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About the Organization

As the lead United Nations agency on international development, UNDP works in 170 countries and territories to eradicate poverty and reduce inequality. We help countries develop policies, leadership skills, partnerships and institutional capabilities to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Our work is centred around six core development areas, known as our signature solutions: poverty and inequality, governance, resilience, environment, energy and gender equality.

Job Description/Responsibilities

The Country Economist works under the direct guidance of the Resident Representative and Deputy Resident Representative in the Country Office India, in close collaboration with programme and operations teams, and has a dotted line to the RBAP Chief Economist.

S/he is an ambassador of the Economist Network and is expected to contribute about 20% of her/his time to activities across the Network (in other countries, the subregion or the region).

The Country Economist integrates the activities UNDP delivers in the region and ensures these contribute the greatest development impact possible. S/he makes a difference by being keenly aware of the changing development landscape, embedding a sharp strategic focus on the development interventions that matter the most, and connecting diagnostics and solutions to the politics of change and the art of delivery.

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.

In this respect, the Country Economist works closely with colleagues of RBAP as well as the Global Policy Network (GPN), based in Bangkok, New York, and other locations. S/he develops and maintains a professional network across development partner agencies, government institutions, the private sector, and civil society at the country level.

Job Responsibilities

Summary of key functions:

• Advise and provide analysis to UNDP Country Office management and programme teams to strengthen foresight analytics, systems thinking and portfolio design
• Provide technical expertise and global best practice to national and sub-national government counterparts and other partners, especially in support of the 2030 Agenda and (sub-) national development priorities, with regard to sustainable and inclusive economic policies.
• Advocate and engage with partners to support UNDP’s role and advance its mandate, when directed by the Resident Representative.
• Contribute to UNDP’s work across the Asia-Pacific region, including collaboration with RBAP’s Economist Network, sub-regional and other Country Offices, and analytical work on priority regional thematic areas.

Advise and provide analysis to UNDP Country Office management and programme teams to strengthen foresight and portfolio design

• Provide analysis to UNDP Country Office management with the preparation and implementation of country programmes and strategies, including the development of country programme document (CPD) and related analyses.
• Advise and support UNDP Country Office teams to develop and manage relevant thematic portfolios, such as activities to support inclusive growth and progress towards the SDGs and (sub-) national development priorities.
• Lead UNDP Country Office efforts to conceptualize and implement the Development Finance Assessment (DFA) and accompanying process and use existing financial resources more effectively and efficiently to achieve the SDGs.
• Provide analysis, research and foresight in priority thematic areas at the country level, including publication of policy briefs (and state briefs) or other analytical outputs.
• Provide analysis economic, social and political developments at national and sub-national level.
• Support the preparation of policy briefs, background notes, speeches, talking points, presentation materials, etc., on critical development issues within the SDG framework for senior management at the country and regional levels.
• Lead the development of the National Human Development Report (HDR) at national and sub-national level and ensure that it provides added value in terms of development economic analysis, updated data, and information for policy formulation; Compile data and perform statistical analysis as required to support innovative knowledge work country strategies and activities.
• Collaborate across UNDP teams, especially to ensure linkages to the work emerging from the network of acceleration labs.
• Advise on systems thinking and support the creation of large-scale development solutions to help address complex development challenges.
• Support expansion of Country Office service offers on financing for development, including innovative financing models and country specific/sector specific studies.

Provide policy advice and technical expertise to (sub-) national government counterparts and other partners, especially in support of the 2030 Agenda and (sub-) national development priorities, with regard to sustainable and inclusive economic policies;

• Advise and facilitate dialogue on sustainable development issues with government officials, development partners, civil society, and the private sector, providing and sharing global experience and policy
• Provide global best practice, policy and programming advice and support for development planning and policy formulation at the national, sub-national, and local levels, including on data for development, systems thinking and foresight exercises. Advise and support the identification and analysis of interventions that can impact multiple development goals and targets at the same time.
• Advise and support monitoring and reporting of progress related to SDGs and other national development frameworks, including to help strengthen national and local level data collection and statistical capacity.
• Guide to leverage UNDP’s regional and global programmes, to provide holistic and effective support to the country.
• Leverage support and expertise from the UNDP’s global/regional Economist networks to strengthen UNDP’s support on economic analysis and policy development for the Government and the UN Country Team.

Advocate and engage with partners, including to support UNDP’s role and advance its mandate, when directed by the Resident Representative.

• Contribute, in close collaboration with senior management, to the development and/or strengthening of partnerships with UN agencies, IFIs, bilateral development agencies, private sector entities, and civil society.
• When delegated, represent the UNDP Country Office in relevant forums, conferences, or workshops, including presenting research or programmatic results.
• Facilitate the Resident Representative in resource mobilization and future growth strategies and contribute to the design of large-scale programme and development solutions.
• Contribute to national, regional, and global knowledge networks and communities of practice.

Contribute to UNDP’s work across the Asia-Pacific region, including collaboration with RBAP’s Economist Network, sub-regional and other Country Offices, and analytical work on priority regional thematic areas.

• Substantively contribute as possible to UNDP regional knowledge products and development of programming offers in regional priority areas (e.g., inequality, future of work, innovative financing, development strategies, economic governance, political economy).
• Participate actively in the Economist Network of RBAP by attending regional meetings (in-person and/or virtual), sharing relevant experiences, and conducting peer reviews.
• Collaborate and contribute to regional and sub-regional publications, practice notes, and Regional Human Development Reports.
• Stay informed about broader developments, contribute to cross-border and cross-GPN initiatives, and support the economist network through common analyses, frameworks, and templates.
• Enhance UNDP’s understanding and design of new approaches to sustainable development across the region by acting as a regional thematic lead where possible.

Education Qualification/Required Skills & Experience

• Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Economics or related field is required, Or
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in Economics or related field in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree
• A Ph.D. in Economics will be an advantage.

Experience:

• Minimum of 7 years (with master’s degree) or 9 years (with bachelor’s degree) of experience at the national or international level in relevant areas of economic research and policy and implementation support is required.
• Extensive experience in research and policy-level analysis is required.
• Proven policy, advisory, and advocacy experience is required.
• Experience in preparing high-quality policy briefs and guidance notes for use by senior policymakers is required.
• Experience in strategic visioning with strong technical and highly developed analytical capabilities is desired.
• Demonstrated experience and knowledge of the SDGs and their application at the national level, politically astute with demonstrated experience in stakeholder analysis and engagement is an asset.
• Experience in handling data and software programmes for statistical analysis is desired.
• Previous work experience in Asia and the Pacific region and cross-country experience would be an asset.
• Experience in supporting resource mobilization is desired.
• Experience in strengthening partnerships with UN agencies, IFIs, bilateral development agencies, private sector entities, and civil society is an advantage.
• Fluency in oral and written English is required.
• Working knowledge of another UN language is an asset.

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