In 2012, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2056 that requested the Secretary-General to develop and implement, in consultation with regional organizations, a United Nations Integrated strategy for the Sahel (UNISS) region encompassing security, governance, development, human rights and humanitarian issues. Pursuant to the resolution, UNISS was developed and launched in 2013 with the aim of reducing the socio-economic vulnerability of the populations in the Sahel region. In 2017, following an internal review of UNISS a United Nations Sahel Support Plan (UNSP) was elaborated to better align UN’s collective support to address the needs and priorities of the people and Governments in the region.

The UN Support Plan (UNSP), which covers the period 2018-2030, serves as a vehicle for articulating and operationalizing the UNISS and the commitments of the UN system and partners in the region. It aligns the UNISS with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the African Union’s Agenda 2063. In January 2021, the UN Secretary-General appointed USG Abdoulaye Mar Dieye as the Special Coordinator for development in the Sahel to lead collective efforts, including financing, to implement the UNISS and its Support Plan.

As the lead of the UN Development System in the Sahel, UNDP developed a specific offer to help regenerate the Sahel from the protracted crises. UNDP’s Offer has three pillars: governance, energy and youth. It prioritizes innovative partnerships with Sahelian, and articulates UNDP’s contribution to UNISS.

To give effect to the overall implementation of the UNDP Sahel offer, UNDP Regional Bureau for Africa has augmented its HQ capacity to support the Sahel, by establishing the Sahel team.

Under the overall guidance and direct supervision of the Sahel team leader/Advisor, the Programme and Policy Analyst will perform functions that support the Sahel team. The Analyst will embrace a client-oriented approach consistent with UNDP rules and regulations. S/He will work in close collaboration with COST, other central units at HQ, RBA Units and the Regional Hubs in Addis Ababa, Dakar and Pretoria, in resolving complex programme and operations-related issues. The Intern will provide analytical support to the Sahel team, and in monitoring the implementation of the Sahel Offer.

1. Ensure effective  programmatic implementation of the UNDP Sahel Offer: 

• Develop and contribute to program and policy development in a key thematic area of the Sahel Offer;
• Contribute to the implementation of the UNDP Sahel Programmes including development of reporting tools to monitor progress, challenges to inform decision-making;
• Analyse regional trends and programmes, maintain datasets, case evidence and research findings to distil relevant lessons learned relative to implementing of the key activities of the programme;

2. Strategic implementation of the UNDP Sahel Offer: 

• Analyze strategic programme and policy priorties in support of the implementation of integrated UNDP WACA Sahel.

3. Establish strategic partnerships, communication, resource mobilization: 

• Develop and design advocacy and communication materials, including contributing to/drafting power-point presentations, speeches, and press releases as well as developing advocacy strategies for disseminating and raising awareness of key development challenges and opportunities in the Sahel region;
• Develop and update of databases of UNDP interventions in the Sahel region.
• Support the organization of regional and international events on the Sahel in collaboration with key stakeholders within UNDP and other partners in the Sahel region, HQ and other locations as required;
• Maintain a database of institutional partners and mapping of potential donors and partners for the UNDP Sahel Programme and in support of the overall UNDP WACA HQ;
• Develop targeted funding proposals for upscaling key achievements under the UNDP Sahel Programmes.

4. Enhances innovation; 

• Develop of new tools to address the challenges and harness opportunities presented by the increasing coverage of the Sahel crisis through social media and technology.

5. Facilitate knowledge management

• Draft project reports, minutes of meetings and terms of reference as required.
• Contribute to the development/monitoring of the regional initiatives pertaining to the Sahel development challenges.
• Contribute the development of work plans, monitor/report on progress of programmes implementation.
• Contribute to building a community of practice through partnership building, communications, and outreach to other practices, Regional Bureau focal points, UN partners, and other relevant organizations; develop networks with HQ-based UN entities working in the Sahel region and other responsibilities as required to support UNDP’s engagement in the Sahel region from HQ perspective.

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

Institutional Arrangement

The Analyst will report to the Team Leader Sahel Team.

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible
• Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination

• 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 Management – Project Management: 
  • Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals
• 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

Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section

• Relevant experience in international development or related area; Knowledge of the UN system is an advantage.
• Demonstrated experience and capacity to gather comprehensive information on complex problems or situations, analyzing information accurately and identifying key issues and solutions.
• Knowledge of and exposure to the needs, conditions and problems of sub-Saharan countries is an asset
• Demonstrated experience of initiative, client-orientation, working in teams, in complex and time-pressured contexts, field experience in an African country is preferable.
• Working knowledge and experience  in designing and/or implementing multi stakeholder, inter agency cross border joint programming with humanitarian-development nexus focus