UNDP Jobs - 55106- Gender and Climate Finance Consultant

Gender and Climate Finance Consultant - English

Location :

Home Based with possibility of New York-based meetings

Type of Contract :

Individual Contract

Starting Date :

15-Apr-2015

Application Deadline :

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

Post Level :

International Consultant

Duration of Initial Contract :

Up to 90 days

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

30 December 2015

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 Gender Team of the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) is the institutional anchor of UNDP’s work on gender equality and women’s empowerment. As the UN’s lead development agency, with extensive field presence, UNDP facilitates the integration of gender equality in the work of its Country Offices through core and non-core fund investments and has initiated and implemented numerous innovative initiatives that support program county work on gender equality and women’s empowerment. UNDP's work on gender is guided by the Beijing Platform for Action (BPFA), Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the frameworks provided by the Millennium Declaration and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The UNDP Gender Team works to implement gender equality as a core objective of UNDP through a two-pronged approach (i) mainstreaming gender in all core practices; and, (ii) dedicated interventions that empower women and promote gender equality.

The Gender Team is at the forefront of UNDP's commitment to gender equality and women's empowerment and is part of the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) which provides policy advice and technical support to all of UNDP’s operations.

In order to advance UNDP’s mandate on gender equality and women’s empowerment, UNDP has a Corporate Gender Equality Strategy (GES) 2014-2017 which outlines in detail how UNDP will work towards gender equality in each of the goals and key results set out in the UNDP Strategic Plan 2014-2017.

As part of these efforts, UNDP is implementing a project on “Global Gender Responsive Climate Change”. This project has been running since 2008 and has succeeded in shifting the gender and climate change paradigm. Through a coordinated partnership approach with other key organizations, they have ensured that gender equality principles are part of the discussions in the outcome documents of UNFCCC negotiations, as well as in the operations of major climate funds.

UNDP has followed a dual approach to its gender and climate finance work at the global and national level. Over recent years, UNDP has led efforts to promote the gender responsiveness of the Adaptation Fund and Climate Investment Funds, and has worked successfully to integrate gender equality principles into the governance and operational guidelines of the Funds. Since 2011, UNDP has also been focused on the design of the Green Climate Fund, and in advocacy and capacity building efforts to help guide the operationalization of the gender equality commitments made within its Governing Instrument. UNDP, in collaboration with the GGCA, has helped build pools of national gender and climate experts and works to help facilitate these experts’ work to prepare fund proposals and to engage in national consultations that give voice to women. In this way, UNDP is ensuring that women’s needs and contributions inform policies and programmes supported by the major climate funds.

To support UNDP’s work in these areas of gender equality, climate change, and climate finance, UNDP is now looking to retain the services of a gender and climate change consultant to 1) support UNDP in implementing its international and regional work under the fourth phase of the GGCA UNDP project; 2) facilitate continued integration of gender equality and women’s empowerment principles into major public climate finance mechanisms; and 3) contribute to the generation of new knowledge on gender, climate change and climate finance.

The project is made possible mainly through contributions of the government of Finland to the UNDP Gender Thematic Trust Fund. Current funding is entering its fourth phase in 2014 and will continue through 2016.This umbrella programme is one of the main programming vehicles for the Global Gender and Climate Alliance (GGCA).

Duties and Responsibilities

The consultant will be responsible for the following deliverables up-to December 2015:

Deliverable 1: Provide technical support to UNDP in implementing its international and regional work under the fourth phase of the GGCA UNDP Project “Global Gender Responsive Climate Change” in climate finance (April – July, 2015):

Identify and systematize relevant examples of UNDP’s work in gender and climate finance at the national/subnational level in all the regions and analyze best practices;
Facilitate knowledge sharing on gender and climate finance and develop at least two knowledge products to build capacity and raise awareness at the regional and country level;
Support in organizing key technical events on gender and climate finance.

Deliverable 2: Prepare advocacy plans and tools to support activities to integrate gender considerations into the Green Climate Fund (GCF) (April - October, 2015):

Track developments with the GCF to identify entry points on where gender considerations can be strengthened within GCF policies and programming;
Support UNDP’s work with the GGCA and colleagues in the Collective Working Group on Gender and Climate Finance on advocacy and capacity building efforts and messaging to help promote the operationalization of a gender sensitive approach within the GCF;
Draft gender advocacy briefs and fact sheets that provide priority actions and recommendations of how to achieve a gender sensitive approach around the relevant and current GCF Board meeting discussions, decisions, as well as on policy and programming efforts.

Deliverable 3: Provide guidance, technical input on and establish linkages with other major public climate finance mechanisms to help increase the gender sensitivity of their policies and programming. Track developments with other major public climate finance mechanisms, including the Climate Investment Funds (CIF), Global Environment Facility (GEF) and Adaptation Fund, to identify entry points on where gender considerations can be strengthened (May – November, 2015):

Support UNDP’s work with GGCA, and colleagues in the Collective Working Group on Gender and Climate Finance on advocacy, capacity building efforts and messaging to help promote that these major public climate finance mechanisms effectively integrate gender equality and women’s empowerment considerations into their policies and programming;
Provide technical support to UNDP on leading efforts to help ensure gender considerations are effectively incorporated into climate finance mechanisms, their modalities, and the larger global climate finance structure.

Deliverable 4: Provide support and input into generation of new knowledge on gender, climate change and climate finance as well as on gender and climate change training, research and advocacy products (June - December, 2015):

Update, and revise as necessary, UNDP’s policy brief series on “Exploring the Gender Dimensions of Climate Finance Mechanisms”, such as the targeted briefs on the Adaptation Fund and CIF;
Provide guidance and technical support to UNDP in developing and preparing a study on the GGCA’s contribution to gender equality, women’s rights and empowerment, which will include documentation on good practices and lessons learned.

Competencies

Demonstrate excellent and effective written skills;
Ability to manage multiple tasks, set deadlines and plan work independently;
Set clear priorities and be able to meet key deadlines under pressure;
Ability to synthesize and summarize complex information;
Be a good team player;
Display cultural, gender and political sensitivity in the workplace.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Master’s degree in gender, environment or other related area.

Experience:

At least 5 years of experience in environment, development, gender or other relevant field;
Prior experience conducting research and analysis in the area of climate change;
Demonstrated knowledge with the Adaptation Fund, Climate Investment Funds, Green Climate Fund and/or other climate finance mechanisms;
Understanding of the links between sustainable development and gender issues;
Understanding of UNDP programme/project management procedures is an asset;
Prior experience coordinating development initiatives with a range of multilateral, bilateral, and civil society partners is an asset;
Experience drafting UN reports, presentations, and other products is an asset;
Experience in producing reports in English.

Language:

Fluent in English.