Political Affairs Officer (Governance), P-4

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS:	29 Jun 2011
DATE OF ISSUANCE:	14 Jun 2011
ORGANIZATIONAL UNIT:	United Nations Integrated Office in Burundi
DUTY STATION:	Bujumbura
VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT NUMBER:	11-POL-BINUB-425306-R-BUJUMBURA

The duty station for the position shall be Bujumbura, Burundi.

Remuneration Depending on professional background, experience and family situation, a competitive compensation and benefits package is offered. More Info

United Nations Core Values: Integrity, Professionalism, Respect for Diversity

Responsibilities Within delegated authority, the Political Affairs Officer (Governance) will be responsible for the following duties: Identify, analyse and monitor political and operational developments and emerging issues with respect to the implementation of the mandate of the United Nations Office in Burundi (BNUB), and in particular with regards to regional, national and provincial level political developments; Create and maintain networks and strategic partnerships with UNDP and other UN agencies as well as donors and civil society organisations, develop coordination mechanisms and provide advice, as needed, to ensure understanding of and sustained support of the reform of institutions; Consult on a regular basis with the RC Unit, UN agencies and Programmes, the Government of Burundi, the diplomatic community, media and other civil society organisations (non-governmental organisations, businesses, community organisations, women's groups, etc.) to promote a targeted, effective and coordinated support to Burundi’s institutional reform and ensure, where needed, coordination structures are developed at local, provincial and national levels; Identify key issues and messages about institutional reform process for the UN Country Team; Provide strategic advice as necessary to UNDP’s senior management on engagement with Burundian political leaders; Monitor the anti-corruption agenda and working with the Government and other partners to improve the implementation of anti-corruption measures ; Monitor and analyse information and data, manage, coordinate, and supervise the preparation of analytical materials and assessments related to political, civil, social, economic and other developments and related challenges; Interact regularly with government officials to provide capacity building support; Communicate regularly with UNDP and partners supporting governance reform agenda to achieve the unity of effort and to ensure rational division of labour; Perform other duties as required.

Competencies Professionalism - Significant knowledge of the challenges political and governance challenges, in particular in the areas of good governance, institutional development, anti-corruption and oversight mechanisms; ability to complete in-depth studies and reach conclusions on possible causes; ability to provide solutions to specific political governance problems; ability to relate to various issues and perspectives to political, social, economic and humanitarian programmes; ability to support inter-disciplinary/inter-departmental teams and task forces, and manage multiple tasks simultaneously; proven strengths in policy and operational-level coordination; good research, analytical and problem-solving skills, including ability to identify and participate in the resolution of issues/problems; ability to apply good judgement in the context of assignments given; ability to plan own work and manage conflicting priorities; Commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of peace consolidation processes. Demonstrated ability to provide leadership and take responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives into substantive work; commitment to the goal of achieving gender balance in staffing. Planning and organizing - Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; Identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required. Communication - Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; excellent and effective communication (verbal and written) skills, including ability to make and defend recommendations; ability to explain difficult issues; ability to persuade people with varying points of view; ability to convey difficult issues and positions to senior officials; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed. Teamwork - Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organisational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings; excellent inter-personal skills with ability to work and foster teamwork, encourage initiative and inspire and supervise staff in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity; integrity, tact and strong interpersonal skills; ability to operate across organisational boundaries. Leadership - Establishes and maintains relationships with a broad range of people to understand needs and gain support; demonstrated intellectual leadership and ability to integrate knowledge with broader strategic, policy and operational objectives; ability to provide managerial leadership in overseeing work of more junior staff and local experts; ability to coach, mentor and assist staff to develop professionally. Judgement/Decision-making - Identifies the key issues in a complex situation, and comes to the heart of the problem quickly; gathers relevant information before making a decision; considers positive and negative impacts of decisions prior to making them; takes decisions with an eye to the impact on others and on the Organization; proposes a course of action or makes a recommendation based on all available information; checks assumptions against facts; determines that the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision; makes tough decisions when necessary.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in business, public policy, security sector governance, management, administration, international relations or a related field. A first level university degree with a relevant combination of academic qualifications and experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Work Experience At least seven years of progressively responsible experience in political science, governance, institutional development, sustainable development, programme/project management and evaluation, or related area. Previous experience in implementation of governance programmes/projects, preferably in the areas of institutional development, or sustainable development, is required. Previous experience in post-conflict setting, United Nations peacekeeping mission or the Great Lakes Region is highly desirable.

Languages Fluency in spoken and written English or French; knowledge of a second UN language is an advantage and sometimes a requirement. Fluency in the local language may be essential.

Other Skills Basic knowledge of the institutions of the United Nations system, relevant institutional mandates, policies and guidelines would be an added advantage.

The United Nations shall place 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. (Charter of the United Nations - Chapter 3, article 8). English and French are the two working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment. THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, TRAINING OR ANY OTHER FEES). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON BANK ACCOUNTS. PLEASE NOTE THAT APPLICATIONS RECEIVED AFTER THE DEADLINE WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

How to apply All applicants are strongly encouraged to apply online as soon as possible after the vacancy has been posted and well before the deadline stated in the vacancy announcement. Because applications submitted by United Nations (UN) staff members are considered first, provided the eligibility requirements set out in ST/AI/2006/3 are met and the application is submitted in a timely fashion, staff members should apply within 15-day or 30-day mark. Online applications will be acknowledged where an email address has been provided. If you do not receive an e-mail acknowledgement within 24 hours of submission, your application may not have been received. In such cases, please go to “My UN” page and check the status of your application by clicking on “View Application History”, and resubmit the application, if necessary. To start the application process, applicants are required to register by opening a "My UN" account. Go to Login, and Register as a User. Fill in the form and choose a User Name and Password. After opening the account, applicants may apply for vacancies using the Personal History Profile (PHP) provided. Once the PHP has been completed for a particular vacancy, it can be saved and used for future applications. The PHP may be up-dated, when necessary, for future applications. In completing the PHP, please note that all fields marked with an asterisk must be completed. UN staff members must submit scanned copies of their two latest Performance Appraisal System (PAS) reports at the time of application to the appropriate Human Resources Office (HRO)/Personnel Office (PO) to the email address below, clearly indicating the vacancy announcement number. In case you have no access to the digitizing equipment, please submit hard copies of the two latest PAS reports to the relevant HRO/PO via fax. E-mail: staffing@un.org, Fax: 1-212-963-2800 Please see the Frequently Asked Questions, if you encounter problems when applying.