UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s policy work carried out at HQ, Regional and Country Office levels, forms a contiguous spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP invests in the Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in the Strategic Plan.

Governance is one of the six signature solutions in UNDP’s Strategic Plan 2022-2025 – alongside poverty and inequality, resilience, environment, energy and gender equality – to support countries towards three directions of change: structural transformation, leaving no one behind and resilience.  The objective of UNDP’s governance work is to ensure that accountable, inclusive and effective governance underpins sustainable development.  UNDP’s governance assistance, including that provided through UNDP’s Global Programme, Governance for People and Planet (G4PP), is multi-dimensional and multi-level and goes beyond technical solutions to support a “systems approach” which is human rights based, problem-driven and participatory to accelerate development and ensure no one is left behind.

UNDP recognizes that local and regional governance is critical in turning Agenda 2030 and the SDGs from a global vision into a local reality, and that it is critical to ensure that subnational authorities are best positioned to respond to the communities’ priorities and needs, serving as a natural integrator where socio-economic issues, the environment, and cultures interlink. UNDP’s multi-dimensional approach to integrated local governance and local development promotes the advancement of institutional frameworks at local level, enables stakeholder engagement including civil society and the private sector, pooling of knowledge and collaboration, reinforces the social contract, and the development of context-based solutions to complex development challenges at the local level.  In addition, the Governance for People and Planet (G4PP) Global Programme notes the need to support collaborative approaches to break silos between thematic areas and levels of governance to ignite, institutionalise, and scale innovations to accelerate sustainable development at the subnational level. It also emphasizes the need for a shift in mindset, programmatic vehicles, operational capacities and incentives towards repositioning local governance ecosystems at the core of multilevel and multi-stakeholder governance.  UNDP’s commitment and support to Local Action also recognizes the importance of addressing local-level challenges in all their complexity to deliver more impactful support for development processes. Ensuring core government functions, particularly in the context of conflicts and crises, is therefore critical particularly at the local level.

Based in the Istanbul Regional Hub, and under the direct supervision of the Regional Team Leader for Governance and Peacebuilding, the Programme Specialist, Local Governance and Integrated Local/Urban Development, is responsible for contributing substantive policy and programme advisory services to the Country Offices and applying the products and tools relevant across a wide range of topics related to local governance, decentralization, and local development, as well as local service delivery, democratic institutions and processes. The overall objectives are to enhance countries’ and local governments’ capacities to effectively perform their functions as the unit of first response to people’s needs and demands, and anticipate, plan and deliver public services in a more inclusive, effective and sustainable manner.  The Programme Specialist promotes the use of digital technologies and social innovation across public and other institutions and supports transformation processes that are inclusive, accountable and effective.

The incumbent acts in response to requests from RBEC, country offices and HQ.

In support of UNDP’s Strategic Plan (2022-2025), in particular Signature Solution 2 and its implementation, including through the Governance Global Programme, and the Regional Programme Document for Europe and Central Asia, the Programme Specialist will ensure the execution of quality and coherent policy and programme advisory services within their region and across GPN, the incumbent advances the mission of UNDP and increases the credibility and recognition in this thematic area.

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.

• Support RBEC and COs in Europe and Central Asia design, mobilize partnerships and resources, implement and monitor strategies, programmes and projects related to local governance, decentralization, local development, urban development, smart cities, as well as democratic institutions and processes at the local level.
• Ensure alignment of RBEC’s local governance work with UNDP’s Strategic Plan, Signature Solution II, the Governance Global Programme (Governance for People and Planet), the Regional Programme Document, Crisis Offer, Local Action and related corporate priorities.
• Support the Regional GPB Team Leader, IRH team leads and COs use Innovation, digitalization and Anticipatory, Adaptive and Agile Governance (AAAG) tools and approaches to strengthen local governance, decentralization, local development, as well as inclusive participation, accountability, transparency and oversight at all levels.
• With other IRH and GPN Policy advisors, provide policy and programmatic support to strengthen adaptive local governance programming, contextualizing UNDP’s offers and solutions in middle-income, conflict/crisis, and low income contexts.
• With other IRH and GPN Policy advisors, provide policy support to integrated IRH work (including country support) mainstreaming local governance across UNDP’s portfolio including environmental governance, governance of climate action, just energy transition and Economic governance, Integrity, transparency and anti-corruption including in the context of sub-national planning, policy and budget/financing processes.
• Incorporate gender equality and human rights’-based approach in policy and programming work.
• Provide relevant contribution to UNDP SURGE and other requests coordinated by the Crisis Bureau .

• Coordinate the production and share relevant analysis and guidance on the thematic areas noted above, for policy advice and programme support that responds to country office needs;
• Apply multi-disciplinary approaches and work across teams to design and support ‘governance integrated portfolios’ and strengthen cooperation between UNDP teams with external partners;
• Develop and implement solutions to enhance national and local capacities to anticipate, plan, finance and deliver public goods and services in an inclusive, effective and sustainable manner, contributing also to the development of this area at the global level.
• Develop and implement solutions, including various models and approaches for local governance and local development (e.g., area-based development programmes, open community models, and ‘integrated portfolios’ at local level) including in crisis and conflict situations.,
• Provide Quality Assurance to ensure alignment with global development policies, norms and standards.
• Ensure cross-practice approach and cross-regional collaboration.
• Conceptualize and recommend policy innovations in the thematic area to improve programme delivery.
• Coordinate team contributions and support to corporate KM activities, at region-specific level to help influence/advance policy dialogue in the thematic area in collaboration with policy teams at HQ, including through the Community of Practice on Governance, and in Regional Hubs;
• Provide peer review support and sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice; and
• Coordinate and perform knowledge extraction, analysis, documentation, codification of results/lessons learned in the specific thematic areas, and verify that knowledge sharing and content management is in line with guidelines and performed using corporate tools.

• Mobilize, foster and strengthen strategic partnerships with UN entities, donors and non-state actors, and provide inputs to those partnerships in support of UNDP initiatives;
• Advocate the importance of the thematic area in various fora at the regional level, including private sector, academia and civil society, with a view to deepen related political commitment and related reforms;
• Support the Regional Hub and country offices in ECA in engagement in UN interagency coordination in relevant policy areas by organizing and participating in regional meetings.

• In collaboration with Istanbul Regional Hub (IRH) teams and Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy (BERA), support the regional management and country offices to engage with regional and national partners and develop/implement resource mobilization plan under corporate guidelines, including to fulfill corporate and donor reporting, advocacy and information-sharing requirements;
• Provide substantive inputs related to (regional) external partnerships in the area of work;
• Support fostering strategic partnerships with UN and external regional partner institutions, Governments, private sector, academia, NGOs, and CSOs at regional and local level.

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

Digital Innovation – Digital thought leadership:

• Ongoing research into emerging technologies and digital trends and the applications, risks and opportunities associated with digital adoption, combined with ability to communicate this synthesis with broader audience.

2030 Agenda: Peace   Governance:

• Area-based approaches to local governance; Decentralization; Core Government Functions; E-Government.

2030 Agenda: Prosperity   Inclusive Growth:

• Local economic development.

2030 Agenda: Peace – Conflict Prevention, Peacebuilding and Responsive Institutions:

• National and sub-national capacities for planning, financing, coordination and crisis management.

2030 Agenda: Peace – Governance:

• Decentralization.

2030 Agenda: Peace – Governance:

• Core Government Functions.

2030 Agenda: Peace – Governance:

• Portfolio Management and System Thinking.