Your Work

 

​Can you describe what your new responsibilities are in one or two sentences?

This page is designed to help you better understand your work at UNDP.  Let’s break it down:

​Your Job Description

When you applied for your post, you responded to a job description or JD (in some cases the job description is called a Terms of Reference or TOR). The purpose of this description is to help you understand what you will be doing every day. It is not designed to tell you how to do it; it simply explains your roles and responsibilities. The description clearly outlines what you need to do in order to succeed. If you do not have a copy, you can ask your supervisor for one. Have it handy when you are going over your goals for the year to make sure you are doing the job you were hired to do.

UNDP has developed 81 generic job descriptions which can be found here:

• UNDP Generic Job Descriptions

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Your Competencies

One of the reasons you were selected for the job was that you brought a set of knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) that UNDP felt would be most useful to the success of that position. Some of those KSAs are corporate competencies, and some are your functional (also known as technical) competencies. They are found in your job description. Some examples of functional competencies are Advocacy, Building Strategic Partnerships, Innovation, Resource Mobilization, and Promoting Change, to name a few. 

In addition, UNDP promulgates nine (9) core competencies which are inherent in everything we do.  All staff members should strive to demonstrate all core competencies.  These competencies can be developed in a progressive manner as the staff members acquire experience in their area of work within the organization.  UNDP’s core competencies include:

• Ethics and Values

• Organizational Awareness

• Developing and Empowering People / Coaching and Mentoring

• Working in Teams

• Communicating Information and Ideas

• Self-management and Emotional intelligence

• Conflict Management / Negotiating and Resolving Disagreements

• Knowledge Sharing / Continuous Learning

• Appropriate and Transparent Decision Making

• UNDP Competency Framework (2008 - currently being updated)

 
Here, at UNDP, we strive to help you add to your competencies to be as well-rounded an employee as possible. We do this in several ways: through training, both on the job and through coursework; through your manager whose job it is to help you understand what is needed in order to succeed in your current position; and through your own personal and professional development.

Your Performance

Your performance ties everything together. First, you should know what is expected of you so you can ask for and receive continuous feedback. In particular, when you are starting out, it is good to ask for feedback. A simple, “May I get some feedback about how you think I did on that project?” should be enough for a manager to let you know how you are doing. Don’t wait for the one time annual review; your manager should be giving you feedback throughout the year and you should be asking for it as well.

UNDP has an annual performance review process that is currently being updated. Once this is completed, all staff will receive a copy. Information on the existing performance review system, called the RCA (Results and Competency Assessment), can be found here:

• RCA Policy and Procedures (currently being reviewed)

• RCA platform (to be updated in the near future)