Programme Associate – Local Development and Financing

The Programme of Cooperation of UNDP Morocco (Country Programme Document 2023–2027) focuses on three main priorities:

- Priority 1: Inclusive economic transformation and sustainability;
- Priority 2: Inclusion and social protection;
- Priority 3: Governance, resilience and local development.

Local development constitutes a core thematic area of UNDP’s cooperation with the Government of Morocco.
Morocco continues to face significant territorial disparities, unequal access to basic services and socio-economic opportunities across regions, as well as institutional capacity gaps at subnational level. Strengthening decentralization, improving local governance and promoting inclusive, integrated and sustainable territorial development remain key national priorities.
In this context, the financing of local development represents a critical challenge. While significant public resources are mobilized at national and subnational levels, local authorities and territorial actors continue to face challenges in accessing, coordinating and effectively leveraging available sources of financing to address their development priorities. Strengthening the capacity of territories to mobilize and align public, private and development financing is therefore essential to translating territorial strategies and priorities into concrete and sustainable investments.
Through a diversified local development portfolio, UNDP Morocco supports initiatives aimed at strengthening the capacities of local authorities, enhancing participatory territorial planning, promoting local economic development, improving service delivery, and fostering accountability and citizen engagement.
Building on this experience, UNDP Morocco is also supporting the development of innovative approaches to territorial financing, including through the Integrated Local Financing Framework (ILFF). The ILFF provides a strategic framework to better understand, mobilize and align diverse sources of financing with local development priorities, while strengthening coordination among public institutions, development partners, the private sector and other territorial stakeholders.
UNDP Morocco provides technical assistance and policy advice to national and subnational institutions to support the implementation of decentralization reforms, strengthen local financing systems and advance integrated, inclusive and sustainable territorial development in line with national priorities and international commitments.

Under the overall supervision of the Deputy Resident Representative, and the day-to-day supervision of the Programme Analyst – Prosperity Pillar, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

1- Support for the Analysis of Local Development Financing
- Support the collection, compilation, and organization of data on the various sources of financing for local and regional development.
- Contribute to mapping the main sources of financing available at the national, regional, and local levels, including public resources, transfers, funding from development partners, private financing, and innovative mechanisms.
- Support the analysis of gaps between territories’ funding needs and available resources.
- Prepare data tables, analytical fact sheets, and summary materials on trends and challenges related to local development financing.
- Contribute to identifying the main institutional, financial, and operational constraints limiting territories’ access to available resources.

2- Support for the Implementation of the Integrated Local Financing Framework (ILFF)
- Contribute to the preparation of work and activities related to the implementation of the ILFF at the local level.
- Support the preparation of local assessments of needs, priorities, and financing mechanisms.
- Participate in identifying and documenting the institutional and financial actors involved in local development financing.
- Contribute to the analysis of the alignment between territorial priorities, development plans and programs, and the various sources of funding.

During the first month of the assignment, the UN Volunteer will work closely with his/her direct supervisor to finalize an agreed-upon work plan. The work plan should outline key objectives and activities and include regular check-ins with the supervisor to review progress and receive performance feedback.