Background

As part of the overall framework of UNDP Country Programme for Somalia, the Poverty Reduction and Environment Protection (PREP) programme responds directly to, and is consistent with, the guiding frameworks, strategies and plans at national and global levels. The programme is designed to have a medium to long-term development approach with capacity development of planning institutions, livelihoods improvement, economic recovery, private sector engagement, sustainable natural resources management, disaster risk reduction, building resilience to climate change and formulation of policies and legal frameworks central to all its interventions.

Somalia is among the world’s most vulnerable countries to climate change and climate variability, a situation aggravated by the interaction of multiple stresses, occurring at various levels, and coupled with a low adaptive capacity among the population. Somalia is also a party to all the major environmental conventions, including:  UN Convention on Biodiversity (CBD); Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety; Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES); Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS); UN Convention on Law of the Seas; Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by dumping Wastes and other matters; UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC); Kyoto Protocol to the UNFCCC; UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD); Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants; Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes; Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Consent Procedures for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade; and, Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete Ozone Layer.  However, the national level actions to meet the obligations under these conventions are negligible due to the capacity constraints and lack of resources to plan or implement integrated programmes in support of the global agreements. The global funding mechanisms linked to these conventions, the country has the opportunity to overcome funding constraints to address key environmental problems.

UNDP-Somalia under its programme Poverty Reduction and Environmental Protection (PREP) has been supporting the National/Regional Governments in Somalia to benefit from the Global Climate Financing. The National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA) in response to Climate Change for Somalia was completed in April 2013.  The NAPA was prepared by the Federal Government of Somalia with the support of UNDP. NAPA highlighted the priority actions for building the coping capacities of the institutions and communities against the negative impacts of climate change. As a follow-up of NAPA, UNDP and Government of Somalia has initiated a project on “Enhancing Climate Resilience of the Vulnerable Communities and Ecosystems in Somalia”. The project is funded by Global Environment Facility/ Least Developed Countries Climate Fund (GEF/LDCF) for the implementation of priority actions identified in NAPA.

Under the overall guidance of the Project Manager, and as a team member of the Climate Resilience Project, the Project Officer works closely with the UNDP Project Officers (POs) in ensuring overall administration for the project, provides oversight support to the PM with coordination of activities and maintaining a liaison with UNDP Country Office and relevant government and non-government organizations.

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of Key Functions:

• Ensuring strategic direction of project operations;
• Ensures effective and efficient financial resources management;
• Resource mobilization and efficient procurement and logistical services;
• Facilitation of knowledge building, climate technical inputs and knowledge sharing.

Ensures strategic direction of project operations focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Oversight and coordination of implementation of project activities;
• Assist in recruitment and supervision of technical and training expertise as required for implementation of the project;
• Developing and maintaining close linkages with relevant sectorial government agencies, UNDP, NGOs, civil society, international organisations and implementing partners of the project;
• Coordinating the establishment of its respective Regional Committee;
• Coordinating its respective Regional Committee in carrying out their duties at an optimum level through ensuring efficient and effective resource utilization.

Ensures effective and efficient financial resources management focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Coordinating inputs into annual results-based work plans, project budgets and logical frameworks as endorsed by the management;
• Coordinating inputs into all project reports as required (including Annual Project Reports, financial reports, Inception Report, Quarterly Reports and the Terminal Report).

Ensure Efficient advocacy, planning and programming, monitoring and evaluation and representation focusing of achievement of the following results:

• Formalizing any government, private institutions, academic institutions, NGOs/CBOs contractual agreements;
• Developing training materials, conducting workshops and preparing and disseminating materials such as briefing notes, fact sheets, presentations, guidelines for mainstreaming climate change into sectoral polices and climate risk screening tools;
• Reviewing quality and utility of existing data and outlining data requirements and analytical frameworks for risk and vulnerability analyses;
• Oversight of observational and measurement techniques to maintain the integrity and representativeness of short- and long-term databases to permit an accurate and unbiased evaluation of climate change.

Ensure proper facilitation of knowledge building, climate technical inputs and knowledge sharing focusing on achievement of the following results:

• Preparing climate data specifications and a data collection protocol;
• Assist technical experts in the preparation of future climate scenarios and their evaluation for planning purposes, including climate impact assessments and trade-off analyses;
• Support with the development of a National Climate Change Policy which will be used to streamline coordination of Climate Change / Disaster Risk Management related programmes/policies and to integrate cross-sectoral vulnerabilities, impacts and costs for adaptation;
• Ensure the NCC Policy includes information on investment, financial flow, cost-benefit and adaptation economic analysis of different medium- to long-term adaptation options to assess the burden of climate change on the public budget by conducting a Climate Public Expenditure and Institutional Review (CPEIR);
• Liaise with M&E Expert to prepare knowledge-exchange experiences (South-south co-operations) indicating which climate risk and vulnerability training opportunities should be exploited, both regionally and internationally. The CC Specialist will also be responsible for ensuring Somalia is represented in international and regional climate negotiations, conferences and events by government officials from each zone;
• Assist the Project Implementation Team (PIT) (acting as a Zonal Project Officer, See above) to draft climate resilient plans based on options analysis, and lessons from pilot implementation. Draw on national and international technical expertise for analysis.
• Help relevant authorities to commit to develop new innovative information mechanisms that promote climate change education and awareness;
• Working with high level government engagements on matters relating to climate change policy and legislation

Impact of Results:

The key results will have an impact on the overall success of the specific areas of cooperation under the UNDP country programme. In particular, the key results will have a direct impact on the effectiveness on the design, implementation and outcome of key project activities results.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

• Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP and GEF;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Treats all people fairly without favoritism.

Functional Competencies:

• Knowledge Management and Learning;
• Promotes knowledge management in project team and a learning environment in the office through leadership and personal example;
• Actively works towards continuing personal learning and development in one or more Practice Areas, acts on learning plan and applies newly acquired skills.

Development and Operational Effectiveness

• Ability to organize and coordinate results-oriented strategic and thematic evaluations. Knowledge and understanding of evaluation and development evaluation in particular;
• Good knowledge of current development issues particularly those pertinent to UNDP/GEF climate change practice areas.  Ability to conceptualize issues and analyze data;
• Good technical skills in measurement and evaluation, including grasp of methodological and operational dimensions and the ability to link corporate and country level issues;
• Ability to coordinate the work of the team;
• Good knowledge of Results Management Guide and Toolkit.

Management and Leadership

• Builds strong relationships with clients, focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to feedback;
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
• Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities;
• Leads teams effectively and shows mentoring as well as conflict resolution skills;
• Demonstrates strong oral and written communication skills.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Master’s degree preferably in Natural Resources, Climate Sciences, Agriculture, or related field with at least 2 years of relevant work experience;
• A first level university degree with 4 years of experience in development, natural resources management, climate change adaptation or mitigation may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• A broad background in the social sciences with detailed knowledge of the physical sciences, theory from the research community, and model-generated and monitored environmental data to answer specific institutional questions across various sectors (Agriculture, Livestock, Water, Finance, etc);
• Good understanding of Project Cycle Management;
• Ability to work with the government institutions, including environment, disaster management and planning institutions;
• Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages and experience in handling of web based management systems.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in oral and written English and Somali.