Programme Specialist - UNDP Ghana

The Programme Specialist (Decentralization) will work under the daily technical supervision of the National Technical Specialist (Local Government Finance) and under the overall supervision of the Programme Management Specialist. The Programme Specialist (Decentralization) will be part of the 20+ country LoCAL programmes and benefit from the links with this network.

The expected activities to be carried out by the Programme Specialist (Decentralization) are summarized as follows:

1. Ensures the Local Climate Adaptive Living (LoCAL) Facility implementation through the various stages (40%),
2. Guarantees the effective, efficient and transparent project implementation in line with UNCDF project management regulations (40%),
3. Knowledge management and communication (10%)
4. Networking and partnership building (10%)

Institutional Arrangement

The Programme Specialist (Decentralization) will work under the daily technical supervision of the National Technical Specialist (Local Government Finance) and under the overall supervision of the Programme Management Specialist.

Competencies

TECHNICAL

Deep knowledge and understanding of key concepts related to local government finance, including decentralization, and local economic development;

• Experience in policy, regulatory and technical advice and project management related to the fields of local government finance, performance-based climate resilience grants and local economic development or equivalent;
• Proven experience in project management;
• Relevant technical experience with policy and regulatory bodies and central and local governments in developing countries;
• Work experience with environmental sustainability and climate change in developing countries and Ghana;
• Experience with addressing gender equality as project objective and/or cross-cutting issue;
• Experience working with local communities, youth and women.

PROFESSIONAL

• Experience forming, leading or being part of teams, working with other stakeholders to achieve common goals;
• Strong client orientation, recognizing the importance of providing appropriate, user-friendly and affordable services;
• Proactively identifies, develops and discusses solutions for internal and external clients, and communicates with management to develop new projects or services;
• Comfortable advocating and advancing an agenda, including with high level counterparts and other stakeholders;
• Experience managing project teams and/or consultants, including recruiting, hiring and managing and evaluating international and national expertise; Takes on new approaches and fosters innovative thinking;
• Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities, and resolve problems;
• Approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude and responds positively to feedback.

FUNCTIONAL

• Proven ability to manage projects and managing for results;
• Excellent speaking and proficient writing skills in English are necessary;
• Excellent analytical and communication skills;
• Strong general IT skills, including ability to work regularly with MS Office Suite;
• Proven cross-cultural communication, able to function effectively in an international, multicultural environment;
• Demonstrated broad knowledge of development issues, especially in the areas of poverty alleviation and local development.

CORE COMPETENCIES

• Builds and promotes teams and partnerships;

• Displays cultural and gender sensitivity and adaptability;
• Creates and promotes open communication;
• Demonstrates ethics and integrity;
• Demonstrates political acumen and calculated risk-taking;
• Builds confidence, creating an environment of creativity and innovation;
• Remains calm, in control and good humored even under pressure;
• Conducts fair and transparent decision making;
• Treats all persons fairly without favoritism;
• Shows strong corporate commitment.

Qualification Required & Experience

Min. Academic Education

• A Postgraduate degree in Economics, Public Policy, Finance, International Development, or other related fields. A first-level university degree in combination with ten additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Min. years of relevant Work experience

• At least 10 years of national professional experience in the fields of public financial management, development economics and/or job creation with a specific emphasis on local governance, development planning, local government internally generated fund strategy formulation, finance, and/or mainstreaming

Location: Accra