Programme Specialist

Within the GPN, the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance to support the results of UNDP’s Strategic Plan. BPPS’s staff provides technical advice to Country Offices, advocates for UNDP corporate messages, represents UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora including public-private dialogues, government and civil society dialogues, and engages in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas. BPPS works closely with UNDP’s Crisis Bureau (CB) to support emergency and crisis response. BPPS ensures that issues of risk are fully integrated into UNDP’s development programmes.  BPPS assists UNDP and partners to achieve higher quality development results through an integrated approach that links results-based management and performance monitoring with more effective and new ways of working.  BPPS supports UNDP and partners to be more innovative, knowledge and data driven including in its programme support efforts.

The 2030 Agenda for SDGs and the pledge to leave no one behind reflect the interconnectedness of health and sustainable development, including widening economic and social inequalities, the climate crisis, rapid urbanization, the continuing burden of HIV and other infectious diseases (e.g., malaria, tuberculosis), the growing burden of non-communicable diseases and the emergence of health threats. The scope and scale of delivering health and well-being for all demands innovative partnerships and financing. As affirmed in the Political Declaration of the 2019 High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage (UHC), the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (Global Fund), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi) and others are critical partners for delivering on the health-related goals of the 2030 Agenda.  Stronger Collaboration, Better Health: Global Action Plan for Healthy Lives and Well-being for All outlines how a dozen multilateral health, development and humanitarian agencies, including UNDP, the Global Fund, Gavi and others will collaborate to be more efficient and effective in supporting countries to deliver UHC and achieve the health-related SDG targets.  
UNDP’s partnership with the Global Fund, in line with UNDP’s HIV, Health and Development Strategy 2016-2021: Connecting the Dots, makes a vital contribution to UNDP’s Strategic Plan 2018-2021, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the SDGs and the pledge to leave no one behind.  

As a long-standing partner of the Global Fund, UNDP’s value proposition lies in providing an integrated package of development solutions to strengthen institutions to deliver health services. Through its contributions as interim Principal Recipient (PR) and provider of technical assistance to Global Fund grants in 53 countries since 2003, UNDP’s provision of integrated policy, implementation and capacity development support to countries has yielded significant health and development results in challenging operating environments. Proactive risk management and investing in sustainability are the cornerstones of UNDP’s portfolio management approach in supporting to countries with significant national capacity constraints to manage large-scale health programmes. By providing technical assistance to national counterparts during all phases of implementation, strengthening legislation, policies and regulatory frameworks, and building capacities across key functional areas, including financial management, health information systems, procurement and supply chain management, UNDP is able to deliver results whilst sustainably transitioning to national entities. UNDP’s track record as PR over the last 17 years and capacity to deliver in challenging operating environments has been critical for strengthening its positioning as a health implementation support partner. Based on demand from Country Offices, and building on the relationships, expertise, systems, partnerships, including across the UN family, and comparative advantage established through the Global Fund partnership, the GPN/BPPS/Global Fund Partnership/Health Implementation Support Team (GFPHST, Global Fund Partnership Team) is providing support to Country Offices through three overarching modalities: 1) the Global Fund portfolio, 2) health procurement and supply chain management support, and 3) other health implementation support beyond the Global Fund, including Gavi-funded activities and Solar for Health. The GFPHST provides its support through a country team approach to strengthen and integrate the different functional capacities (e.g., programmatic, procurement/SCM strengthening, finance, capacity development), leveraging technical assistance and policy support from the HHD Group and other GPN teams.

Position Purpose:

Under the direct supervision of the Programme Adviser, GFPHST, the Programme Specialist will be working as part of the team responsible for strategic partnership with the Global Fund and other health partnerships. S/he will be responsible for a country team and will contribute substantive programme and policy advisory services to Country Offices (COs) both in their role as the interim Principal Recipient and increasingly as a significant partner to governments and non-governmental organizations implementing Global Funds grants and other health and development partners. The incumbent will represent UNDP in key policy and technical health fora on Global Fund and other health partnerships based in Geneva focusing on business opportunities and enhanced collaboration in the Global Fund portfolio and beyond. The incumbent will complete the management of the day-to-day engagement with technical health partners to ensure UNDP enjoys maximum benefits in the implementation of Global Fund and other health projects. The Programme Specialist promotes a collaborative, client-oriented approach consistent with UNDP rules and regulations, contributing to the country team approach and support to the integration of capacity building activities.  
 

• Develop and maintain systematic engagement with the Global Fund and other health partners to ensure UNDP’s effective engagement as a key technical health partner including, on the impact of disease responses at strategic, policy and programme levels in coordination with HHD Group and other GPN units;  
• Manage day-to-day technical relationships with health partners to ensure UNDP enjoys maximum benefits in the implementation of Global Fund and other health projects, to inform strong implementation and the quality of health services of UNDP health projects;  
• Represent UNDP in relevant technical meetings with partners and technical health working groups to inform UNDP’s policies and procedures and guidance to Country Offices and support resource mobilization efforts.

Provide technical advisory and support services, guidance and advocacy to UNDP Country Offices in management of Global Fund projects and other health projects, focusing on the following key responsibilities:

• Leading a Country Team, provide technical programme and policy advisory support, guidance and advocacy to Country Offices in the management and implementation of Global Fund grants and other health projects through each stage of grant life cycle, including with feasibility and risk analysis of new initiatives in compliance with UNDP rules, policies and procedures and Grant Agreements;  
• Provide technical programme and policy advisory support to ensure linkages of Global Fund projects with other health projects for the effective use of resources, ensuring synergies and avoiding duplication;  
• Represent UNDP in key policy and technical fora on Global Fund and other health partnerships based to increase opportunities for enhanced collaboration in the Global Fund portfolio and beyond to increase overall engagement;
• Liaise with HHG Regional Advisor to facilitate support to COs in the area of human rights, gender, Key populations and LGBTI+.

Monitor grant programmatic management for Global Fund grants  and other health and development projects, maximizing overall results, quality and delivery within the corporate agreements with the Global Fund and UNDP rules, policies and procedures, focusing on the following key responsibilities:

• Monitor UNDP’s commitments within corporate agreements with the Global Fund and other health partners, ensures effective application of Results Based Management and Project and Programme Management tools, monitors donor reporting and financial delivery and performance of the Global Fund grants and other health projects, contributing to global tracking toolsto ensure maximized performance and delivery;
• Provide technical advisory support in the establishment of project implementation units (PMU), recruitment of staff, performance and career management, support to detail assignments and technical rosters to promote organizational excellence;
• Actively participate with UNDP’s field experience with the Global Fund and other health partners and input into the development of UNDP and Global Fund policies and procedures and apply integrated and holistic approach to the practice area and ensure cross-practice and cross-regional collaboration linking to global experiences.  

Ensure advisory and support services on the range of capacity development initiatives to Country Offices and government and national entities focusing on the following key responsibilities:

• Provide technical support to Country Offices in the development and monitoring of capacity development strategies for national counterparts to assume the Principal Recipient role and implement other health and development projects;  
• Support Country Office through each stage of the audit cycle (Country Offices and Sub-recipient audits) and timely implementation of the audit recommendations and support in recovery actions;
• Manage day-to-day technical relationships with regional partners to ensure UNDP enjoys maximum benefits in capacity building activities with national counterparts.

Ensure knowledge sharing and development of systems and tools for effective management of Global Fund grants and capacity development of national entities focusing on the key responsibilities:

• Promote identification and performs knowledge extraction, codification of results/lessons learned in the partnership with Global Fund and other health partners and verify that knowledge sharing, and content management is in line with corporate guidance and tools;
• Institutionalize best practices and knowledge sharing among Country Offices in the specific thematic area and actively participate in UNDP’s and other relevant networks and contribute to presentations to the Operational Performance Group, prepare briefing notes, and knowledge sharing events and training events;  
• Promote a knowledge sharing and learning culture across Country Office;
• Shares experience/best practices on the UNDP’s and other health and development websites, platforms.

Any other activity assigned by the Programme Advisor, Global Fund Partnership Health Systems Team, HIV and Health Group, BPPS.

Achieve Results:

• Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact

Think Innovatively:

• Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems

Learn Continuously:

• Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences

Adapt with Agility:

• Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands

Act with Determination:

• Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results

Engage and Partner:

• Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration

Enable Diversity and Inclusion:

• Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity

People Management: UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated site. 

Cross-Functional & Technical:

Business Direction and Strategy – Negotiate and Influence:

• Ability to reach an understanding, persuade others, resolve points of difference, gain advantage in the outcome of dialogue, negotiate mutually acceptable solutions through compromise and create ‘win-win’ situations

Business Development – Knowledge Facilitation:

• Ability to animate individuals and communities of contributors to participate and share, particularly externally

Business Management – Results-based Management:

• Ability to manage programmes and projects with a focus on improved performance and demonstrable results

Business Management – Risk Management:

• Ability to identify and organise action around mitigating and proactively managing risks.

Business Management – Project Management:

• Ability to plan, organise, prioritise and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals.

Business Management – Relationship Management:

• Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust, and mutual understanding

2030 Agenda: People – Health:

• Global Fund to fight AIDs, Tuberculosis and Malaria