The Gambia is one of the smallest countries in West Africa with a total area of 10,679 sq. km. with a total population of 1,857,181 inhabitants (females constituted 50.8 percent and males’ 49.2 percent. The Country had series of exogenous shocks and a tumultuous political transition resulting in the fluctuation of the economy and GDP growth fell from 4.3 percent in 2015 to 2.2 percent in 2016 and in 2017 grown by 4.8 percent, following a better agricultural season and a strong rebound in tourism and trade. In 2019, the economy grew at a rate of 6.2 percent, a decline from 7.0 percent in 2018 mainly driven by tourism, rain-dependent agriculture, and remittances whilst vulnerable to external shocks. Overall, 48.6 percent of the population lives below the poverty line with a large difference between urban (31.6 percent) and rural areas (69.5 percent) – thus manifesting poverty as a rural phenomenon. The country was ranked 151 out of 198 countries in the 2016 Doing Business Index and ranked 155 out of 190 in the 2020 Ease of Doing Business Index (World Bank, 2020), National unemployment rate is at 29 percent and highest among the youth and stands at 41.5% in 2018 (GLFS, 2018). The Gambia government has been hard-pressed to maintain infrastructure and provide for basic social and protection services needs for youth development and job creation.
UNDP Country Programme, in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF 2024-2028), and the UNDP global strategic plan, focuses on: (a) Green inclusive economic growth; (b) Responsive, accountable governance and peace building; and (c) Sustainable environment and climate resilience. UNDP will leverage its comparative advantage by addressing the root causes of vulnerability to accelerate growth, build resilience and promote good governance while complementing the efforts of the United Nations country team. Within the inclusive growth cluster, UNDP will address the poverty, inequality, and exclusion nexus, providing both upstream and downstream support and building on previous programme cycle achievements: evidence-based planning, livelihoods, and employment promotion; inclusive growth; and social protection.
Under the overall guidance of the Resident Representative and the direct supervision of the DRR Programme, the Programme Specialist (Poverty & Inclusive Growth) acts as a manager of and Advisor to Senior Management on all aspects of CO programme, in Poverty and Inclusive Growth. The main role is to manage the country programme in the area of Poverty and Inclusive Growth and achieving the SDGs including continued monitoring of implementation. The Programme Specialist leads the programme team in strategic planning and identifies new programme areas while ensuring consistency with UNSDCF and CPD priorities and creative responses to emerging challenges and opportunities.
The Programme Specialist heads Poverty and Inclusive Growth team and works in close collaboration with the operations team in the CO, programme staff in other UN Agencies, UNDP HQs staff and government officials, technical advisors, experts, multi-lateral and bi-lateral donors and civil society to successfully implement the UNDP programme.
The Programme Specialist will coordinate in the analysis of political, social, and economic trends, and leads the formulation, management, and evaluation of programme/project activities within his/her portfolio and provides policy advisory services. The Programme Specialist is also responsible to ensure that overall monitoring and evaluations are designed and implemented to assess the Country Programme relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, and sustainability of results; monitoring and evaluation carried out in a credible and systematic manner; evaluation lessons and recommendations are used for programme design, contribute to implementation of UNSDCF and CPD priorities and results.
The work will, inter alia, involve support to project partners, financial management and administrative support. The job will require the ability to provide a comprehensive analysis of project risks and challenges and the capacity to propose solutions in this context.
1. As a member of the CO management team, ensure the strategic direction of UNDP programmes focusing on the achievement of the following:
People Management Competencies
UNDP People Management Competencies can be found in the dedicated site.
Cross Functional & Technical Competencies
Inclusive Growth: Strategic Thinking
Inclusive Growth: Results-based Management
Inclusive Growth: Effective Decision Making
Inclusive Growth: Partnerships Management
2030 Agenda: Prosperity Inclusive Growth
2030 Agenda: Prosperity Inclusive Growth
2030 Agenda: Prosperity Inclusive Growth
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