UNDP Jobs - 53911- Policy Advisor, Climate and Disaster

Policy Advisor, Climate and Disaster

Location :

New York, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Type of Contract :

FTA International

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

04-Mar-15 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

P-5

Duration of Initial Contract :

Languages Required :

English

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

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.

Reporting to the Chief of Profession, CDT based in Headquarters, leads the collaborative process of policy development in the thematic area of Climate Change, Disaster Reduction and Recovery, and Energy S/he works with teams across UNDP’s Regional Hubs, Country Offices and Global Policy Centers, overseeing the development of substantive approaches, products and tools in the area of specialization to support policy and programming services to UNDP Country Offices. This guidance is informed by the empirical perspectives of programmatic and partnership dimensions at the country level. The Policy Advisor advances results, the credibility and recognition of the organization’s policies and programmes in this thematic area.

S/he is responsible for leading the following:

Policy Formulation, Coherence and Coordination;
Policy Advice and Programme Support Delivery;
Management and Resource Mobilization;
Partnerships, Representation and Advocacy;
Knowledge Management

Duties and Responsibilities

Policy and Programme Integration and Coherence:

Leads the development of an integrated programming framework that brings together the following thematic areas -- climate change, disaster reduction and recovery, and energy – and develop linkages with other UNDP thematic areas to maximize synergies, optimize results on the ground, and promote a coherent approach to UNDP work;
In partnership with global thematic leads on climate change, disaster reduction and recovery, and energy leads the development of a global programme in line with the integrated programming framework;
Supports the development of integrated programmes – across climate change, disaster reduction and recovery,
and energy themes -- at the regional and national levels in collaboration with regional team leaders;
In support of the integrated programming framework, articulates an integrated package of support for UNDP programme countries in different development and risk contexts; and
Develops a coherent narrative on UNDP’s integrated approach to climate change, disaster reduction and recovery, and energy and help project this narrative to external audiences including bilateral donors, other UN agencies and multi-lateral financial institutions;
Coordinates the production of relevant policy guidance, analysis, tools and knowledge products to support an integrated approach, in collaboration with the global thematic leads on climate change, disaster reduction and recovery, and energy, UNDP Regional Bureaux, other UN bodies, Multilateral Development Banks and other relevant partners; and
Guides the quality assurance of CDT policy services and foster policy innovation to enhance systematic integration across the three thematic areas.

Programme Support Delivery:

Leads CDT in its engagement on the Annual Business Plan (ABP), BPPS Integrated Work Plan (IWP) and CDTs Annual Work Planning;
Leads monitoring and evaluation of CDT’s work, particularly against the integrated programming framework
Guides and provides inputs to teams in Regional Hubs in their provision of integrated technical policy advice and programme support that responds to the needs of UNDP COs including development of institutional, policy and budgetary frameworks, mainstreaming and capacity development;
Leads CDT’s work with the Development Impact Group (DIG) to ensure that the notion of risk-informed development is fully integrated in UNDP’s corporate programming i.e. all the development interventions of UNDP are informed by climate change and disaster risk considerations;
Guides the team in using integrated multi-disciplinary approaches, including through Development Solutions Teams (DSTs), to meet policy and programming needs in line with corporate guidance and standards;
Liaises with National Disaster Reduction Advisors as well as Boots on the Ground Advisors to ensure that technical support provided by them to the UNDP Country Offices aligns with the integrated programming framework to the extent feasible in different country contexts; and
Liaises with the CRU to ensure a rapid and well-coordinated response to crisis situations and provide related contributions to UNDP SURGE for country offices.

Overall Management:

Oversees the preparation of CDT funding proposals, donor briefings and presentations particularly in relation to integrated programmes;
Manages programme support for climate change, disaster reduction and recovery, and energy by ensuring that adequate systems are in place to monitor the status of support, together with associated budgets and expenditures;
Engages in negotiations with counterparts in multilateral and bilateral agencies to project UNDP experience, expertise and comparative advantage in promoting an integrated approach to climate change, disaster reduction and recovery, and energy; and
Establishes and maintains professional working relationships and contributes to team-building, by promoting consistent and constructive communication, open information sharing, and coordination among all staff.

Partnerships, Representation and Advocacy:

Represents BPPS/UNDP and engage in UN inter-agency coordination and international meetings other fora with a view to develop partnerships and advance UNDP’s strategic agenda; and
Provides high-level technical advice to support UNDP’s contribution to key global policy processes (e.g. Conference of Parties to UNFCCC, other UNFCCC meetings, post-2015 development agenda, post-2015 framework for DRR, World Humanitarian Summit, Sustainable Energy for All).

Knowledge Management:

Oversees the knowledge extraction, analysis, documentation, codification of results/lessons learned and UNDP corporate training in relation to integration between climate change, disaster reduction and recovery, and energy;
Develops tools, guidance, resources and other knowledge products to support UNDP work on integration between climate change, disaster reduction and recovery, and energy.

Competencies

Core Competencies:

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 Competencies:

Primary:

Climate Change (General):

Knowledge of climate change Including climate change international regime) and ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations.

Risk Management:

Ability to identify and prioritize risks, and organize action around mitigating them.

Disaster Risk Reduction:

Knowledge of DRR concepts, global policy frameworks and principles and ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations.

Representation:

Conceives of and transforms strategies to better position UNDP to act and deliver.

Resource Mobilization:

Ability to identify and organize programmes and projects to implement solutions and generate resources.

Partnerships:

Ability to engage with other agencies and forge productive working relationships.

Secondary:

Trends and emerging areas analytics:

Ability to scan the horizon and identify approaches and initiatives to bring into policy and programme design.

Advocacy:

Ability to advocate a point of view and influence others.

Knowledge Management:

Ability to efficiently handle and share information and knowledge.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in Natural Sciences, Environmental Studies, economics, business administration, social sciences or related disciplines.

Experience:

10 years of professional work experience leading teams, managing development programmes and/or providing policy advice and pioneering approaches in the area of Climate Change and Disaster Resilience, at the international level;
Demonstrated ability to engage with global policy processes such as climate negotiations, sustainable development goals and post-2015 framework for disaster risk reduction;
In-depth experience of working on policy and programme development and implementation related to climate change and disaster resilience in at least one of the major regions of the world;
Demonstrated ability to mobilize professional networks across regional and international organizations, academia, and civil society organizations to support policy development work in the areas of climate change and disaster risk reduction;
Demonstrated ability to work in multi-disciplinary teams along with ability to nurture talent in relevant thematic areas;
Knowledge and experience of UNDP and UN system policies and programming. Experience in developing country settings is required and experience in crisis contexts is an asset.

Language:

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