head of unit - Paris, France - Houston Foresight

Description

About the job

OVERVIEW OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE POST

As part of the strengthening of the Organization's strategic planning function, the Bureau of Strategic Planning (BSP) is creating dedicated capacities for foresight, intelligence on the global aid environment and environmental scanning, to contribute to UNESCO's programmatic positioning and partnership opportunities within the global development system, the changing landscape of development financing, and the broader reform efforts within the United Nations development system.

The incumbent will work closely with the Director of the Bureau of Strategic Planning (DIR/BSP) as part of her Directorate, as well as with the Director of the BSP Partnerships Division (DIR/BSP/DPA). The role is transversal and cross-cutting, relevant to all parts and functions in BSP and therefore requires an in-depth knowledge and professional experience of UNESCO programmes, strategy, planning, results reporting/assessments, UN reform and inter-agency coordination, partnerships, donor engagement, resource mobilization. The role will support higher overall integration of BSP functions, as well as programmatic and strategic in-house coordination, notably through the provision of the Secretariat of the UNESCO Programme Coordination Group.

Within this overall context, the incumbent will:

• Provide Directorate-level support and advice to DIR/BSP and DIR/BSP/DPA on strategic and transversal issues based on foresight, environmental scanning, and intelligence, and contribute to efforts to increase internal policy development and coherence in a changing operating context.
• Liaise with all parts of BSP in a cross-cutting fashion and ensure better integration of BSP functions (strategy, planning, monitoring, results reporting/organizational assessments, UN inter-agency coordination, partnerships, donor engagement, resource mobilization) through foresight, environmental scanning, and intelligence.
• Provide the Secretariat for the in-house Programme Coordination Group, to contribute to enhanced programmatic and strategic coordination and results delivery through internal information-sharing, anticipation, dialogue and proactive solutions development.
• Ensure the development of an environmental scanning approach within the Organization particularly for Programme Sectors, UNESCO Field Offices, and Category I institutes, and undertake substantive landscape analysis, forecasting, data collection and organization, and develop a range of tailor-made products (synthesized documents, key messages, position papers, and other tools) to support policy decisions, internal coherence, and propose and initiate policy responses.
• Work closely with BSP partner focal points and monitor key trends in funding and developments in their political, economic, and social environment.
• Contribute, through the above, to informed decision-making and proactive identification of opportunities on broad donor trends in ODA, aid effectiveness, and financing for development to support an overall organizational approach to sustainable financing.
• Contribute to programme planning work of UNESCO (Medium-Term Strategy (C/4) and Programme and Budget (C/5), regional and country level strategies by UNESCO Field Offices) as well as partnership-related processes and strategies with foresight, environmental scanning and intelligence on the global aid environment including by developing forward-looking content and methodologies.
• Support the coordination of engagements and activities and look for opportunities to strategically position UNESCO in ongoing global discussions on financing for development by working closely with Programme Sectors and with key stakeholders.
• Advance future-oriented and frontier normative work and identify opportunities for engagement in selected UN inter-agency groups under BSP's responsibility including the High-Level Committee on Programmes (HLCP) workstream on 'Governance of new Global Goods: Duties to the Future,' building inter alia on the UN system Common Principles on Future Generations, the HLCP working group on Internal Displacement, the Peacebuilding Coordination Group, contributing to the emerging post-2030 agenda, and related activities.
• Manage a small unit and ensure effective activity planning and management.
• Contribute to any additional activities that may be required to ensure the success of the Bureau's work.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

• Advanced university degree (Master's or equivalent) in Development Studies, Social Sciences, Economics, International Relations or related areas.

Work Experience

• At least seven (7) years of progressively responsible relevant professional experience in the area of strategic planning, of which preferably three years acquired at the international level.
• Demonstrated experience in a high-level advisory role on strategic and transversal issues, informing programmatic and strategic positioning and providing decision-making support.
• Experience in UN coordination and future-oriented UNESCO/UN system work and understanding of opportunities for inter-agency collaboration and increased system-wide coherence.
• Experience in leveraging intelligence on the global aid environment and the development of new proposals/initiatives.
• Experience in drafting decision-guiding strategic documents, key messages, position papers, and other tools.

Skills/Competencies

• Expert-level knowledge of strategic planning and BSP policy areas (programme, strategy, planning, results reporting/assessments, UN reform and inter-agency coordination, partnerships, donor engagement, resource mobilization).
• Knowledge of UNESCO programmes and functions and the Organization's positioning in UN global agendas.
• Robust knowledge of the ODA landscape, United Nations reform and the UN development cooperation landscape, global partner financing priorities, including forward-looking and future-oriented agendas and sustainable development financing trends.
• Proven ability to identify critical strategic issues, objectives, opportunities, and risks.
• Proven ability to produce high-quality, analytical strategic documents and reports.
• Excellent coordination, interpersonal, and advocacy skills with diverse stakeholders.
• Ability to work in a team and to maintain effective working relationships in a multi-cultural environment.
• Ability to multi-task, manage competing priorities, and organize and prioritize workloads to meet established deadlines.

Languages

• Excellent knowledge of English or French and good knowledge of the other language.

Application Deadline (Midnight Paris Time) : 08-APR-2024

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