| Consultancy Opportunities |
Economic Commission for Africa Human and Social Development Section Objective The Human and Social Development Section (HSDS) is located within sub-programme 10 on Social Development. The section concentrates on enhancing the capacity of member states to build enabling institutions for the delivery of equitable social services encompassing social equity issues (ageing, disability, etc) population and migration issues, health (including HIV/AIDS), youth, education, and other related social issues. It also focuses on monitoring and assessing progress in the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, and on the agreed international and global agreements and commitments. The strategies used by the Section include building the capacities of African countries by conducting in-depth policy analyses and technical studies on human and social development issues; knowledge sharing; advocacy and consensus-building; as well as capacity building by providing technical assistance to member States and major stakeholders. Strategic partnerships are developed with concerned United Nations agencies, the African Union Commission, ADB and other international organizations. Duties and Responsibilities of Consultant
Qualifications Education Advanced University degree in demography or in sociology, statistics or economics with an emphasis on population studies, health and social issues. Work Experience At least five years of progressively responsible post-graduate experience in an area of relevancy to the Section's work. Experience in the African context will be an advantage. Competencies: Professionalism - In-depth and comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the human and social dimensions of development. Ability to provide intellectual and technical expertise for the conduct of complex social research and the production of high quality studies, reports and papers; ability to review and edit the work of others. Teamwork - Good interpersonal skills; ability to establish and maintain effective working relations with people of different national and cultural backgrounds. Communication - Excellent drafting ability and communication skills, both oral and written. Planning and Organizing: Proven ability to prioritize, plan and organize own work and ability to integrate work into the work of the unit; ability to monitor and adjust plan and priorities as necessary and to work according to deadlines. Languages English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the work of the Section, fluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of French is an advantage. Other desirable/required Skills Excellent Computer Skills. Proficiency in the use of the MS Office programme, especially Excel and MS Access. Proficiency in computer applications relevant to the analysis of population and social development data. Proficiency with demographic packages and software for statistical analysis is an advantage. HOW TO APPLY Interested persons who wish to be considered for the roster are requested to complete the Personal History Form (Form P-11) and send it before 31 May 2008 by e-mail to: ecarecruitment@uneca.org . Kindly note that only applications submitted on Form P-11 will be reviewed. The United Nations shall place no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs (Charter of the United Nations - Chapter 3, article 8). After the initial screening process, persons found to meet the eligibility requirements indicated in the TORs will be contacted for verification of their academic and professional credentials. On completion of the verification process, those retained for roster will be advised accordingly. They will subsequently be contacted to undertake consultancy assignments whenever the need arises. The duration of such assignments ranges from one to six months. |