Chief Technical Advisor (Fisheries)

Background and Organizational Context

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

After 8 years of conflict, Yemen still faces an unprecedented political, humanitarian, and development crisis. Yemen’s conflict broke into a full-blown civil war in March 2015. Despite the continued efforts by the UN to broker a peace deal, Yemen continues to be the worst humanitarian crisis in the world. An estimated 24 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance, and Yemen already lost 21 years of developments gains just until 2019 after four-year of conflict. UNDP predicts that if the conflict persists unabated, Yemen will have the greatest depth of poverty (11.7 million people into extreme poverty), and second poorest in income inequality of any country in the world. The un-extended truce of April 2022 still holds in the country, with renewed hope for a peace process to be launched under the auspices of the UN.

Four years into the civil conflict, there are some glimmers of hope that a political breakthrough can be achieved and bring the war to an end. In anticipation, UNDP is scaling up its programming and staff capacity in Yemen to support the peace process going forward. In this regard, UNDP elaborated a revised country strategy note that focuses on supporting the transition from humanitarian to development, through three main pillars: (a) green economic recovery; (b) governance and peacebuilding; and (c) climate change, water, energy and environment. UNDP Yemen now seeks a qualified Team Leader to lead programming for the newly established Unit on Climate Change, Water, Energy & Environment.

UNDP Yemen currently operates in Sana’a (main Country Office), Aden (Sub-Office), Hodeidah (Sub-Office) and Amman (Liaison Office).

Under the green economic recovery and development portfolio, UNDP is focusing on investing in economic sectors and areas with a promising outlook for more structured interventions and a development-oriented approach. UNDP Yemen has launched two major projects for fisheries funded by the the World bank and KfW (Germany).

Duties & Responsibilities

UNDP is seeking to recruit a Chief Technical Advisor to manage the fisheries project within a comprehensive vision of the transitional challenges in Yemen and of the fisheries sector challenges and potentialities.

The Chief Technical Advisor under the overall guidance of the Deputy Resident Representative (P)/and direct supervision of the Team Leader of the Green Economic Recovery and Development Portfolio, shall manage the fisheries project and provide sound technical analysis on the fisheries sector in Yemen and strategic direction on UNDP engagement in the fisheries sector in the country.

He/she shall engage proactively with Yemeni sector institutions partners working in the sector and provide guidance on further engagement and programme development.

The Chief Technical Advisor will ensure leadership and overall direction and management of UNDP Yemen projects in the fisheries sector and provide expert advice. The CTA leads the UNDP engagement in the sector in strategic planning, identifying new programme areas and creative responses to emerging challenges and opportunities, and monitoring of projects implementation to ensure consistency with CPD priorities and synergies with other UNDP programmes in Yemen.

S/he will provide strategic advice and technical oversight for the projects under his/her responsibility to ensure that all outputs are of high quality and consistent with the delivery of results according to the Project Documents and Project Result Frameworks and will provide coordination and technical guidance to the UNDP fisheries projects team consisting for successful implementation of the outputs and activities.

The Chief Technical Advisor shall keep abreast of good international practices in the area of projects under responsibility and integrate/build similar practices within the projects, build and manage partnerships, facilitate knowledge management and sharing and support and facilitate the elaboration of other initiatives of UNDP.

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. This is a recognition of interconnected nature of development risks & crises that the world is facing and that call for assembling of multidisciplinary teams for an integrated & systemic response. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across issues, units, functions, teams and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration

Key Duties and Accountabilities

Strategic and technical lead and programmatic development

• Maintain a constant oversight of the status, changes and needs of the fisheries sector in Yemen, including for livelihood and political economy aspects, recommending adjustments to UNDP’s engagement, approach and priorities if needed, including eventual new initiatives to be taken by UNDP, based on UNDP’s comparative advantages in Yemen and available resources.
• Guarantee the coherence of UNDP approach within the fisheries sector with priorities as defined in the Country Programme Document ensuring synergy across the three UNDP programme pillars (Green Economic Recovery and Development, Climate Change, Governance and Peace) including by coaching and/or training UNDP staff and organizing joint visioning exercises.
• Contribute to developing the new Country Programme Document for all aspects relating to local economic recovery and development with focus on the fisheries sector and the economic activities relevant for coastal areas.
• Identify and develop new programmatic opportunities and draft related proposals.
• Contribute to the thorough analysis of the economic situation in the country; and contribute collaborative inputs to the preparation/revision of the Country Programme Document (CPD), Integrated Work Plan (IWP) and other strategic documents.
• Constantly monitor trends analysis for future informed and anticipatory programming; track achievement of strategic results, and effectively apply results-based management tools.
• Ensures that performance monitoring, evaluations and impact assessments are carried out.
• Ensures that the programmes effectively contribute to results in gender and the promotion of women and youth in recovery, transition, peace building and development in line with UNDP’s mandates.
• Facilitate policy development, including the review and analysis of issues and trends, provide regular strategic insights and analyses to UNDP on new and emerging areas related to the fisheries sector.

Programme Management: management of UNDP projects in the fisheries sector and supervise the team focusing on quality assurance and risk management

• Advise the TL of the Green Economic Recovery and Development portfolio on strategic steering of the Projects
• Assume technical leadership on the various areas of the projects, including capacity building for service delivery, design and operations of a local recovery fund (allocation formulas and Standard Operating Procedures), rebuilding the central – local relationship and on the role of local governance for stabilization and peacebuilding.
• Provide high-level policy and technical advice to government counterparts on all above-listed areas.
• Seek supplementary high-quality external technical expertise on the Project’s areas of intervention if necessary.
• Ensure that the Project’s intended results are reached through the planned activities and constantly adapt the activity plan as required to reach targets.
• Oversee the preparation of the Annual Work Plan (integrating results of the annual review by the Project board) by the Project team, in close consultation with responsible parties, local authorities and donors, and negotiate approval of the AWP by the Project Board.
• Oversee the day-to-day planning and implementation of activities as listed in the approved AWP by Responsible Parties.
• Seek technical inputs of the Gender Specialist in the Country Office and seek cooperation with the UN Women office for Yemen, to guarantee that the Project maintains a high level of sensitivity to gender equality matters and reaches intended results in this regard.
• Seek technical inputs of the relevant UNDP and UN colleagues to guarantee that the projects under responsibility maintain a high level of conflict-sensitivity.
• Represent the projects to the Project Boards and guarantee satisfactory secretarial services are provided to the Board.
• Ensure that the required goods and services necessary to implement all planned activities, including by preparing terms of reference and specifications for tenders and Request for Proposals, are timely and cost-effectively procured.
• Monitor the disbursement of the projects’ funds and guarantee proper financial management as per UNDP’s POPP.
• Ensure the effective use of data in projects’ implementation, across the data lifecycle, and ensure effective monitoring, evaluation and learning on projects’ impact.
• Finalize the projects’ monitoring and evaluation framework (MEF), based on the projects’ RRF, including by finalizing the baseline, and ensure its scrupulous execution. Propose revisions to the MEF if necessary, for better accuracy and relevance given the possible evolution in the projects’ implementation context, risks and challenges met.
• Ensure reports are regularly prepared on activities, outputs and outcomes, including preparation of donor and corporate reports.
• Ensure that quarterly and yearly progress reports are timely produced and distributed, showing progress made against intended results, and submit reports to the TL Green Economic Recovery and Development for later presentation and discussion in the projects’ Boards.
• Ensure optimal financial planning and identification of human resource requirements within the area of responsibility
• Determine the need for, recommends, and mobilizes technical experts to support projects implementation or provide technical support or guidance
• Lead the development of innovative and appropriate implementation modalities and address the uniqueness of the current political and operational context in Yemen.
• Monitor and manage risks and take mitigation measures where needed.
• Prepare the projects’ Annual Review.
• Effectively manage the team, including identification of their learning needs and facilitation of learning opportunities, and sharing of substantive knowledge with the team
• Provide clear directions to Project staff for project implementation, both technically and operationally
• Promote teamwork and a good team spirit among the projects’ team.
• Monitor and evaluate staff performance and take necessary actions to address under-performance if happening.

Support to advocacy, partnership building and resource mobilization

• Identify and build partnership based on strategic approaches, and support UNDP in resource mobilization.
• Ensure that a strong evidentiary and analytical base in the fisheries sector is structured from UNDP projects and commission internal and external evaluations, case studies, lessons learned exercises and other studies as required.
• Oversee the development of appropriate knowledge-sharing and communication tools on UNDP’s achievements in the fisheries sector and ensure their dissemination in and out of country, and uptake at regional and global level.
• Ensure that the projects maintain an effective presence on social networks to better disseminate lessons learnt and results and guarantee higher accountability in project implementation.
• Present the projects and achievements in donor fora and other events organized nationally or internationally.
• Support UNDP TL of Green Economic Recovery and Development Portfolio in donor coordination as necessary.
• Propose and implement technical and financial partnerships to support the Country Office’s objectives in the fisheries sector.
• Seek and develop opportunities for South-South Exchanges and Triangular Cooperation, to support project implementation and reinforce strategic partnerships involving government counterparts.
• Seek opportunities and propose approaches for private sector involvement.
• Propose strategic programmatic areas of cooperation, including joint programming, in line with agreed global, regional and national priorities.
• Analyze and research information on donors, prepare substantive briefs on possible areas of cooperation, and ensure due cost recovery.
• Contributes to the development of joint programming exercises with UN development and humanitarian agencies.

Ensure provision of top-quality advisory services and facilitation of knowledge building and management.

• Leads the formulation, advocacy to and realization of business-development initiatives in the fisheries sector and cross-thematic initiatives.
• Collaborate closely with the Programme Teams, Sub-Offices, as well as the cross-cutting units, especially Management Support Unit, Communication and Advocacy Team, and Gender, with a view to ensuring that the programme is responsive to beneficiary and donor needs and requirements, and that results are communicated in a timely and transparent manner
• Identify policy-driven issues; and identify and synthesize best practices and lessons learned directly linked to programme country policy goals.
• Coordinate and ensure integrated support in development of policies and institutions to address country problems and needs in collaboration with the strategic partners.
• Organize and deliver training as necessary on fisheries sector and related matters.
• Strengthen the CO’s substantive in-house capacity in the area of fisheries, by providing substantive support and organize capacity-building activities to enhance UNDP capacities in this area.
• Advise on an alignment of humanitarian, recovery, stabilization, peacebuilding, and development conceptual frameworks.

Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment:

• Support gender mainstreaming throughout the project life cycle, including design, planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.
• Ensure coordination and partnership with national gender mechanisms, women-led organizations, academies, networks, and forums on climate change issues, etc.
• Support the institutional and technical capacity of the project team and stakeholders on gender equality and women’s empowerment as well as social safeguards aspects.
• Support the implementation and reporting of gender-responsive actions and activities according to the allocated resources with the aim to improve employment and business opportunities for women and youth in the fishing community and value chain.
• Contribute to the country office communication, and knowledge management system on gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Other duties:

• The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities:

• Supervision and performance management of fisheries sector projects team.

COMPETENCIES

Core Competencies:

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact.
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems.
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences.
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands.
• Act with Determination: LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results.
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration.
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity.

People Management Competencies:

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

Cross-Functional & Technical Competencies:

Business Direction & Strategy: System Thinking

• Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system.

Partnership Management: Strategic Engagement

• Ability to capture and sustain attention, interest and agreement of high-level, influential policy and decision makers and secure their buy-in of high-level vision and objectives.

Business Development: Knowledge Facilitation

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

Business Management:

• Client Satisfaction/Management: Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to fulfil and understand the real customers’ needs. Provide inputs to the development of customer service strategy. Look for ways to add value beyond clients’ immediate requests. Ability to anticipate client’s upcoming needs and concerns.
• Results-Based Management: Ability to manage programmes and projects with a focus at improved performance and demonstrable results.
• Project Management: Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals
• Portfolio Management: Ability to select, prioritize and control the organization’s programmes and projects, in line with its strategic objectives and capacity; ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives and the maintenance of business-as-usual, while optimizing return on investment

QUALIFICATIONS

Education:

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in management, engineering, environment, fisheries, business, development, economics, social sciences, or relevant related field is required. OR
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience, Knowledge, and Skills:

• Minimum of 10 years (with Master’s degree) or 12 years (with Bachelor’s degree) of progressively relevant experience in the area of inclusive and sustainable development including extensive field experience in leadership positions is required.
• Relevant experience in managing projects in the areas of emergency livelihoods, employment creation, enterprise development, resilience programming, area-based development is required.
• Relevant experience at the national and/or international level in providing management advisory services, hands-on experience in design, monitoring and evaluation of development programmes and projects is required.
• Programming frameworks and procedures, proven ability to design and facilitate complex development interventions in crisis setting is an asset.
• Experience working in conflict and post-conflict settings is desirable in particular in relation to post-conflict recovery, stabilization, working with governments, civil society, and development partners is an asset.
• Experience in the fishery sector is an asset.
• Knowledge of UN/UNDP policies is an asset.
• Experience of remote management (including M&E and Third-Party Monitoring) is an asset.
• Previous working experience in Yemen and/or Arab States is an asset.

Languages:

• Fluency in oral and written English is required.
• Knowledge of another UN language is desirable.

Note: Please upload copies of your academic qualifications and 3 latest UN Common System performance evaluations (if applicable).

Please note that continuance of appointment beyond the initial 12 months is contingent upon the successful completion of a probationary period.

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