Type: Fixed Term
Duty Station: Colombo, Sri Lanka
Closing Date: 22 November 2023, midnight Sri Lanka time (GMT + 5:30)
Job Description: Link / Attached File
Click to View Job Posting and Apply
The Position:
The Assistant Representative is located in the Sri Lanka Country Office (CO) and reports to the UNFPA Representative. S/he acts on behalf of the Representative in his/her absence.
How you can make a difference:
UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled. UNFPA’s strategic plan (2022-2025), reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. These results capture our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the ICPD and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations and individuals to “build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, recover lost gains and realize our goals.
In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.
UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.
Job Purpose:
In the context of UNFPA’s 10th Programme of Assistance (Country Programme) 2023-2027 with the Government of Sri Lanka, UNFPA supports the Government in areas of sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights (SRHR), gender equality, youth empowerment, and peacebuilding, as well as data for development. The Assistant Representative will lead innovation and ensure a return on investments. S/he will work on the implementation of UNFPA’s global strategies on population and development within the policy and programme context of Sri Lanka focusing on evidence-based policy advocacy as is crucial in the middle-income country context to assist in sound policy and decision-making processes under the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals.
In close collaboration with the UNFPA Representative and management team, the Assistant Representative plays a leading role in strengthening the Country’s capacity to implement the ICPD Programme of Action within the context of its national development efforts for the achievement of the SDGs, thus, ensuring national ownership. S/He supports the formulation and delivery of the UNFPA country programme and is responsible for projecting the programme of the organization, promoting at the national level the goals of the programme, and ensuring the integration of issues of population, sexual and reproductive health, and gender in the broader development agenda. The Assistant Representative plays a leadership role within the UNFPA country team, providing an example of creative programme development and sharing knowledge and insights with staff to facilitate broad country programme management.
The AR plays a leadership role within the programme team in the CO. The AR leads on the social policy workstream of the office and contributes to the management of UNFPA activities in the areas of population and development, reproductive health, and gender. Acting as an analyst/advisor, the AR proactively provides the Representative with information on the achievement of results in the implementation of UNFPA programmes.
You would be responsible for:
In consultation with the Representative, provides substantive guidance in the implementation of the country programme in line with the national priorities and in accordance with the UNFPA’s Strategic Plan, programme policies, and procedures while taking into account political, social, and cultural sensitivities. Ensures results-oriented programme delivery, including monitoring of budget and expenditure, and timely and efficient delivery of the programme by working closely with colleagues and implementing partners. The incumbent is the policy lead in the country office.
- Social policy and knowledge production: Creates substantive knowledge of population and development, reproductive health, youth, and gender issues in the country, assesses technical assistance needs in these areas, and advises on the suitability of programmes and projects to meet these needs. Addresses policy issues and provides substantive inputs to facilitate policy dialogue and incorporation of these policies into national plans and strategies, and UN systems initiatives and development frameworks.
- Strategic foresight and organizational positioning: Analyzes population and development, reproductive health, and gender issues provides substantive inputs to institutional responses and advocacy strategies, and reports on the political, social, and economic environment relevant to the CO and identifies opportunities and implications for UNFPA. Keeps abreast of new policy developments and strategies analyzing policy papers, strategy documents, national plans, and development frameworks. Prepares briefs and inputs for policy dialogue, technical assistance coordination, and development frameworks. Reports to the Representative regularly on all aspects.
- National Capacity Development: Implement strategy for capacity building at the country level, within the context of the global strategy; Create an enabling environment for the implementation of the ICPD agenda; Provide technical, material, financial and political support to strengthen national capacity on thematic programmes; and create/improve national capacities to monitor, evaluate and learn from capacity development initiatives.
- Strategic partnership and advocacy: Contributes to the efforts to help the government and civil society organizations to highlight Sri Lanka’s experience in the international and regional fora related to SRH, gender equality, youth empowerment, and population and development. Contributes to resource mobilization strategy by analyzing information on potential opportunities, creating feedback mechanisms, and providing information on the progress of donor-funded projects. Participates in public information events and ensures great visibility of UNFPA Sri Lanka’s initiatives.
- Resources management: Support the UNFPA Representative in overall accountability for the management and work of the Country Office; Support the Representative in the management of human and financial resources, with particular attention to ensuring systems of accountability as per UNFPA policies, rules, and procedures; Establish and maintain a harmonious working environment; seek to strengthen team-building by encouraging active participation and interaction at all levels; foster staff motivation, development, and empowerment; and lead by example
- Performs other job-related duties as assigned by the UNFPA Representative required to ensure the success of the country programme.
