:

The Programme is based on a learning and development strategy that aims to encourage staff to think strategically through critical analysis; translate intuition and tacit knowledge into pragmatic skills; facilitate cross-functional learning; and to transition from doing things right to doing the right things to innovation.

· The key components of the Programme are:

a. Independent (CD ROM) and computer-based (LMS) study;

b. Teleconferences and small group study;

c. Harvard-style case studies using UNAT judgements and specially designed cases;

d. Five-day workshops that put into practice the theoretical module learning.

· The SMART material is targeted to reach three specific groups of staff members: existing staff in key appointments and those cleared for higher level appointments; incoming staff cleared for managerial appointments and existing staff cleared for key appointments at the next level.

· The SMART Programme stresses the issue of multi-tasking, innovative problem-solving, and facilitates the provision of managerial and fiduciary responsibilities for the Organisation by certifying that individuals responsible for decision making in the areas of Human Resources, Finance, Procurement, Logistics and Budget have the necessary knowledge and skills to see across and react to demands outside stove-pipe boundaries. Leadership, team building, mentoring and coaching are also heavily stressed throughout all the SMART modules.

Impact:

· The Programme will enable staff to work strategically and cross-functionally with a broader knowledge base;

· The Programme will decrease audit/Office of Internal Oversight Service observations and improve succession planning and the building of a pool/cadre of potential Chiefs of Mission Support and Directors of Mission Support with strengthened institutional knowledge of peacekeeping administration and UN Rules and Regulations;

· The Programme will improve ability of field staff in managing the daily crises they face in the mission and in preparing themselves to take decisions when required to address an urgent situation. The SMART Programme targets field staff who are responsible for the expenditure of the US $7 billion peacekeeping budget and stewardship of all peacekeeping assets;

· The target beneficiaries of the SMART Programme are UN staff and more broadly, the recipient populations of UN peacekeeping missions.

Department of Field Support

ORGANIGRAM