Job Description

OCHA

Org. Setting and Reporting 

This position is located in the Institutions for the sustainable Development Goals Branch (ISDGB) of the Division for Public Institutions and Digital Government (DPIDG) of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA). DPIDG focuses on supporting countries in building effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels for internationally agreed development goals, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Governance and Public Administration Officer will focus on participation and citizen engagement n governance, as well as inclusive and responsive public institutions. The incumbent will report to the Chief of the Branch. More information on DPIDG is available at

Responsibilities 

Within limits of delegated authority, the Governance and Public Administration Officer will be responsible for the following duties: Governance and public administration analysis: - Participates in the formulation, organization and management of mandated programmes of governance, public administration and development management and in the formulation of possible governance, public administration and development management strategies, policies and actions for adoption by individual countries and/or the international community. - Proposes, designs and supervises substantive research, studies, and prepares or reviews reports, and publications included in the Division's regular budget programmes on transparency, accountability, participation and inclusiveness in public institutions. - Conceives, plans and manages expert group meetings, seminars, webinars and similar consultations that contribute to the Branch's outputs and the Division's knowledge base. - Contributes to the World Public Sector Report, published by the Branch on a biennial basis. Prepares first drafts of sectoral, country or regional components of analytical studies on governance, public administration and development management, particularly on issues related with the engagement of citizens, civil society by public administration and public institutions. Intergovernmental Support - Provides substantive support on governance, public administration and development management, specifically on citizen engagement, to intergovernmental bodies such as the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council and the UN Committee of Experts on Public Administration, as well as to the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF). - Represents the Branch/Division at international, regional and national meetings on governance, public administration and development management issues. Technical cooperation - Organizes and coordinates cooperation among Member States on governance and public administration technical cooperation programmes in his/her areas of expertise. - Leads or participates in technical cooperation missions. - Plans and oversees implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of projects in governance, public administration and public institutions. Programme support: - Attends to various administrative matters concerning the Branch or Division. - Maintains records and data related to programmes within his/her responsibility and enters data, information and documentation on the relevant pages of the Division's website. - Performs other related duties as required.

Competencies 

• PROFESSIONALISM: Knowledge and understanding of governance, public administration and development theories, principles and applications. Good substantive knowledge of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals. Ability to produce quality reports and publications in selected areas of governance, public administration and development management. Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work. • COMMUNICATION: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify, and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed. • CLIENT ORIENTATION: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be "clients" and seeks to see things from clients' point of view; establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; identifies clients' needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients' environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.

Education 

Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent degree) in public policy, public administration, development studies, sociology, political science or international relations is required. A first level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience 

A minimum of seven years of progressively responsible experience in governance, public administration, public institutions and development management, or related area is required. Experience and proven record of writing and publishing in the area of public participation or citizen engagement for development management, including e-participation and/or open government are desirable.

Languages 

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this post, fluency in written and spoken English is required. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is desirable.

Assessment 

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.

Special Notice 

The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance and geographical diversity in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position. For this position, applicants from the following Member States, which are unrepresented or under-represented in the UN Secretariat as of 31 May 2024, are strongly encouraged to apply: Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahrain, Belize, Brunei Darussalam, China, Cuba, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Dominica, Equatorial Guinea, Germany, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Hungary, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Kiribati, Kuwait, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Libya, Liechtenstein, Malta, Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Federated States of), Monaco, Nauru, Oman, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, Vanuatu. Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures.

United Nations Considerations 

According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term "sexual exploitation" means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term "sexual abuse" means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term "sexual harassment" means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator's working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. By accepting a letter of appointment, staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). Further, staff members in the Professional and higher category up to and including the D-2 level and the Field Service category are normally required to move periodically to discharge functions in different duty stations under conditions established in ST/AI/2023/3 on Mobility, as may be amended or revised. This condition of service applies to all position specific job openings and does not apply to temporary positions. Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira, and to refer to the Applicant Guide by clicking on "Manuals" in the "Help" tile of the inspira account-holder homepage. The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application. Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

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Sector: Nonprofit/Community/Social Services/International Cooperation

Role: Other

Working hours (%): 80-100%

Job type: Staff (Permanent and Fixed Term)

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