Result of Service

The consultants needs to deliver on the various components of the programme including facilitation, individual and group coaching, monitoring of progress and impact assessments ending with a more revitalized Senior Leadership, create and maintain an environment of continuous learning and peer support that enables the evolution of transformational leaders. This program will support the change initiatives of the UN Secretariat and contribute to ECA’s 2.0 initiative.

The consultant will need to meet ECA quality standards for high level leadership development, including all elements of ongoing monitoring and reporting.
• Virtual components and mentoring undertaken remote via Team and/or Zoom meetings
• The three workshops delivered face-to-face at the ECA designated training locations
• Coaching sessions set up will be the sole responsibility of the consultant team
• All learning material shared with the project team prior to implementation
• HRMS/ODU will support meeting logistics and identify training venues for the in-person components. HRMS/ODU will also provide coordination support for the virtual learning sessions.
• Interim progress report (in report format) and recommendations provided after the impact assessment and following the conclusion of the curriculum.

Work Location

Addis Ababa

Expected duration

17.5 Months

Duties and Responsibilities

Background

ECA’s mission is to deliver ideas and actions for an empowered and transformed Africa, informed by the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063. The mission is guided by five new strategic directions, which include advancing ECA’s position as a premier knowledge institution that builds on its unique position and privilege to bring global solutions to the continent’s problems and take local solutions to the continent.
The Senior Leadership Team (SLT) of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) comprises of the Directors of each of the fifteen sub-programmes (at D1 level), the Deputy Executive Secretary for Programme (D2), the Deputy Executive Secretary for Programme Support (D2) and the Executive Secretary (USG). Being a member of the SLT implies substantial leadership responsibilities, organizational and stakeholder understanding as well as communication, EQ, conflict resolution and team management skills. New members in particular need adequate support and tools to excel within their role both as a leader and a manager and to support continuous learning. The nature of support required will often vary dependent on individual needs and the collective priorities of SLT.

Further, the launch of ‘Our Common Agenda’ in 2021 underscored the commitment of a transformed United Nations that can address the ever more complex and interconnected global challenges. This entails a nimble and agile United Nations that is fitter for purpose, a United Nations “2.0”, a new version that is able to offer relevant and system-wide solutions to the challenges of the twenty-first century. In line with this, in September 2022, ECA launched the integrated change management process with the overall objective of creating an ECA 2.0, an organization that is fit for the future, in alignment with the UN 2.0 agenda, and making ECA the employer of choice in Africa. Further, at the core of ECA 2.0 is an institution that drives a culture of results and job satisfaction, where all staff members feel empowered and are provided with the space, opportunity, and environment to excel and make an impact, as individual and collective agents of transformational change. ECA’s change management process is underpinned by the UN Values and Behavior Framework, amongst others, that articulates the vision for the culture of the UN secretariat.

In addition, today’s SLT members are leading in a global environment of ever-increasing complexities. Effective leadership in today’s global world demands a growth and continuous learning mindset, with the necessary agility to work within the constraints of uncertainties and the capabilities to use strategic foresight, data, and other relevant tools to respond to today’s challenges and anticipate the future. Central also is the need for agile, team and communication-oriented leadership. Staff relations between different levels need to move from one of a transactional nature to a relationship of mutual accountability, as clearly outlined in the 2022 Staff Engagement Action Plan of ECA. Finally, the SLT has a key role to play in aligning the organizational needs with the needs of new generations joining the UN, a generation which has different needs from the Baby Boomers and Millennials who will progressively head towards retirement.

It is against a need to fully support SLT in the discharge of their functions that ECA has developed a mentoring program for SLT members based on a needs assessment process implemented throughout 2023. The overall focus of the mentoring program is to create an environment of continuous learning and peer support that enables the evolution of transformational leaders. This program will support the change initiatives of the UN Secretariat and contribute to ECA’s 2.0 initiative.
SLT members taking part in the program will be expected to have completed all mandatory trainings, with new members expected to do so prior to the finalization of onboarding.

The main duties and responsibilities are;

• Facilitate the launch meeting in coordination and consultation with the acting Executive Secretary of ECA and his designated deputies.
• Development of a ECA specific leadership and coaching curriculum, which will support collective as well as individual leadership development, based on LNA findings of 2023 (interviews of SLT members)
• 1 year learning curriculum developed with facilitation and participant agendas for face-to-face workshops and virtual sessions. Curriculum to include clear formulation of goals and objectives for each component as well as an outcome assessment plan.
• Learning material shared with ECA HR and the project team in its original form (power point slides, reading materials)
• Facilitation of the learning curriculum as per agreed timeline, methodologies and content.
• Interim feedback evaluation and reporting completed following each in person workshop.
• Interim impact assessment designed and implemented by end of August 2024.
• Supervise additional two ICF certified coaches
• At least one of the coaches must be fluent in French, able to mentor in French language
• Develop high level group and individual coaching/mentoring plans
• Share progress with the Executive Secretary and designated deputies at agreed upon milestones
• Share summary progress and impact assessment findings with the project team at agreed upon milestones
• Final program evaluation and comprehensive report with observations and recommendations provided to the project team within 2 weeks of program conclusion

The above is to be further sub divided in five deliverables

Deliverable 1.

• SLT Mentoring Program Launch meeting
• Individual coaching instruments and learning material for 2023 and Q1 of 2024 provided
• 12 months’ project timeline with learning content and agendas provided
• Assessment (feedback) framework shared, including one impact assessment
• Learning material for in person workshop number #1 shared with project team
• 360 assessments launched
• Two qualified coaches onboarded and guided

Deliverable 2

• Individual Leader workshop (first workshop) delivered and evaluated; report provided
• 360 prep meeting held; 360 reports provided and debriefed with participants
• Minimum of two individual mentoring sessions completed
• Minimum of two group mentoring sessions completed
• Mentoring plans in place for all participants; goals and progress shared with ES and deputies. Summary report for project team provided (without details of individuals).

Deliverable 3

• At least 50% of team and individual mentoring sessions implemented and documented
• Halfway impact assessment conducted and shared with the project team via a report
• Mentoring progress report provided to the ES and his designated deputies
• Learning material for workshop #2 designed and shared with the ECA project team
• Summary mentoring report (without identifying individuals) provided to the project team
• Half-way review meeting held with the project team to present & discuss interim outcomes, including observations, workshop and mentoring feedback and findings from the impact assessment.

Deliverable 4

• Workshop #2 (Leading Teams) implemented and evaluated
• Post workshop evaluation and progress report provided to the project team
• At least 75% of team and individual mentoring sessions implemented and documented

Deliverable 5

• Learning material for workshop #3 (Leading the Organization) developed and shared with the project team at least four weeks prior to the event
• Workshop #3 facilitated and evaluated
• 100% of group and individual mentoring sessions completed and feedback captured
• 360 Tool assessment re-implemented. Reports analytically compared to the 2023 baseline reports with key findings and observations captured and integrated in the final comprehensive project report following the conclusion of the SLT mentoring program.
• Comprehensive outcome report provided to the project team. Report to include recommendations.
• Debriefing discussion held with the project team to present key findings of the final report

Qualifications/special skills

A post-graduate degree in management, leadership and/or adult education and related area is required. Certification in Professional Coaching and/or Mentoring is desirable.
Ability to develop and implement customized group and individual mentoring plans is required.
Proven capacity to analyse data and prepare progress reports, outlining findings and recommendations is required.
Five or more years of experience with UN or other international non-profit organizations is an advantage.
Curriculum design skills for facilitating innovation and organizational transformation is desirable.
Proficient with recording technology for virtual dialogue and training processes is desirable
Experience with general evaluation, impact assessments and reporting is desirable.
Demonstrated understanding of basic data analytics and data story telling is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations. For the position, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of French is an advantage.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.