Programme Analyst Youth Empowerment & Engagement

The Position:

The Programme Analyst, Youth Empowerment & Engagement analyses and assesses relevant political, social and economic trends, guiding and facilitating the delivery of UNFPA programmes, including project formulation and evaluation, joint programming initiatives and national development frameworks, in the areas of Adolescents & Youth Development as stipulated in the Ghana Country Programme. 

You will report to the UNFPA Programme Specialist, Adolescents, Youth and Development.

How you can make a difference:

UNFPA strives to find solutions to the problems that humanity faces today. Working along critical pathways, the action will accelerate the fulfillment of unmet needs for family planning, ending preventable maternal deaths, and ending gender-based violence and harmful practices.  UNFPA’s new strategic plan (2022-2025), leads to 2030 and the achievement of universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights. Emerging trends inform the plan, new and expanded priorities add to longstanding commitments, and “how we work” is changing. Yet every step continues to be guided by the ICPD Programme of Action and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

In Ghana, UNFPA has started implementing its new five-year 8th Country Programme 2023-2027.  The 8th CP aligns well with national, regional and global priorities including aligning with the UNFPA strategic plan, 2022 – 2025, that seeks to accelerate the reduction of preventable maternal death, unmet need for family planning, and gender-based violence and harmful practices. It fits within two of the three pillars of the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF), 2022 – 2025, namely: equitable access to social services and promoting a peaceful Ghana. In addition, the country programme aligns to the ICPD Programme of Action, the national voluntary commitment made by the Government at the Nairobi Summit on the 25th anniversary of ICPD (ICPD+25), and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Overall, the country programme contributes to national priorities, including creating a wealthy, inclusive, sustainable, equitable, resilient, healthy and disciplined society, encapsulated in the President’s vision of “Ghana Beyond Aid”.

In a world where fundamental human rights are at risk, we need principled and ethical staff, who embody these international norms and standards, and who will defend them courageously and with full conviction.

UNFPA is seeking candidates that transform, inspire and deliver high impact and sustained results; we need staff who are transparent, exceptional in how they manage the resources entrusted to them and who commit to deliver excellence in programme results.

Job Purpose:

Working within a large and complex Ghana Country Office environment, you will support the effective management of UNFPA activities in the areas of youth empowerment & engagement in line with the Country Programme Document (CPD) 2023 – 2027 focusing on strengthening national capacity for the provision of high-quality programming in the areas of youth empowerment and engagement, especially for the most vulnerable populations, including women, young people and internally displaced people.  

Employing your programme management experience, you will support the work of the programme team as well as consultants, advisors, and experts. You will provide quality, timely and integrated technical and programmatic support in terms of UNFPA policy and strategy related to address youth empowerment and engagement issues.  You will work towards increasing the national capacity for programming in the areas of youth empowerment and engagement, including provision of information, especially for women and young people.   Through substantive analysis and assessment of political, social and economic trends, you will contribute to project formulation and evaluation, joint programming initiatives and national development frameworks.

You will provide technical advice and management support to UNFPA’s programme on youth empowerment and engagement.  As a stand-alone as well as cross-cutting area of work, s/he will manage the policy and advocacy work of UNFPA on youth empowerment and engagement with the concerned staff and management team and facilitate linkages with other relevant programmes and projects on sexual and reproductive health, gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, and population dynamics.

You will monitor results achieved during implementation, guiding the appropriate application of systems and procedures, and developing enhancements as required.

You would be responsible for: 

Programme Management

• Assist in conceptualizing and developing UNFPA-supported youth empowerment and engagement interventions and strategies that provide the most appropriate contribution to national efforts, and oversee the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of these interventions, using lessons learned to contribute to a national evidence base, aligning with Government priorities and UNFPA programme policies and procedures.
• Assist in strengthening and reinforcing UNFPA’s leadership role in youth empowerment and engagement through provision of high quality technical assistance for government and other national counterparts in the country.
• Contribute to the formulation and design of the country programme and its component projects on youth empowerment and engagement, in collaboration with Government counterparts, NGOs and other partners and in line with Government priorities and according to UNFPA programme policies and procedures. 
• Support scaling up of youth empowerment and engagement programmes, with a focus on regions with the most vulnerable populations.
• Review the political, social and economic environment relevant to UNFPA programme activities, and pursuing opportunities for UNFPA assistance and intervention. 
• Support the achievement of programme results by ensuring appropriate policies and procedures are applied, and appropriate monitoring and oversight mechanisms and systems are established and implemented.
• Establish collaborative partnerships with executing agencies, experts, government counterparts and other UN agencies to facilitate timely and efficient delivery of project inputs, and addressing training needs of project personnel.
• Ensure appropriate monitoring and oversight mechanisms and systems are established and implemented.

Policy and Advocacy

• Analyze policy papers, strategy documents and national development plans; preparing briefs and inputs for policy dialogue, technical assistance coordination, and development frameworks in the area of youth empowerment and engagement.
• Assess implications of new policy developments and strategies on programme execution, and ensuring their integration.
• Promote substantive and programmatic linkages between UNFPA-supported youth interventions with efforts to promote young people’s empowerment and gender equality, and prevention of early marriage, unwanted pregnancy and prevention/management of STIs and HIV/AIDS.
• Participate in advocacy and resource mobilization efforts of the CO, by ensuring preparation of relevant documentation, i.e. project summaries, conference papers, speeches, donor profiles, and participating in related meetings and public events.
• Support advocacy platforms for civic engagement and volunteerism of youth.
• Promote intergenerational dialogue with communities for youth empowerment and engagement initiatives.
• Participate in advocacy efforts of the Country Office by developing and providing to the Management relevant fact sheets and policy briefs.
• Analyze and interpret the political, social and economic environment relevant to maternal health, and pursue opportunities for UNFPA assistance and intervention.
• Assess implications of new policy developments and strategies on programme execution and ensuring appropriate implementation.
• Participate in advocacy efforts of the Country Office by developing and providing to the Management relevant fact sheets and policy briefs.

Knowledge Management

• Assist in implementing knowledge management about current and emerging youth empowerment and engagement issues, by the programme team through the analysis of programme, projects, strategies, approaches and ongoing experience for lessons learned, best practices, and uses this knowledge for information sharing and planning future strategies.
• Support capacity development for youth on leadership, decision-making and participation.
• Support capacity development for project personnel on rights-based programming.

Resource Mobilization

• Support resource mobilization efforts of the Country Office by ensuring preparation of relevant documentation, i.e. project summaries, conference papers, speeches, donor profiles, and participating in related donor meetings and public information events.
• Participate in inter-agency thematic group meetings to ensure UNFPA interests and identify specific areas for support, building on UNFPA comparative advantages and UNFPA programmatic objectives in the country.

Any other duties as assigned by the supervisor from time to time in consultation with the management.

Qualifications and Experience: 

Education:  

• Advanced degree in health, population, demography and/or other related social science discipline.

Knowledge and Experience: 

• Two years professional experience in the field of development and population activities, with experience in programme/ project management
• Experience in programme/ project management including experience in large multi-sector projects, designing and appraising proposals and actively liaising with relevant and potential project partners.
• Practical experience in design, monitoring and evaluation of development projects.
• Field experience is an asset. 
• Prior experience in the UN system is an asset.
• Experience using Microsoft Office software packages, Cloud applications, like Google Suite, and web-based ERP management systems, such as, the Oracle, Quantum, QuantumPlus, Quantum PowerBI, etc.

Languages: 

Fluency in English; knowledge of other official UN languages, preferably French is desirable.

Required Competencies:

Values:Exemplifying integrity, Demonstrating commitment to UNFPA and the UN system, Embracing cultural diversity, Embracing change | Functional Competencies:Advocacy/ Advancing a policy-oriented agendaLeveraging the resources of national governments and partners/ building strategic alliances and partnershipsDelivering results-based programmesInternal and external communication and advocacy for results mobilisation
Core Competencies: Achieving results,Being accountable,Developing and applying professional expertise/business acumen,Thinking analytically and strategically,Working in teams/managing ourselves and our relationships,Communicating for impact
 | Managerial Competencies:Providing strategic focus,Engaging in internal/external partners and stakeholders,Leading, developing and empowering people, creating a culture of performanceMaking decisions and exercising judgment

UNFPA Work Environment:

UNFPA provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, diversity, integrity and healthy work-life balance. We are committed to ensuring gender parity in the organization and therefore encourage women to apply. Individuals from the LGBTQIA+ community, minority ethnic groups, indigenous populations, persons with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups are highly encouraged to apply. UNFPA promotes equal opportunities in terms of appointment, training, compensation and selection for all regardless of personal characteristics and dimensions of diversity. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is at the heart of UNFPA's workforce - click here to learn more.

Disclaimer:

Selection and appointment may be subject to background and reference checks, medical clearance, visa issuance and other administrative requirements. 

UNFPA does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process and does not concern itself with information on applicants' bank accounts.

 Applicants for positions in the international Professional and higher categories, who hold permanent resident status in a country other than their country of nationality, may be required to renounce such status upon their appointment.