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.

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 those particularly vulnerable to climate change impacts are included 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.

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 Governance and Public Finance specialist will be a full member of this multidisciplinary climate governance team reporting to the Climate Change Governance and Development Effectiveness Advisor in the Democratic Governance Practice in the Regional Centre in Bangkok who in turn reports to the Democratic Governance Practice Team leader and Environment and Energy Practice Team leader on the climate governance work programme. The specialist will work closely with the EEG practice team members as well as DG team members who also work on climate change.

The specialist will work closely with the EEG and DG practice team members who also work on climate change. Alongside the Climate Change Policy Expert, his/her main focus will be to support the delivery the SIDA supported Strengthening the Governance of Climate Change Finance to benefit the poor and vulnerable programme as part of the overall Asia Regional Governance Programme and RBAP Business Plan priorities alongside other relevant regional programs and APRC services including EEG, CPR and CDG programmes. He / she will also represent the climate governance team and other APRC teams in regional events and international meetings to share experience and advocate for the climate governance approaches developed within the UNDP APRC.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Governance/Public Finance specialist will provide substantive technical advice and advocacy regarding Governance and Climate Change Finance in the Asia Pacific region.

Overall tasks will include supporting development and delivery of country level projects as part of the programme and the delivery of regional knowledge products and south-south cooperation as part of the programme.

Regional Policy Advisory/Programme Support-Delivery:

Support the management and technical back-stopping of country level interventions to include:

• Consult with government, SIDA, UNDP as well as other stakeholders to finalise modalities for country support;
• Strengthening baselines and finalise monitoring and evaluation frameworks at the country level;
• Assisting in developing work plans and support national stakeholders in implementing country interventions.

Policy Development:

Support the development of Climate Public Expenditure and Institutional Reviews and Climate Finance Strategies and Plans in selected countries.

• Support the implementation and strengthening of the CPEIR methodology and in particular governance/institutional analysis support in selected countries in Asia and Pacific countries;
• Support country level stakeholder consultations, technical research related to governance and public finance as well as contributing to the production of CPEIR reports;
• Provide regional support and direct technical assistance to develop climate finance strategies and policies in Asia and Pacific countries;
• Support training on integrating tracking and codification mechanisms (e.g budget code development, results indicators, expenditure classification etc.) for climate change into national systems.

Research and Content Development:

Provide Capacity Development Support and contribute to Climate Change Programming Design on climate finance in Asia and the Pacific.

• Support capacity development to establish cross government accountability mechanisms on climate finance, including assessments, secretariat support;
• Support training for non- executive institutions with the potential roles for oversight of climate change expenditure (e.g parliamentary committees);
• Assist the implementation of programmes to develop capacities amongst regional regional experts regarding the governance of climate change finance, including mentoring;
• Provide advice and guidance (in coordination with the Climate Change Policy Expert) in integrating governance/PFM assistance into climate change programming design teams (e.g GEF, Climate Funds Management, other donor climate change programmes);
• 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;
• Oversee the production of evidence of the effectiveness of climate finance in the region is shared across countries and globally. Oversight on all knowledge products;
• Analyze and recommend, in close collaboration with UNDP country offices, how best domestic and internationally financed climate change programmes can be better designed to support and progressively use country’s public financial management systems.

Advocacy

Directing Climate Finance to the poor and vulnerable

• Support the review of poverty incidence of climate programmes and budgets in selected countries (e.g. gender dimensions of climate related expenditures);
• Review targeting criteria and data collection methodology for addressing climate change vulnerability in local development, social protection and disaster risk reduction programmes;
• Lead on integrating Human Rights Based Approaches into climate programming in Local development;
• Support pilot approaches to targeting the climate change vulnerable through social protection, disaster risk reduction and local development programmes.

Partnerships and Resource Mobilization

Supporting Climate Change Finance initiatives regionally including in relation to the Global Partnership on Effective Development Cooperation

• Provide overview and technical expertise in reviewing regional knowledge products which synthesize country analysis produced;
• Develop and support innovative South-South issues which strengthen climate finance in Asia and Pacific;
• Contribute to the regional dialogues and communities of practice;
• Support climate change finance donor coordination groups at regional levels including (i) UN agencies and by supporting (ii) UNDAF processes;
• In close collaboration with the Governance of Climate Change and Development Effectiveness Advisor, consolidate Busan/ODA/Climate finance reports to provide annual regional overviews.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

• Demonstrate the integrity and fairness by modeling UN/UNDP value’s and ethical standard
• Promote the vision, mission and strategic goals of UNDP
• Display culture, gender, religious, race, nationality and age sensitivities and adaptability

Technical/Functional Competencies:

Management and Leadership

• Good managerial and leading skills
• Demonstrate strong coordination skill
• Consistently approaches to work with energy and a positive and constructive attitude

Communication

• Good communication skill both in writing and oral including networking and interpersonal skills
• Proven ability to persuade and influence others to cooperate

Client Orientation

• Researches potential solutions to internal and external client needs and reports back in a timely, succinct and appropriate fashion
• Organizes and prioritizes work schedule to meet client needs and deadlines
• Establishes, builds and sustains effective relationships within the work unit and with internal and external clients
• Proven ability to build strong relations with partners, clients for positive feed back

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Master’s Degree in, Public Administration, Public Finance, Development Studies, International Affairs, Political Science, Social Science, or other related fields.

Work Experience:

• At least 7 years of progressive experience in support country process of governance reform including public financial management and institutional reform;
• Proven experience in providing advice on public finance / institutional reform to senior policy makers and practitioners in governments of developing countries a must, and experience in Asia an advantage;
• Experience in working on climate change and climate change finance and an understanding of development effectiveness;
• Work experience with civil society, media and parliament in promoting transparency and accountability for government policy and programming;
• Experience in programmes/projects management including technical, administrative and financial management.;
• Experience working in the international organisation or UN family is an advantage;
• Extensive knowledge of UNDP’s policies, procedures and practice including familiarity of ATLAS operational system is an asset;
• Full computer literacy in internet searching and Microsoft Office programmes i.e. MS-Word, MS-Excel and MS-Power Point. Website management experience is an asset.

Language Requirement:

• Proficiency in English with advanced command of speaking and writing. Working knowledge of other UN official language is an asset.

REMARK: QUALIFIED FEMALE CANDIDATES ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY.