UNFPA recrute 01 Conseiller en dynamique et politique des populations

The Position:

The Population Dynamics & Policy Adviser post is placed in the West and Central Africa Regional Office (WCARO). The adviser will work with the WCARO, WCA Country Offices and UNFPA HQs technical advisors to formulate and generate strategic UNFPA contributions toward advancing ICPD Programme of Action (PoA), the 2030 agenda and the AU Agenda 2063 in the West and Central Africa Region, particularly focusing on incorporating population issues into environmental, economic and social policies, with a focus on the mega-trends impacting the region.

The adviser will work under the overall guidance and leadership of the Regional Director and reports directly to the Deputy Regional Director who supervises this position. S/he is the Principal adviser at the regional level for evidence-based advocacy, policy dialogue/advice, capacity building and technical assistance in population and development issues including implications of population dynamics, demographic changes and megatrends such as the impact of climate change, migration and population aging on sustainable development. S/he works in an integrated manner with the technical, operations, programme and communications staff in the WCARO.

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

The adviser provides strategic technical and programmatic leadership and policy direction on population and development issues for the region to ensure that WCARO and the UNFPA Country Offices in the region play a leadership role in advancing the Strategic Plan, ICPD PoA and the 2030 agenda. S/he maintains primary responsibility for coordination of provision of technical assistance, and for providing policy and programme support to the countries of the region on population and development issues including coordinating and providing evidence based guidance on how population dynamics, demographic transition and megatrends such as the impact of climate change, urbanization, population movements, migration and displacement, pandemics, to name a few, are likely to affect attainment of UNFPA Transformative Results and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). S/he analyses regional as well as specific sub-regional trends and contributes to strategic action in response of these as well as to the monitoring of UNFPA substantive areas being firmly placed within national development frameworks and programmes, including the achievement of Agenda 2030 and the AU Agenda 2063.

You would be responsible for

Responsibilities will include identifying new and emerging needs in the area of evidence-based advocacy and policy dialogue, providing guidance on the impact of population dynamics and demographic transition in public policies and investments; establishing clear links between investments in SRHR, education, gender equality, young people, and the reduction of poverty and inequality, and maintaining technical partnerships in the region; coordinating and providing leadership to regional efforts around evidence, knowledge and innovation; and ensuring that technical knowledge is updated, generated, disseminated and utilized for effective technical, capacity building, policy dialogue and advocacy.

The primary roles of the Population and Development Policy Adviser are:

• A. Evidence Generation and Analyses
• B. Strategic Population and Sustainable Development Policy Advice
• C. Quality Technical Support and Capacity Development
• D. Evidence and Knowledge Management
• E. Technical Representation, Strategic Partnerships and Strategic Positioning

Evidence Generation and Analyses

• Identify and analyze trends, threats and risks in population dynamics, including fertility, mortality, migration displacement and urbanization, that may affect the achievement of UNFPA’s transformative results, ICPD PoA and SDGs within the region at the regional, subregional and country level;
• Analyze country and regional level patterns of population transition and mega-trends such as the impact of climate change, population displacement, urbanization and migration;
• Analyze mechanisms that can facilitate countries to harness demographic, health and gender dividends to accelerate progress towards UNFPA’s Transformative Results and SDGs;
• Undertake analyses and scanning of the political, economic, social, technological, environment, health and legal factors and patterns pertaining to population and development issues focusing on UNFPA mandate and the ICPD PoA;
• Lead systematic analyses of population dynamics and their developmental implications;
• Develop and synthesize policy briefs and publications to better target public investments in the region toward sustainable development in the context of demographic resilience;
• Support the development of new and cutting-edge technical knowledge products on population and development issues that reflect priorities linked to UNFPA’s mandate;
• Contribute and provide support for the analysis and interpretation of population, sexual and reproductive health and human and economic development data and evidence including those related to gender-based violence across a nexus approach – development, peace and humanitarian settings- in accordance with the main indicators of SDGs 3 & 5 that UNFPA is the main custodian;

Strategic Population and Sustainable Development Policy Advice

• Use population dynamics and demographic intelligence, evidence and analyses of trends to participate in and advise on policy dialogue across different sectors at the regional and country level to accelerate the achievement of the transformative results, ICPD PoA, SDGs and Agenda 2063 in the region;
• Contribute to the development and application of new or updated policies, position papers, frameworks, guidance, standards, instruments and tools, including the use of the national transfer accounts, pertaining to population dynamics, demographic dividend and sustainable development;
• Participate in the UNFPA technical network in population dynamics, demographic dividend and on the impact of other megatrends such as climate change, migration, aging, and provide input into UNFPA corporate thinking for the advancement of the three transformative results and ICPD PoA in the region;

Quality technical support and capacity development

• Advise country offices on the implementation and effective application of policy dialogue, strategies, guidelines and tools on population dynamics and demographic dividend, including national transfer accounts in the region, ensuring consistency and coherence in addressing priorities for UNFPA;
• Support the regional adaptation of training materials, manuals and tools, including basic and advanced understanding of the national transfer accounts, and ensure their availability and promote their use for capacity development;
• Contribute to the development and implementation of a regional integrated technical, operations and programme delivery strategy to strengthen capacities pertaining to population and development issues in the region, and guide implementation of the strategy;
• Support the development of regional and sub-regional institutional capacities for delivering high-quality technical support based on analyses of population dynamics, demographic dividend and population megatrends;
• Monitor the quality of the technical support received at the country level on issues pertaining to population dynamics, demographic dividend and population megatrends, for effective policy dialogue and programming;
• Coach and manage junior professional staff and associates, direct expert consultants and facilitate working groups and task teams;

Evidence and knowledge management

• Coordinate and monitor the regional knowledge platform as a mechanism to share technical skills and knowledge within and among programme countries and/or other regions in population dynamics and demographic dividend;
• Facilitate and support the accessibility and use of databases that capture best practices, lessons and expert rosters which can enhance the delivery of technical support to countries;
• Collect, analyze and synthesize information/data and experience on programme priorities to be used in regional and global advocacy;
• Prepare white papers, briefing and materials for evidence-based policy dialogues at regional level, provide similar support at the request of country offices and in support of the corporate executive leadership at HQs;
• Disseminate and promote the use of state-of-the-art technical knowledge, evidence, lessons learned, and success stories and ensure their use to improve the effectiveness of UNFPA operations;
• Liaise with respective counterparts in UNFPA’s Headquarters Technical Division and Policy and Strategy Division to identify opportunities for South-South cooperation in the region and with other regions and to enhance technical excellence in the population development ecosystem;
• Coordinate overall provision of technical and programme support to COs in the region regarding population dynamics, demographic intelligence and dividend, and population policies. Ensure that state-of-the-art thinking and research is generated and integrated within the work of WCARO and partnership networks;
• Identify sources of technical knowledge on population dynamics, demographic intelligence and dividend, and population policies among institutions and consultants; and establish and maintain relationships with institutions in the region;

Technical Representation, Strategic Partnerships and Strategic Positioning

• Develop and co-ordinate the substantive elements of partnerships and collaboration in population dynamics, demographic intelligence and dividend, and population policies with other UN agencies, including in the context of the UNDG and the UN Africa Regional Collaboration Platforms and Opportunity and Issue Based coalitions, particularly with the regional technical arms of these agencies, as well as with regional institutions;
• Represent UNFPA on population dynamics, demographic intelligence and dividend, and population policy related issues such as the impact of climate change, migration, urbanization, displacement and aging on sustainable development in the region and elaborate UNFPA’s substantive regional and global perspectives;
• Participate in policy dialogue, and advocate for population dynamics including fertility, mortality and migration as well as megatrends in international, inter- governmental, UN, Economic Commissions, and other policy and technical meetings and fora;
  Initiate, develop, strengthen and monitor substantive and intellectual regional partnerships in population dynamics, demographic dividend and population megatrends, including for South-South technical support to countries and for the implementation of the regional programme;
• Collaborate on population dynamics including fertility, mortality and migration, demographic dividend, as well as megatrends with UN agencies, academia, research and training institutions, think tanks, centers of excellence, professional societies in the region; and;
• Act as focal point for inter-agency working groups including through the Opportunity Issues Based Coalition (OIBCs) on Demographic Dividend, Migration and Climate Change;
• Carry out any other duties as may be required by the Regional Director or the Deputy Regional Director.

Qualifications and Experience

Education

Advanced degree in Economic Demography and/or Economics with Demography, or other population and policy related fields directly related to the substantive area.

Knowledge and Experience

• Ten years of increasingly responsible professional experience in the substantive area, with emphasis in the linkages between population, economic and social policies and environmental sustainability of which seven years at the international level;
• Demonstrated expertise in the substantive area of work; and programme experience;
• Strong track record of technical leadership, and proven ability to produce demonstrable results;
• Strong verbal and written communications skills, especially for transfer of knowledge;
• Demonstrated ability to network within the academic and development community;
• Familiarity with management and monitoring tools is desirable;
• Familiarity with ICT/ERP is an asset;
• Field experience is strongly desirable;

Languages:

Fluency in English is required and French is desirable to enable effective communication with English speaking and French speaking country coordination groups and local organizations (West and Central Africa region).

Required Competencies

Values:

• Exemplifying integrity,
• Demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system,
• Embracing cultural diversity,
• Embracing change,

Core Competencies:

• Achieving results,
• Being accountable,
• Developing and applying professional expertise/business acumen,
• Thinking analytically and strategically,
• Working in teams/managing ourselves and our relationships,
• Communicating for impact,

Functional Competencies

• Advocacy/ Advancing a policy-oriented agenda,
• Leveraging the resources of national governments and partners / building strategic alliances and partnerships,
• Delivering Results Based Programmes,
• Generating, managing and promoting the use of knowledge and Information,
• External and internal communication and advocacy for results mobilization,

Managerial Competencies

• Providing strategic focus,
• Engaging in internal/external partners and stakeholders,
• Leading, developing and empowering people, creating a culture of performance,
• Making decisions and exercising judgment,

Closing date: 22 June 2023.