UNDP Jobs - 51681- Programme Specialist (Poverty Environment Initiati

Programme Specialist (Poverty Environment Initiative)

Location :

Nairobi, KENYA

Type of Contract :

FTA International

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

31-Dec-14 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

P-3

Duration of Initial Contract :

Languages Required :

English French

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

Organizational Context

The UNDP is the UN’s global development network, working in 177 countries and territories. The Poverty-Environment Initiative (PEI) of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is a joint global UN-led programme that supports country-led efforts to mainstream poverty-environment (P-E) linkages into national development policy, planning, and budgeting processes. PEI Africa, in close collaboration with UNDP Country Offices, is providing financial and technical assistance to 9 countries (Botswana, Burkina Faso, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Rwanda and Tanzania) through PEI country teams and the PEI Africa regional team in Nairobi. In addition, PEI Africa is providing periodic short-term technical assistance to additional African countries that request ad-hoc support for integrating pro-poor environmental sustainability in national development planning and budgeting process (e.g. Burundi, Mauritius and Uganda) and potentially other countries. Since 2005 PEI Africa support has contributed to the integration of P-E objectives and targets in 15 national policies and subnational development plans in 9 PEI Africa countries and in 22 sectoral policies and plans in 8 countries. Consequently 7 countries report on Environment and Natural Resource (ENR) linked socio-economic indices. Furthermore since 2007 6 countries report an increase in public resource allocation to P-E mainstreaming activities and processes. Additionally PEI Africa has successfully enhanced the P-E focus of 12 country UN Development Assistance Frameworks (UNDAF) and UNDP Country Action Plans in 8 countries.

Looking ahead, the PEI Africa Regional Strategy aims to enhance implementation of development policies, plans and budgets that combine environmental sustainability and poverty reduction to contribute towards inclusive green growth, MDGs and forthcoming sustainable development goals.

This will be achieved through three Outputs:

1) P-E approaches and tools for integrated development policies, plans and coordination mechanisms applied;
2) Cross-sectoral budget and expenditure processes, and environment-economic accounting systems institutionalized; and
3) P-E approaches and experiences documented and shared to inform country, regional and global development programming by the UN and Member States.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the overall responsibility of the PEI Africa Manager, and in close collaboration with the joint UNDP-UNEP PEI Africa team, plus the Poverty and Environment Facility, the UNDP Global policy center based in Nairobi, Kenya, the Programme Specialist will have the following responsibilities:

Functions / Key Results Expected

The Programme Manager’s role is to provide programmatic, operational and financial management support to the various programme areas under the Poverty and Environment Initiative team, including providing policy coherence between UNEP and UNDP regional offices, UNDP-UNEP regional specialists and UNDP Country Offices, and to coordinate with staff that will lead the Poverty and Environment, Green Economy, PAGE functions.

Result 1: Poverty-Environment linkages integrated in national (and sub-national) development policies, plan and budgets and implementation mechanisms generating results

As a country focal point, the Programme Specialist will support designated PEI Africa francophone country teams, staff of the ministries of planning, finance, environment and key sectors and UNDP COs, who are responsible for the successful implementation of PEI country projects and of targeted poverty-environment mainstreaming activities. .

Technical Guidance and advise to country teams/governments on:

Commissioning economic/social analysis of P-E linkages to inform national policy, planning and budgeting processes;
Providing technical support to strengthen cross-sectoral and intra-sectoral coordination for effective integrated planning and budgeting in support of integration of pro-poor environmental sustainability in economic development. In particular with regard to public sector budgeting processes (MTEF) and environment and climate expenditure tracking (expenditure reviews);
Strengthening public and public financing in support of environment and climate finance, including micro-finance;
Undertaking social and environmental assessments of extractives with a view of promoting private sector corporate social responsibility initiatives and public-private sector partnerships in support of environmental sustainability and poverty reduction.
Support country teams to convert strategic reports recommendation into policy briefs targeting key decision makers (parliamentarians, politicians, private sectors and civil society).

Project Management:

Monitoring country project’s progress towards intended PRODOC outputs and outcome through review of quarterly and annual progress reports, undertaking country monitoring and advisory missions, and applying PEI global monitoring systems;
Supporting country teams in the preparation of country Annual and Quarterly Work and Budgets Plans (AWP), in adherence with UNDP systems (e.g. Results-based management, ATLAS);
Supporting country teams to commission short-term consultants through preparation of terms of reference, review technical proposals and supporting in selection process;
Support Country teams and Government partners in country-level resource mobilization and delivery for PEI and related P-E mainstreaming programmes.

Result 2: Successful implementation of the PEI Africa Regional Implementation Strategy (2014 to 2017)

Working in close collaboration with the PEI Africa Regional Team, provide technical and management support to the in the following areas:

Providing guidance and technical support in public financial management for pro-poor environmental sustainability;
Leading on influencing private sector’s corporate social responsibility, especially in the area of extractives and contribution to PEI work at regional and county level;
Serve as focal point for collaboration with institutional partners engaged in national and sub-national level inclusive green economy (e.g. PAGE, Green Economy,SCP), environmental financing, e.g. UNCDF and climate change adaptation;
Contributing to PEI Africa reporting and knowledge management products, with particular emphasis on results-based reporting, documenting lessons learned and best practice;
Acting as the UNDP focal point for PEI Africa in terms of UNDP ATLAS financial and project management requirements and financial approvals;
Providing active support for the delivery of the regional work plan and give substantial inputs to the development of the annual regional work plan and budget.

Result 3: P-E mainstreaming integrated in the UN system (e.g. UNDP Regional Bureau for Africa (RBA) and Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS)

Lead on partnerships with UNDP Regional Bureau for Africa Regional Resource Centre (Addis Ababa), BPPS and UNDP Global Policy centers (e.g. Dakar, Nairobi, Rio, Istanbul and Seoul) on integrating P-E mainstreaming in regional and national programmes, with particular

Emphasis on environmental finance, green Economy, as well as development banks and regional economic commission in the region;
Support the coordination and partnership with UNEP and other UN relevant programs.

Impact of Results

As a result of the work in the areas mentioned, multiple capacities will be enhanced.

PEI Country programmes successfully implemented in accordance with their respective PRODOCs;
PEI Africa Regional Implementation Strategy successfully implemented, with particular reference to PEI francophone countries, with achievements and experiences communicated and shared within PEI Africa and beyond.

P-E mainstreaming integration achieved in UNDP RSC Addis Ababa and BPPS and UNEP.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’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;
Treats all people fairly without favoritism.

Functional Competencies:

Ability to make decisions that align with strategy, vision, and mission;
Ability to manage programmes and projects with a strategy aimed at improved performance and demonstrable results
Knowledge of methodologies, tools, systems and apply practical experience in planning, monitoring, evaluating and reporting and ability to apply to practical situations;
Knowledge of public and private finance management and identify and develop relevant tools and approaches to support Environmental finance, and Poverty and Environment and apply to strategic and/or practical situation;
Ability to identify and prioritize risks, and organize action around mitigating them;
Ability to perform administrative and procedural activities to insure that quality requirements and goals are fulfilled;
Ability to plan, organize, and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals;
Ability to set goals and indicators and to interpret and synthesize results into usable information to inform policy, strategy, and/or action;
Excellent communication skills with ability to express ideas clearly, concisely and effectively, orally and in writing.

Knowledge Management and Learning:

Promotes knowledge management in UNDP and a learning environment in the office through leadership and personal example;
Seeks and applies knowledge, information, and best practices from within and outside of UNDP.

Leadership and Self-Management:

Focuses on result for the client and responds positively to feedback;
Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
Good team player, self starter, has ability to work under minimum supervision and maintain good relationships;
Strong pro-active leadership skills, including strong interpersonal skills with ability to multi-task and maintain effective work relationships in a multi-cultural environment.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Master’s Degree in economics, international development, development studies, political economy, public policy or a related field.

Experience:

Minimum 5 years work experience in related fields such as integrating ENR sustainability in poverty reduction strategies and budgets, private sector investment on ENR in developing countries, preferably in Africa;
Strong experience on public finance management preferably in Africa (budget and expenditures processes preferably with ministries of finance and planning;
Preferably strong experience with multi-dimensional poverty indicators, Poverty Environment Indicators, corporate social responsibilities mechanisms, microfinance and private investment on ENR especially in strategic sector such as extractives and agriculture);
Good understanding of international experience and best practices in the mainstreaming of cross-cutting issues into national development policy, planning and budgeting processes;
Demonstrated experience in undertaking and commissioning poverty and social impact assessment, assessments, including gender elements, and incorporation of poverty reduction in programmes and projects;
A proven policy, advisory and advocacy experience and track record of engagement with government, United Nations and donors, in particular with regarding to generating evidence;
Substantive and proven experience with results-based programme and project management, and preferably trained in results-based management;
Experience with institutional capacity building initiatives in Africa;
Experience of working with UN systems and/or other development partners would be an added advantage.

Language:

Fluency in spoken and written French required;
Very good command of spoken and written English required.