National Technical Specialist Roster - South-South Development Partnerships

Job Description

1. Background

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) China Country Office is part of UNDP—the United Nations' global development network. UNDP works in about 170 countries and territories, helping to end poverty, reduce inequalities and exclusion, as well as protect the planet, in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Together, these efforts aim to ensure that improvements in human wellbeing remain within ecological boundaries. We also help countries to develop policies, leadership skills, partnering abilities and institutional capabilities, as well as build resilience, in order to achieve the SDGs.

UNDP China has been working in China over the past four decades, partnering to advance various phases of China’s development outlined in the Government of China’s Five-Year Plans. UNDP assists China in integrating the SDGs into development decisions, promotes the transition to an inclusive, low-carbon economy and a sustainable society, protects biodiversity, and informs China’s international development cooperation engagement to advance global progress on the SDGs and the global climate agendas. In addition, UNDP leverages its global network and South-South Cooperation (SSC) to facilitate mutual knowledge and experience sharing between China and partner countries on best practices and lessons learned to advance the SDGs.

UNDP China’s implementation modalities currently engage more than 15 Ministries and government representatives at the national and sub-national levels in 28 provinces. UNDP China also actively engages the United Nations development system, multilateral and regional institutions, the private sector, philanthropic foundations, academia and think tanks, intergovernmental bodies, and the media to accelerate the SDGs and global climate agendas in China.

From 2026, UNDP China begins implementing its new Country Programme Document: 2026–2030 (CPD) and is fully aligned with national development priorities and the SDGs commitments.

Drawing on UNDP comparative advantages and lessons learned, building on past achievements and leveraging the shared timeline of both the SDGs and the 15th Five Year Plan for China, UNDP will contribute to three United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) in China priorities: (a) accelerating the national transition to “high-quality development”, contributing to shared prosperity, leaving no one behind, and addressing new frontiers of sustainable development; (b) accelerating its transition towards a nature-positive and low carbon economy, working towards setting a strong basis to advance the Government’s dual carbon goals; and (c) strengthening partnerships with stakeholders to enhance the impact of international development cooperation engagements to accelerate progress towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Pact for the Future.

To support these strategic priorities, specialized professional expertise is highly critical. To ensure the effective implementation and achievement of priority of “South-South Development Partnerships to drive SDG impact”, UNDP China is now establishing an expert roster to engage seasoned professionals in the areas listed below. Experts admitted to the roster will be engaged to provide strategic and professional advice to various projects.

Interested applicants may apply for one or multiple expertise area listed below should they meet the required qualifications and professional skills listed in Section 5:

• South-South cooperation
• International development cooperation
• Government relationships

2. Scope of Work

2.1 Duties and Responsibilities

Provide top quality technical advisory services.

• Provide cutting-edge policy advice in the thematic area of the project and facilitate policy dialogues with partners, promoting UNDP thought leadership and advocacy work.
• Establish advocacy networks at the country level and linked to international networks. Contribute to relevant, high-impact advocacy campaigns that are implemented with key partners.
• Contribute to the analysis of the political, social and economic situation in the context of the project and advise the UNDP CO management on issues related to the thematic area of the project.
• Contribute to the setting of technical standards based on regional and global best practices in the thematic area of the project.
• Deliver leading edge technical advice and thought leadership to sub national counterparts and lead analytical work to identify key policy issues/gaps to improve policies for the thematic area of the project
• Develop the frontier development solution based on the local needs and provide strategic guidance on how to implement the proposed solutions

Support effective implementation of programme/project activities aimed at local economic development.

• Provide technical support, working in collaboration with the Project Manager, in planning and effectively implementing project activities within the scope of approved budgets, workplans and other project documents and in alignment with UNDP’s programmatic priorities and goals. Coordinate the work of the project team and other consultants.
• Provide timely and quality technical advice and guidance for the project implementation in line with UNDP’s rules and regulations, and UNDP Project Operational Policies and Procedures.
• Analyze and identify project risks and other implementation problems. Provide technical guidance on risk mitigation measures to address implementation problems.
• Coordinate and participate in quality control mechanisms, seeking to improve the technical quality of the project outputs, products, publications, and policy discussion papers and briefs.

Support strategic partnership building and resource mobilization.

• Establish and maintain a strategic understanding of and engagement with all the relevant institutions, including establishing contact and developing strategic partnerships with other UN agencies, government institutions, donors, NGOs, IFIs, the private sector, academia, civil society, and other stakeholders and beneficiaries at the national, regional, and local levels.
• Implement resource mobilization strategies to achieve project outcomes that include facilitating liaisons with potential financing agencies and institutions to strengthen relationships and raise funds. Identify new funding opportunities for furthering the project ideas.

Contribute to knowledge management and information sharing in the UNDP country office.

• Training for the project personnel to enhance their capacities in the technical matters of the thematic area of the project.
• Identify, evaluate, synthesize, and document lessons learned and best practices directly linked to the project goals and activities. Develop knowledge sharing materials and respond to related queries.
• Contribute substantively to knowledge networks and communities of practice within the thematic area of the project.

Support project design, monitoring, and evaluation of projects in the above sectors.

• Lead or contribute to the identification, formulation, and design of projects and programmes, including conducting needs assessments, stakeholder consultations, feasibility analyses, theory of change development, results framework design, and preparation of project documents in line with UNDP policies and procedures.
• Design and implement monitoring, evaluation, learning, and knowledge management processes, including the development of M&E frameworks, indicators, data collection methodologies, baseline and endline assessments, mid-term and final evaluations, lessons learned exercises, and dissemination of good practices to inform policy and programme development.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

2.2. Typical