UN Millennium Sexual and Reproductive Health Specialist
NOTE: This position is based at the MDG Centre in Nairobi, Kenya

Terms of Reference

1. Background

The UN Millennium Project was commissioned by the UN Secretary-General to propose the best strategies for meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). After presenting its final recommendations on 17 January 2005 ( www.unmillenniumproject.org ), the Project has been requested by the Secretary-General to continue until the end of 2006 to advise on implementation strategies to meet the MDGs.

Working closely with UNDP's Bureau for Development Policy and the UNDP Regional Bureaus, within the framework of the agreed Integrated Package of Services, the Project will focus on three main areas: (i) supporting the development and implementation of MDG-based poverty reduction strategies in a number of countries, with a special focus on sub-Saharan Africa; (ii) promoting the implementation of selected “Quick Wins” – interventions that can be implemented immediately and will improve large numbers of lives in a short period of time – such as distributing malaria bed nets or ending school fees; and (iii) working with UN agencies, funds and programmes under the umbrella of the United Nations Development Group to strengthen the UN system's capacity to support countries in designing and implementing MDG-based poverty reduction strategies and implementing Quick Wins.

The UN Millennium Project is an independent advisory body to Secretary-General Kofi Annan. It is directed by Professor Jeffrey Sachs, in his capacity as Special Advisor to the Secretary-General on the MDGs. The Project consists of a small team of senior advisors located at the UNDP headquarters, and works in close collaboration with the Earth Institute at Columbia University, which shares the Project's administrative responsibilities with UNDP. The day to day work of the Project is managed by a Deputy Director.

The MDG Centre was established in Nairobi in July 2004 by the UN Millennium Project and the Earth Institute at Columbia University. Its purpose is to assist countries in developing and implementing MDG-based poverty reduction strategies, and to support the implementation of Millennium Villages in Africa.

2. Principal Responsibilities

The SRH Specialist will work closely with the Director and other technical staff of The MDG Centre, as well as the Millennium Project secretariat in New York. In particular, the SRH Specialist will collaborate closely with the Health Systems Analyst at The MDG Centre to ensure well-coordinated and comprehensive support to the focus countries. The SRH Specialist will support selected focus countries in implementing the recommendations contained in the UN Millennium Project Task Forces on Health, the Project's main report, Investing in Development, and the handbook on preparing MDG-based poverty reduction strategies. A particular focus will be on identifying the investments and policy reforms necessary to integrate SRH issues into the design of MDG-based poverty reduction strategies.

The responsibilities of the SRH Specialist fall into five categories as outlined below.

i. Country-level support

The SRH Specialist will work with the UN Country Teams in a selected number of countries to assist national governments in preparing strategies and costed action plans for sexual and reproductive health as part of MDG-based poverty reduction strategies. The SRH Specialist will:

• Assist governments and UN Country Teams to prepare the SRH-related components of MDG-based poverty reduction strategies; including MDG needs assessments. This includes identifying needed interventions, specifying national targets linked to the MDGs, linking SRH to other critical components of a poverty reduction strategy, and estimating the associated financial and human resource requirements of such strategies and their role in achieving the MDGs.
• Provide technical assistance in the preparation of MDG-based plans. This may include reviewing existing SRH strategies and budgets and advising on operational implementation.
• Contribute to the UN Millennium Project activities on relevant SRH-related Quick Wins at the country level.
• Identify and document analytical and operational lessons from the country work so that they can be applied more broadly.

ii. Support to the Millennium Villages

The SRH Specialist will provide technical support to the Millennium Villages Projects in East and Southern Africa in collaboration with the Global Coordinator of the Millennium Villages Project. In particular, the SRH Specialist will:

• Identify and cost key SRH interventions that can be included in the Millennium Villages.
• Monitor progress in the implementation of interventions.
• Develop strategies for scaling up SRH interventions at district and higher levels.
• Facilitate the collaboration with government and UN agencies, as well as NGOs.
• Identify and synthesize lessons for application learnt from the Millennium Villages for their replication elsewhere and the design of national MDG-based poverty reduction strategies.

iii. Knowledge building

Working closely with the UN Millennium Project team in New York, the SRH Specialist will:

• Provide guidance and support on SRH issues to the Director.
• Disseminate the recommendations of the UN Millennium Project Task Forces on Child and Maternal Health, Gender, and HIV/AIDS.
• In collaboration with the UN Millennium Project staff in New York, liaise, strengthen and establish working partnerships with international and national SRH organizations in the focus countries.
• In collaboration with the Millennium Project staff in New York, further develop and refine tools for needs assessments and policy analysis in close collaboration with UN agencies, the World Bank and other organizations.
• Prepare technical reports and policy papers on SRH for the MDGs and related topics.
• Carry out additional research and data analysis in support of the UN Millennium Project's research.

iv. Support to the UN system (primarily at the country level)

In collaboration with the Millennium Project staff in New York, the SRH Specialist will work with UN organizations to strengthen the UN system's support for national strategies for SRH, and relevant Quick Wins. In particular, the SRH Specialist will:

• Support UN organizations, including the UN Population Fund, and UN Country Teams in advising governments on preparing and implementing the SRH components of MDG-based poverty reduction strategies.
• Provide training on preparing national SRH strategies, and the underlying analysis such as needs assessments.
• Help mobilize UN partners to help implement relevant Quick Wins.

v. Other responsibilities

As a staff member of The MDG Centre, the SRH Specialist will also:

• Represent the Project and Centre at key international conferences and meetings.
• Support outreach to the UN system, development partners, civil society, and governments.
• Coordinate the Centre's country-level advisory work in one or more countries.
• Carry out additional research and data analysis,
• Liaise regularly with the Millennium Project staff in New York, and
• Perform any other duties as assigned by the Director.
  

3. Reporting

This position will report to the Director of the MDG Centre and will regularly inform the Millennium Project staff in New York of ongoing activities

4. Desired Qualifications and Experience

• Minimum of advanced degree in Population Studies, Public Health or related field. A working knowledge of economics is expected.
• Minimum of seven years of work experience, including substantial experience in managing complex projects.
• Minimum of three years experience with SRH projects in Africa.
• Demonstrated ability to excel in a multi-cultural team environment.
• Strong quantitative skills and demonstrated capacity to perform outstanding original research including statistical analysis.
• Demonstrated ability to handle working relationships with senior officials, academics and technical experts.
• Outstanding communication skills, verbal and written, in English.

The SRH Specialist will be expected to travel regularly. The position will be based at the MDG Centre in Nairobi and the SRH Specialist will initially be hired for one year, with the expectation of renewal subject to performance and availability of funds

5. Applications

Candidates should send a cover note, CV and writing sample by electronic mail to the attention of Glenn Denning ( glenn.denning@unmillenniumproject.org ) with copies to Guido Schmidt-Traub ( guido.schmidt-traub@undp.org ) and Stan Bernstein ( stan.bernstein@undp.org ). Please include the words “APPLICATION FOR SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH SPECIALIST” in the subject line of the message.

Deadline for applications: September 30, 2005.

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UN Millennium Sexual and Reproductive Health Specialist
(Posted: 05 September 2005, 21KB)

UN Millennium Project Economist

Terms of Reference

1. Background

The UN Millennium Project was commissioned by the UN Secretary-General to propose the best strategies for meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). After presenting its final recommendations on 17 January 2005 ( www.unmillenniumproject.org ), the Project has been requested by the Secretary-General to continue until the end of 2006 to advise on implementation strategies to meet the MDGs.

Working closely with UNDP's Bureau for Development Policy and the UNDP Regional Bureaus, within the framework of the agreed Integrated Package of Services, the Project will focus on three main areas: (i) supporting the development and implementation of MDG-based poverty reduction strategies in a number of countries, with a special focus on sub-Saharan Africa; (ii) promoting the implementation of selected “Quick Wins” – interventions that can be implemented immediately and will improve large numbers of lives in a short period of time – such as distributing malaria bed nets or ending school fees; and (iii) working with UN agencies, funds and programmes under the umbrella of the United Nations Development Group to strengthen the UN system's capacity to support countries in designing and implementing MDG-based poverty reduction strategies and implementing Quick Wins.

The UN Millennium Project is an independent advisory body to Secretary-General Kofi Annan. It is directed by Professor Jeffrey Sachs, in his capacity as Special Advisor to the Secretary-General on the MDGs. The Project consists of a small team of senior advisors located at the UNDP headquarters, and works in close collaboration with the Earth Institute at Columbia University, which shares the Project's administrative responsibilities with UNDP. The day to day work of the Project is managed by a Deputy Director.

2. Principal Responsibilities

The Economist will work closely with the Deputy Director and Policy Advisors to advise on the implementation the UN Millennium Project' recommendations made in Investing in Development. Responsibilities will fall into four main areas:

i. Knowledge building

The Economist will work closely with colleagues at the IMF, World Bank, UN agencies, research institutes, and the UN Millennium Project to:

• Develop practical approaches and tools for preparing MDG-consistent macroeconomic frameworks.
• Lead the UN Millennium Project's research work on developing MDG-based medium-term expenditure frameworks.
• Prepare technical reports and policy papers to document the Project's analytical work and disseminate tools for use by developing countries.
• Carry out additional research and data analysis in support of the UN Millennium Project's advisory work.

ii. Country-level support

The Economist will work with the UN Country Teams, the IMF, and World Bank in a selected number of Millennium Project focus countries to assist national governments in preparing and implementing MDG-based poverty reduction strategies. In particular, the Economist will:

• Assist governments and UN Country Teams in preparing macroeconomic frameworks that support MDG-based poverty reduction strategies. This will include support for fiscal and macroeconomic policy issues, including medium term expenditure frameworks.
• Work with development partners including the international financial institutions to identify ways of financing the scaling up of public investments to achieve the MDGs.
• Identify analytical and operational lessons from the country work so that they can be applied more broadly.

iii. Support to the UN system

The Economist will work with UN organizations to strengthen the UN system's support for national strategies for the MDGs, and relevant Quick Wins. In particular, the Economist will:

• Support UN organizations, including UN Country Teams, in providing advice to governments on macroeconomic frameworks that are consistent with MDG-based poverty reduction strategies.
• Provide training on preparing MDG consistent macro frameworks.
• Work with UNDP on outlining appropriate fiscal policy responses for countries implementing MDG-based strategies.

iv. Other responsibilities

As a member of the Millennium Project's secretariat the Economist will also:

• Represent the Project at international conferences and meetings
• Support outreach to the UN system, development partners, civil society, and governments.
• Coordinate the Project's country-level advisory work in one or more countries.
• Supervise and mentor Project research analysts.
• Carry out additional research and data analysis, and
• Perform any other duties as assigned by the Deputy Director.

This position will report to the Deputy Director.

4. Desired Qualifications and Experience

• Minimum of advanced degree – preferably Ph.D. – in Economics with strong background in macroeconomics and/or public finance.
• Minimum of four to seven years of work experience, including substantial experience in macroeconomic planning and public finance in developing countries.
• Substantial experience in working with ministries of finance and planning, and international financial institutions on areas of economic planning and budgeting.
• Demonstrated ability to excel in a multi-cultural team environment.
• Strong quantitative skills and demonstrated capacity to perform outstanding original research including statistical analysis.
• Demonstrated ability to handle working relationships with senior officials, academics and technical experts.
• Outstanding communication skills, verbal and written, in English.
• Fluency in at least one of Arabic, French, Mandarin, Russian or Spanish strongly desired.

The Economist will be expected to travel regularly. The position will be based at UNDP Headquarters in New York and the Economist will initially be hired for one year, with the expectation of renewal.

5. Applications

Candidates should send a cover note, CV and writing sample by electronic mail to the attention of Mr. Guido Schmidt-Traub, c/o Ms. Rose Estevez-Vidal ( rosemary.estevez-vidal@unmillenniumproject.org ). Please include the words “APPLICATION FOR ECONOMIST POSITION” in the subject line of the message.

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UN Millennium Project Economist
(Posted: 15 August 2005, 19KB)

UN Millennium Project Policy Advisor for Health

Terms of Reference

1. Background

The UN Millennium Project was commissioned by the UN Secretary-General to propose the best strategies for meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). After presenting its final recommendations on 17 January 2005,1 the Project has been requested by the Secretary-General to continue until the end of 2006 to advise on implementation strategies to meet the MDGs.

Working closely with the UNDP Bureau for Development Policy and the UNDP Regional Bureaus, the Project will focus on three main areas: (i) supporting the development and implementation of MDG-based poverty reduction strategies in a number of countries, with a
special focus on sub-Saharan Africa; (ii) promoting the implementation of selected “Quick Wins” – interventions that can be implemented immediately and will improve large numbers of lives in a short period of time – such as distributing malaria bed nets or ending school fees; and (iii) working with UN agencies, funds and programmes under the umbrella of the United Nations Development Group to strengthen the UN system’s capacity to support countries in designing and implementing MDG-based poverty reduction strategies and implementing Quick Wins.

The UN Millennium Project is an independent advisory body to Secretary-General Kofi Annan. It is directed by Professor Jeffrey Sachs, in his capacity as Special Advisor to the Secretary- General on the MDGs. The Project consists of a small team of senior advisors located at the UNDP headquarters, and works in close collaboration with the Earth Institute at Columbia University, which shares the Project’s administrative responsibilities with UNDP. The day to day work of the Project is managed by a Deputy Director.

2. Principal Responsibilities

The Policy Advisor for Health will work closely with the Deputy Director, fellow policy advisors, and the Senior Advisors for Malaria and HIV/AIDS, who are based at Columbia University and will devote part of their time to supporting the Millennium Project. The Policy Advisor will support the Project’s health-related work, with particular emphasis on the recommendations of the following Millennium Project Task Forces:

• Task Force 4, covering MDG Targets 5 (Child Mortality) and 6 (Maternal Mortality)
• Task Force 5, covering MDG Targets 7 (AIDS), 8 (Malaria, TB and other major diseases), and 17 (Access to essential medicines)

The responsibilities of the Policy Advisor fall into four categories as outlined below.

i. Country-level support

The Policy Advisor will work with the UN Country Teams in a selected number of countries to assist national governments in preparing strategies for public health as part of MDG-based poverty reduction strategies. The Policy Advisor will:

• Assist governments and UN Country Teams to prepare the public health-related components of MDG-based poverty reduction strategies; including MDG needs assessments. This includes identifying needed interventions, specifying national targets linked to the MDGs, linking health to other critical components of a poverty reduction strategy, and estimating the associated financial and human resource requirements of achieving the Millennium Development Goals on health.
• Provide technical assistance in the preparation of MDG-based national health strategies. This may include reviewing existing health sector strategies and budgets and advising on operational implementation.
• Help lead the UN Millennium Project activities on the health-related Quick Wins, for example, distribution of malaria bed nets or elimination of user fees for health.
• Identify and translate analytical and operational lessons from the country work so that they can be applied more broadly.

ii. Knowledge building

Working closely with the Project’s Senior Advisors and other policy advisors, the Policy Advisor for Health will

• Provide guidance and support on international health policy to the Project Director and Deputy Director.
• Assist with dissemination of the recommendations of the UN Millennium Project Task Forces.
• Liaise with international and national health organizations to share Project messages and gain input into Project work.
• Develop tools for needs assessments and policy analysis in close collaboration with UN agencies, the World Bank and other organizations.
• Coordinate closely with the Earth Institute team leading the Millennium Village Research Project to provide technical support and identify lessons for the Millennium Project.
• Prepare technical reports and policy papers on health for the MDGs and related topics.
• Carry out additional research and data analysis in support of the UN Millennium Project’s research.

iii. Support to the UN system

The Policy Advisor will work with UN organizations to strengthen the UN system’s support for national MDG-based health strategies and implement Quick Wins. In particular, the Policy Advisor will

• Support UN organizations and UN Country Teams in advising governments on preparing and implementing the public health components of MDG-based poverty reduction strategies.
• Provide training on preparing national health strategies, and the underlying analysis such as needs assessments.
• Help mobilize UN partners for the implementation of relevant Quick Wins.

iv. Other responsibilities

As a member of the Millennium Project’s secretariat the Policy Advisor will also:

• Represent the Project at international conferences and meetings
• Support outreach to the UN system, development partners, civil society, and governments.
• Coordinate the Project’s country-level advisory work in one or more countries.
• Supervise and mentor Project research analysts.
• Carry out additional research and data analysis, and
• Perform any other duties as assigned by the Deputy Director.

3. Reporting

This position will report to the Deputy Director.

4. Desired Qualifications and Experience

• Minimum of advanced degree in Biology, Public Health, Public Policy, Medicine or similar. An MD is preferred, as is a working knowledge of economics.
• Minimum of four to seven years of work experience, including substantial experience in managing complex projects.
• Substantial experience with public health-related projects in the developing world.
• Demonstrated ability to excel in a multi-cultural team environment.
• Strong quantitative skills and demonstrated capacity to perform outstanding original research including statistical analysis.
• Demonstrated ability to handle working relationships with senior officials, academics and
  experts.
• Outstanding communication skills, verbal and written, in English.
• Fluency in at least one of Arabic, French, Mandarin, Russian or Spanish strongly desired.

The Policy Advisor will be expected to travel regularly. The position will be based at UNDP Headquarters in New York and the Policy Advisor will initially be hired for one year, with the expectation of renewal.

5. Applications

Candidates should send a cover note, CV and writing sample by electronic mail to the attention of Mr. Guido Schmidt-Traub, c/o Mr. Brian Lutz (brian.lutz@unmillenniumproject.org). Please include the words “APPLICATION FOR POLICY ADVISOR FOR HEALTH” in the subject line of the message.

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UN Millennium Project Policy Advisor Health
(Posted: 24 June 2005, 28KB)