Chief Development Goals Specialist

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Job Description

UNDP has been working in India since 1951 in almost all areas of human development. Together with the Government of India and development partners, we have worked towards eradicating poverty, reducing inequalities, strengthening local governance, enhancing community resilience, protecting the environment, supporting policy initiatives and institutional reforms, and accelerating sustainable development for all.

With projects and programmes in every state and union territory in India, UNDP works with national and subnational government, and diverse development actors to deliver people-centric results, particularly for the most vulnerable and marginalized communities. As the integrator for collective action on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within the UN system, we are committed to supporting the Government of India’s national development vision and priorities and accelerating the achievement of the SDGs for the people and the planet.

Duties and Responsibilities:

UNDP proposes to engage a Chief Development Goals Specialist to support SDGCC Tamil Nadu leading the activities of the centre. S/He will have multi-sectoral experience and programme management, partnership development, and coordination skills to manage the SDGCC Project Management Unit overall and ensure timely delivery and reporting of the SDGCC work plans. The Chief Development Goals Specialist will work under the overall guidance and supervision of Chief Advisor and Team leader, SDG Acceleration Unit, UNDP India and in close collaboration with the UNDP Regional office and Programme Project Team members and day to day supervision on the implementation issues with the Government of Tamil Nadu. S/He will ensure engagement of all direct stakeholders and delivery of project objectives, in coordination with the Government of Tamil Nadu.

The incumbent will focus on achievement of the following results.

Leading the SDGCC team and managing the Project:

Leadership and Vision: Provide leadership, vision, and strategic oversight to the SDGCC team, ensuring alignment with the Government of Tamil Nadu’s Memorandum of Agreement (MoA). Responsible for overseeing all SDGCC pillars including Sustainable Transport, Skilling and livelihood, Gender, Policy Analysis, M&E, Communication and knowledge Management.
Policy Coordination and Advocacy: Coordinate and contribute to key policy discussions on SDGs at the state level, working closely with the Dept. of Planning and Development, ensuring effective collaboration and influencing policy reforms related to SDG implementation.
Stakeholder Relationship Management: Build and maintain collaborative relationships with State Government counterparts, UN Agencies, Donor Agencies, and Civil Society Organizations, fostering partnerships to advance SDG initiatives and facilitate multi-sectoral collaboration.
Program Development and Gap Analysis: Lead the identification of program interventions to address gaps in policy, infrastructure, capacity, and technology. Formulate and develop proposals for targeted SDG initiatives in the State, ensuring alignment with development priorities.
Accountability and Monitoring: Ensure the successful implementation of the SDG work plan by monitoring progress, tracking deliverables, and holding the SDGCC team accountable to the UNDP and Government of Tamil Nadu for timely and effective results.

Leading Advocacy for SDGs and Adapting the SDG 2030 Vision:

Alignment of SDGCC Project with Global Mandates: Adapt SDGCC projects based on the SDG 2030 global mandate, integrating national guidance from NITI Aayog and (Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation) MoSPI. Ensure that the projects, especially in sustainable transport and mobility, skilling, employment, and livelihoods, contribute to achieving the SDGs, particularly SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and align with both the national and global development agendas.
Translation of SDG Vision into Action Plans: Ensure that the SDG Vision 2030 document is updated and effectively translated into action plans and strategic frameworks for implementation, with a focus on key SDGs related to sustainable mobility, job creation, skills development, and livelihood opportunities. Develop performance parameters for departments to ensure that SDG targets are aligned at all levels of administration, from state to Gram Panchayat.
Development and Implementation of State Indicator Framework: Oversee the development of the State Indicator Framework version 2.0, aligning it with MoSPI’s National Indicator Framework. Establish a robust M&E plan to track performance and progress, ensuring accountability for achieving SDG targets at the state level.
Support Data Collection Systems Across Departments: Advise and support departments in building comprehensive data collection systems for qualitative and quantitative SDG indicators, with a special emphasis on transportation metrics, mobility access, skilling initiatives, and livelihood outcomes. Ensure that these systems enable evidence-based decision-making, particularly for monitoring progress in transport infrastructure and employment generation programs.
Mapping Resources and Integrating SDG Targets: Lead the mapping of resources for SDG implementation, identifying nodal departments, existing schemes, and available resources. Support the development of a comprehensive Output-Outcome Monitoring Framework (OOMF) to measure the impact of these resources and initiatives, ensuring that funds and efforts are optimally allocated to achieve the SDG targets.
Innovative Conceptualization and Proposal Development: Identify and develop innovative Proof of Concept (POC) opportunities, particularly in sustainable transport solutions, mobility access, skilling programs, and livelihood enhancement. Translate state-specific development priorities into actionable concepts and strategies that align with the broader SDG framework, ensuring that these interventions are scalable and directly linked to the state’s development needs, promoting economic growth and environmental sustainability.

Public Finance Strategies to Accelerate SDGs in Tamil Nadu:

Integrating SDG Priorities into State Budgeting: Develop a comprehensive framework that incorporates SDG priorities into Tamil Nadu’s state budgeting process. This will involve identifying key SDG-related projects such as sustainable transport, skilling initiatives, and livelihood programs, assessing their financial requirements, and ensuring that budget allocations are strategically directed to support these initiatives for long-term sustainable development.
Innovative Financing Mechanisms for SDGs: Design and implement innovative financing mechanisms such as green bonds to fund environmentally sustainable transport projects, and social impact bonds for financing relevant projects. These instruments would attract private investment, with returns based on the achievement of specific SDG outcomes, fostering public-private partnerships to accelerate SDG implementation.
Exploring and Expanding Revenue Streams: Identify and analyse both existing and potential revenue streams to increase funding for SDG programs. This could involve exploring tax reforms that incentivize sustainable practices in areas like green transportation and renewable energy, implementing user fees for public services that promote sustainability, and leveraging state assets to generate additional revenue for SDG financing, particularly in public mobility and employment sectors.
Enhancing Public Expenditure Efficiency: Enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of public expenditure by implementing robust financial management practices. This includes adopting best practices for budgeting, expenditure tracking, and accountability to ensure that financial resources are allocated effectively towards achieving SDG targets.
Monitoring, Evaluation, and Capacity Building: Establish comprehensive monitoring and evaluation systems to track the use of public funds allocated to SDG initiatives. These systems will include clear metrics and indicators to assess the impact and effectiveness of funded projects. Additionally, provide training and technical assistance to government officials and stakeholders to enhance their capacity in financial management and budgeting for SDGs, ensuring that the state’s development priorities are successfully aligned with SDG goals.

Strategic Thinking for SDGCC’s Innovation and Tamil Nadu’s Future

Pioneering Sustainable Innovation Across Sectors: Lead the development of cutting-edge solutions by incorporating advanced technologies (AI, IoT, blockchain) to track, analyse, and report on SDG progress in real-time. Focus on creating a data-driven ecosystem that can influence policy decisions, optimize resource allocation, and ensure transparency across all sectors contributing to the SDGs.
Positioning Tamil Nadu as a Global Leader in SDG Integration: Build a vision for Tamil Nadu to become a global frontrunner in SDG integration by 2030, focusing on sustainable urbanization, clean energy innovation, and inclusive development. Develop long-term actionable strategies to integrate SDG goals with state-level policies, ensuring that Tamil Nadu becomes an exemplary model for SDG localization globally.
Transforming Skill Development into a State-Wide Mission for Jobs of the Future: Focus on future-proofing Tamil Nadu’s workforce by creating relevant policies for skills development hubs in emerging industries like renewable energy, digital technologies, healthcare, and sustainable agriculture ensuring that youth unemployment is reduced and that every citizen has access to opportunities in high-demand, sustainable careers.
Creating a Green Economy Pathway: Build a vision to establish Tamil Nadu as a leader in the green economy by creating innovative pathways to transition to renewable energy, promote circular economy principles, and foster green jobs. Champion state-wide climate action plans that position Tamil Nadu as a key contributor to national and international climate change goals, ensuring alignment with the Paris Agreement and Net Zero goals.

Partnership and Resource Mobilization to Accelerate SDGs

Creating an Action Plan for SDG Rollout in Tamil Nadu: Advise and lead the creation of a comprehensive action plan for the rollout of the SDGs in Tamil Nadu. This plan will include aligning the SDGs with the state’s budgeting process and leading the computation of indices, annual district rankings, and preparing reports to track progress. The action plan will guide the partnerships needed to mobilize resources effectively for SDG targets.
Building Collaborative Networks with the Corporate Sector and Civil Society: Conduct continuous scoping of the development landscape in the state to identify new partnership opportunities. Engage the corporate sector and CSOs to establish collaborative initiatives for SDG achievement. Build a network of resource institutions, experts, and thematic specialists at both national and state levels to support capacity-building efforts and to mobilize resources for SDG-focused projects.
Leveraging Data Analytics for Resource Mobilisation: Integrate data analytics into the SDG framework by embedding the Output-Outcome Monitoring Framework (OOMF) across departments to assess performance and resource mobilization needs. Use data-driven insights to identify gaps in funding, track resource allocation, and optimize partnerships, ensuring that funds are directed towards high-impact SDG interventions.
Developing Sustainable Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs): Develop and implement strategies to build and maintain partnerships with government agencies, NGOs, private sector, philanthropic organizations, and other stakeholders. Foster PPPs to leverage private sector investment for SDG projects. This approach will enhance the mobilization of resources and enable the scaling of projects in areas such as sustainable transport, skills development, and livelihoods.
Facilitating Resource Mobilisation and Strategic Collaboration: Facilitate collaboration and resource mobilization by coordinating the efforts of donor agencies, international organizations, and development partners. Ensure that resources are strategically directed towards priority SDG sectors, including education, skills training, sustainable infrastructure, and employment generation, fostering a collaborative environment for accelerated SDG implementation.

Required Skills and Experience:

Education:

Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Public Finance, International Development, Development Economics, Social Sciences or a closely related field is required.
A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the areas mentioned above, in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

A minimum of 7 years’ experience (with master’s degree) or 9 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience in Public Finance, Public Policy, SDG Financing, Policy Advocacy, Budgeting with Government, Partnership with the private sector or multilateral organization is required.
Project Management and Team Leadership: Proven track record in managing complex projects and leading teams of 10+ members.
Understanding of Government Operations Familiarity with the functioning of at least 3-5 government agencies.
Experience in Development Sector in Tamil Nadu: At least 3 years of experience working on SDG or similar development sector-related initiatives in Tamil Nadu.
Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section
Proven Leadership and Impact-Driven Execution: Demonstrated ability to lead high-impact and manage high value/budget projects, with measurable outcomes that directly contribute to state-level SDG objectives (e.g., policy changes, improved SDG metrics, or successful development sector project completions).
Experience with Central/State Governments: At least 5 years of experience working directly with central and/or state government agencies on multisectoral assignments, with a focus on policy integration and cross-departmental collaboration (e.g., coordinated state-level policy reforms in partnership with government bodies).
Policy Analysis and Application for SDGs: Strong experience in conducting policy analysis for SDG or similar frameworks, with demonstrated success in developing and applying methods and tools to measure project progress (e.g., creation of 10+ policy briefs or reports influencing decision-making processes on project implementation).
Field Experience in Inter-Disciplinary Development: Practical knowledge and field experience in tackling inter-disciplinary development issues, such as rural development, sustainable transport, skill development, gender equality, with evidence of successful project implementation on the ground (e.g., implementation of integrated development programs).
Public Policy and Public Finance Exposure: Exposure to public policy formulation and public finance, including experience in budgeting, financial planning, and outcome-based financing (e.g., managing budgets for projects or advising on fiscal policies for sustainable development outcomes).

Required Languages: