UNDP Jobs - 51964- Policy Specialist, Environmental Affairs

Policy Specialist, Environmental Affairs

Location :

New York, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Type of Contract :

FTA International

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

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

Post Level :

P-3

Duration of Initial Contract :

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

One year renewable

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

The Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance to support the results of UNDP’s Strategic Plan. BPPS’s staff provides technical advice to Country Offices; advocates for UNDP corporate messages, represents UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora including public-private dialogues, government and civil society dialogues, South-South and Triangular cooperation initiatives, and engages in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas. BPPS works closely with UNDP’s Crisis Response Unit (CRU) to support emergency and crisis response. BPPS ensures that issues of risk are fully integrated into UNDP’s development programmes. BPPS assists UNDP and partners to achieve higher quality development results through an integrated approach that links results based management and performance monitoring with more effective and new ways of working. BPPS supports UNDP and partners to be more innovative, knowledge and data driven including in its programme support efforts.

The Policy Specialist, Environmental Affairs based in HQ is responsible for conducting research and analysis to support of the team’s efforts to provide policy and programme advisory, advocacy, relationship building, and knowledge to the thematic area of natural capital and environmental affairs within the Bureau and UNDP as a whole. S/he assists to manage UNDP’s relations with UN organizations and multilateral environmental agreements (UNCBD/ UNCCD). S/he also works to ‘mainstream’ the management of ecosystems and biodiversity, land, forests and water and other renewable natural capital into the development agenda. This work includes a focus on UNDP’s collaboration with UNEP, fostering the partnership in the follow up to Rio+20 and around the post 2015 agenda and the SDGs. S/he collaborates with teams across UNDP’s Regional Hubs, Country Offices and Global Policy Centers, to support the provision of quality policy services and advance UNDP’s credibility in the thematic area. S/he will work through the Ecosystem and Biodiversity Technical Team and UNDP Water team at the regional level and in close collaboration with the vertical funds in delivering policy advice and programme support). S/he is responsible for performing and contributing to the following:

Policy Research and Development;
Policy Advice/ Programme and Project Delivery Support;
Policy Positioning and Representation;
Partnerships and Resource Mobilization;
Knowledge Management.

Duties and Responsibilities

Policy Research and Development

Contribute to development of guidance in the specific thematic area, and related tools for the implementation of global policy standards, including coordinating testing and rolling out of tools and methodologies;
Conduct analysis of data, case evidence and research findings to distill relevant lessons in support of policy and strategy development, in particular in relation to the work programmes of the MEAs;
Take part in the process of analyzing, improving and adapting policies for different contexts on key emerging policy agendas based on policy initiatives designed;
Take part in the process of analyzing, improving and adapting policies for different contexts on key emerging policy agendas which derive from the global environmental conventions and the Post 2015 sustainable development agenda;
Conduct data analysis and research to identify potential new research areas for commissioning including through the Global Policy Centers and focusing on demands and gaps at the country level;
Support UNDP’s contribution to the work of the UN inter-agency Environment Management Group and UN JIU (in relation to environmental concerns), including analysis and preparation of all relevant documents and inputs to the work of the EMG across all subject areas; and
Provide context input to support the quality assurance of policy services and foster policy innovation in the specific thematic area to enhance programme delivery.

Policy Advice/ Programme and Project Delivery Support

Support the policy teams in the Regional Hubs in preparing initial drafts of technical advice that responds to country office needs, including through the provision of capacity building and backstopping;
Support preparation and participation of UNDP senior management in the UN Environmental Assembly and major meetings of the MEAs (UNCBD, UNCCD, CITES), as well as the Policy Committee of the UN, OECD/ DAC/ Environment and other bodies;
Support senior management on work with DOCO to update and operationalize guidelines for mainstreaming of environment into CCAs and UNDAFs and contribute to the review of these documents to ensure the effective integration of environmental affairs into the planned programme of work at country level;
Prepare material as requested by supervisor to support the application of integrated multi-disciplinary approaches, including through Development Solutions Teams (DSTs), to meet policy and programming needs in line with corporate guidance and standards;
Provide support to roll out and application of relevant risk management tools across country typologies; and
Support the Team Leader and the Chief of Profession in liaising with the CRU to ensure a rapid and well-coordinated response to crisis and conflict situations and provide related contributions to UNDP SURGE for country offices.

Policy Positioning and Representation

Conduct research and analysis and draft materials to support mobilizing, fostering and strengthening strategic partnerships with UN entities (in particular the MEAs) and other relevant bodies;
Draft and aid the development of briefings and speeches, as applicable;
Prepare materials to aid in advocating the importance of the thematic area in various fora, including academia and civil society, with a view to deepen related political commitment and related reforms; and
Support team’s engagement in UN interagency coordination in relevant policy areas by providing research insight in specific thematic area.

Partnerships and Resource Mobilization

Undertake research to support Team Leader and Advisors in partnership building and resource mobilization, developing first drafts of papers and marketing materials, and participating in relevant external meetings, in line with the Bureau’s partnership and resource mobilization strategy;
Perform analysis and research to support the implementation of partnership strategies with UN and external partner institutions, including governments, private sector, academia, NGOs, and CSOs; and
Participate in relevant external meetings, including resource mobilization, partnership and advocacy activities with UN partners, permanent missions, and external stakeholders; and
Mobilize, foster and strengthen strategic partnerships with UN entities, in particular UNEP, and other relevant regional bodies and provide substantive inputs to those partnerships in support of UNDP initiatives.

Knowledge Management

Keep an up-to-date library of knowledge related to the thematic area , whether at the global, cross-regional or region-specific level to and proactively share documents with team members and respond to their specific requests for information; and
Contribute to the development and review of knowledge products in close coordination with HQ and Regional Hub teams by analyzing and sharing lessons learnt and programme evaluation results.

Competencies

Core:

Innovation

Ability to make new and useful ideas work.

Leadership

Ability to persuade others to follow.

People Management

Ability to improve performance and satisfaction.

Communication

Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform.

Delivery

Ability to get things done.

Technical/Functional:

Primary:

Global Environmental Governance

Knowledge conventions and MEAs (such as CBD and UNCCD) and ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations.

Sustainable Development

Knowledge of sustainable development concepts, principles and issues and the ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations, covering the economic, social and environmental dimensions

Research

Knowledge of various programme information for research to provide recommendation and guidance to management.

Partnerships

Ability to engage with other agencies, donors, and other development stakeholders and forge productive working relationships.

Knowledge Management

Ability to capture, develop, share and effectively use information and knowledge.

Biodiversity and Eco-systems Management

Knowledge of conservation, sustainable use and access and benefit sharing of biodiversity, land, forests and oceans and the ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations

Secondary:

Project and Programme Management

Ability to plan, organize, and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals

Report and Brief Writing

Ability to prepare quality reports and briefs.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in development economics, law, environmental sciences, social sciences or related disciplines.

Experience:

5 years of professional work experience providing policy advice and programme support in the general area of natural capital and environmental affairs in different development contexts;
Experience working in developing country settings is required and experience in crisis contexts is an asset.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in English, both written and oral. Working knowledge of another UN language is an asset.