Portfolio Coordinator - Urban Missions (Home-Based)

Background
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UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

The role of the Portfolio Coordinator for Urban Missions will be to support mission-based urban planning under the Mayors for Economic Growth Facility and the Slovak Transformation Fund initiatives.

Since 2021, the IRH Innovation Team has led the regional implementation of the EU-funded “Mayors for Economic Growth” (M4EG), implemented in five Eastern Partnership (EaP) Countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine). The M4EG offers resources, networking and learning opportunities to explore new trajectories of growth and to make towns and cities more attractive for people and investment through new ways of local economic planning. The M4EG takes a 'hyperlocal' and whole-of-place approach and offers training and capability development opportunities for local authorities through the Urban Learning Center, as well as grant programmes for municipalities to test new approaches and tools. As of end of 2024, the network of mayors/municipalities totals 433, with close to 50 of those implementing grants at the local level. 10 cities have been developing their comprehensive Urban Transformation Portfolios with the mission-based approach (utilizing UNDP’s Portfolio Design & Management approach) to address their complex development challenges ranging from topics like energy transition into start-up ecosystem development and digital cultural heritage. See the M4EG website (eum4eg.com) for more information on the second phase of the initiative.

In the new phase of the M4EG (2025-2028) the main objective of the M4EG is inclusive, green and innovative economic revival of secondary cities in EaP through systemic local economic planning, enhanced access to finance, amplified future-ready capabilities and strengthened local, regional and global networks.

The Facility will focus on two main outcomes:

1. Improved and adaptive systemic local-level economic development planning and implementation through improved tools and capabilities for mission-oriented development and;
2. Enhanced access to financing for local authorities through support for pipeline development and financing absorption and management.

The new phase of the M4EG will run a Mission-Oriented Economy Programme to support up to 20 secondary cities within the M4EG network in developing a framed mission for their economies. This programme aims to build local capacities, drive economic and social development, and attract diverse investments in thematic areas such as the inclusive green transition, blue economy, urban resilience, smart and inclusive transitions and cultural economy. Participating cities will design systemic interventions that propose new ways of working within local administrations, enhance cross-sectoral collaboration, and positively impact city vibrancy while embracing technological advancements. The primary focus is on secondary cities across the EaP region, with seed investments allocated to 20 local authorities to develop interconnected portfolios tailored to local contexts. The action will support local authorities in designing and implementing mission portfolios of interventions that are connected (addressing multiple system levers), cross-sectoral (cutting across governance, economy, and environment), and dynamic (generating insights every three months to inform future investments and create new options). A design principle for all interventions is local ownership, community engagement and gender quality. The approach aims to enhance local governments' capabilities in collaborative project design and iteration, improve project invertibility, and leverage diverse funding sources.

The Slovak Transformation Fund is a project within the Innovation Team in the Regional Bureau for Europe and Central Asia. We take a systems thinking-based approach to addressing the complex development challenges of the region, collaborating closely with public, private and nonprofit sectors. The main objective of the Slovak Transformation Fund (STF) is to drive meaningful system transformation in the Eurasia region. This will be achieved by deploying systems approaches that demonstrably enhance the effectiveness and sustainability of local ecosystems, engaging stakeholders in co-creation processes to address complex challenges, fostering innovation and resilience, and leveraging innovative sources of financing to increase investment in pilots and initiatives that can drive change. The STF aims to achieve tangible effects for the green, just and smart transitions, thereby contributing to a more dynamic and sustainable future for the region.

The project achieves this in two main ways:

• Through City Experiment Fund (CEF), by working directly with cities to address their complex challenges and develop portfolios of innovative solutions. STF supports them in testing and implementing these ideas, using a flexible, learning-based approach.

• Through BOOST Acceleration program, STF accelerates the growth of promising innovators (e.g. CSOs, entrepreneurs and academic institutions) in the region, helping them develop and scale solutions to urban development problems.

The STF also explores new ways of financing these urban innovations, looking beyond traditional funding sources to find creative ways to support good ideas.

In the new phase of the Slovak Transformation Fund (2025-2028), STF is set to scale its impact through six key changes: deepening our gender and inclusion work, strengthening its catalytic role of urban innovations, expanding city engagement, aligning BOOST and CEF more closely, and elevating innovative finance work.

To that end, UNDP is seeking a Portfolio Coordinator to lead the Mission-Oriented Economy Programme within the Mayors for Economic Growth Facility (60% of the contract) and urban portfolios within the City Experiment Fund (40% of the contract).

Duties and Responsibilities

The Portfolio Coordinator will lead the work of designing, developing and coordinating the Mission-Oriented Economy Programme of M4EG and support urban portfolios under the City Experiment Fund of the STF. In addition, s/he is expected to work closely with the country offices and the M4EG and STF Regional Project Managers in building both regional and national partnerships for portfolio and mission programmes. 

Design, develop and coordinate the Mission-Oriented Economy Programme of M4EG:

• Design processes for mission programme with the aim of engaging diverse partners and enhancing cross-sectoral collaboration;
• Support local authorities, partners and UNDP COs in the design of portfolios of interventions – entailing applying systems thinking in identifying system levers, strategic entry points and set of interventions to be captured in the mission briefs for local development;
• Production of visual representations of processes and mission outputs;
• Advance the portfolio and mission development practice in the projects and more broadly at UNDP by reflecting lessons learned;
• Support exploration of the impact and connections between portfolios and different financial mechanisms.

Develop capabilities of local authorities and partners on systems thinking and iterative learning methodologies:

• Support development of capabilities of UNDP COs, local authorities and partners around systems thinking and complexity;
• Design and facilitate learning sessions at the country level and at the regional level;
• Generate insights from learning sessions – in the form of briefs or other materials – on lessons learned and future mission/portfolio direction.

Support the development and implementation of the portfolio approach for urban portfolios of City Experiment Fund cohorts:

• Coordinate with city teams on portfolio design and ensure pace and learning activities;
• Facilitate peer learning sessions and support capability building for portfolio management targeting UNDP teams, cities and other stakeholders;
• Oversee monitoring of portfolio progress and coordinate knowledge capture across workstreams;
• Synthesize learnings and insights from implementation and develop knowledge products for dissemination;
• Support the integration of learning into future portfolio design.

Support the M4EG and STF Regional Project Managers in managing relationships with local authorities and partners working on portfolio and mission programmes:

• Support coordination between different partners during portfolio design and activation stage, ensuring that synergies are built;
• Engage with partners and donors to share lessons learned;
• Support the Project Managers in the engagement with local authorities, by creating clear messages & reflections from the learnings;
• Engage with partners and donors to share lessons learned through product generation.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Institutional Arrangement

The Portfolio Coordinator will perform tasks for UNDP in the Regional Innovation Team under the matrix supervision of the Regional Project Managers for M4EG and STF and will work closely with the regional and national M4EG and STF teams. The position is home-based, however, the successful candidate is expected to be available during regular office hours of the Istanbul Regional Hub.

Competencies

Core Competencies:

• Achieve Results:          
  • LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline. 
• Think Innovatively:      
  • LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements.
• Learn Continuously:   
  • LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback.
• Adapt with Agility:       
  • LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible. 
• Act with Determination:         
  • LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident. 
• Engage and Partner:    
  • LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships. 
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion:           
  • LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination. 

Cross-Functional & Technical Competencies:

• Portfolio Design & Management:
  • Ability to identify leverage points in systems and design interventions that address them.
  • Ability to design processes that extract learning on an ongoing basis from existing portfolios, so that learning accrues over time and new options for action are continuously generated.
  • Build a learning ecosystem around a complex development challenge: being able to mobilise a variety of stakeholders and help them learn and work together. Understand key principles of systems and complexity theory.
• Systems Thinking & Transformation:
  • Understand that complex problems need a non-reductionistic, holistic approach. 
  • Ability to explore challenges from multiple perspectives by zooming in and out, with a focus on relationships and flows rather than individual elements; understand how certain dynamics and conditions are driving and influencing an issue.
  • Ability to develop a collective understanding by a mapping systems and their dynamics (e.g. flows or resources, information; power relations).
  • Ability to handle ambiguity and can help others navigate it.
  • Being able to identify intervention points to leverage change and system transformation by setting out a coherent collection of multiple interventions to probe the system for desirable effects.
  • Understand that change is non-linear and unpredictable.
  • Being comfortable and able to work with emergence.
• Sensemaking:
  • Being curious about ""what's going on?"" in the world or direct business environment, grasp 'thick data', separate signals from noise, adopt new frames to identify (non-obvious) patterns.
  • Ability to facilitate group reflection and induce collective learning to extract meaning from experiences; socialise these insights to inform problem solving, decision making, strategic planning or future work.
  • Ability to share and disseminate new perspectives or understandings influencing how key stakeholders socially construct meaning
• Creative Facilitation:
  • Ability to design workshops that considers and addresses multiple interests, agendas, worldviews. 
  • Set out clear objectives and engaging activities; select appropriate tools, materials, resources that are needed to enable or support the activities.
  • Ability to swiftly build rapport with participants and create a safe space (on- and offline) where they feel comfortable to share their views, concerns, experiences and reflections; supporting this with a range of tools to stimulate active participation.
  • Ability to facilitate inclusive conversations, ability to work with  a diverse set of people with different backgrounds, seniority and expert levels, using different approaches tailored to fit the  people in the room, drawing out the perspectives and ideas of each individual and making decisions through deliberation and discussion across a group.
  • Ability to pace a session, adjust to the abilities and energy levels of attendees and the nature or purpose of an exercise. 
  • Being flexible and able to improvise; adapting and changing approaches in response to the needs, while staying true to the intent and objectives of the session.
• Relationship Management:
  • Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understanding.
• Collective Intelligence Design:
  • Ability to bring together diverse groups of people, data, information, ideas, and technology to solve problems and design solutions or services. Knowledge and understanding of Collective Intelligence Design principles, methodology and practices.
     

Required Skills and Experience
Education:

• Master's degree or equivalent in International Development, Economics, Urban Studies, Development Sciences or other relevant field, OR;
• Bachelor’s degree in the fields of study mentioned above in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• Minimum of 2 years (with master’s degree) or 4 years (with bachelor’s degree) of working experience in the use of innovative mechanisms and methods in development. 

Required Skills:

• Proven experience in designing complexity/portfolio or mission-based plans or strategies is required.

Desired Skills: 

• Experience in working with cities, municipalities or other local level actors is desired;
• Previous experience in facilitation (designing and running meetings and/or workshops) is an asset;
• Knowledge of the regional context and countries in Eastern Partnership is desired; 
• Exposure and hands-on experience with process design work within development or related field is desired; 
• Experience in systems thinking, design thinking or visualization is an asset.

Required Languages:

• Fluency in English is required. 

Disclaimer
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.
Non-discrimination
UNDP has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.  
UNDP is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer that does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status. 

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