Background

The Republic of Maldives is highly vulnerable to climate change due to its low-lying geography that makes it susceptible to flooding and inundation, and its dependence on economic activities that are sensitive to climate change, such as fishing and tourism. It is also highly dependent on imported fossil fuels for its energy supply and this represents a major source of greenhouse gas emissions for the country. Consequently, the Maldives has made significant commitments to the pursuit of a low emission climate resilient development agenda. However, ongoing decentralization reforms, fiscal crisis and low capacity at the sub-national level, mean that local planning is not reflective of national level commitments.

The 3 year, US$9.2 million UN Joint Programme, “LECReD”,  responds to the United Nations Development Assistance Framework Outcome 9: “Enhanced capacities at national and local levels to support low carbon life-styles, climate change adaptation, and disaster risk reduction” and builds on the comparative strengths of United Nations Organizations including UNDP, UNICEF, UNOPS, UNFPA, UN WOMEN, WHO and FAO. The programme is innovative and represents a pioneering initiative of bringing together the wealth of diverse development-oriented expertise from these United Nations Organizations with equally diverse national and local partners to address this multi-faceted development challenge.

The programme will assist the Laamu Atoll and its islands to realize low emission and climate resilient development (LECReD). The programme seeks to mainstream LECReD issues into local level development planning and service delivery for greater community-level ownership and sustainability of programme benefits. Towards this objective, the programme will support local councils, civil society, private sector and other local stakeholders to establish platforms for stronger partnerships, improved coordination, and enhanced participation in local planning for LECReD; it will strengthen data and knowledge systems for LECReD; improve local level LECReD development planning and management of service delivery; and through a learning-by-doing approach establish early lessons and build demand for LECReD planning and management for replication and scaling-up.

The aim is that the local development plans will evolve from stand-alone action plans into more strategic and evidence-based instruments, which are climate smart and able to mobilize public and private investment. This programme will be closely linked to the existing national development planning cycle and will build capacity of local and national partners engaged in these local processes. The rationale being that lessons learned will be used to inform replication throughout the country and directly support the national agenda.

In pursuit of the core objective, the programme will achieve the following outputs:

Output 1: Partnership, coordination and participation platform for local LECReD planning and action is strengthened.

Output 2: Data and knowledge systems established or identified to support evidence-based planning and policy development for LECReD at the local level.

Output 3: Improved Local Level Planning and Management for LECReD.

Output 4: Practical local experience in LECReDs interventions leads to learning and promotes replication

Duties and Responsibilities

• Establish effective public and private sector coordination networks throughout Laamu;
• Provide community mobilisation support to all programme activities;
• Work with Programme Coordinating Unit (PCU), Participating UN Organisations (PUNOs), partners and others to assist in mobilising participation for all conferences, forums, workshops and meetings or other activities of the programme;
• Facilitate and support community monitoring activities, surveys, consultations and other stakeholder engagements;
• Establish detailed stakeholder and contacts database for all programme activities

Establish effective public and private sector coordination networks throughout Laamu;

• Build effective working relationships with the project’s key partners at the atoll level:  Atoll Council Office to ensure that project-inspired activities proceed with the full support and involvement of Atoll stakeholders; island council offices,    councilors’ and other island institutions/groups such as NGO/WDC; and  private sector including resort owners and managers and stakeholders like dive shop owners/Safari boats etc.
  
• Liasie and work  with the resort community  and other private sector partners to ensure that their activities/programs are integrated and  complementary with those of the LECRED programme;
•  Work with the Atoll and island communities to ensure that their atoll and island plans are integrated and complementary with those of the LECRED Programme;
•  Support to establishment of a Laamu Working Group.

• Ensure Programme activites are communicated to the community on a timely manner to ensure that their support is embedded in the programme;
• Plan and conduct monitoring visits to communicate programme progress and to get their ideas and buy-in to the LECRED programme in consultation with the M&E person;
• Prepare field/monitoring reports to the PCU .
  

Work with PCU, PUNOs, partners and others to assist in mobilising participation for all conferences, forums, workshops and meetings or other activities of the programme;

• Assist the PCU in organizing conferences and workshop ensuring representation of all stakeholders as relevant;
• Assist all programme partners with travel and other logistic arrangements in Laamu .
  

Facilitate and support community monitoring activities, surveys, consultations and other stakeholder engagements;

• Organize travel and meetings for the consultants/stakeholder conducting surveys and monitoring trips;
•  Provide necessary information and direction to such teams;
•  Take up functions as and when required by the PCU .
  

Establish detailed stakeholder and contacts database for all programme activities

• Develop and monitor a detail stakeholder list and contact list of all the prgramme related activities and instituions (WDC,CBO,Schools,resorts,Small businesses etc..) ;
  
• Provide updated list on quartely basis to the PCU.
  

Competencies

Functional Competencies:       

Support the preparation of information for advocacy

• Identifies relevant information for advocacy for a variety of audiences.

Results-Based Programme Development and Management -Contributing to results through provision of information

• Provides information and documentation on specific stages of projects/programme implementation.

Building Strategic Partnerships -Maintaining information and databases

• Analyzes general information and selects materials in support of partnership building initiatives.

Innovation and Marketing New Approaches -Implementing processes and uses products

• Documents and tracks innovative strategies/best practices/new approaches.

Resource Mobilization - Providing information for resource mobilization strategies

• Maintains information/databases on potential and actual donors;
• Maintains database of project files;
• Provides data and information needed for preparation of project documents.

Promoting Organizational Learning and Knowledge Sharing - Basic research and analysis

• Researches best practices and poses new, more effective ways of doing things.

Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise - Fundamental knowledge of processes, methods and procedures

• Understands the main processes and methods of work regarding to the position;
• Possesses basic knowledge of organizational policies and procedures relating to the position and applies them consistently in work tasks;
• Demonstrates good knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments.

Global Leadership and Advocacy for UNDP’s Goals - Research and analysis

• Identifies relevant information for advocacy for UNDP’s goals for a variety of audiences.

Client Orientation -  Maintains effective client relationships

• Reports to internal and external clients in a timely 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;
• Responds to client needs promptly.

Core Competencies:

• Demonstrating/safeguarding ethics and integrity ;
• Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment;
• Self-development, initiative-taking;
• Acting as a team player and facilitating team work;
• Facilitating and encouraging open communication in the team, communicating effectively;
• Creating synergies through self-control;
• Managing conflict;
• Learning and sharing knowledge and encourage the learning of others. Promoting learning and knowledge management/sharing is the responsibility of each staff member;
• Informed and transparent decision making.
  

Required Skills and Experience