Digital Innovations Analyst - NPSA9 at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the United Nations' global development network. It advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life for themselves. It provides expert advice, training and grants support to developing countries, with increasing emphasis on assistance to the least developed countries. It promotes technical and investment cooperation among nations.

Headquartered in New York City, the status of UNDP is that of an executive board within the United Nations General Assembly. The UNDP is funded entirely by voluntary contributions from UN member states. The organization operates in 177 countries, where it works with local governments to meet development challenges and develop local capacity.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Digital Innovations Analyst - NPSA9

Job Identification: 2016
Location: Lagos, Nigeria
Grade: NB4
Job Schedule: Full time
Practice Area: Innovation
Bureau: Regional Bureau for Africa
Vacancy Type: National Personnel Service Agreement
Contract Duration: 1 Year with Possibility for extension

Background

• UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.
• 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.
• Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country with an estimated population of 206 Million1 and an annual population growth rate of 2.6%2 . By 2050, the country’s population is expected to have doubled, reaching more than 400 million and thereby becoming the third largest country in the world3 . More than half of its population will be under the age of 30 years.
• At the same time, unemployment and under-employment are one of the key development challenges facing young people in Nigeria and undermining the prospects of the country to achieve its development aspirations and fulfil its potential as the continent’s largest economy.
• According to the National Bureau for Statistics’ report of 2018, over 13.9 million youth are unemployed. The highest unemployment rate was recorded for youths between 15 – 24 years standing at 40.8%, followed by those aged between 25 – 34 years at 30.7%4 . Investing in Nigeria’s youth is therefore becoming more urgent than ever.
• In response to this complex development challenge, the Federal Government of Nigeria, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and other partners, seeks to invest in the next generation of leaders through the establishment of the Nigeria Jubilee Fellows Programme (JFP) - a platform for empowering young Nigerian graduates with practical on-the-job skills and leadership competencies through a twelve-month paid placement opportunity.
• Under this programme, highly qualified recent graduates of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme will be provided with work opportunities within private sector organizations, the public sector, UN agencies and development organizations.
• The goal of the NJPF is to enhance these Fellows with professional and leadership capacities thereby enabling them to positively contribute to the social and economic development prospects of Nigeria. The enrolment of an initial 20,000 Fellows is envisaged followed by a scaling up of the programme in the coming years.
• The Jubilee Fellows Programme will expand opportunities for learning to work transitions for fresh graduates in Nigeria through placement opportunities, job market information, skills transfer and facilitated learning.
• It is designed as a partnership platform that brings together private and public sector actors – including learning institutions to co-create and deploy to scale a viable solution that enhances youth employability, entrepreneurship and retention of national talent.
• To this end, UNDP Nigeria is seeking a Digital Innovations Analyst, to improve project performance through the application of original thinking, using their expertise in existing and emerging methods, processes, digital products and services to employ sound judgement in determining how innovations will be deployed to create business value.
• The analyst will oversee the development and testing of the end-to-end digital solution for the Jubilee Fellowship project, to ensure the ICT organization delivers value to the project while mitigating related risks.
• The Digital Innovations Analyst will be responsible for integrating lessons learned and providing feedback to the team on the best strategies for the digital transformation of the JFP.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Under the direct supervision of Crisis Prevention and Recovery Advisor/ Jubilee Fellow Team Lead, the Digital Innovations Analyst will be responsible for the following functions and tasks:

Summary of Key Functions:

• Support the Digital innovation process for the JFP;
• Support transfer of digital skills;  
• Innovation Tracking, KPI Management across the programme.

Specific Functions / Results Expected

Support the Digital Innovation Process for the JFP:

• Help identify, develop and test digital innovations for the JFP leveraging ideas generated by Accelerator Labs and other innovation stakeholders;
• Assess use cases and internal processes in order to identify innovation opportunities aligned with UNDP digital strategy;
• Support and coach teams working on innovations during ideation and product design;
• Manage the development of innovative solutions for the Jubilee Fellowship Programme with a focus on human-centred and user-experience design;
• Delivering impactful elements of projects in a fast-moving environment, ideally for new businesses, new business models, startups;
• Support product testing and improvements as required;
• Provide specific support for the testing and scaling of the end-to-end digital solutions for the Jubilee Fellowship;
• Act as an entrepreneurial team member for digital innovation projects;
• Provide analysis and content preparation for corporate priority topics and executive management.

Support with the Transfer of Digital Skills:  

• Provide support to JFP staff and partners in using the end-to-end digital solution for the JFP;
• Train JFP staff on the use of the end-to-end-digital solutions for the JFP;
• As part of the digital team, work to create conditions for a culture of innovation and strengthen this competency amongst UNDP stakeholders;
• Generate new and original solutions to complex problems and use human-centred designs and systems thinking methodologies for problem-solving;
• Support and lead specific external innovation partnerships and collaborations with solution providers;
• Support and implement design thinking workshops, events, and other activities as required.

Innovation Tracking, KPI Management:

• Define key performance indicators and milestones for innovation projects and assure their implementation

Institutional Arrangement:

• The Digital Innovations Analyst will report to the Crisis Prevention and Recovery Advisor/ Jubilee Fellows Team Lead while working in cooperation with the team in ensuring the smooth run of the programme.

Required Skills and Experience
Education:

• Masters Degree in Information Systems, Information Management or related field with two (2) years of qualifying experience.
• A first-level University Degree in combination with four (4) years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced University Degree.

Experience:

• Possess 2 years of Working knowledge and experience in the area of digital media investment, strategy and planning;
• In-depth experience in the youth agenda, private sector work, development work;
• Documented experience in driving projects - effectively delivering impactful elements of projects in a fast-moving environment, ideally for new businesses, new business models, startups;
• Working knowledge of cloud computing, business intelligence and analytics, Agile, Lean Startup and DevOps methodologies;
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills;
• Working knowledge of UN principles, SDGs and international development in Africa;
• In-depth understanding of human-centred digital design and technology innovations (e.g. mobile apps, blockchain, artificial intelligence);
• Demonstrated ability to generate new and original solutions to complex problems and to use human-centred designs and systems thinking methodologies for problem-solving;
• Strong communication, digital and data analytics skills;
• Demonstrate the ability to showcase cross-disciplinary and cross-functional experience and expertise.

Language:

• Fluency in spoken and written English is required.

Competencies

Core Competencies:

Innovation:

• Adept with complex concepts and challenges convention purposefully;
• Contributes to prototyping, piloting, and evaluating lessons/feedback.

Leadership:

• Generates commitment, excitement and excellence in others;
• Actively shares knowledge.

Communication and relationship management:

• Synthesizes information to communicate independent analysis;
• Communicates ideas and positions with command and confidence;
• Finds common ground to solve problems.

People Management:

• Models independent thinking and action;
• Demonstrates behaviours of teamwork, collaboration, knowledge sharing, maintaining relationships.

Delivery:

• Meets goals and quality criteria for delivery of products or services;
• Embraces complex challenges and opportunities for getting work done;
• Ability to embrace challenges with minimal supervision;
• Works to develop organizational awareness of UNDP’s approach to client service delivery and integrity and accountability.

Technical / Functional Competencies:

Primary:

Strategic Planning:  

• Ability to make a decision that aligns with strategy, vision and mission; to set goals and indicators, and to synthesize recommendations into usable information to inform policy, strategy and/or action;
• Data Analysis/Measurement;   
• Ability to evaluate, transform and model data to derive relevant findings.

Secondary:

Monitoring and Evaluation: 

• Knowledge of methodologies, tools, systems and apply practical experience in planning, monitoring, evaluating and reporting and ability to apply to practical situations;
• Implement & Manage: Exercise’s skills and knowledge independently, demonstrating an ability to manage self and team responsibilities, in the area of work.

Result-Based Management: 

• Ability to manage programmes and projects with a strategy aimed at improved performance and demonstrable results;
• Implement & Manage: Exercise’s skills and knowledge independently, demonstrating an ability to manage self and team responsibilities, in the area of work.

Report Writing: 

• Ability to prepare quality reports;
• Technical Assistance: Performs defined tasks efficiently and deepens knowledge of area of work.

Application Closing Date
21st January, 2022 at 05:59 AM.