Jobs Vacancies 2009

Starting date: 1 October 2009 (negotiable)

The UNITED NATIONS UNIVERSITY (UNU):
UNU is an international community of scholars, engaged in research, postgraduate training and dissemination of knowledge in furthering the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. Within the framework of its aim to support the UN ‘Water for Life’ campaign, UNU is the host organization of the UNW-DPC office based in Bonn, Germany.

The UN-WATER DECADE PROGRAMME ON CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT (UNW-DPC):
The UN-Water Decade Programme Office has been founded to strengthen the activities of the more than two dozen UN organizations and programmes already co-operating within the inter-agency mechanism known as UN-Water, and to add value and facilitate the activities of the UN-Water members and support them in their efforts to achieve the millennium goals related to water. This is not just a matter of capacity development related to water, but also of education, training and institutional development.

In keeping with this aim, UNW-DPC’s Mission Statement ‘is to enhance the coherence, credibility and integrated effectiveness of UN-Water by strengthening its capacity development programmes, particularly in developing countries and economies in transition. In so doing, UN-Water will demonstrate a vanguard role and leadership in bringing together stakeholders in the capacity development field and creating added value for their programmes.’

The United Nations have declared the years 2005-2015 as the international decade for the campaign ‘Water for Life’. Through this campaign, the UN hopes to protect the precious resource of water and raise public awareness about its sustainable use and the need to ensure this.

TERMS OF REFERENCE

• PhD in hydrology; water resources engineering; systems engineering; irrigation engineering; ecology; aquatic ecology and/or limnology; geophysics; geography; information technology; statistics and statistical evaluation; or other related studies a prerequisite;
• Complementary studies or background related to disciplines such as socio-economics; education/train-the-trainer/coaching and e-learning; management; journalism; international law and relations; sanitation;
• Minimum of seven years of relevant experience, in particular with regard to the technological design, implementation, and management of water projects and resources providing systemic solutions especially with regard to capacity development; analysis/assessment, trouble-shooting, and counselling; preparation and evaluation of statistics; performance monitoring and appraisal; training, in particular of trainers; knowledge engineering, in particular with regard to the elicitation, representation, management, and modelling of stakeholders’ knowledge to enhance their understanding, sharing, and communication of the same; managing and motivating multi-stakeholder groups and multicultural teams, including bottom-up approaches;
• Excellent command of English a prerequisite;
• Good oral and written fluency in other UN languages;
• Oral and written command of the German language is an asset;
• Proven facilitation; co-ordination; organisational; and problem-solving skills and experience essential;
• Ability as team-player;
• Outstanding presentation, communication, writing, and reporting skills;
• Outstanding command of IT skills;
• Networking and fundraising capabilities;
• Availability to undertake worldwide travel on a frequent basis;
• Flexibility and ability to accommodate change.

1. Improving the strategic and operational coherence of capacity development worldwide by creating a so called ‘Capacity Development Observatory’: a coordinating platform aimed at assessing concepts, policies and stakeholder groups; forecasting trends; advise policy and decision makers as well as water stakeholders; collect and compare existing water-related programmes, and document best practice cases through compilation and systematization. Manage the capacity development dimension of water projects; monitor and evaluate their performance; prepare periodic progress reports; quantitative and qualitative reporting comparing outcomes against objectives.
2. Strengthen technical and policy guidance for capacity development, and contribute to the ‘professionalization’ of water governance and management, especially with regard to providing procedural and implementation guidelines on IWRM (Integrated Water Resources Management) to improve the water governance quality principally in developing countries; the creation of innovative capacity development methodologies such as train-the-trainer programmes, e-learning, devising teaching materials; establishing and maintaining rapport to potential learners and alumni groups.
3. Collaborate with other common UN Water Programmes and UN Water members on issues related to capacity development, including the preparation of reports and dissemination and awareness-raising activities.
4. Promote capacity development as well as resource mobilization, including the organization of pertinent events and public relations. These activities comprise relating with the media, overseeing the website, et al.

• Please apply by post or email indicating the vacancy’s reference number to Mrs. Carlota Schneider, Recruitment Officer, UN Campus, Hermann-Ehlers-Str. 10, D-53113 Bonn, Germany, or to HRApplications@unwater.unu.edu, indicating your availability and current remuneration. Please attach copies of your references and diplomas.
• Suitably qualified women candidates and applicants from developing countries are particularly encouraged to apply.
• Only short-listed candidates will be contacted; unsuccessful applications can neither be acknowledged nor returned.
• Applications open until 31 July 2009