Org. Setting and Reporting
The Statistical Institute for Asia and the Pacific (SIAP), located in Chiba, Japan, was established in May 1970 as a centre for statistical training in Asia and the Pacific. SIAP is a subsidiary body of ESCAP with a Governing Council which reviews the administration and financial status of the Institute and the implementation of its programme of work. SIAP's mission, as stated in its Statute, is to strengthen, through practically oriented training of official statisticians, the capability of the developing members and associate members and economies in transition of the region to collect, analyze and disseminate statistics as well as to produce timely and high quality statistics that can be utilized for economic and social development planning, and to assist those developing members and associate members and economies in transition in establishing or strengthening their statistical training capability and other related activities.
The Institute supports the overall work programme of the ESCAP Statistics subprogramme. The incumbent reports directly to the Deputy Executive Secretary of ESCAP.
Responsibilities
Under the direct supervision of the Deputy Executive Secretary and overall leadership of the Executive Secretary of ESCAP and in close coordination and collaboration with the Director of the Statistics Division, the Director of SIAP is required to perform the following functions:
Leads and supervises the administration of the Institute and the development and implementation of its work programme, in consultation with the Director of the Statistics Division and in accordance with the Statute of the Institute and based on the decisions and recommendations of its Governing Council and the 2020-2024 SIAP Strategic Plan (https://www.unsiap.or.jp/about/Strategic/2020_24_Strategic_Plan.pdf) and the priorities of ESCAP's technical cooperation and capacity development programme for statistics.
Provides strategic leadership in the development and implementation of the Institute's statistical training and capacity development programmes; ensures that the programmes respond effectively to the priorities of the Governing Council and capacity development needs of national statistical systems in the region, especially in fulfilling the requirements of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development .
Provides policy advice on ESCAP strategy, programme priorities, infrastructure and modalities on training as a means of capacity building for SDG implementation.
Coordinates and oversees the annual and long-term work planning of the Institute, in accordance with the Institute's objectives and functions, the 2020-2024 SIAP Strategic Plan and the principles and good practices of results-based management.
Oversees the programmatic and administrative tasks necessary for the functioning of the Institute, including preparation of budgets, reporting on budget/programme performance, staffing and recruitment/selection of staff for SIAP, evaluation of staff performance, and preparation of inputs for results-based budgeting. Fosters teamwork and communication among staff in the Institute and across organizational boundaries within ESCAP.
Coordinates and collaborates with the Statistics Division of ESCAP in the formulation and implementation of the substantive work of the statistics subprogramme of ESCAP, including through joint strategic programming. Ensures that the work programme of the Institute is an integral part of the ESCAP strategic framework. Cooperates with other regional institutions, sub-regional offices and substantive divisions of ESCAP in relevant areas of work.
Strengthens and expands partnerships, including through active engagement in the Network for the Coordination of Statistical Training in Asia and the Pacific, the Asia-Pacific Thematic Working Group on Statistics and the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data, in order to strengthen the role of SIAP in building statistical capability in the region. Initiates resource mobilization initiatives and ensures efficient utilization of the Institute's resources.
Leads and supervises the organization of meetings on substantive issues relating to capacity development and training, in particular in developing and implementing a well-coordinated long-term programme on capacity strengthening for the production of SDGs-related data and indicators; facilitates coordination and collaboration among relevant national, regional and international institutions in the promotion of effective statistical training in the region, including through the Network for the Coordination of Statistical Training in Asia and the Pacific.
Serves as Secretary to the SIAP Governing Council which services annual meetings of the Council, and actively contributes to strategic discussions on ESCAP priorities and expected outcomes; provides briefings on trends and recommendations for innovative ESCAP-wide statistical training and capacity-building initiatives; identifies opportunities for interdivisional collaboration and suggests mechanisms for effective working arrangements to support these. Prepares and submits annual reports to the Council on long-term work plans for their review, adoption and submission to the Commission.
Represents ESCAP in relevant international and regional meetings, , strengthens partnerships between SIAP and statistical development partners and facilitates south-south cooperation as a means of providing statistical training and capacity development.
Maintains regular contact and closely coordinates with the authorities of the host Government to strengthen engagement and identify opportunities for expanding technical cooperation.
Performs other related duties, as required.
Requirements
Education: Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in statistics, data science, economics, demography, sociology or related areas is required. A relevant first-level university degree in the above fields in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Ph.D degree in any of the above fields is highly desirable.
Work Experience: A minimum of 15 years of progressively responsible experience in leading and managing strategic planning and implementation of programmes on data collection, processing, analysis, dissemination and use in national statistical offices is required. Experience in project formulation and implementation of capacity development programmes as well as design and organization of cost-effective training modalities, including innovative on-line learning, or related institutional strengthening and staff development activities in national statistical systems is required. Research and analysis in core areas of official statistics, i.e., economic, social, environmental statistics as demonstrated through peer-reviewed publications is desirable. Experience in managing a national statistical office is desirable. Relevant professional experience in the Asia and the Pacific region is highly desirable.
Languages: English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another UN official language is an advantage.
How to apply:
To apply, please visit: https://www.unescap.org/jobs