The Newsletter is visiting the UNDP Headquarters (HQ) to get an insight into the life of some of our Junior Professional Officers (JPOs) and former JPOs. Who best could describe the programme and their professional expectations than JPOs themselves?

Building a highly talented workforce is a strategy that makes good sense, when it comes to ensuring the success of UN`s contribution to development. One of the ways of doing this is through the JPO Programme, a scheme aiming among others to build a future generation of international civil servants.

At the moment, the UNDP JPO Programme groups 210 JPOs of 25 nationalities assigned to close to 90 countries around the world. Out of them, 46 are working in UNDP HQ in New York. They all come from different parts of the World, such as Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Spain or Rep.of Korea.
Through their assignments in HQ, mostly as Programme Analyst, these young professionals are exposed to and trained in hands-on approaches to HIV/Aids, Private sector development, good governance and human rights, energy and environment, gender issues, as well as UN System Coordination. Most of the JPOs currently assigned to HQ started their JPO assignment in a country office and were reassigned to HQ for their second or third JPO year.

Marco Baumann, from Germany, joined the JPO programme 2 years ago as a Policy Analyst in the Development Operations Coordination Office (DOCO) of the UN Development Group (UNDG): One of my main motivations for working with UNDP was my desire to work on the UN reform process - a wish that became reality as I am now in charge, among other tasks, of supporting the UN Development Group in enhancing aid effectiveness and effective inter-agency coordination at HQ and country level. In order to be able to provide credible and effective advisory services at HQ, it is critical to have gained first-hand experience of working at country level. However, working at HQ and at country level are two sides of the same coin and both are vital to gain a holistic understanding of the functioning of the UN system. I think that the ideal assignment could be to work in a country office and then try to change to an HQ position after the first or second JPO year.

Through the JPO programme, Ida Thyregod actually got experience both in a country office and at HQ. She spent the first two years as a Danish JPO in Mozambique, working as Emergencies and Gender Focal Point for UNFPA, and was since transferred to the UNFPA HQ in New York: I dreamt of  becoming a JPO so that I could try making a difference on a higher level than what I felt could be done through small NGO’s. As one of the most challenging - and rewarding - JPO assignments I have had, I would say the challenge of trying to put gender and HIV/AIDS on the agenda during natural disasters so that these issues are integrated in the overall emergencyresponse.
About my second JPO assignment, in New York, we all enjoy the multiculturalism and high level of expertise of the HQ, but we need to remind ourselves that HQ is far from the field and from the world we are aiming to change. After my JPO experience came to an end, I was fortunate enough to be offered the  position as Resource Mobilization Specialist with the UNFPA.

That will also be the case of Daniela Gregr. She is grateful to Luxembourg that sponsored her two two-year JPO assignments: Thus I could work as an Associate Economist with UNDP in Niger from 2005, before moving to UNDP HQ in New York for my second assignment. I am now a Policy Specialist for the Millennium Development Goals Support Team, Poverty Group, Bureau for Development Policies. I find working for UNDP challenging and gratifying: JPOs often face particular hurdles as newcomers, but the best is to be both proactive and respectful, 'soaking up' UNDP-specific mandate and procedures as much as possible; all you do and learn in UNDP are 'transferable' skills that will come handy in other professional settings. My JPO assignment made me envisage a long-term career with UNDP and allowed me to successfully 'graduate' into the Leadership development Programme (LEAD).

This is a career path that Leonor Adriana VALEIRAS, Spanish JPO, might follow. She started as a Programme Analyst with the UNDP Regional Bureau for Africa in New York about six months ago: In light of the current decentralization process from HQ to Country Offices, my major task is to ensure accountability and effective working relationships between and amongst HQ, Regional Service Centres and Country Offices. Despite the "paperwork" side, working in the HQ, gives me the opportunity to understand the dynamics and logic of the policy-making and policy-decision making processes at the international level. Working with the UN as a JPO is a "vocation". Being a JPO is not just a personal experience, it is the opportunity to become an authentic professional in the field of development and international cooperation, and it is as well, an opportunity to be part of a collective commitment for social change.

After having worked for the French bilateral and European Union development cooperation, Jennifer Moreau wished to learn more about multilateral development cooperation, in particular the development activities of the UN: I currently work as a Donor Relations Analyst in the Division for Resources Mobilization of the Partnerships Bureau. My JPO assignment, sponsored by Germany, is a demanding one as the international economic and financial crisis is very challenging for UNDP, an entirely voluntary funded organization. Voluntary contributions to UNDP's core resources decreased in 2009 and the current projections for 2010 also suggest a continued downward trend.
I am now given the opportunity to complement my work experience in headquarters with a field experience. I look forward to joining UNDP’s Regional Center in Dakar and to working on public finance management!

If you would like more information about the JPO Programme, how to apply or how to request a JPO in your department, click here, or send an email to pierre.noel@undp.org

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