Note: This post is based in Nairobi. This role will commence on 1 October 2024.

The Position:

Under the overall supervision of the Director, Programme Division, the incumbent leads the development of strategic plans that enable UNFPA to achieve its mission and goals of improving the lives of women and youth everywhere and contributing to the achievement of sustainable development in the world.

How you can make a difference:

UNFPA is the leading 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 realising the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organisations 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 rights (SRHR), recover lost gains and realise 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 who transform, inspire and deliver high-impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, and exceptional in managing the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.

Job Purpose:

The Strategic Planning Branch Chief will contribute to the UNFPA strategic planning areas of work. The incumbent performs tasks in the following areas:

1. Developing Strategic Plan

• Leading the development and roll-out of UNFPA Strategic Plans, ensuring alignment with the UNFPA vision, mission and the ICPD agenda, and guiding all policies, operations, and programmes to align with the strategic plan .
• Facilitate the strategic planning process, engaging with key internal and external stakeholders to identify priorities, goals and action plans.
• Building the organisation’s capacity to support the execution and delivery of the strategic plan results coherently at all levels.
• Developing and implementing strategies and mechanisms for ensuring the availability of the data and evidence to inform the UNFPA strategic plans and programmes. .

2. Corporate performance and results monitoring and reporting

• Overseeing the development and implementation of corporate performance, results and resources monitoring frameworks, plans and systems to track the organisational performance against the strategic objectives.
• Leading the monitoring and reporting on the performance and results of the strategic plan, including preparing the Executive Director’s Annual report to the Executive Board and performance and results reports to donors and stakeholders.
• Monitor and review, including the strategic plan midterm review, the performance of the strategic plan, identifying areas for improvement and making recommendations for adjustments as needed

3. Integrating Foresight into the UNFPA Strategic Planning

• Oversee developing and implementing a foresight strategy to integrate future-oriented thinking into the organisation’s strategic planning and programming processes.
• Foster a culture of foresight within the organisation, promoting innovation, creativity and future-focused approaches to respond to emerging challenges and opportunities.

4. Partnerships

• Forge and maintain strategic partnerships to enhance knowledge-sharing and improve strategic planning to deliver impactful interventions that contribute to the achievement of sustainable development.

5. Representation

• Represent UNFPA in global forums, conferences and high-level meetings to enhance strategic planning for sustainable development results.
• Represent UNFPA at the UN strategic planning and results-based management networks/fora, such as the United National Strategic Planning Network and the United Nations Foresight Network.

6. Team Coordination and Management

• Managing a team of professionals dedicated to strategic planning, foresight, and corporate results planning, monitoring and reporting
• Mentor the branch team members and create a conducive environment for professional development.

Qualifications and Experience:

Education:

Advanced degree in relevant fields such as strategic planning, development economics, business administration, demography, public health, gender, law/human rights, international relations, and/or other related social science disciplines.

Knowledge and Experience:

• At least 15 years of increasingly responsible professional experience in the field of strategic planning, results-based management, and performance monitoring, preferably in an international organisation with a complex setting.
• Strong communication and writing skills in English;
• Knowledge and practical experience in the field of UNFPA’s mandate areas is preferred.
• Experience with programme management within the UN System
• Experience in work in humanitarian emergency and emergency relief management is an asset

Languages:

Fluency in English is required and working knowledge of another UN language is an asset.