JOB DESCRIPTION Title: SDG Policy Adviser Grade: SB4 Agency: UNDP Duration: 1 year service contract with possibility for extension Duty Station: Baku, Azerbaijan. Domestic and international travel will be required. Background At the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit on 25 September 2015, world leaders adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which includes a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and tackle climate change by 2030. The Sustainable Development Goals build on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), but the new SDGs, and the broader sustainability agenda, go much further than the MDGs, addressing the root causes of poverty and the universal need for development that works for all people. UNDP supports countries in three different ways, through the MAPS approach: mainstreaming, acceleration and policy support: Mainstreaming - Providing support to governments to reflect the new global agenda in national development plans and policies. This work is already underway in many countries at national request; Acceleration - Supporting countries to accelerate progress on SDG targets targeting national (and UN) resources at priority areas, identified in the mainstreaming process; and Policy support - Making the UN s policy expertise on sustainable development and governance available to governments at all stages of implementation. To take advantage of the opportunities presented by Agenda 2030 and the SDGs, a Presidential Decree signed in October 2016 created the National Coordination Council for Sustainable Development (NCCSD) in Azerbaijan. This marked a significant step towards promoting coordinated, participatory policy dialogue on sustainable development in Azerbaijan and integrating the SDGs into the national development agenda. The work of the NCCSD in its first year included inter alia: The drafting of Azerbaijan s Voluntary National Review (VNR) of progress in the national implementation of Agenda 2030, which was presented at the UN High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in New York in July 2017; The formation of four inter-ministerial thematic working groups to promote integrated approaches to Azerbaijan s development challenges. These have been defined in the 2017 VNR as building inclusive and resilient growth, moving from oil based to a more diversified economy,
continuing investment in human development, and ensuring greater connectivity to regional and global markets to fully unleash Azerbaijan s export potential; The initiation of work on SDG nationalization (which is to be completed by mid of 2018), as well as the Rapid Integrated Assessment of the national development planning framework s alignment with the SDGs; and Public outreach on Agenda 2030, SDGs, and sustainable development. Related to this, twelve Strategic Road Maps were adopted by a Presidential Decree in 2016 outlining eight sets of policy measures focused on re-balancing the economy by focusing inter alia on: (i) private sector development; (ii) high technology intensive sectors; (iii) sectors based on highly skilled labour; (iv) high return markets versus; and (v) high value added generating sectors; In 2017, UNDP provided capacity building and policy support to the Government on nationalization of the SDGs which enabled the Government to carry out an assessment of its national development plans and align it with SDGs; present a Voluntary National Review report at the UN High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development and develop a conceptual framework for the National Information Portal on SDG indicators which is expected to be launched in early 2018. UNDP also led the UN inter-agency SDGs mission on Mainstreaming, Acceleration and Policy Support (MAPS) in close coordination with the National Coordination Council on Sustainable Development. In 2018, UNDP will continue to support to the Government of Azerbaijan in the localization of SDGs and implementation of the MAPS report recommendations. UNDP will also support the government to finalise the prioritizing targets and indicators, and mainstreaming gender equality in policy development and implementation across all SDGs. UNDP will also support the Government with the implementation of the actions envisaged in the Baku Principles for National SDG Mainstreaming and Acceleration proposed in the MAPS workshop of 14 February 2018 and expected to be adopted at a regional SDG forum in autumn 2018. UNDP has also started discussions with selected private sector representatives with a view to partnering up in joint SDGrelated projects. To provide broader perspective, UNDP would like to engage a Policy Adviser who will provide support the Country Office to engage with the Government of Azerbaijan on SDGs nationalization and implementation processes including SDG monitoring. To support these efforts, the Policy Adviser will be required to undertake a range of activities as outlined in the following. Scope of Work Specific responsibilities will include: Provide policy advice with respect to inclusive and sustainable growth issues Provide guidance on statistical issues related to nationalising SDG targets and indicators and monitoring SDG progress. Provide oversight, and serve as resource person, for SDG capacity building initiatives to the Government of Azerbaijan
Duties and Responsibilities Provides strategic direction and advice to UNDP management on key policy issues related to integrated SDG policy issues preferably with respect to inclusive growth Support in conducting participatory and multi-stakeholder sectoral reviews and identification of SDGs accelerators; Define and lead an analytical policy research agenda to enable Azerbaijan to contribute to global debates on SDG implementation; Provide support to the nationalisation of SDG targets and indicators, facilitate the development of a SDG baseline report based on national data and assist in determining key trends that could be used as medium-term and long-term SDG targets. In consultation with the NCCSD and UNDP facilitate consultations for the preparation of an SDG-aligned development strategy till 2030; Provide strategic direction, guidance and quality assurance for the preparation of the National Voluntary Report and country report on SDGs; Provide support in preparation for a SDG regional forum organized by the Government in partnership with UN agencies in Azerbaijan; Organize capacity building activities of the NCCSD and its working groups in formulation and implementation of comprehensive development strategies; Support to NCCSD in the design and implementation of the National SDG Innovation challenge; Coordinate and support SDG awareness-raising events and campaign; Provide support with South-South cooperation and knowledge-exchange for SDGs facilitated around Baku principles; Explore possibilities for fundraising for the SDG implementation. Corporate Competencies: Demonstrates integrity by modelling the UN s values and ethical standards Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP Strong interpersonal and communication skills; Strong analytical, reporting and writing abilities skills; Openness to change and ability to receive/integrate feedback; Ability to work under pressure and tight deadlines; Knowledge of Sustainable Development Goals (MDGs/SDGs); Outstanding communication, project management and organizational skills; Excellent presentation and facilitation skills. Demonstrates integrity and ethical standards; Positive, constructive attitude to work; Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability. Functional Competencies: Knowledge Management and Learning Promotes knowledge management in UNDP and a learning environment in the office through leadership and personal example. Actively works towards continuing personal learning and development in one or more Practice Areas, acts on learning plan and applies newly acquired skills
Innovation and Marketing New Approaches - Developing new approaches Seeks a broad range of perspectives in developing project proposals; Identifies new approaches and promotes their use in other situations; Creates an environment that fosters innovation and innovative thinking; Makes the case for innovative ideas from the team with own supervisor. Self-management/Emotional Intelligence Stays calm and maintains composure under stress or during a crisis, keeping disruptive emotions under control Adapts flexibly to changing situations, overcomes obstacles and recovers quickly from set-backs Tolerates conditions of stress, uncertainty or ambiguity and continues to maintain a positive outlook and to work productively Is realistic about own limits using support mechanisms as needed and maintaining an appropriate work-life balance Senses the emotions of others, understanding their perspective, taking an active interest in their concerns Fosters a positive outlook and maintains focus during period of stress and heavy work load, inspiring and guiding others towards goal achievement Creates a climate of enthusiasm and flexibility, where people feel encouraged to give their best Stands up to group pressure, not giving in out of a desire to please or to avoid confrontation and conflict Promoting Organizational Learning and Knowledge Sharing - Developing tools and mechanisms Makes the case for innovative ideas documenting successes and building them into the design of new approaches; Identifies new approaches and strategies that promote the use of tools and mechanisms Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise - In-depth knowledge of the subject-matter Understands more advanced aspects of primary area of specialization as well as the fundamental concepts of related disciplines; Keeps abreast of new developments in area of professional discipline and job knowledge and seeks to develop him/herself professionally; Demonstrates comprehensive knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments; Demonstrates comprehensive understanding and knowledge of the current guidelines and project management tools and utilizes these regularly in work assignments; Have effective interpersonal and negotiations skills and ability to coordinate complex, multi-stakeholder projects and be able to think in a strategic manner on complex and difficult projects. Strong drafting, presentation and reporting skills; Excellent written communication skills. Client Orientation - Contributing to positive outcomes for the client Anticipates client needs; Works towards creating an enabling environment for a smooth relationship between the clients and service provider;
Demonstrates understanding of client s perspective. Recruitment Qualifications Master s degree in economics, statistics, social sciences, international development or closely related fields. At least 7 years of experience working on economic and social development issues including applied modelling approaches; Experience working with MDGs and SDGs; Hands-on experience working in a development setting; Ability to synthesize data and understand trends and complex issues drawing synergies and linkages between development issues (governance, inclusive growth, poverty, environment, etc.); Good understanding of the local context and previous work in Azerbaijan will be an asset; Experience working in the Europe and CIS region would be an asset. Strong drafting, presentation and reporting skills; Strong computer skills, in particular mastery of all applications of the MS Office package and internet search; Excellent writing and oral skills in English; knowledge of Azerbaijani and Russian is an advantage.