Background

UNDP works in about 170 countries and territories, helping to achieve the eradication of poverty, and the reduction of inequalities and exclusion. We help countries to develop policies, leadership skills, partnering abilities, institutional capabilities and build resilience in order to sustain development results.

UNDP engages with the countries of Africa, supporting the development ambition of the region and future beyond international development assistance. The European Union (EU) is highly active as a development policy actor at the global level, and its component institutions, in particular the European Commission (EC), constitute important partners of UNDP in terms of development policy, programme partnerships and funding.

The UNDP-Europe partnership has become dynamic with growing EC-UNDP inter-institutional relationship (guided by a Strategic Partnership Agreement focused on thematic areas such as governance, conflict prevention/recovery, Climate Change and increased regional focus on Africa), robust engagement with Nordic countries with Africa being at the center of the partnership, and key partnerships with European Member states such as Germany, France and the Netherlands.

The partnership with Europe has been nurtured via the UNDP presence in Europe through the UN/UNDP Brussels Office representing both UNDP vis-a-vis the EU and the Government of Belgium; the Nordic Representation Office with a focus on the 5 Nordic countries, and the Geneva Office serving as the UNDP Platform for Geneva and the Geneva-based organizations  These Offices in Europe play an active role in facilitating UNDP’s overall engagement with the European Union and its member states through policy dialogue, co-financing of projects, joint research/study, joint conferences and seminars, and joint advocacy and publicity activities among other things.

The Africa Region particularly offers scope to deepen joint programmatic and policy work between UNDP and the EU on the one hand and with EU member States on the other hand, given the significant convergence in thematic emphasis, complementarities in approach, and the opportunities offered by ‘Team Europe’ approach currently pursued by the EU. The Representation Offices in Europe have made significant headway in developing the partnership on Africa through establishing a strong inter-institutional/joint dialogue on Africa and helping develop shared commitment to strengthen the engagement to better support Africa.

The Africa Minigrids Program (AMP) is a flagship regional technical assistance program for minigrids, active in an initial 21 African countries. It is led by UNDP with funding primarily from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented together with Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) and the African Development Bank (AfDB), linking up with a wide array of minigrid stakeholders in Africa and beyond.

AMP’s overall objective is to increase access to electricity by improving the financial viability and promoting scaled-up commercial investment in renewable energy minigrids. The program is comprised of two main elements: (1) An initial 21 national projects, each with a common architecture consisting of five components: (i) policy and regulations, (ii) business model innovation with private sector, (iii) innovative finance for minigrids scale-up, and (iv) digital, knowledge management, and (v) M&E; (2) A regional project acting as the knowledge, advocacy and coordinating platform for AMP. This will be achieved through a suite of knowledge tools, technical and operational expertise and support, communities of practice, and promoting innovative digital approaches for minigrid cost reduction.

Given the scale and ambition of the Africa Minigrids Program (AMP), strategic partnerships and resource mobilization are essential for both its current implementation and a potential scale-up phase. The AMP requires collaboration with a diverse range of stakeholders to ensure its sustainability and to extend its impact across Africa. The EU, with its significant interest and investment in energy development in Africa, represents a key strategic partner in this regard. Leveraging the EU’s expertise, funding mechanisms, and its ‘Team Europe’ approach could enable AMP to deepen its programmatic reach, mobilize additional resources, and align with EU priorities on renewable energy access and sustainable development. At the same time, AMP must also look beyond the EU to engage and mobilize other partners who share a commitment to advancing sustainable energy solutions across the continent.

Position Purpose

The Partnership Analyst will support these corporate efforts and foster a productive working relationship between EC and UNDP – both in Brussels and through supporting UNDP Country Offices in Africa. The Partnership Analyst will also serve as the secretariat of the Brussels-based UN Africa Task Force building close relationships with African representations and promoting their voice in the dialogue with EU institutions and its member states. The Partnership Analyst will furthermore have a particular focus on the Africa Minigrids Program (AMP) and explore ways to strengthen existing partnerships or initiate new ones both at the regional and national levels, while seeking to mobilize resources for the ongoing implementation of AMP and potential second phase of the program. Additionally, the role will contribute to fulfilling AMP’s mandate to ensure stronger coordination within the minigrid sector, fostering alignment and collaboration among key stakeholders.

The position will be part of the UN/UNDP Representation Office in Brussels with the incumbent working under the direct supervision of the Chief, Partnerships and Communications Unit in RBA New York and the Deputy Director of the UN/UNDP Office in Brussels. The Partnership Analyst will work in close relationship with the Africa Energy Access Specialist (AMP Regional Project Manager) and the Communications and Partnerships Specialist (BPPS/Climate Hub/CCM).

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

Building strategic partnerships and programme development

• Identify concrete opportunities for joint programmatic and other activities with European Commission (EC) and the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS); stimulate and support the development of a programmatic portfolio, including through leveraging relevant RBA and corporate products on Africa.
• Through active engagement with relevant EC services and the OACPS Secretariat, identify map, and engage on key entry points within NDICI regional programming on Africa, and working with Brussels Office colleagues, Policy Advisors in the Regional Service Centers and those in RBA, develop strategic products and programmes to leverage opportunities.
• Track and analyze EC development cooperation policies that relate to Africa, share country-specific opportunities with Country Offices in RBA and (sub)regional opportunities with the Coordinator, Regional Programme for Africa, and substantively support the development of projects/programmes to mobilize resources.
• In close cooperation with the RBA leadership, policy advisors and specialists in the RBA HQ and Regional Service Center for Africa (in particular the Coordinator, Regional Programme for Africa), support the strategy for RBA policy dialogue and outreach with the EU and member states.
• Facilitate the integration and promote the role of RBA in the development of UNDP-EC Strategic Partnership processes and other UNDP strategic initiatives in Brussels.
• Contribute to RBA resource mobilization efforts targeting the EC and EU member states including leveraging RBA’s new strategic offer for Africa.
• Support developing new partnerships with the private sector and European financial institutions, through research, outreach and networking.
• Facilitate partnerships between AMP and a diverse range of stakeholders, including multilateral organizations, bilateral donors, financial institutions, private sector actors, and regional organizations, to support the program’s implementation and secure funding for potential scale-up phases. Actively strengthen the most strategic partnerships by reviewing existing collaborations, engaging partners, and identifying and nurturing new opportunities at regional and national levels, in close coordination with the AMP Regional Project Management Unit.
• Review, maintain and regularly update the AMP partnerships tracker to capture key outcomes from meetings and progress on ongoing and planned collaborations. Ensure the tracker serves as a dynamic tool for monitoring and guiding partnership activities and decision-making. Provide Secretariat support to the AMP Technical Advisory Committee meeting 3 to 4 times a year.

Provide policy advisory and knowledge management support

• Make substantive contributions to the work of the UN Brussels Programme and Policy Team (annual and periodic reports, joint analysis, etc.), and in particular on the Policy Group’s policy discourse and initiative related to Africa.
• Provide policy advisory and knowledge support to the Africa dimensions of the work of the Joint EC-UNDP Task Force on Effective Electoral Assistance (JTF), OACPS programmes (minerals, DRR) as well as other relevant projects anchored in the UN/UNDP Brussels Office.
• Lead the preparation of background documentation and briefings for senior level UNDP meetings with the EU on Africa.
• Gather information concerning events, policy development and programme directions of relevance to RBA; analyze and disseminate the information in the form of relevant briefs, papers, updates on EU activities.
• Support missions to Brussels of RBA Senior Management, RBA Country Office leadership and Policy Advisors; organize targeted meetings and ensure follow up.
• Prepare and systematically disseminate information to strategic partners in Brussels, on UNDP’s policy and programmatic work in the Africa region.
• Assist programme team in Brussels on maintaining database on EC financed projects in the Africa region.
• Monitor and analyze information and trends related to technical assistance, partnerships, and resource mobilization in the minigrid sector in Africa. Use this analysis to inform AMP’s strategy and program development, maintaining a structured database to support the creation of a dashboard for technical assistance coordination.
• Coordinate the development of a dashboard for technical assistance coordination in the minigrid sector by consulting key stakeholders and contributing to the design process, ensuring it aligns with AMP’s strategic objectives. Contribute to the implementation oversight, working closely with relevant technical experts.

Provision of country office support to RBA countries

• Foster engagement with Country Offices (COs) in support of BRO advisory role on e.g. reporting progress achieved and aid COs in trouble shooting, including on matters related to the EC-UN Financial and Administrative Framework Agreement (FAFA), and in handling verification missions.
• Working in close collaboration with other technical colleagues to provide direct advisory and subject-matter expertise services (remote and through missions) to COs on the expansion and review of proposals for project submission to be funded by the EC (project fiches, project terms of reference, etc), European IFIs, or bilateral European donors.
• Review and track the EC funded programmatic portfolio in the RBA region, proactively follow up on progress achieved and support COs in trouble shooting, where necessary.
• Assist in training programmes on Partnership with the EC delivered to RBA Country Office Staff.
• Alert and brief COs on relevant EU policy and programme as well as on resource mobilization opportunities.
• Support UNDP Country Offices and implementing partners of AMP national projects in identifying and navigating funding opportunities from a wide range of partners, providing guidance on proposal development, compliance requirements, and effective engagement strategies to secure resources.
• Actively engage with UNDP Country Offices and AMP national project partners through regular update meetings and tailored consultations to provide policy and technical advice. Maintain and update relevant monitoring tools to capture national engagements, ensuring comprehensive and up-to-date documentation of progress and challenges.

Outreach and promoting African voice in European development dialogues

• Establish and maintain a network of relevant contacts within the Africa constituency in Brussels, and entities directly dealing with Africa (CSO, think tanks, academia, private sector).
• Provide secretariat support to the UN Africa Task Force to promote a coherent UN approach to mobilizing support to Africa, building close relationship with African representations, and promoting their voice in the dialogue with EU institutions and its member states.
• Identify key events and opportunities for the UNDP senior management’s engagement including regular media outreaches to promote positive narrative on Africa, influence policy debates, and public perspectives on topical issues among others.
• Support RBA and UNDP central bureaus in advocating for AMP by developing high-quality briefings, background materials, and strategic messaging for senior-level engagements, including events, bilateral meetings, and international forums. Ensure that advocacy efforts position AMP as a transformative initiative for energy access and sustainability in Africa.
• Provide general support for tasks such as note-taking, drafting minutes, preparing briefings, and any other duties as needed to facilitate AMP’s advocacy and outreach activities effectively.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Competencies

Core competencies:

Achieve Results:

• Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline.

Think Innovatively:

• Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements.

Learn Continuously:

• Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback.

Adapt with Agility:

• Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible.

Act with Determination:

• Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident.

Engage and Partner:

• Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships.

Enable Diversity and Inclusion:

• Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination.

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies: 

Business Direction & Strategy: System Thinking

• Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system.

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 Management: Portfolio Management

• Ability to select, prioritize and control the organization’s programmes and projects in line with its strategic objectives and capacity.
• Ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives with regular activities for optimal return on investment.
• Knowledge and understanding of key principles of project, programme, and portfolio management.

Business Management: Partnerships Management

• Ability to build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies.

Partnership management: Strategic engagement 

• Ability to capture and sustain attention, interest and agreement of high-level, influential policy and decision makers and secure their buy-in of high-level vision and objectives.

Partnership management: Emerging partnerships

• Ability to engage with emerging partners, develop and manage a strategy and develop approaches to developing and managing these new strategic partnerships.

Business Management: Customer Satisfaction/Client Management

• Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to fulfil and understand the real customers’ needs.
• Provide inputs to the development of customer service strategy.
• Look for ways to add value beyond clients’ immediate requests.
• Ability to anticipate client’s upcoming needs and concerns.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Development Studies, Political Science, Public Administration, or a related field is required. OR
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the areas mentioned above in combination with additional 2 years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of a master’s degree.

Experience:

• Minimum of 2 years (with master’s degree) or 4 years (with bachelor’s degree) of development-related professional experience at the national or international level in the Africa region is required.
• Demonstrated strong organizational and networking skills to collaborate with multiple partners is desired.
• Proven track record of good communication and interpersonal skills, cultural and political awareness in working with counterparts, and the capacity to operate at all levels is an advantage.
• Experience in resource mobilization is an advantage,
• Prior experience in EC funded programmatic portfolio in the RBA region is an advantage.
• Demonstrated experience in developing high-quality briefings, background materials, and strategic messaging for senior-level engagements is desired.
• Proven strong experience in building strategic partnerships is desired.

Language:

• Fluency in English (written and oral) is required.
• Knowledge of French is desirable.

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination.

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles.

Right to select multiple candidates

UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

Scam alert

UNDP does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process. For further information, please see www.undp.org/scam-alert.