UNDP Jobs - 54843- Programme Officer-Switch Africa Green

Programme Officer-Switch Africa Green - (Open to South African Nationals Only)

Location :

Pretoria, SOUTH AFRICA

Type of Contract :

FTA Local

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

12-Apr-15 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

NO-B

Duration of Initial Contract :

1 Year

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 South Africa-United Nations Strategic Cooperation Framework (SCF) 2013-2017 is the overall framework for the work of the UN System in South Africa. The SCF has been developed in a participatory and consultative process, coordinated by the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) and the UN Country Team (UNCT). The overall goal of the SCF is Eradicating Poverty and Reducing Inequality. The SCF is a flexible framework to allow the UN to support the Government of South Africa in the preparation and response to emerging issues (e.g. disaster-risk reduction, climate change) in an evolving middle-income context of South Africa. The UNSCF identifies four pillars of UN cooperation within South Africa:

Inclusive growth and decent work;
Sustainable development;
Human capabilities;
Governance and participation.

The framework will focus on a few broad outcome areas, among which is the “Green Economy”.

In support to this, UNEP, with financial support from the European Union and in collaboration with UNDP, UNOPS and other regional and national partners, is implementing SWITCH Africa Green project. The overall objective of SWITCH Africa Green is to support 6 countries in Africa (Burkina Faso, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, South Africa and Uganda) to achieve sustainable development by engaging in transition towards an inclusive green economy, based on sustainable consumption and production (SCP) patterns, while generating growth, creating decent jobs and reducing poverty. The objective will be achieved primarily through support to private sector led inclusive green growth. The project period is 2014-2017.

The specific objective is to support the development of green businesses and eco-entrepreneurship and use of SCP practices by having in place (i) Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (M&SMEs) and business service providers that are better equipped to seize opportunities for green business development, ii) better informed public and private consumers, and (iii) enabling conditions in form of clear policies, sound regulatory frameworks, incentives structures, tax, other fiscal and market-based instruments influencing key sector(s) in the 6 African countries.

The SWITCH Africa Green project will combine work at the micro and macro-levels, providing targeted support to green private sector development initiatives. M&SMEs will be supported through intermediary business organisations that facilitate changes in practices and choices by producers and consumers. The project will also focus on policies, which influence investment choices. The project will seek to link on-going bilateral projects and programmes supported by the EU and its Member States, which support green business development and SCP practices, and will build on experience in other similar EU-funded projects such as SWITCH Asia and SWITCH Med.

The project has three main components: i) Policy support for each pilot country which will build on and scale up activities to strengthen institutions and appropriate tools and instruments; ii) Green Business development to enable Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (M&SMEs) to start and develop resource efficient and green business based on sustainable production practices; and iii) Networking Facility to enable dissemination of lessons learned from the project.

The Department of Environmental Affairs will be responsible for the overall implementation and coordination of the project. Major stakeholders, including the Departments of Trade and Industry, Department of Economic Development, Department of Tourism, Department of Small Business Development, Department of Agriculture, and the South Africa National Cleaner Production Centre will all be part of the National Technical Coordination Committee (NTCC). Also represented on the committee will be the private sector, the EU Delegation to the Republic of South Africa, and the UNCT.

The Technical Advisor will operate under the overall supervision of the United Nations Resident Coordinator (RC) in South Africa, who chairs the United Nations Country Team (UNCT). On a daily basis, the National Coordinator will work under the direct guidance of the Sustainable Development SCF Results Group Chair in close consultation with the Environment and Energy unit in the UNDP Country Office and relevant staff in UNEP, with a strong matrix management line to the Regional Project Coordinators at the UNDP Regional Service Centre in Addis Ababa, the UNEP Regional Office for Africa in Nairobi, and the UNOPS Africa Regional Office in Nairobi.

Duties and Responsibilities

Supporting the launch and management of the inception phase of the project:

Support the establishment of a national roundtable with relevant government ministries, private enterprises and investors, relevant business intermediaries, experts, civil society and relevant development partners to better define the necessary outputs of the project in the national context;
Support the establishment of the National Technical Coordination Committee (NTCC) and serve as its secretary. The NTCC will be established to guide implementation of the project. The EU Delegation in the country will be involved from the onset, and will be a member of the NTCC;
Support the development of a ‘Country Implementation Report’ detailing: management structure for SWITCH Africa Green at the national level; composition of the NTCC; national level delivery plan and log frame;
Support the development of a ‘Country Inception Report’ covering the results of policy support analytical work, i.e. analysis of focal areas, existing policies, regulations, review of business environment and green business opportunities.

Coordinating UN and development partners inputs into the Programme:

Provide information on the project to all relevant partners and stakeholders;
Respect of visibility guidance provided by the EU in its Communication and Visibility Manual;
Link directly to the government focal points and the NTCC;
Provide a detailed description of focal areas/activities through consultations at national level/national coordinators, and of the key stakeholders in the public and private sector and civil society that should be engaged;
Support the organization of national and local training to be carried out under the project;
Support in conducting thorough analysis and research of the political, social and economic issues impacting the transformation towards an inclusive green economy in South Africa;
Support in mapping out UNCT activities in South Africa that are related to green economy transformation, as well as mapping out of the relevant technical resources available within the UNCT;
Facilitate synergy and coordination of the implementation of the SWITCH Africa Green project with on-going UN programmes and activities, building on existing collaborative projects and working closely with UN Country Teams under the leadership of the UN Resident Coordinator;
Explore, identify and develop opportunities for expanding UN Green economy projects and programmes.

Providing policy and research support:

Identification of sources of information related to policy-driven issues;
In collaboration with the Government and other strategic partners, contribute to: inventory of existing policies, regulations, standards and instruments and mapping of gaps; assessment of the business environment in focused sectors and identification of capacity building needs; review of green investment opportunities in the selected sectors;
Review or initiate green economy scoping studies;
Support in identification of green economy opportunities for new UN engagement and share these with UNCT members for consideration and support development of new UN initiatives.

Monitoring and risk management of grants:

In support of the green business development component, and in close collaboration with the UNEP-UNDP-UNOPS Regional Project Coordinators, support the preparation of the call for proposals (e.g. drafting of guidelines for grant applicants) and the review of proposals (e.g. assessment of formal requirements and physical verification of grant applicants);
Effective application of Results Based Management tools, establishment of management targets and monitoring achievement of results;
Financial and substantive monitoring and evaluation of the grants, identification of operational and financial problems, development of effective and efficient solutions;
Constant monitoring and analysis of the grant implementation as per the monitoring framework to be provided by UNOPS.
Prepare and submit grant monitoring reports (quarterly and annual) to the UNEP-UNDP-UNOPS Regional Project Coordinators, and the NTCC, as per the requirements of the project;
Prepare and submit progress reports to the UNEP-UNDP-UNOPS Regional Project Coordinators, and the NTCC, as per the requirements of the project.

Facilitating knowledge generation and management:

Identification of sources of information related to policy-driven issues;
Identification and synthesis of best practices and lessons learned directly linked to grant implementation, building on other countries experiences;
Promote knowledge management, document best practices and lessons learned from project implementation, and facilitate dissemination in appropriate format to relevant stakeholders;
Support capacity enhancement through knowledge sharing among key stakeholders;
Liaise with advocacy networks at national level and regional networks (ARCSP and RECP-net);
Contribute to knowledge networks and communities of practice as appropriate.

Competencies

Excellent conceptual, analytical, and critical thinking;
Strong good communication skills, both oral and written, including the ability to write clearly and concisely on technical, socio-economic and financial issues. Proven ability to analyse and communicate complex information at a simpler level to a wide audience;
Demonstrated ability to efficiently and effectively manage complex issues with partners in the public and private sectors;
Proven ability to think strategically, including the ability to think beyond the country context and to act within a regional and global framework;
Excellent organisation, problem-solving, teamwork and coordination skills and strong ability to manage demanding and complex programmes;
Ability to establish effective working relations with people of different national and cultural backgrounds;
Excellent knowledge of the public and private sectors of South Africa;
Ability to work under pressure and to meet deadlines;
Commitment to the values of the United Nations.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Master’s Degree in Sustainable Development, Economics, Natural Sciences or other relevant field.

Experience:

A minimum of two years professional experience and in project management in Green Economy related areas such as, but not limited to, energy and resource efficiency, manufacturing, tourism, sustainable agriculture and fisheries, waste management, etc.;
Proven experience in multi-stakeholder coordination;
Proven experience in research and design of research methodologies.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in spoken and written English;
French is an advantage.

Nationality:

Must be a national of the Republic of South Africa.