The challenge of reaching Agenda 2030 was already significant globally, even before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Compounded by a climate emergency, political polarization and challenged multilateralism, continued conflicts and forced displacement, the number of people living in poverty rose in 2020 for the first time since 1998 by an estimated 119-124 million. Inequalities are growing, and the traditional social contract is no longer working for many.

In Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH), in line with its 2021-2025 Country Programme, UNDP focuses on sustainable and inclusive growth, people-centred governance and social cohesion. UNDP is fully committed to support BIH with regards to its Agenda 2030 commitments as well as the European Union (EU) accession process. The UNDP Country Programme Document for BIH outcomes correspond to three outcomes of the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) 2021-2025 (outcome 1 on resilient, sustainable and inclusive growth, outcome 4 on accountable and transparent governance systems, and outcome 5 on social cohesion and trust). In order to work more effectively towards these outcomes, UNDP is strengthening its local presence and offices, with the objective of being closer to the needs of partners and communities and reinforcing the implementation of the Country Programme Document (CPD) through local action.

Under the overall guidance of the Resident Representative, direct supervision of the Deputy Resident Representative and in line with relevant Country Office documents, UNDP rules and regulations, as well as the UNDP internal control framework, the Head of Office is responsible for the management of the local office and leadership of the local office team, as well as coordination and coherence of all programme and project activities in the designated AoR, in close coordination with relevant Operations Units, the Innovation and Integration Cell, Sector Leads and Project Managers.

The Head of Local Office analyses political, and social trends and serves as the first point of contact for stakeholders in the designated AoR on any issue or questions related to UNDP work on the ground. He/she supervises and leads local office personnel and works in close coordination with Programme and Operations teams and staff within the Country Office in Sarajevo and other UN Agencies, UNDP HQs staff and government officials, technical advisors and experts, multi-lateral and bi-lateral donors and civil society, ensuring successful implementation of assistance in the assigned geographic area of responsibility.

• Analyses the socio-economic and political situation and trends, providing updates and advice to senior management of the Country Office;
• Maps local demand or opportunities and feeds them into the Country Office strategy, programming and resource mobilization efforts;
• Promotes and spearheads the UNDP programme and the offer for local partners to local governments/all stakeholders and uses it as a strategic frame for a bottom-up programme engagement working in close cooperation with the Innovation and Integration Cell and Sector Leaders based in Sarajevo in the spearheading and implementation of innovative approaches, including the piloting of the portfolio approach, also promoting and facilitating joint programming with other UN Agencies at the local level;
• Substantially and actively contributes to the design and formulation of the CO programme within the AoR, translating UNDP priorities into local interventions, and coordinates programme implementation with executing agencies;
• Develops and steers an annual programmatic compact for the area (as the sector leaders have annual compacts) which “regionalises” strategic priorities, sets new programme and resource mobilisation targets (linked to performance goals), and formulates annual plans for the local office that highlight strategic priorities and needs for the designated AoR;
• Day to day oversight and quality assurance of the work at the local presence on behalf of Country Office senior management, providing overall supervision and oversight to functions at the local office and activities implemented in the AoR, and coordinating monitoring and evaluation activities at the local level;
• Submits on a monthly basis brief written summary report of key activities and issues to the Country Office management team (including the RR, DRR, Head of the Integration & Innovation Cell, Sector Leads, Operations Manager) and other Heads of local offices.
• Contributes to a continuous stream of data and analysis on a geographical basis (with HEPEC data tool as a central depository);
• Ensures full compliance with UNDP Rules and Regulations.

2.Management of the local office operations and leadership of the local office team

• Ensures the smooth running of the local office operations, facilitation of project implementation, cost-effective management of human resources and assets, and leads an effective local office team, actively promoting team spirit and fostering a working environment that is conducive to delivering results and supporting staff wellbeing;
• Supports the substantial and operational planning, preparation, implementation and reporting of missions and delegation visits from the UNDP office in Sarajevo to the AoR, for oversight, monitoring, programming, project implementation, or audit purposes;
• Effectively manages people, including ensuring individual accountability and evaluating performance, builds staff capacity, identifying capacity needs and facilitating enrolment in relevant training/learning programmes;
• Extends the services and support of the local office team to RC/O, UN agencies or other stakeholders in the AoR, as agreed by/with Country Office senior management;
• Ensures proper financial planning, expenditure tracking and supports the proper auditing of local office financial resources in accordance with UNDP rules and regulations;
• Continually finds ways to systematically identify and integrate efficiency gains and operational cost reductions at the local office;
• Approves transactions under delegated authority;
• Ensures readiness/capability of the local office to accommodate, where possible, expanded functions in case various risks materialize and make it necessary (in line with UN area plans, security risk management and crisis management guidance, and based on UNDP Business Continuity Plan (BCP) related decisions;
• Exercises functions and takes timely necessary measures towards safety and security of UN personnel as assigned by, and in line with, UN security plans, management mechanisms, and local/area security plans;
• Acts as the local office Security Coordinator and, under the supervision of the Resident Representative and in collaboration with the UNDSS Security Advisor and UNDP Head of Security, ensures enforcement of security procedures and MOSS requirements by UNDP staff in the AoR. ln collaboration with the ARR Operations and close coordination with UNDP Head of Security in Sarajevo, ensures that the security and safety needs of the local office and projects are met, and security and safety requirements in place;
• Manages and identifies possible risks and impacts associated with the local office operations;
• As part of knowledge management/sharing, identifies, synthesizes and shares best practices and lessons learnt on a continuous basis.

3. Advocacy and promotion of communication flows in the local office and the Country Office

• Liaise, interacts and maintains close partnerships with partners and stakeholders at the local level on behalf of UNDP;
• Contributes to the Country Office communication efforts in coordination with the Head of Communications Unit, monitors the perception of UNDP at the local level and identifies and communicates relevant information for a variety of audiences for advocating UNDP’s mandate;
• Maintains a functioning network of contacts with a variety of stakeholders to promote a better understanding of UNDP’s mandate and to support advocacy effort;
• Maximizes communication between the local office team and the Sector Leads and teams in Sarajevo, ensuring that stakeholders (development partners, bilateral and multilateral donors, private sector, civil society, government agencies) may rely on one consistent counterpart and interlocutor at the local level;
• Ensures internal communication and coordination at the local office level and effective and proactive communication with relevant programme and operations units in Sarajevo, as well cross-sub-office coordination and sharing of knowledge and experiences.

• Maintains continuous contacts with various stakeholders, to monitor the political, security, social and economic situation and developments and trends in the AoR, ensuring continuous liaison, coordination, and exchange of information with the local offices of other international organizations also present in the AoR;
• Based on relationships already established and maintained, identifies and pursues new partnerships and strengthens existing ones at the local office level;
• Directly contributes to the development of the overall Country Office Partnership and Resource Mobilization Strategy, including the design of planning and analytical tools to implement the strategy;
• Identifies ways of engaging in resource mobilization efforts, including analysis and research of information on donors’ strategies and areas of interest, preparation of substantive briefs on possible areas of cooperation, identification of opportunities for initiation of new projects, thus actively contributing to the overall office effort in resource mobilization;
• Actively participates in the implementation of the Country Office Partnerships and Resource Mobilization Strategy in support to achieving enhanced programme outcomes in the AoR;
• Supports capacity building of national counterparts, through the identification of needs, programming, and implementation of capacity building activities.

5. Diversity and Inclusiveness

• Provides critical feedback and inputs to the Country Office Senior Management and Sector Leads on the implementation of specific programme components in mainstreaming gender equality and women empowerment, including the Gender Equality SEAL certification programme;
• Analyses the relevance and effectiveness of the programme, reviews and provides specific inputs to the monitoring system and assists the evaluation of the programme impact from the gender, diversity and inclusion perspectives;
• Facilitates training and other capacity building activities to increase staff capacity in mainstreaming diversity and inclusion into both programme component and operation plans and activities.

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities: The incumbent will lead the local office and will directly supervise local office programme, project, and operations personnel in the AoR, who will have a reporting line to the Head of Office, with matrix supervision arrangements with the relevant Sector Leader(s), Project Manager(s) or Head of Operations Unit(s). While performance evaluation of project staff will be primarily undertaken by the respective Project Manager, the Head of Office may contribute to it by providing his/her inputs and observations on performance of the staff.

Achieve Results: LEVEL 2: Scale up solutions and simplifies processes, balances speed and accuracy in doing work

Learn Continuously: LEVEL 2: Go outside comfort zone, learn from others and support their learning

Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 2: Adapt processes/approaches to new situations, involve others in change process

Act with Determination: LEVEL 2: Able to persevere and deal with multiple sources of pressure simultaneously

Engage and Partner: LEVEL 2: Is facilitator/integrator, bring people together, build/maintain coalitions/partnerships

Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 2: Facilitate conversations to bridge differences, considers in decision making

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies 

Business Direction & Strategy – Strategic Thinking 

• Ability to develop effective strategies and prioritised plans in line with UNDP’s objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, potential risks and opportunities; linking the vision to reality on the ground, and creating tangible solutions
• Ability to leverage learning from a variety of sources to anticipate and respond to future trends; to demonstrate foresight in order to model what future developments and possible ways forward look like for UNDP

Business Direction & Strategy – Business Acumen

• Ability to understand and deal with a business situation in a manner that is likely to lead to a good outcome.
• Knowledge and understanding of the operational frameworks in the organisation and ability to make good judgments and quick decisions within such frameworks

Business Direction & Strategy – Effective Decision Making

• Ability to take decisions in a timely and efficient manner in line with one’s authority, area of expertise and resources.

Business Direction & Strategy – Negotiation and Influence

• Ability to reach an understanding, persuade others, resolve points of difference, gain advantage in the outcome of dialogue, negotiates mutually acceptable solutions through compromise and creates ‘win-win’ situations.

Business Development – UNDP Representation

• Ability to represent UNDP and productively share UNDP knowledge and activities; advocate for UNDP, its values, mission and work with various constituencies.

Business management – Risk Management

• Ability to identify and organize action around mitigating and proactively managing risks

Partnership management – Relationship management

• Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understanding

Communications – Advocacy strategy and implementation

• Ability to create and implement advocacy strategies which lead to impactful change

Required Skills and Experience: