Job Opportunity United Nationas (UN) at UNDP – South Africa, Programme Specialist | July 2020

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Programme Specialist-Tax Inspectors Without Borders – Coordinator for Africa 
Agency UNDP
Title Programme Specialist-Tax Inspectors Without Borders – Coordinator for Africa
Job ID 31200
Practice Area – Job Family Management

Vacancy End Date (Midnight New York, USA) 06/07/2020
Duty Station Pretoria, South Africa
Education & Work Experience I-Master’s Level Degree – 5 year(s) experience
Grade P3
Vacancy Type FTA International
Posting Type External
Bureau Development Policy
Contract Duration 1 Year with possibility for extension

Background
The United Nations Development Programme (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 and programme work carried out at HQ, Regional and Country Office (CO) levels, forms a contiguous spectrum of deep, local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. Within this context, UNDP invests in 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.

Within the GPN, the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance to support the results of UNDP’s Strategic Plan. BPPS’s staff provides technical advice to Country Offices; advocates for UNDP corporate messages, represents UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora including public-private dialogues, government and civil society dialogues, and engages in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas. BPPS supports UNDP and partners to be more innovative, knowledge and data driven including in its programme support efforts.

Tax Inspectors Without Borders (TIWB) is a joint initiative of the OECD and UNDP designed to support developing countries to strengthen national tax administrations through building tax audit capacity and through sharing this knowledge with other countries. Under TIWB, tax audit experts work alongside local officials of developing country tax administrations on tax audit related issues. TIWB aims to strengthen tax administrations by transferring technical know-how and skills to developing countries’ tax auditors, and through the sharing of tax audit practices and dissemination of knowledge products.


The core objectives of TIWB are to:

• Transfer knowledge and skills to tax administrations on tax audits;
• Strengthen the institutional capacities of tax administrations in tax audits;
• Support South-South Cooperation;
• Promote best practices and peer learning;
• Help to strengthen tax compliance in developing countries;

TIWB is being managed by the Finance Sector Hub in UNDP’s Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS). The Bureau for Policy and Programme Support has the responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance to support the results of UNDP’s Strategic Plan and help countries to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). BPPS’s staff provides technical advice to Country Offices; advocates for UNDP corporate messages, represents UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora including public-private dialogues, government and civil society dialogues, South-South and Triangular cooperation initiatives, and engages in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas.

UNDP’s Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) is seeking a resource to manage TIWB more actively across developing countries in Africa, with a particular focus on multi-stakeholder engagement, programme and knowledge engagement, and outreach engagement. Close collaboration with the TIWB-OECD TIWB secretariat, the UNDP TIWB Global Project Manager and the UNDP Finance Sector Hub is required. The position will be embedded in and support on a day-to-day basis the Africa Finance Hub in Pretoria and work as part of the Global Policy Network.

Duties and Responsibilities
Under the supervision of the Director of the Finance Sector Hub, the resource will manage the following:
Strategic and Multi-stakeholder Engagement:

• Collaborate on strategy for TIWB in Africa, including promote South-South cooperation
• Lead multi-stakeholder engagement for TIWB in Africa, including engaging with Tax experts within and outside Africa, OECD and other multilaterals, Donors, Governments, the Regional Bureau for Africa and UNDP Country offices in the region
• Generate demand for TIWB by engaging with UNDP Regional Bureau for Africa and Country Offices
• Collaborate on funding proposals for mobilizing additional donor resources for TIWB in Africa and globally, including relevant donor reporting
• Identify potential synergies for TIWB within UNDP’s Finance Hub in Pretoria and UNDP’s other areas of work in Africa
• Partner with relevant tax authorities in Africa and their networks including African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) and Tax Justice Network Africa (TJNA).

Policy and Programme Support:

• Engage with UNDP country offices to analyze local context and identify potential synergies with UNDP’s policy and development work in-country
• Support UNDP country offices to engage substantively in expert deployments, including through providing expert advice, helping to formulate appropriate requests for assistance, assisting with briefing of experts before, during and after deployment
• Work as part of the UNDP Global Policy Network to contribute to policy papers/reports on domestic resource mobilization and other relevant areas
• Develop policy content on domestic resource mobilization, including blogs for the GPN
• Develop concept notes for technical workshops/webinars/side-events for TIWB
• Draft internal UNDP briefing notes and talking points for Senior Management on TIWB
• Using lessons from the TIWB to inform RBA activities including policy and programmatic activities.

Knowledge Management:

• Manage TIWB programmes in Africa as per developed standard operating procedures, including collaborating on TIWB programme’s terms of reference
• Support setting up of TIWB programmes in country as required
• Manage evaluation and selection of roster tax experts for deployment in Africa , including overseeing their procurement and contracting as per UNDP standard operating procedures
• Support reporting duties related to TIWB globally and manage reporting in Africa, including project budgeting and cash flow management, and oversee its maintenance as per UNDP standard operating procedures
• Collaborate on evidence collection and lessons-learned from TIWB country experiences, including promoting best practice sharing and peer learning through case-studies
• Collaborate on knowledge management between various stakeholders, including experts’ engagement platform
• Compile and update tax and audit experts database in Africa and globally with a view to supporting efforts toward building tax administration capacity on the continent.

Outreach Engagement

• Collaborate on communications for TIWB, including annual report, newsletters, videos, twitter engagement, amongst others
• Collaborate in organizing TIWB related events, including Governing Board Meetings, Technical Advisory Board Meetings, International Conferences, Side-events, amongst others
• Represent TIWB at international forums, conferences, events, as required.

Competencies
Core
Innovation
Ability to make new and useful ideas work

Leadership
Ability to persuade others to follow

People Management
Ability to improve performance and satisfaction

Communication
Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform

Delivery
Ability to get things done while exercising good judgement

Technical/Functional
Programme and Knowledge Management and Learning
Ability to efficiently handle and share information and knowledge

Development and Operational Effectiveness
Knowledge of development effectiveness concepts, principles and issues and the ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations, covering the economic, social and environmental dimensions

Public Finance
Knowledge of public finance and fiscal policy reform and ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations

Global Development Finance
Knowledge of global development financial trends, global financial institutions and processes, and ability to apply in strategic and/or practical situations.

Collaboration and Partnership
Ability to develop, maintain, and strengthen partnerships with others inside (Programmes/projects) or outside the organization who can provide information, assistance, and support. Sets overall direction for the formation and management of strategic relationships contributing to the overall positioning of UNDP

Communication
Ability to effectively communicate intensions and requirements to internal and external stakeholders

Resource Mobilization
Ability to identify and organize programmes and projects to implement solutions and generate resources.


Required Skills and Experience
Education:

• Master’s degree in economics, development studies, public administration or related field.

Experience:

• At least 5 years of progressively responsible work experience in a position directly related to public expenditure management, taxation or financing for development;
• Excellent knowledge of current trends and debates regarding development financing and taxation issues in Africa;
• Strong record in advising international institutions and/or governments on public expenditure management, taxation and financing for development in Africa;
• Strong publications and writing record;
• Experience of UNDP or UN-system highly desirable;
• Experience of working in or with developing countries in Africa essential;
• Experience in policy research; and
• Excellent analytical skills
• Strong writing skills in relevant thematic areas
• Good team player and ability to work to work within tight deadlines and under pressure.

Language Requirements:
Fluent in English, and French desired.

Other:

• Promotes the vision, mission and strategic goals of UNDP; and
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality, and age sensitivity and adaptability.

Disclaimer
Important information for US Permanent Residents (‘Green Card’ holders)
Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment.

UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.

Applicant information about UNDP rosters
Note: 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.

Workforce diversity
UNDP is committed to achieving diversity within its workforce, and encourages all qualified applicants, irrespective of gender, nationality, disabilities, sexual orientation, culture, religious and ethnic backgrounds to apply. All applications will be treated in the strictest confidence.

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