Programme Specialist (home-based)

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), as a knowledge frontier organization within the UN Development System, plays a central role in integrating collective efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP's policy work, spanning HQ, Regional Hubs, and Country Offices, brings together local expertise and global insights to address sustainable development challenges. A key part of this work is facilitated through the Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise that supports the signature solutions and organizational capabilities outlined in UNDP’s Strategic Plan.

As a founding co-sponsor of the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and a key partner in the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria, UNDP’s HIV and Health Group plays a critical role in advancing global health goals. Through its HIV and Health Connecting the Dots Strategy 2022-2025, the HIV and Health Group focuses on three core areas: reducing the inequalities that drive disease, promoting effective and inclusive governance for health, and building resilient, sustainable health systems. By leveraging UNDP’s strengths in governance, poverty reduction, and climate action, the HIV and Health Group helps countries integrate HIV and health into broader development efforts, ensuring that health interventions contribute to sustainable outcomes.

UNDP also works closely with countries and international partners to address the complex interactions between governance, human rights, and health responses, with a particular focus on those often left behind, such as LGBTI+ people and persons with disabilities. The UNDP/Global Fund partnership is central to this work, ensuring that countries facing resource constraints can access critical funding for health projects related to SDG3. Furthermore, the HIV and Health Group is active in health emergency response, supporting countries in managing health crises and addressing the health dimensions of post-crisis recovery.

The HIV and Health Group’s focus on supporting resilient health systems includes the Project for the Improvement of Infectious Waste Management in Southwest Asia (HCWM Project). Supported by the Government of Japan, this project addresses the surge in healthcare waste (HCW) exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh, Bhutan and the Maldives. Through the provision of specialized equipment, digital management systems and training for healthcare workers, the project promotes sustainable, clean, and green solutions for infectious waste management. Additionally, the project fosters South-South learning, enabling knowledge sharing between countries in the region. Aligned with the UNDP HIV and Health Strategy 2022-2025, the HCWM Project directly contributes to addressing the social, cultural and economic determinants of health.

UNDP in Asia and the Pacific also works to address development challenges relating to inequities that exacerbate risks to health and decrease access to health services by supporting integrated and multi-sectorial responses, enabling policy and legal environments, that protect the rights of people living with and affected by HIV and key populations, including LGBTI+ persons. The Regional Hub provides technical and substantive support to UNDP Country Offices and regional partners. 
 

Programme Management Support with the following key responsibilities:

• Coordinate the implementation of activities and deliverables related to the HCWM project and LGBTI inclusion.
• Coordinate and prepare annual and quarterly work plans and budgets, plan and monitor activities as determined in project document(s).
• Monitor technical support needs and provide assistance to ensure high quality technical support to regional partners, UNDP Country Offices and national partners.
• Analyse, review and monitor activity development and implementation, with the aim of identifying and addressing problems, in close consultation with country Project Managers. 
• Draft and aid the development of briefings and speeches, as applicable. 
• Ensure high quality and timely reporting to donors and UNDP internal reporting mechanisms. 
•  Lead in the preparation of conducting Project Board meetings, including circulation of meeting minutes and work plans, and ensure follow-up on the implementation of Project Board decisions. 
• Provide substantive and administrative support to the preparation of meetings and other consultations, and country missions if applicable.

Contribute to Procurement of Goods and Services with the following key responsibilities: 

• Provide oversight of overall project administration and procurement management. 
• Guide and coordinate the preparation of procurement plans, in close consultation with UNDP procurement teams at BRH, Copenhagen and Kuala Lumpur. 
• Lead in the recruitment of international consultants and technical experts to facilitate provision of high quality technical support to UNDP Country Offices and national partners.  

Contribute to Financial Management with the following key responsibilities: 

• Ensure effective and accurate final oversight as part of reporting. 
• Implement adequate internal control, coordinate country allocations and/or HACT transfers, payments and reporting in line with HACT policy. 
• Monitor financial expenditures against project budgets, undertake regular expense review, identifying issues and taking remedial actions, follow-up on periodic and annual closure exercises. 
• Coordinate financial assurance activities such as field verifications, spot check and/or audit exercises and ensure implementation of recommendations as per audit policies.

Results Reporting, and Monitoring and Evaluation with the following key responsibilities:

• Coordinate results reporting (e.g., progress reports, donor reports, annual reports, etc.).
• Collaborate and coordinate with partners on results and M&E reporting. 
• Support specific programme evaluations and/or reviews, including preparation of terms of reference, participation in consultant selection and technical feedback on evaluations.
• Coordinate and follow-up on the implementation of evaluation recommendations, ensuring the optimal use of evaluations by initiative partners.

Partnership-building, Communications and Knowledge Management with the following key responsibilities:

• Support the Policy Specialist to maintain effective partnership and working relationships with initiative partners, UNDP country offices and other relevant stakeholders.
• Support communications on key results of regional initiatives.
• Contribute to the development of knowledge products, tools and trainings.
• Support the Policy Specialist in recruitment processes and the maintenance of expert rosters.
• Contribute to Community of Practice iniatitives. 
• Support the Policy Specialist in cross-country and cross-regional exchange of knowledge by collaborating with policy teams in Regional Hubs to research, develop and share knowledge-based tools and guidance to help influence/advance policy dialogue on HIV, key populations and human rights.  

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

• 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

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies:

Business Management     

• Results-based management. Ability to manage the implementation of strategies, programmes, and projects with a focus at improved performance and demonstrable results. Knowledge and understanding of relevant theories, concepts, methodologies, instruments, and tools.
• Operations Management. Ability to effectively plan, organise, and oversee the Organisation’s business processes in order to convert its assets into the best results in the most efficient manner. Knowledge of relevant concepts and mechanisms.
• Resource Management. Allocate and use resources in a strategic or tactical way in line with principles of accountability and integrity
• Monitoring and Evaluation. Ability to systematically monitor results of strategies, programmes, and activities with a view to make sure that they are being implemented effectively; Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback and reporting on the consistency or discrepancy between planned activities and programme management and results. Ability to make independent judgment of the management and results of strategies, programmes and activities based on set criteria and benchmark, keeping in mind the needs and concerns of client, current and upcoming. 
  Knowledge and understanding of monitoring and evaluation frameworks, concepts, methodologies, systems, processes, and tools. Ability to make an independent judgement based on set criteria and benchmarks. Ability to anticipate client's upcoming needs and concerns.

2030 Agenda: People     

• Health. Inclusive social protection in the context of HIV and health
• Rule of Law, Security and Human Rights. Safeguarding human rights and protecting vulnerable groups

Business Direction & Strategy    

• Systems 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.
   

• UNDP will cover the cost of travel of the individual to the duty station, as well as their return to their home upon completion of their services. Travel costs are covered only in the event that the function will be undertaken physically in the duty station and excludes working from home arrangements.
• Include any official travel expected to be associated with performing the functions