The Position:
The Regional Adviser post is located in the Asia and the Pacific Regional Office of UNFPA (RO), based in Bangkok, and is under the overall supervision of the Regional Director and reports directly to the Deputy Regional Director. S/he is the principal adviser at the regional level for strategic policy, technical and advocacy advice on health, sexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and HIV. The Regional Adviser works in an integrated manner with the technical and programme staff in the RO.
How you can make a difference:
UNFPA is the lead UN agency for delivering a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled. UNFPA’s strategic plan (2022-2025), reaffirms the relevance of the current strategic direction of UNFPA and focuses on three transformative results: to end preventable maternal deaths; end unmet need for family planning; and end gender-based violence and harmful practices. These results capture our strategic commitments on accelerating progress towards realizing the ICPD and SDGs in the Decade of Action leading up to 2030. Our strategic plan calls upon UN Member States, organizations and individuals to “build forward better”, while addressing the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on women’s and girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, recover lost gains and realize our goals.
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:
The Regional Adviser Health Policy and Advocacy (SRHR) leads the Asia and the Pacific Regional Office (APRO) work in health, SRHR and HIV policy and advocacy across the UN system to support implementation of the SDGs and the ICPD agenda. S/he provides strategic policy advice and support to country offices to support national and local implementation of global commitments and effectively position UNFPA and the ICPD agenda. S/he exercises thought leadership on health, SRHR and HIV to support evidence-based implementation of the SDGs and the ICPD agenda at the national and local levels. S/he represents APRO in regional intergovernmental and interagency fora to promote SRHR and the full realization of ICPD and related human rights commitments. The Regional Adviser undertakes analysis of regional and national trends and provides strategic advice and insight to APRO, Headquarters (HQ), and country office (CO) colleagues to advance policy and advocacy priorities.In all activities, s/he works within an inter-disciplinary team providing integrated programme and technical support and engagement in policy and advocacy efforts in the region. S/he also liaises with other units, such as the Programme and Technical Divisions and the UNFPA thematic/technical networks, ensuring the timeliness, adequacy, relevance and quality of strategic policy advice, technical support and advocacy engagement to UNFPA programmes and operations.
The primary roles of the Technical Adviser are:
A. Strategic policy, technical and advocacy engagement focusing on health, SRHR and HIV, to promote the rights of women and young people, marginalized and vulnerable groups and key populations;
B. Quality control of externally provided technical support, including monitoring and oversight, and capacity development in health, SRHR and HIV policy and advocacy;
C. Evidence and knowledge development and dissemination to ensure the advancement of health, SRHR, an effective response to HIV and promotion of gender equality and human rights;
D. Management and coordination of knowledge and advocacy networks and partnerships; and
E. Policy, technical and advocacy representation.
You would be responsible for:
A. Strategic policy, technical and advocacy engagement focusing on health, SRHR and HIV, to promote realization of the rights of women and young people, marginalized and vulnerable groups and key populations
- Provide strategic guidance and support, technical leadership and management advice on health, SRHR and HIV including for emergency preparedness, humanitarian assistance, recovery and transition in collaboration with technical and programme staff in the RO and Sub-Regional Office (SRO) and with COs and HQ;
- Identify and provide high-level analysis and evidence based advice on health, SRHR and HIV to COs and the SRO to support achievement of the 2030 Agenda and "leaving no-one behind";
- Identify and analyze trends, threats and risks to health, SRHR and HIV that may affect the SDGs and the ICPD agenda and UNFPA's work within the region and ensure that they are appropriately addressed at the regional and/or sub-regional levels;
- Examine the major social, cultural and bio-behavioral determinants of health, health behaviours and social policies in Asia and the Pacific and the corresponding social and behavioral interventions designed and implemented by COs;
- Identify requirements for and design and coordinate the development of new or updated policies, positioning, frameworks, guidance, standards, instruments and tools;
- Develop summaries of evidence, human rights observations and recommendations to serve as grounds for strategic advocacy and capacity interventions at the regional and national levels;
- Identify strategic entry points for policy and advocacy initiatives, set priorities, plan and execute advocacy strategies with UN bodies and mechanisms;
- Meet with key inter-governmental delegations and advocate for inclusion of health, SRHR and HIV commitments and priorities within initiatives at the international and regional levels;
- Contribute to the development and implementation of an integrated strategy, as appropriate, for the delivery of technical assistance and programme support in the region;
- Contribute to the development, implementation and monitoring of regional strategies and initiatives;
- Assist in the development of funding proposals and other fundraising activities and provide input into financial and donor reports; and
- Coach and manage junior professional staff and associates, direct and manage expert consultants and coordinate and facilitate working groups and task teams.
B. Quality control of externally provided technical support, including monitoring and oversight, and capacity development in health, SRHR and HIV policy and advocacy
- Provide strategic advice and technical support to COs on the implementation and proper application of UNFPA and interagency policies, strategies, guidelines and tools on substantive matters in the region, ensuring consistency and coherence in addressing global and regional priorities for UNFPA;
- Ensure that state-of-the-art thinking and research is shared and integrated in the work of the regional and country offices and partnership networks;
- Provide strategic and technical advice to UNFPA, UN, and national development planning exercises, including UNFPA Country Programme Documents (CPD)s;
• Analyze technical, programmatic and thematic reports from the field and recommend required follow- up actions; - Lead, facilitate and/or broker the design and implementation of regional and inter-country training activities for capacity development of COs and national and regional counterparts;
- Design and support the development of (sub) regional institutional capacities and partnerships for delivering high-quality technical support in relevant areas of UNFPA's mandate;
- Monitor and quality assure technical advice and support received at the country level;
- Initiate, develop, strengthen and monitor regional partnerships in health, SRHR and HIV including for South-South exchange and technical support to countries and for the implementation of the regional programme;
- Liaise with respective counterparts in UNFPA Technical Division, Programme Division, ROs and COs to include South-South cooperation in the development of UNFPA Country Programmes and identify opportunities for South-South cooperation in and between regions.
C. Evidence and knowledge development and dissemination to ensure the advancement of health, SRHR, an effective response to HIV and promotion of gender equality and human rights
- In collaboration with partners conceptualize and develop high-level policy briefs, position papers, technical briefs, reports, research and statements on issues relating to health, SRHR and HIV at the regional level, and provide similar advice and support at the request of country offices;
- Lead the development coordination and monitoring of the regional knowledge base on health, SRHR and HIV, including gender responsive and rights based best practices, lessons learnt, partnerships and consultant rosters;
- Contribute to developing a mechanism to share technical and advocacy skills and knowledge within and among programme countries and/or other regions;
- Lead the analysis and synthesis of substantive trends, emerging needs and research findings in the region in order to produce new, cutting edge technical knowledge;
- Monitor, analyze and synthesize relevant research and reports on humanitarian, economic, political and social factors in development and management of population and development programmes;
- Collect, analyze and synthesize data, information and experience on programme priorities to support regional and global advocacy and resource mobilization.
D. Management and coordination of knowledge and advocacy networks and partnerships
- Lead overall provision of strategic and technical support to the country offices in the region on health, SRHR and HIV policy and advocacy;
- Develop and co-ordinate partnerships and collaboration with other UN agencies, including in the context of the UNDG, particularly with the regional technical arms of these agencies, as well as with regional institutions;
- Identify sources of technical knowledge and expertise among institutions and consultants; and
- Identify and promote collaboration and partnership on health, SRHR and HIV through outreach to civil society, UN partners, private sector and governments.
E. Policy, technical and advocacy representation
- Represent UNFPA in policy dialogue, and advocate for health, SRHR and HIV in international, inter- governmental, UN interagency and other policy and technical meetings and fora;
- Represent UNFPA on substantive issues in the region and elaborate UNFPA 's regional and global perspectives and priorities;
- Exercise thought leadership and effective collaboration on substantive issues with UN agencies, academia, research and training institutions, think tanks, centers of excellence, and professional societies in the region;
- Coordinate and/or act as focal point for inter-agency working groups on health, SRHR and HIV; and
Carry out any other duties as may be requested by the Regional Director and the Deputy Regional Director.
Qualifications and Experience:
Education:
Advanced University degree or equivalent (preferably Ph. D.) in public health, social sciences, medicine, health systems/economics, or other field directly related to the substantive area identified in the title of the post.
Knowledge and Experience:
- 10 years of increasingly responsible professional experience in the substantive area, of which seven years at the international level;
- Proven substantive experience in policy making and/or advocacy for health, SRHR and HIV including reproductive health and family planning, essential
- Up-to-date, state-of-the art knowledge in SRHR, essential
- Demonstrated understanding of human rights and gender equality dimensions of health, SRHR and HIV, including social determinants of health, essential;
- Health systems and health reform experience with an understanding of health economics and health financing, essential;
- Experience in policy making process at national or regional government level, an asset;
- Knowledge and understanding of quality of care, specifically client rights issues and behavior change communication, an asset
- Experience in humanitarian setting including disaster prone and fragile contexts is desirable;
- Strong track record of strategic and technical leadership, and proven ability to produce demonstrable results;
- Excellent verbal and written communications skills in English and advocacy and presentation skills;
- Established networks within the academic and development community;
- Familiarity with management and monitoring tools is desirable;
- Field experience is strongly desirable; and
- Experience in the Asia and the Pacific region is an asset.
Languages:
Proficiency in English required. Knowledge of an additional UN language an asset.
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