Background:
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the UN’s development network, an organisation advocating for change and connecting over 132 countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP’s work in Local Governance and Local Development is guided by the principle that local governance is a key mechanism for inclusive representation and participation, shaping effective and legitimate state–society relationships, poverty reduction, and economic development, reducing inequality, strengthening social cohesion and achieving the Millennium Development Goals. In support of robust, representative, inclusive and responsive local governance arrangements, UNDP focuses inter alia on strengthening local governance systems for addressing key challenges such as environmental sustainability and local economic development. At the local level, the ART Initiative puts in place a comprehensive and integrated framework for sustainable human local development and enhanced local governance.
Launched in 2005 and currently active in over 19 countries, the UNDP ART Global Initiative (Articulation aux Réseux Territoriaux et Thematique de Dévelopment Humain – Articulation of Territorial and Thematic Networks for Human Development Cooperation) is an entry point for all international cooperation actors interested in harmonising their respective actions in support of national policies for sustainable and local human development. Within an evolving development landscape ART capitalises on the complementarities of actors at the local level and puts in place multi-level governance systems for sustainable human development. It does so by promoting a programmatic, operational and administrative framework for coordination and institution building. ART’s objective is to enhance the capacities of national and local institutions and actors working in a complementary way at the local level, thereby achieving the Millennium Development Goals and attaining inclusive, resilient and sustainable development.
The Government-UNDP Cuba joint Programme for Local Human Development (PDHL in Spanish) began in 1998 as a United Nations strategy to accompany the efforts national authorities had directed towards facilitating the coordinated action of the international cooperation in support of the decentralisation and local development processes prioritised by the country, in the quest for achieving the MDGs. The PHDL delivers to both the country and the different international cooperation actors an operative, programmatic and managerial framework that favours action coordination in support for the aforementioned processes.
Local human development is one of the five priorities included in the 2008-2012 United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) in Cuba, an area where the PDHL is inserted as an action coordination instrument, and is also one of the four UNDP’s Programme-Framework priorities for 2008- 2010.
The Government-UNDP jointly identified PDHL thematic priorities are: the strengthening of governments and local entities’ management capacities, including community participation, a gender approach and the use of new information and communication technologies (ICTs); the support for increasing capacities for local economic management; and the promotion of national strategies contributing to local human development. Its chief action lines are: assistance to food security programmes at the local level, the development and diversification of the local economy, environment preservation, the use of renewable energies, the reinforcement of territorial social services - mainly health and education, support to vulnerable groups, the rational use of water resources and the strengthening of inclusive territorial planning and community participation.
Competencies
- Demonstrates integrity by modelling the UN's values and ethical standards;
- Displays cultural, gender, religion, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
- Ability to structure a task in terms of the analytic/investigative process and to produce a well-structured output;
- Ability to work in a team;
- In-depth practical knowledge of inter-disciplinary development issues including gender equality and empowerment issues, as well as a
good knowledge of the inter linkages between the social, economic, environmental and cultural dimensions of sustainable development.
- Strong interpersonal skills, communication and diplomatic skills;
- Openness to change and ability to receive / integrate feedback;
- Ability to work under pressure and stressful situations;
- Excellent writing skills;
- Seeks and applies knowledge, information, and best practices from within and outside of UNDP;
- Good understanding of UNDP programming modalities.
Required Skills and Experience
Education:
Masters in a relevant discipline, such as Economics, Local Development, Local Economic Development, Development Studies or related areas.
Experience:
- At least 3 years of relevant work experience conducting systematization processes in the area of local development and territorial
management.
- At least 5 years of experience in local development, participatory planning and social participation projects or programmes.
- At least 3 years of experience on evaluation.
- Preferably proven record of reports/publications on the subject;
Language:
- Fluency in spoken and written Spanish is a must.
- Knowledge of English is an asset.
Deadline: 1 may 2012
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