Antecedentes

UNDP recognizes that the growing risks and impacts of climate change and the accompanying loss of ecosystem services requires the world to urgently invest in a new green development paradigm. Based in UNDP’s Bureau of Development Policy and its Environment and Energy Group, the UNDP/GEF unit helps developing countries make green, low emission and climate resilient development not only possible, but also economically attractive. To achieve this, it works closely with UNDP country offices to help countries develop and implement programmes and projects which advance their capacity to put in place the right mix of regulatory and financial incentives, remove institutional and policy barriers, and create enabling environments that attract and drive private sector investment into green development.

UNDP/GEF staff assist partner countries to develop and implement programmes and projects that combine and sequence resources from a wide range of global environment and climate funds, financial mechanisms, and instruments including, but not limited to: the GEF managed family of vertical funds such as the GEF Trust Fund, the Special Climate Change Fund, and the Least Developed Countries Fund; the Adaptation Fund; the Clean Development Mechanism, Joint Implementation, voluntary carbon markets and other innovative sources of carbon, climate, and ecosystem finance, as well as a variety of multilateral, bilateral, national, sub-national and private sector sources.

Staff are organized into thematic teams of technical specialists led by Principal or Senior Technical Advisors (PTAs/STAs). Each team leader supports, guides, and supervises a team of Region based Technical Advisors (RTAs) and Specialists (RTSs). RTAs and RTSs work in close collaboration with other technical specialists at both global and regional levels. While RTAs and RTSs have global responsibilities in their area of specialized technical expertise, they are deployed from Regional Service Centres, normally close to the countries to which they provide most support, and have a secondary line of reporting to the Regional Practice or Team Leaders on the countries they support.

The strategic objective of the Green Low Emission and Climate Resilient Development Strategies (GLECRDS) Team is to develop the capacity of national and sub-national Governments to conduct long-term integrated planning exercises to transition to green, low-emission and climate-resilient (LECR) development. To achieve this, the team focuses its efforts into the following signature programmes:

Supporting Integrated Climate Change Strategies:

• Supports national and sub-national governments (with focus on Ministries of Finance and planning bodies) to develop and strengthen policies, institutions, capacities and knowledge for integrated green, low-emission and climate resilient development (Green LECRD), and to make use of the full range of public and private financing mechanisms to support Green LECRD investment.

Advancing Cross-sectoral Climate Resilient Livelihoods:

• Supports climate resilient economic development and sustainable livelihoods, especially for vulnerable populations – the poor, women, and indigenous peoples. UNDP-GEF provides assistance to country-led efforts on climate change risk management in the context of food security, water resources, coastal zone development, public health, and climate change-related disaster risks.

Strengthening Climate Information and Early Warning Systems for Climate Resilient Development:

• Supports the development of climate information and Early Warning Systems (EWS) across a range of countries in Africa, Asia and the Pacific in order to help them respond to both short-term/rapid onset climatic hazards (e.g. cyclones, floods and storms), as well as long-term/slow onset hazards (e.g. drought and long-term climate change).

The RTS will be part of the UNDP-GEF team located in UNDP’s Asia Pacific Regional Centre in Bangkok, Thailand and supporting country offices in the Asia and Africa region. RTSs may be periodically redeployed, in accordance with capability, consent, and due process, to a different regional centre as needed.

Deberes y responsabilidades

The RTS for Green Low Emission and Climate Resilient Development Strategies is primarily responsible for providing high quality technical, policy, programming implementation support and oversight, and knowledge and capacity development services to UNDP country offices, and works with other UN agencies, governments and inter-governmental organizations, NGO’s, donors, the private sector and many others. Specific results are expected in the areas of:

Innovation, Strategic Leadership, Policy Dialogue and Advocacy: 

• Contributing to a strategic understanding of, and engagement with, the substantive technical issues, institutions, and processes within the region, including establishing contact and developing strategic partnerships with other agencies, donors, NGO’s, the private sector, scientific institutions and the like;
• Contributing to the development and implementation of UNDP’s global and regional strategies on low-emission, climate resilient development;
• Support the development of a portfolio of projects on green, low emission climate resilient development;
• Providing policy development support and guidance;
• Supporting the development of strategic UNDP policy position papers and internal briefing notes;
• Facilitating policy analysis and the development of technical tools and guidance;
• Maintain a trusted leadership role amongst the countries served;
• Keeping the Regional Practice/Team Leader and other RTAs serving the same countries informed of trends and issues with respect to the substantive technical area;
• Keeping the Principal/Senior Technical Advisors informed of trends and issues in the countries served.

Portfolio Management: 

• Manage and supervise portfolio of projects providing implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and capacity development support;
• Maintenance of programme/project and portfolio information and corporate information systems;
• Contribute to global, regional strategic planning, pipeline management events and exercises, etc.

Resource Mobilization:

• Supporting programme and project identification and development;
• Providing timely and quality information and technical advice on sources of funds, policies, priorities and activities;
• Identifying and suggesting to the PTA/STA priorities and entry-points for UNDP assistance;
• Facilitating the process of preparation, design, submission and approval of programme/project concepts and full-fledged proposals for financing;
• Providing guidance and support in the identification and sourcing of technical expertise and support including preparation and review of TORs , identification and evaluation of experts and reviewing outputs delivered by such experts;
• Liaising with potential financing agencies and institutions.

Development Impact:

• Provide guidance and leadership during inception, contracting and start-up of programmes/projects including establishment of indicators, benchmarks and work plans;
• Advise and guide UNDP country offices and programme/project implementation partners in supervision, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, troubleshooting and adaptive management.

Learning, Knowledge Management and Self Development:

• Evaluating, capturing, codifying, synthesizing lessons and stimulating the uptake of best practices and knowledge, including the development of knowledge materials;
• Peer reviewing, commenting on, and seeking to improve the technical quality of programmes/projects, policies, practices, guidelines, advisory notes, publications and the like;
• Contributing to the preparation of regional Community of Practice meetings;
• Preparing and delivering training courses;
• Responding to queries on programme/project progress, impacts and lessons;
• Developing and carrying out a personal learning plan (5%).

Impact of Results

The results of the work of the RTS impact on the standing and reputation of UNDP in all the countries served. Overall, the decisions taken by the RTS also impact: the relations and credibility of UNDP with government (civil society and donors); programme success or failure; the efficiency and effectiveness of resource allocations within UNDP. The RTS has regular contact with Country Office and national counterparts in monitoring UNDP climate resilient development programmes and projects. The RTS makes recommendations to the UNDP Resident Representative or Country Director on necessary courses of action in response to changes in the country context and new programme and resource mobilization opportunities. When requested, the RTS represents UNDP in international and national fora, liaises with external clients and a broad range of constituencies and UNDP counterparts in the Government, local and international media, civil society as well as counterparts from other international organizations. The RTS promotes good cooperation and coordination among programme and operations staff and between the Country Office and Government counterparts.

Competencias

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

Functional Competencies:

Development and Operational Effectiveness:

• Ability to contribute to strategic planning, change processes, results-based management and reporting;
• Ability to lead formulation, oversight of implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development projects;
• Ability to apply development theory to the specific country context to identify creative, practical approaches to overcome challenging situations;
• Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain strategic partnerships;
• Demonstrated facilitation and coordination skills;
• Demonstrated entrepreneurial abilities and ability to work in an independent manner;
• Demonstrates strong oral and written communication skills;
• Remains calm, in control and good humored even under pressure.

Knowledge Management and Learning:

• Promotes knowledge management in UNDP and a learning environment in the office;
• Knowledge of inter-disciplinary development issues;
• Actively works towards continuing personal learning and development in one or more Practice Areas, acts on learning plan and applies newly acquired skills;
• Seeks and applies knowledge, information, and best practices from within and outside of UNDP.

Client Orientation:

• Maintains 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;
• Proven leadership, team-building, communication, conflict resolution and organizational skills.

Technical Competencies:

• Ability to provide guidance on low-emission, climate resilient development with demonstrated expertise in low-emission technologies and strategies, and climate change risk management;
• Ability to guide the design and implementation of multi-sectoral and sectoral programmes and projects at different scales;
• Ability to work with multiple stakeholders including governments, civil society, private sector, donors and partners, across a wide range of disciplines;
• Ability to drive and facilitate analytical work in support of green, low-emission, climate-resilient development.

Habilidades y experiencia requeridas

Education:

• Master’s degree or higher in economics, law, business administration, social sciences with a specialization in environment and development, or other closely related field of relevance to climate change adaptation as well as energy efficiency, renewable energy.

Experience:

• Minimum of 7 years’ experience preferably working with developing countries on climate resilient livelihoods and integrated strategies, as well as, market transformations for low-emission development, energy efficiency/renewable energy;
• Experience with project development, implementation and management (direct project management experience is preferable);
• Familiarity with GEF-financed adaptation projects is an advantage;
• Experience in the policy development processes in substantive technical area;
• Experience working with private sector/public-private partnerships especially on financing and operations for small, medium and multinational enterprises;
• Experience in cross-sectoral program coordination and facilitation;
• Strong analytical, communication, and advocacy skills;
• Experience working in Africa and/or Asia region highly desirable;
• Working experience in an international organization is an advantage as is knowledge of UNDP policies, procedures and practices.

Language:

• Excellent knowledge of the English language, with exceptional writing, presentation and communication skills;
• Proficiency in other UN languages is an asset.

UNDP Personal History form (P-11 required of all applicants at time of application):

http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/library/corporate/Careers/P11_Personal_history_form.doc.

Please submit attached to your CV a duly completed and signed UNDP Personal History (P-11) form.

Kindly note you can attach only ONE document to this application.