Head of Experimentation (Accelerator Lab)

UNDP Vacancy: Head of Experimentation (Accelerator Lab)

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) invites applications for the following position:

Head of Experimentation (Accelerator Lab)

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 strongly encouraged to apply.

To view job description of the post and apply online, please access this link: https://jobs.partneragencies.net/erecruitjobs.html?JobOpeningId=34281

  Duties and Responsibilities Under the direct supervision of UNDP RR or DRR, in close collaboration with Accelerator, UNCP CO Program and Innovation Teams, the incumbent of the post will carry out following duties and responsibilities:

1. Experiment portfolio design

Works with UNDP innovation and programme teams and partners in mapping the context and nature of development challenges, with a particular focus on understanding systemic issues beyond traditional silos and classifications and identifying drivers of change, and levers for intervention Mapping systems and assets, identifying levers and logic for intervention, building hypotheses of change that are a fit to the system level challenges identified Identify logic against which to asses fit and coherence of the individual portfolios with the frontier challenges on which they are meant to generate learning

2. Management of prototype experiments for sustainable development challenges

Collaborate with UNDP colleagues and stakeholders on the design and implementation of experiments across to validate the hypotheses and test the effectiveness of identified prototypes, including (but not limit to) defining variables, formulating hypotheses, and coordinating experimental protocols Develop a framework to capture the learning from the experiments in such a way that it favours critical reflection and rapid adaptation over static reporting Provide technical guidance for experiment design, roll-out and validation based on the experiment conditions, resources available, and requirements Proactively manage risks within experiments including those related to ethics and privacy Examine the results from the testing of prototypes and translate them into proposals informing programmatic decisions on next steps and implications for improvement, spin offs and scaling-up, where warrented.

3. Working out Loud

Proactively use blog and social media to ahare findings from the portfolio implementation Help UNDP and partners disseminate insights from Accelerator lab experiments via social media platforms as a way to regularly reflect and engage with external audiences. Liaise with UNDP’s global Accelerator Lab network and share learnings and insights from the country-specific experience Jointly with the CO, support lab partners to develop an emerging pipeline of new initiatives, support other activities related to the design and operation of the Lab Design and deliver engaging and meaningful methods for reflection on learning from experiments Proactively use blog posts and social media to share insights, attract partners and help position Accelerator Lab at the forefront of the exploration of new trends. Lead other activities related to the design and operations of the Accelerator Lab

4. Organizational learning, working out loud and grafting experimentation onto the core business of UNDP

Help embed a portfolio logic in clients’ work including the existing UNDP Country Programme (as determined and agreed with the senior management) Working with clients to encourage reflection and capturing of insights from individual experiments, as they related to the overall portfolio logic Provide technical consultation and training for national partners and the CO  through various phases including asset mapping, developing a strategic portfolio logic, experiment design, prototype testing, and evaluation   Competencies Core Competencies Innovation

• Ability to make new and useful ideas work
• Level 4: Adept with complex concepts and challenges convention purposefully

Leadership

• Ability to persuade others to follow
• Level 4: Generates commitment, excitement and excellence in others

People Management

• Ability to improve performance and satisfaction
• Level 4: Models independent thinking and action

Communication

• Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform
• Level 4: Synthesizes information to communicate independent analysis

Delivery

• Ability to get things done while exercising good judgement
• Level 4: Meets goals and quality criteria for delivery of products or services

Technical/ Functional competencies

• Innovation
• Ability to manage organizational resources and deployment in pursuit of innovation approaches and initiatives
• Level 5: Originate: Catalyzes new ideas, methods, and applications to pave a path for innovation and continuous improvement in professional area of expertise

Required Skills and Experience Education: Master’s degree in Social Sciences, International Development, Natural Sciences, Engineering, Design (eg. industrial or architecture), or a related area and minimum of 2 years of professional experience in social innovation, experimentation and prototyping innovations in development programming or policy;; partnership building; engagement (public and private sector) and/or resource mobilization

OR

Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences, International Development, Natural Sciences, Engineering, Design (eg. industrial or architecture), or related area and minimum of 4 years of professional experience in social innovation; experimentation/prototyping innovations in development programming or policy;; partnership building; engagement (public and private sector) and/or resource mobilization Experience:

• Demonstrate ability to design and manage experiments, validate hypotheses and test prototypes;
• Professional experience in social innovation, experimenting innovations in development programming or policy.
• Experience in following areas is desirable but not necessary:
• Proven professional knowledge and experience in social innovation, experimenting innovative solutions and approaches such as Design Thinking, behavioral insights, Qualitative and Quantitative User Research, Experiment Design & Validation, data empowerment, and collective intelligence
• Demonstrated ability to work with clients to help surface unarticulated needs
• Demonstrated ability to apply a portfolio logic to experiments
• Demonstrated ability in running co-design sessions and capacity-building in experimental design, lean iteration and impact evaluation.

Language: Others: Proficiency in written and spoken English   * The Accelerator Labs will be comprised of a core team with niche capabilities that focus on exploration, experimentation and ethnography. Within the first 6-8 months of the Lab fully functioning, each member of the Core team will take the lead on one of the following  functions:

1) Coordination

2) Training

3) Communications

The Core team of the Accelerator lab will have capabilities in:

Experimentation (instituting rapid learning about emerging challenges through design and running of a portfolio of experiments that is coherent with the type of challenges that are part of UNDP’s strategic plan, and

Ethnography: deep immersion in community dynamics, identification of and work with lead users, and implications of bottom up solutions for the policy design

Exploration: The exploration function focuses on discovery and sensemaking of emerging trends, implications for systemic impacts and risks, and their potential for accelerating progress toward SDGs.  Its work feeds into the portfolio of experiments ensuring its coherence with the emerging risks and opportunities (direct collaboration with the Experimentation Lead), and connects local dynamics and solutions (link with the Ethnography Lead) into the broader national and international ecosystem of potential funders, partners, and allies thereby increasing the chances for acceleration.  While critical for the functioning of the Accelerator Lab, the exploration function will also service the Country Office as determined and agreed with the UNDP senior management.

Disclaimer Important applicant information All posts in the GS categories are subject to local recruitment. 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. Scam warning The United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web.

Deadline for submission: 15 Jan 2021 (Midnight New York, USA)

Job Details

Organisation Name: UNDP

Location: Hanoi

Application Deadline: Fri, 2021-01-15

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