UNDP Jobs - 30250- Climate Change Governance and Development Effectiv

Climate Change Governance and Development Effectiveness Advisor

Location :

Bangkok, THAILAND

Type of Contract :

FTA International

Starting Date :

01-Aug-2012

Application Deadline :

10-Jun-12 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

P-5

Duration of Initial Contract :

1 year

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

Background

UNDP’s democratic governance practice focuses on fostering inclusive participation, strengthening responsive governing institutions, and promoting democratic principles. Inclusive participation expands equal opportunities for engagement by the poor, women, youth, indigenous people, and other marginalized groups who are excluded from power. Efforts in this area aim to strengthen opportunities for civic engagement in the core channels linking people and the state, at the national, regional and local levels. Strengthening responsive governing institutions entails promoting the core channels of representation and accountability in the state at the national, regional and local levels. Responsive institutions mean that the state reflects and serves the needs, priorities, and interests of all people, including women, the poor, youth, and minorities. Supporting national partners to strengthen democratic practices grounded in human rights, anti-corruption and gender equality require UNDP leadership in promoting integration, coordination and information-sharing of policies, practices, and strategies strengthening democratic governance within and outside of the UN family.

Inequality and exclusion undermine the progress of many Asia Pacific countries in terms of MDG achievement. Lack of accountability and meaningful participation at different levels of government negatively impacts on development and affects the poor disproportionately. The agendas on development and environmental sustainability can also no longer be artificially separated. Sustainability means enlarging the freedoms and capabilities of people while living within the means of the planet. This requires a fair distribution of natural resources and assets across countries and generations, where developing countries are not locked into low-growth paths. Conflict or challenges of transition also need to be addressed, which are rooted in denial of economic, social and cultural rights through unjust allocation of power and resources, as well as lack of voice and effective grievance mechanisms.

The UNDP Asia Regional Governance Programme (ARGP) II’s goal is to leverage democratic governance to deliver not only as a means to other development goals, but as an essential end in itself. ARGP prioritizes widening opportunities, particularly for women, youth and socially excluded groups, to participate in democratic process and hold governments accountable to the people. At the same time, it addresses the underlying challenges of inequality and exclusion to deliver on priority development outcomes of MDG acceleration and climate resilience.

In Asia and the Pacific, UNDP is increasingly being requested to provide governance related services that support governments in articulating their response to climate change. These services include strengthening government’s institutional and administrative framework to be able to deliver integrated climate policy and programming within a range of sectors; strengthening government’s planning and budgeting processes to be able to account transparently for climate relate services; strengthening parliament and civil society’s roles in holding governments to account for their response to climate change and supporting local governments in integrating climate related services into their programming. There is also an increasing urgency to ensure that the needs, priorities, and interests of all people, including women, the poor, youth, and minorities and others who are particularly vulnerable to climate change impacts are included and that these people participate in the governance of a climate change response: in all stages of policy formulation, programme implementation and processes of accountability that determine a response to climate change.

There are also growing demands for services that relate to ensuring that climate change financing modalities at regional and local levels are designed in ways that promote development effectiveness. There is a proliferation of climate change financing modalities that are emerging such as climate-related budget support instruments; government or multi-donor trust funds; sector based climate programming as well as civil society funding mechanisms and instruments aimed at leveraging private sector climate finance. UNDP is being asked to provide services in supporting government and other partners consider the development effectiveness dimensions of these instruments and articulate appropriate strategies for managing climate finance as part of overall development approaches.

To respond to the growing demands, APRC has established a multi-disciplinary team to deliver services which can support governments develop comprehensive approaches to govern the challenge of climate change in ways that support their overall development, particularly in the context of Rio+20 follow up and post 2015 development agenda. This team works across practices within UNDP and HQ, APRC, UNDP country offices and in partnership with a range of development partners at the regional level, to deliver this support.

The Climate Change Governance and Development Effectiveness Advisor will be a full member of this multidisciplinary team reporting to the Democratic Governance Practice Leader in the Regional Centre in Bangkok (who in turn reports primarily to the Deputy Regional Director, RBAP). His/her main focus will be to deliver on RBAP Business Plan priorities that relate to climate change governance and development effectiveness and to work on the regional components of the Asia Regional Governance Programme that relate to climate change and development effectiveness alongside other relevant regional programs and APRC services including Gender, EEG, CPR and CDG programmes. He/She will also be expected to provide support to APRC services that relate to other aspects of development effectiveness in particular those that relate to UN reform and UNDAF roll-out.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Climate Change Governance and Development Effectiveness Advisor will provide substantive and technical advice and advocacy regarding Climate Change Governance and Development Effectiveness and report to the Democratic Governance Practice Team Leader at the APRC. The Adviser will provide specific support for UNDP’s policy and programming in two related areas: (i) strengthening UNDP’s policy advice and technical support for the enhancing climate change governance at country levels; and (ii) applying development effectiveness principles and approaches to climate change finance and ODA.

Regional Policy Advisory/Programme Support-Delivery:

Provide policy and programming support to country offices and national stakeholders in the region to strengthen: (i) the governance dimensions of a climate change response, (ii) the effective delivery of climate finance; and (iii) the overall management of development finance:

Provide policy advisory support to the Country Offices, Governments and Asia Regional Governance Programme (ARGPII) as well as other relevant regional programmes on climate change governance and development effectiveness.
Support the implementation of innovative approaches to governance assessments and political economy analysis that inform country level climate change policy and programming.
Support analysis and provide advice on how governments and other stakeholders can best access sources of international climate finance that strengthen and use their own budgeting, planning and public financial management systems.
Support UNDP CO and governments in their facilitation of Consultative Groups and Round Tables and other policy forums to consider climate change finance and development effectiveness concerns and ensure that gender dimensions of climate change mitigation and adaptation are integrated in the agenda.
Have oversight of a P3 governance and development effectiveness advisor supporting work on development effectiveness services to government and country offices focusing on aid policy and implementation of the Busan commitments on development effectiveness

Research and Content Development:

The advisor will work with UNDP Country offices, UNDP APRC’s Democratic Governance team, and across UNDP’s practices at regional and global levels, to strengthen knowledge management on climate change governance and development effectiveness at the country level. To this effect the advisor will:

Lead the management of the multi-stakeholder climate change finance and development effectiveness community of practice and work across practices to ensure that this CoP adds value to and draws value from other CoPs in climate, development effectiveness and governance as well as gender for example.
Ensure innovative analysis, assessment and approaches to the governance of climate change and to the delivery of climate finance in line with development effectiveness principles is codified and shared within UNDP, with country partners and other developments partners in the region.
Work with the P3 development effectiveness to ensure knowledge products on development effectiveness and innovation in the implementation of the Busan commitments on development effectiveness are also shared.
Support country level monitoring of effectiveness of climate change finance and ODA in line with the Busan monitoring framework and country level development effectiveness monitoring mechanisms

Policy Development:

The advisor will support global policy development on climate change governance and development effectiveness by ensuring cutting edge innovations from the region are fed into HQ policy processes; and by ensuring UNDP’s corporate policy and innovations at the global level are replicated in countries of the Asia Pacific. To this effect, the advisor will:

Facilitate country consultations and providing evidence and feedback to HQ in their leadership across international processes such as the Global Partnership on Development Effectiveness, the UNFCCC Standing Committee on climate finance and Rio +20 processes
Support RBAP in its oversight of country policy and programming that relates to climate change governance; climate change finance and development effectiveness
Ensure relevant RBAP and other bureau are consulted upon and involved in the design of policy research and guidance developed from the region.

Partnerships and Resource Mobilization:

The advisor will work with UNDP APRC’s Democratic Governance team to strengthen its strategy, resource mobilization and programming with a focus on the governance of climate change and development effectiveness. Including by:

Leading resource mobilization on climate change governance and development effectiveness including as UNDP’s lead advisor to the CDDE Facility, as a multi donor programme of support for governance of climate change and development effectiveness.
Lead DG team’s contributions to the multidisciplinary APRC team on Governance of Climate Change and Development Effectiveness.
Develop strategic partnerships in democratic governance supporting APRC’s goals of integrated approaches to development programming.

Advocacy:

The advisor will work within the DG team to ensure that the UN/UNDP approach to the governance of climate change and development effectiveness is understood and supported by the UN.

Support UNDAF roll outs in their consideration of climate change governance, climate finance and development effectiveness initiatives.
Support UNDAF roll outs as a facilitator and advisor on how development effectiveness relates to the UN.

Competencies

Corporate competencies

Demonstrates integrity and fairness, by modeling the UN/UNDP’s values and ethical standards.
Promotes the vision, mission and strategic goals of UNDP.
Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

Functional competencies;

Knowledge and expertise in democratic governance, climate change (including climate change finance) and development effectiveness. The candidate should have significant experience in providing practical advice to policy makers; be able to work well with counterparts in government across finance, planning, environment, local government and other ministries, civil society, political parties, the private sector, academia, and the donor community; and know how to contribute to building national capacity for development. Demonstrated capacity to integrate principles of aid effectiveness, accountability, human rights, and gender equality in policy making and programming.

Strong communication and interpersonal skills, ability to foster networks and partnerships, and good working knowledge of information and computer technology. While representing UNDP views, the candidate should also be able to provide coordination among the UN family of agencies.

The candidate should have managerial competencies including the ability to establish effective working relations in multi-cultural team environments and excellent supervisory, team-working, team-building, and diplomatic skills. Resourcefulness, initiative and mature judgment will be important to this post. Strong verbal and written communication and advocacy skills and the ability to work in a complex environment requiring liaison and collaboration with multiple actors are a must.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Master degree in law, economics, political science, sociology or another international development related area.

Work Experience:

Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible, substantive knowledge as a development professional, including in democratic governance and development effectiveness, as well as development programming experience with a focus on climate change, governance and development effectiveness.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in spoken and written English. Knowledge of another UN language is an advantage.

Remark:

This is Development Project Funded (DPF) post
Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.