Programme Officer (Interim), Rakhine

Myanmar is one of UNOPS’ leading offices in Asia, acting as fund manager for three of the largest development programmes in the country, namely the Three Millennium Development Goal Fund (3MDG), the Livelihood and Food Security Fund (LIFT) and the Joint Peace Fund (JPF). In addition, UNOPS is Principal Recipient for the Global Fund in Myanmar and for the Global Fund’s regional artemisinin-resistance initiative targeting drug resistant malaria in the greater Mekong sub-region. UNOPS also provides procurement, infrastructure and project management services to a wide range of organizations in the country, including the Government of Myanmar, international development partners, other UN agencies, NGOs and INGOs. UNOPS plays a critical role in ensuring that the quality of services provided to its partners meets stringent requirements of speed, efficiency and cost effectiveness.

The Livelihoods and Food Security Trust Fund (LIFT) is a multi-donor fund established in Myanmar in 2009 with the purpose of increasing the livelihoods' resilience and nutrition of poor people in Myanmar by focusing on interventions that increase income, food availability, utilization and stability of access to food. LIFT has received funding from 14 donors to date[1]. The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is the Fund Manager (FM) to administer the funds and provide monitoring and oversight.

LIFT is active in the four main agro-ecological regions of Myanmar, including the central dry zone (Dry Zone), the Ayeyarwaddy Delta (Delta), Rakhine and the upland areas of the country (Uplands).  Read more about LIFT on www.lift-fund.org.

The LIFT Fund Management Office (FMO) has a substantial programme unit with teams responsible for LIFT’s work in each agro-ecological zone (see above for these zones) as well as teams for each of LIFT’s main cross-cutting themes (financial inclusion, private sector & inclusive value chains, and civil society strengthening).  The FMO also has teams responsible for communications, monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning (MEAL), policy, learning and knowledge management and for support services. 

The programme team is responsible for: a) designing new programmes; b) identifying appropriate projects; c) monitoring and learning from the implementation of these projects; d) feeding lessons into programme design and policy dialogue. 

LIFT’s Rakhine Programme

Following a conflict sensitive and inclusive approach, LIFT pursues a comprehensive approach for Rakhine and pursues all of its four purpose-level outcomes: aiming for improved policies and public expenditures, increased income of rural households, decreased vulnerability, and improved nutrition.

The violence after August 2017 changed Rakhine’s landscape and LIFT’s way of working. LIFT’s ongoing work in northern Rakhine has been stalled since August and no resumption of work was permitted since then. With the large exodus of the Muslim population and lack of access, LIFT started to reprogramme operations in northern Rakhine. In addition, LIFT issued a new call for proposal in October 2017 to ensure that humanitarian and development needs of all people in Rakhine are addressed in a coordinated way for greater stability, interdependence, prosperity and growth.

Most of LIFT’s projects in central and southern Rakhine, which represents the majority of LIFT’s portfolio in Rakhine, could progress without major interruptions throughout 2017. For most of these projects, 2018 is the final year of operations.

The Programme Officer (interim) will backstop and support the implementation of the LIFT Rakhine Programme.

The Programme Officer (interim) will work under the supervision of the Programme Coordinator. She/he will support the Rakhine team in following activities: 

• Keep LIFT abreast with ongoing dialogues and developments in Rakhine. Maintain a detailed knowledge of in-country developments and analyse, synthesize and communicate lessons and knowledge. Ensure that this learning is translated into improved project design and implementation.
• Engage non-traditional LIFT partners to explore new partnerships which can add value and new strategic alliances for LIFT’s work in Rakhine.
• Backstop the Rakhine programme team in the redesign of projects in northern Rakhine. Support a scoping mission to northern Rakhine if access is reinstalled.
• Backstop the Rakhine programme team in the final design and contracting process of successful projects to LIFTs call for proposal as well as costed extensions.
• Support the Programme Coordinator and Fund Director in addressing requests by the LIFT Fund Board on Rakhine such as possible cross-border project for Muslim refugees in Bangladesh.
• Support the representation of the LIFT Rakhine Programme at meetings and events.
• Identify and document key lessons and good practices identified in LIFT-funded projects.
• Support actively the preparation of briefing notes, reports and knowledge products. 
• Other duties as assigned by the supervisor.

Deliverables

Ensure that the programme produces the required products within the specified tolerance of time, cost, quality, scope, risk and benefits. The post holder is also responsible for the project producing a result capable of achieving the benefits defined in the Business Case. Contribute to the overall business targets and needs. Details deliverables will be agreed in the work plan developed at the beginning of the assignment.

Other considerations: Part time (80%) is possible. 

Education

• A Master’s Degree or equivalent preferably in the field of Development, International Relations, Political or Social Sciences is required. 
• Additional two years of similar experience in combination with a Bachelor’s Degree may be accepted in lieu of a Master’s degree.

Work Experience

• A minimum of seven years’ experience of relevant technical experience in development is required.
• Experience in working in conflict affected areas is required.
• Experience in conflict analysis and conflict sensitive approaches is required.
• Significant professional experience in Myanmar is a strong asset.
• Experience working and coordinating multi-stakeholder processes and facilitating multi-donor dialogues is a strong asset.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct independent research and analysis, and write analytical or summative reports is required.
• Computer literacy in Microsoft packages (MS Word, MS Excel, MS Access) is required, along with the ability to use software tools to present data clearly and concisely.

•   Fluency in both written and spoken English is essential. 

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• Work life harmonization - UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options. This policy applies to UNOPS personnel on all contract types
• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.  
• Please note that this is for a desk review assessment and only the most relevant profiles will be reviewed for the further recommendation. No interview will be conducted. By applying, you are expressing your interest in this position.
  
  

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns.
Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

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