National Post: P&D/Strategic Information Specialist, Zambia, NOC

The Position

The P&D/Strategic Information Specialist is located in the UNFPA Zambia Country Office and reports directly to the Deputy Representative.

Job Purpose

The P&D/Strategic Information Specialist will focus on leveraging strategic information, data analytics, and policy advocacy to enhance the organization’s impact in areas such as sexual and reproductive health, gender equality, population dynamics and youth empowerment.

The Specialist will provide guidance on how to map population and demographic characteristics and needs and to disseminate data and information on how demographic shifts, such as status and trends in population growth, youth dividend, urbanization, migration, population aging, household structures and family life, will shape social, economic and environmental development, particularly in the context of leaving no one behind. 

The Specialist will lead UNFPA’s efforts in promoting the inter-linkages between the ICPD mandate and the 2030 Agenda, engaging in policy dialogue and development planning, and drawing on rights-based and gender-responsive demographic analysis. Working closely with the UNFPA thematic teams and Communications team, the Specialist will play a critical role in ensuring coordinated advocacy to reflect the ICPD agenda in national and sub-national development and sectoral policies and plans. 

The specialist will ensure that population data and trends analyses inform UNFPA and its partners in their policy and programme interventions in order to accelerate progress towards the achievement of the ICPD PoA and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

A. Policy Dialogue and Advocacy

• Facilitate and/or generates analyses on demographic megatrends and how they interact with social, economic and environmental challenges to inform economic and development planning including the setting of targets and financing in pursuit of sustainable development and leaving no one behind. 
• Translate data and analyses into policy briefs to support evidence-based policymaking, elevate advocacy and communication efforts, and guide programme and humanitarian responses for the achievement of ICPD agenda and the SDGs.
• Analyze population issues in the country to provide substantive inputs to institutional responses and advocacy strategies considering political, cultural and social sensitivities. Takes opportunities to advocate and advance UNFPA policy agenda by participating in public information events.
• Conduct regular scanning of the political, socio-economic and development environment at national and sub-national levels, to identify opportunities and challenges for the achievement of the ICPD agenda and the SDGs. 
• Facilitate policy dialogue on emerging population and development issues and the interlinkages between the ICPD and SDG agendas, with the Government, civil society, development partners at all levels in collaboration with relevant UNFPA staff.
• Identify entry points for UNFPA to advance the ICPD agenda and leverage resources for the lagging indicators, working in collaboration with concerned UNFPA staff.
• Identify opportunities for strategic partnerships to leverage political, technical and financial support for the accelerated achievement of the ICPD PoA.

B. Technical Leadership on Population and Development

• Provide technical guidance on population and development trends and facilitates building data use and analytical capacities to forecast population dynamics and integration of demographic trends in development strategies, policies and plans.
• Promote use of analytic methods and tools to track and address inequalities, target investments, and monitor impact in pursuit of the unfinished business of the ICPD PoA. 
• Collaborate with a range of actors and serve as a bridge between data users, methodological and substantive innovators, and data producers and contribute to building national and sub-national capacities to generate usable information for development planning, coordinated risk reduction and humanitarian action.
• Develop strategic partnerships to leverage the resources of government institutions, think-tanks, and academic institutions for achievement of the ICPD and SDG agendas.
• Coordinate analysis, drawing on quantitative and qualitative socio-economic and demographic data, including analysis of socio-economic and demographic surveys, to inform UNFPA’s evidence-based advocacy, policy guidance and programming.

C. Programme Management

• Lead the formulation of the P&D and strategic information component of the UNFPA supported country programme, ensuring the selected interventions position UNFPA as a thought leader in population data and dynamics and its links with Agenda 2030.
• Apply results-based management in programme planning, implementation and monitoring in the area of population dynamics, including development of work plans, ensuring timely and high-quality reporting, as needed. 
• Contribute to strategic positioning of the ICPD agenda and UNFPA’s work in the context of UN programming and development frameworks, including in joint assessments and analyses, programme management, monitoring and reporting.
• Establish close working relationships with implementing partners, experts, government counterparts and other UN agencies in the design and timely/efficient delivery of programme interventions, with a strong focus on harnessing the demographic dividend in line with UNFPA’s strategic plan and country programme and promotion of approaches that are grounded in gender equality and social inclusion.
• Collaborate with other thematic programme areas and the provincial teams to identify emerging issues, knowledge gaps and potential areas for research and analysis. 

D. Data, Evidence and Knowledge Management 

• Provide technical support to the Zambia Statistics Office and other government institutions to strengthen the national statistical system, conduct population census, strengthen civil registration system and conduct SRH and GBV related surveys, assessments and information management systems.
• Assess implications of new policy developments, strategies and national budgets on the ICPD PoA and country programme execution.
• Contribute to the design of UNFPA programmes by providing economic analysis that guides resource allocation, prioritization of interventions and identification of cost-effective strategies.
• Lead the analysis and synthesis of population dynamics and their implications for policy and development planning in the country and pursue research activities to address information gaps and produce new, cutting-edge technical knowledge.

E. Other 

• Supervise the Programme Analyst, Data & Research, and ensure that the staff member under her/his supervision has a clear understanding of her/his individual responsibilities and accountability to the team in accordance with UNFPA's established Policies and Procedures.
• Stand-in for other team members on selected functions as may be required. 
• Carry out any other duties as may be required by UNFPA leadership. 

Language

Fluency in oral and written English. Working knowledge of another UN Official language is an asset.

Qualifications and Experience

Education:  

• Advanced University Degree in Population Studies, Demography, Statistics, Economic Development, Public Policy, International Relations and/or other related disciplines.

Knowledge and Experience: 

• At least 5 years of increasingly responsible professional experience in the field of data and population dynamics or a related discipline.
• Experience in policy advocacy and upstream engagements with good understanding of development planning, policymaking, financing and governance processes.
• Experience in programme management including designing and managing complex multi-disciplinary projects and liaising with a diverse range of partners. 
• Strong track record of technical leadership, and proven ability to produce analysis with policy outcomes.
• Knowledgeable of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the ICPD Programme of Action, with a good understanding of human rights, gender equality and social inclusion dimensions for integration in policy and programming efforts.
• Experience with statistical software (SPSS, Stata, R etc.) and geospatial software (ArcGIS, QGIS etc.) is an asset.
• Experience in large scale national surveys and census taking is an asset.
• Excellent writing skills and ability to make compelling oral presentations and produce high quality analytical documents and proposals.
• Demonstrated ability to network within the development community.
• Dedication to United Nations principles and demonstrated ability to work harmoniously within a team.
• Ability to perform well under pressure and flexibility in handling unexpected work assignments, as and when necessary 
• Flair for writing content/marketing materials
• Experience working in a multicultural environment
• Experience in disability inclusive and gender transformative programming 
• Proficiency in current Microsoft Office and Google Software Applications.

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
• Resource mobilization and donor relations
• Technical understanding of the areas of work e.g. strategic information, shaping data-driven policies, data analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis, and economic evaluation of health interventions; research; health financing mechanisms; economic analysis etc.
• Programme & Project Management 
• People Management and Leadership 
• Managing financial processes

Compensation and Benefits:

This position offers an attractive remuneration package including a competitive net salary plus health insurance and other benefits as applicable.

UNFPA Work Environment:

UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA's workforce - click here to learn more.

Disclaimer:

Selection and appointment may be subject to background and reference checks, medical clearance, visa issuance and other administrative requirements. 

UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process and does not concern itself with information on applicants' bank accounts. 

Applicants for positions in the international Professional and higher categories, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.