Background

The Poverty-Environment Initiative (PEI) of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is a global UN-led programme that supports country-led efforts to mainstream poverty-environment linkages into national development planning. The PEI provides financial and technical assistance to government partners to set up institutional and capacity strengthening programmes and carry out activities to address the particular poverty-environment context.

The momentum for increased effort to achieve environmental mainstreaming is strong. At the 2005 World Summit over 160 Heads of State reaffirmed the centrality of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to the international development agenda and countries committed to turn their national development plans into sustainable MDG-based strategies (including implementation strategies for MDG7).

The program started its activities in the region of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) in November 2008. Since then, there have been fact-finding and discussions with governmental and non-governmental organizations interested in the Initiative.

Duties and Responsibilities

Support to Poverty and Environment Initiative in LAC (60%)

  • Supporting the overall implementation of the PEI, especially the Regional PEI Programme for LAC.
  • Contributing to gathering and analyzing information relevant to the work of PEI, including country level and regional experience, with particular emphasis on livelihoods, poverty reduction, ecosystems services and values, climate change adaptation and mitigation, and sharing outcomes with decision-makers.
  • Contributing to the development of written communication materials such as brochures, leaflets and website texts on the Poverty-Environment Initiative.
  • Liaise with PEI-LAC secretariat for PEI regional and national programming in LAC
  • Participate in the development of joint project proposals and reports related to the PEI, ensuring adequate focus on poverty alleviation and the consideration of gender issues.
  • Collaborate with UNEP staff to coordinate (technical and programmatic) support to existing PEI national programmes and exploration of new ones
  • Build partnerships with existing and new actors (including private sector and academia) to support the design of 2013-2014 PEI LAC platform
  • Explore financing opportunities for PEI LAC

Poverty and Environment knowledge management and analysis (30%)

  • Examine evidence and public policies that link poverty reduction and environmental sustainability as a virtuous process for sustainable human development, as opposed to the mutually exclusive goals
  • Coordinate regional or subregional forums (virtual, or workshops) on poverty-environment nexus
  • By working across practice areas within the Regional Centre, engage UN partners regional Offices, UN LAC UNDP Country Offices and UNCTs to promote a sustainable development agenda
  • Coordinate possible production of a regional report on best practices poverty and environment.

Other areas of work (10%)

  • Supporting the provision of technical support services for specific activities aimed at poverty-environment mainstreaming into development processes, especially in the context of the regional programme for LAC.
  • Contributing to other activities outside the scope of the project, in particular as it relates to the Millennium Development Goals and the work of the United Nations Development Group.
  • Participate to other activities and perform other duties as required.

Goals and Specifics
Provide support to the PEI country teams to meet the intended outcome of the programme: Improved capacity of programme country governments and other stakeholders to integrate the environmental concerns of poor and vulnerable groups into policy, planning and implementation processes for poverty reduction, pro-poor growth and achievement of the MDGs. PEI chief partners for the implementation of PEI country programmes are therefore policy and budget decision makers – i.e., the ministries of planning, finance, environment and related sectors, such as agriculture, plus the poverty, governance and environment units of the UNDP Country Offices.
The PEI would consequently greatly benefit from the enthusiasm and skills of a Junior Professional Officer to play an integral role in strengthening the capacity of the PEI team, with a particular focus on supporting the implementation of the PEI LAC programme to gain direct experience of country programme implementation.

Expected Deliverables

  • Support the UNDP Country Offices in Paraguay, Guatemala, Peru, Dominican Republic and Uruguay to work together and exchange experiences for added efficiency and effectiveness, particularly using experiences of Uruguay and Dominican Republic for other Country offices.
  • Report to the task managers in UNDP and UNEP at the regional level in Panama to ensure full consistency with quality standards, rules, regulations and administrative schedules.
  • Work with UNDP Country Offices and national counterparts identified on the preparation of documentation required for submission of the full proposal(prodoc) to UNDP and UNEP.
  • Develop, together with national counterparts identified by UNDP and UNEP, a robust proposal integrating considerations of policy frameworks, coordination mechanisms, and knowledge management for decision making.
  • Follow up with countries to help them prepare project documents for approval of PEI with appropriate sections and risk assessment , according to UNDP rules
  • Support countries on the preparation of the logical framework, budget, monitoring and evaluation for each of the three projects with in-country assistance and missions as necessary.
  • Develop documents necessary to submit the proposal, so as to ensure their compliance with all necessary UNDP and PEI regulations.
  • Provide advice to identified national counterparts and UNDP COs on the activities necessary to ensure that the requirements of the project design and full participation are met, including monitoring and evaluation.
  • Together with UNDP, UNEP and identified national counterparts, develop guidelines and expected outcomes described in the project components and include them in the project document
  • Similarly, in coordination with UNDP and identified national counterparts, prepare the budget to be included in the documents including analysis, calculation and a detailed breakdown of co-financing.
  • In collaboration with UNDP and partners identified, prepare responses to revisions and comments with adjustments made to the documents.

Competencies

  • Strong organizational skills and client-orientation.
  • Ability to work in a multicultural context and under pressure.
  • Ability to work well in a team whilst also having the capacity and initiative to work independently is required
  • Communication
  • Strategic planning

Required Skills and Experience

 Education:      

  • Master’s Degree in Sustainable Development, Economic Development, Environmental Science, Environmental Policy, or equivalent.

Work experience:

  • At least 2 years of relevant experience at the national or international level working in fields related (e.g. environmental sustainability, sustainable economic development, poverty reduction, development public policy design and implementation, development project management, management advisory services).
  • Demonstrate previous exposure to capacity and institutional development as well as knowledge management and project/programme management in general, preferably with interagency experience.
  • Have a positive and professional attitude towards work and be able to work in a multi-cultural environment.
Language:
  • Excellent English and Spanish language (written & spoken) skills required
  • Excellent analytical and communication skills, including the ability to draft a wide selection of written communication and to articulate and communicate ideas in a clear and concise manner
  • Good computer skills 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The evaluation process consists of two phases: the first one consists of the revision of professional and educational backgrounds as seen on the CV and P11 form attached to this email and the second phase consists of the evaluation of those candidates who qualified with the requirements according to the terms of reference.  Additionally, the financial proposals of the offerors are analyzed.  The award will be given to the offeror with the lowest financial offer.

Qualified candidates who are interested in the above position are invited to submit their application, in English by attaching the following into one single PDF file, not later than October, 16th, 2012:

Please note that applications received after the deadline or incomplete will not be considered.
Only short-listed qualified candidates will receive an acknowledgement.