Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located in the Division for Public Institutions and Digital Government (DPIDG) of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA). The Division is mandated to support countries in advancing effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels for internationally agreed development goals, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and promoting digital transformation. More information on DPIDG can be found on publicadministration.un.org. The services of the IRA aim to ensure the provision of high-level technical expertise, the transfer of knowledge from global entities to Governments on policy-related issues and development strategies and the formulation, assessment or evaluation of projects and programmes. The IRA is a member of DESA's IRA Network. The services of the IRA need to comply with intergovernmental guidance on the use of the Regular Programme on Technical Cooperation (RPTC), when appropriate, and with strategies and guidance concerning capacity development activities endorsed by the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) and supported by the Capacity Development Programme Management Office (CDPMO).

Responsibilities

Under the direct supervision of the Chief of the Programme Management and Capacity Development Unit (PMCDU) and the overall guidance of DPIDG's Director, the incumbent is responsible for the following: • Provides policy advice online and/or through short-term field missions to Governments and other relevant stakeholders in developing countries upon their request on aspects of (a) Raising awareness and building the capacity of policymakers and public servants to apply behavioral insights in governance, including through training, workshops, and the development of practical tools and guidance that promote evidence-based decision-making, in line with the principles of effective governance for sustainable development; (b) Supporting the integration of behavioral science into institutional arrangements, including advising on the establishment and operation of behavioral insights units, and strengthening mechanisms that enable governments to systematically apply behavioral approaches across policy areas; (c) Applying behavioral insights to improve public service delivery, including online services, by identifying behavioral barriers affecting citizens and frontline public servants, simplifying administrative processes, and designing citizen-centered interventions that increase service uptake, accessibility, and effectiveness; (d) Integrating behavioral approaches into national development planning and policy implementation processes to enhance citizen engagement, improve compliance with public policies, and strengthen policy coherence; (e) Promoting experimentation and learning within the public sector by encouraging governments to test, evaluate, and scale behavioral interventions-through pilots, behavioral diagnostics, and impact evaluations-to improve governance and development outcomes; (f) Facilitating a shift toward human-centered and adaptive governance by embedding behavioral perspectives in policymaking, enabling public institutions to better understand citizen behavior and accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and other international commitments. • Monitors, studies and analyzes the trends and best practices on behavioural insights in public institutions and prepares policy advisory notes to inform governments as well as feed into the intergovernmental process. • Contributes to the design/redesign of national policies and strategies upon requests from developing countries for behavioural insights in public institutions and for the achievement of internationally agreed development goals, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and/or other relevant international norms and standards. • Participates in the design and development of capacity development programmes, projects and activities at national, regional and global levels and contributes to implementation, monitoring and evaluation as well as reporting on these initiatives. • Ensures implementation of gender mainstreaming guidelines by assessing the implications for men and women of any planned action, including legislation, policies or programmes, in all areas and at all levels. • Makes substantive contributions to global/regional/sub-regional/national workshops, seminars, colloquia, and other training events, including proposals concerning agenda topics, possible participants, preparation of documents and presentations, etc. • Contributes to the Department's resource mobilization strategies, notably as far as extra-budgetary funding is concerned. • Develops and updates training materials for the areas covered in capacity development activities for the use by different stakeholders. • Undertakes survey initiatives; guides design of data collection instruments; reviews, analyzes and interprets responses, identifies problems/issues and prepares conclusions. • Liaises with relevant professional networks and makes relevant external capacity development resources available to DESA. • Establishes and nurtures close relationships with various stakeholders in view of creating partnerships and an active network on the behavioural insights in public institutions. • Provides inputs for the normative and advocacy functions of the Division based on the capacity development expertise. • Assumes other tasks in the area of expertise and in line with capacity development guidance as requested by the supervisor.

Competencies

Professionalism: In general: Shows pride in work and achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines, and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; e) shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations; takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work. In particular, DESA is looking for staff with the following technical competence: Knowledge and understanding of governance, public administration, and sustainable development theories, principles, and practices, including their application in diverse national and local contexts; Knowledge of the Principles of Effective Governance for Sustainable Development and demonstrated understanding of strategies and approaches for their implementation; Demonstrated knowledge and ability to apply behavioural science and behavioural insights to governance and public administration, including policy design, implementation, service delivery, institutional reform, capacity development, analytical product development, resource mobilization and strategic partnerships, with a focus on measurable governance and sustainable development outcomes. Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; tailors language, tone, style and format to match audience; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed. Teamwork: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others' ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings. Judgement/decision making: Identifies the key issues in a complex situation, and comes to the heart of the problem quickly; gathers relevant information before making a decision; considers positive and negative impacts of decisions prior to making them; takes decisions with an eye to the impact on others and on the Organization; proposes a course of action or makes a recommendation based on all available information; checks assumptions against facts; determines that the actions proposed will satisfy the expressed and underlying needs for the decision; makes tough decisions when necessary. Vision: Identifies strategic issues, opportunities and risks. clearly communicates links between the Organization's strategy and the work unit's goals; generates and communicates broad and compelling organizational direction, inspiring others to pursue that same direction.; conveys enthusiasm about future possibilities.

Education

An advanced university degree (Master's or Doctorate degree, or equivalent) in public administration, behavioral economics, behavioral public policy, political science, or related fields is required.

Job - Specific Qualification

Not available.

Work Experience

A minimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience within the United Nations development system and/or in policy advice and operational activities for development in the area of behavioral insights in public institutions, governance and public administration is required. At least five (5) years of professional experience providing policy advisory services in developing countries (including countries in transition), preferably in more than one region, is required. At least five (5) years of experience applying behavioral science and behavioral insights to governance transformation, public policy design, implementation, service delivery, monitoring and evaluation is required. Experience in developing and applying methodologies, handbooks, manuals, toolkits, guidance notes, policy briefs, analytical reports, e-learning courses, and other knowledge products on governance, public administration and/or behavioral insights is required. Experience in international technical cooperation and capacity development, including the design, management and evaluation of capacity development initiatives that integrate behavioral insights into public sector policies, programmes and institutional reforms, is required. Experience applying the Principles of Effective Governance for Sustainable Development and supporting their implementation in governance and public administration is required. Experience promoting a results-based approach, including linking behavioral insights interventions to measurable governance, institutional and sustainable development outcomes, is desirable. Experience mobilizing extrabudgetary resources and building strategic partnerships with governments, academia, schools of public administration, think tanks, international organizations and other stakeholders to advance the application of behavioral insights in governance and public sector transformation is desirable. Experience in an international organization, including the United Nations, is desirable.

Languages

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For this job opening, English is required. The table below shows the minimum required level for each skill in these languages, according to the UN Language Framework (please consult https://languages.un.org for details).

Required Languages

LanguageReadingWritingListeningSpeakingEnglishUN Level IIIUN Level IIIUN Level IIIUN Level III

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.

Special Notice

The appointment against this position is limited to the Department of Economic and Social Affairs. This Job Opening refers to a specialized inter-regional adviser position. External candidates selected for this position will be subject to an initial probationary period of one year under a fixed-term appointment limited ("FTA-limited") in accordance with section 2.2 (c) and 2.4 of administrative instruction ST/AI/2025/3 on the Administration of appointments. The initial appointment is for one year. Annual renewal of appointment is subject to endorsement by an internal Departmental Panel on the continued need for the technical specialty depending on updates to DESA's priorities in the area of capacity development, availability of funds, and satisfactory performance. The maximum duration of the assignment as IRA is three years. United Nations Secretariat staff members who meet the definition of "internal candidate" in staff rule 4.10 who are selected for this position will be reassigned or transferred to the position, without a lien to their parent position. Staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and to assignment by him or her. In this context, all staff are expected to move periodically to new functions in their careers in accordance with established rules and procedures. Staff members of the United Nations Secretariat must fulfil the lateral move requirements to be eligible to apply for this vacancy. Staff members are requested to indicate all qualifying lateral moves in their Personal History Profile (PHP) and cover letter.