UNDP Jobs - 57935- Technical Specialist - Poverty and Environment Ini

Technical Specialist - Poverty and Environment Initiative (PEI)

Location :

Kigali, RWANDA

Type of Contract :

FTA International

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

02-Aug-15 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

P-4

Duration of Initial Contract :

One 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 economy of Rwanda is substantively dependent on natural resources such as land and water. Therefore the sustainable management of these resources is necessary to maintain or increase the economic benefits generated from these resources. Thus, the Government of Rwanda has taken a number of policy and programme initiatives to ensure the country’s improved management of the environment and natural resources (ENR) sector.

This includes the successful Government of Rwanda - UNDP/UNEP supported Poverty and Environment Initiative (PEI) Rwanda Project. The aims to increase the contribution of environment and natural resources to national development goals, including poverty reduction, sustainable economic growth and the broader achievement of MDGs.

The PEI Programme in Rwanda was first launched in December 2005 and led to significant improvement in the inclusion of environmental and natural resources (ENR) sustainability objectives in Rwanda’s Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy I and II. The next phase of PEI Rwanda runs from January 2014 to June 2017 and will focus on supporting the GoR to implement sustainable ENR objectives in EDPRS II in sector and district plans and budgets, with an improved focus on achieving sustained increases in in budgetary and donor allocations for pro-poor sustainable economic growth.

The post will be based in the Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) and will be under the direct supervision of the Director-General of REMA, in close co-operation with the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (MINECOFIN) and under the overall supervision of the UNDP Country Office and PEI Africa. The International Technical Advisor (ITA) will be responsible for the provision of guidance and technical advice for the implementation of the programme 2014-2017. The objective is to ensure implementation consistent with the PEI Rwanda project document, international good practice for poverty-environment mainstreaming and to build durable p-e mainstreaming capacity in Rwanda, plus timely and results focused.

The UNDP-UNEP supported Poverty-Environment Initiative (PEI) Rwanda programme is seeking an international technical advisor to provide guidance and technical advice for the implementation of the programme 2014-2017. (Initial one year renewable contract).

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of key functions:

Provide technical advisory support to ensure that the project implementation is consistent with the PEI Rwanda project document with a prime objective to implement poverty-environment objectives in sector and district plans and budgets;
Provide substantive technical advisory support to MINECOFIN for institutional capacity development to improve budgetary and other investment allocations for the implementation of poverty-environment objectives, particularly as reflected in EDPRS II;
Ensure poverty elements of poverty-environment mainstreaming are better reflected in the implementation of the PEI Rwanda, including to ensure inclusion of climate change and poverty-gender impacts;
Participate effectively in Sector Working Group and Thematic Working Groups to enhance the implementation of poverty-environment objectives across UN Agencies;
Support REMA and the government for the successful implementation of the Green Economy component of EDPRS.

Provide pro-active technical advisory support to ensure that the project implementation is consistent with the PEI Rwanda project document with a prime objective to implement poverty-environment objectives in sector and district plans and budgets.

Provide pro-active technical advisory support consistent with poverty-environment mainstreaming best practice, with a strong focus on the use of ENR to reduce poverty, particularly gender related poverty;
Improve the effectiveness of the PEI Rwanda implementation through quality control and advice for the best use of PEI resources & achievements;
Provide support to the project team in strategic planning, preparation and execution of work plans and budgets and the improvement of procurement process;
Lead on the technical design of activities - including methodology - and for the preparation of Terms of Reference for consultancies, plus lead in the assessment of consultancy application;
Lead in the technical review of consultancy and other outputs;
Engage with relevant sectors to accelerate implementation of p-e objectives at sector and district level. Engagement to include in government and donor sector working groups;
Provide support for improving cross-sector co-ordinate mechanisms relevant to p-e mainstreaming;
Provide technical p-e capacity building support for key sector Ministries (MINERENA, REMA, MINAGRI, MININFRA, MINICOM, MINALOC, plus with the Private Sector, NGOs and CBOs and other national bodies;
Support results-based M&E to comply with Government, UNDP CO and PEI Africa M&E requirements to track progress and demonstrate results;
Improve co-operation with UNDP CO staff including the UNDP economists and poverty related staff plus with other UNDP advisors to support to broader and deepen the inclusion of p-e issues in other UNDP supported programmes and projects;
Support the project team in the preparation of quarterly and annual work plans/budget plans and provide required technical support for their implementation;
Prepare an annual lessons learning report.

Provide substantive technical advisory support to MINECOFIN to improve budgetary and other investment allocations for the implementation of poverty-environment objectives, particularly as reflected in EDPRS II.

Support strengthening capacity of MINECOFIN to integrate pro-poor ENR sustainability and climate change resilience in planning, budgeting and national monitoring systems;
Support the inclusion of p-e objectives in all steps of the annual and medium-term budgeting processes;
Support development and implementation of pro-poor sustainable investment frameworks for ENR and CC, including FONERWA;

Support the design of specific assessments of proposals to increase MINECOFIN allocations for pro-poor CC and ENR investments–for example CBA for scaling up the PEI Rwanda demonstration project;
Support enhanced national measures of GDP that better reflect ENR sector contribution to the national economy.

Ensure poverty elements of poverty-environment mainstreaming are better reflected in the implementation of the PEI Rwanda, including to ensure inclusion of climate change, poverty-gender impacts.

Ensure PEI Rwanda activity design includes a clear focus on poverty side of p-e mainstreaming, including gender elements;
Support enhanced inclusion of poverty assessment in MINECOFIN and other GOR planning, decision-making and M&E processes and tools, including through advice on multi-dimensional poverty indicators. (For example, in MINIECOFIN programme and project assessment manuals);
Support capacity building on inclusion of poverty assessments in sectors.

Participate effectively in Sector Working Group and Thematic Working Groups to enhance the implementation of poverty-environment objectives across UN Agencies..

Keep in-country donors fully briefed on PEI progress, pro-actively identify and pursue potential resource mobilization opportunities for p-e mainstreaming;
Participate, in co-ordination with UNDP CO, in Sector Working Groups and Thematic Working Groups. (E.g. Environment, Agriculture etc);
Interact with other UN agencies in Rwanda and provide technical inputs to the UN and Donor coordination mechanisms in support to the development and implementation of the United Nations Development Assistance Plan (UNDAP, 2013-2017);
Facilitate improved coordination of various UNDP and UNEP activities related to environment and natural resources management, green economy and climate change.

Support REMA and the government for the successful implementation of the Green Economy component of EDPRS.

Provide technical advisory support to the GoR to promote green investment, based, inter alia, on PEI lessons learnt ,including on:

The use of economic tools and approaches to implement GE;
Institutional mechanisms and processes to assist implementation of GE in Rwanda;
How poverty reduction can be adequately included as a priority in the design of GE implementation strategies and programmes;
Co-ordination between PEI and GE.

mpact of results

The key result will be the successful implementation of the PEI Rwanda 2014-2017 programme such that increased investment for implementation of poverty-environment together with longer term institutional capacity development has taken place at national, sector and district level.

Competencies

Core Competencies:

Demonstrating/safeguarding ethics and integrity;
Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment;
Self-development, initiative-taking;
Acting as a team player and facilitating team work;
Facilitating and encouraging open communication in the team, communicating effectively;
Creating synergies through self-control;
Managing conflict;
Learning and sharing knowledge and encourage the learning of others. Promoting learning and knowledge management/sharing is the responsibility of each staff member;
Informed and transparent decision making.

Functional Competencies:

Advocacy/Advancing A Policy-Oriented Agenda: Preparing information for advocacy

Identifies and communicates relevant information for a variety of audiences for advocating UNDP’s mandate.

Results-Based Programme Development and Management: Contributes into results through primary research and analysis:

Assesses project performance to identify success factors and incorporates best practices into project work;
Researches linkages across programme activities to identify critical points of integration;
Monitors specific stages of projects/programme implementation.

Building Strategic Partnerships : Maintaining a network of contacts

Maintains an established network of contacts for general information sharing and to remain up-to-date on partnership related issues;
Analyses and selects materials for strengthening strategic alliances with partners and stakeholders.

Innovation and Marketing New Approaches: Enhancing processes or products

Generates new ideas and proposes new, more effective ways of doing things.

Resource Mobilization : Providing inputs to resource mobilization strategies

Analyses information/databases on potential and actual donors

Promoting Organizational Learning and Knowledge Sharing: Basic research and analysis

Generates new ideas and approaches, researches best practices and proposes new, more effective ways of doing things.

Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise: Fundamental knowledge of own discipline

Understands and applies fundamental concepts and principles of a professional discipline or technical specialty relating to the position;
Possesses basic knowledge of organizational policies and procedures relating to the position and applies them consistently in work tasks;
Strives to keep job knowledge up-to-date through self-directed study and other means of learning;
Demonstrates good knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments;
Strong pro-active leadership skills, including strong interpersonal skills with ability to multi-task and maintain effective work relationships in a multi- cultural environment;
Excellent communication skills with ability to express ideas clearly, concisely and effectively, orally and in writing.

Global Leadership and Advocacy for UNDP’s Goals: Preparing information for global advocacy

Identifies and communicates relevant information for advocacy for UNDP’s goals for a variety of audiences.

Client Orientation: Establishing effective client relationships

Researches potential solutions to internal and external client needs and reports back in a timely, succinct and appropriate fashion;
Organizes and prioritizes work schedule to meet client needs and deadlines.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Masters degree in environmental, development, agricultural or natural resource economics; or
Doctorate degree in same fields as above would be desirable but not a requirement.

Experience:

Minimum 7 years work experience in related fields such as integrating environment and natural resource (ENR) sustainability in poverty reduction strategies and budgets in developing countries;
Good experience with developing country budget processes, preferably with Ministries of Finance;
Demonstrated competence in poverty assessments, including gender elements, and incorporation of poverty reduction in programmes and projects. Experience with multi-dimensional poverty indicators preferable;
Substantive and proven experience with programme and project design and management;
Experience with capacity building in developing countries;
Good understanding of the poverty-environment context in Rwanda and in Africa;
Good understanding of international experience and best practices in the mainstreaming of cross-cutting issues into national development processes including budgets;
Experience of working with UN systems and/or other development partners

Language requirements:

Fluent spoken and written English;
Fluency in French is an asset.