Background
The impacts of climate change and natural disasters are being increasingly felt in the Lao PDR. In 2009 alone, communities across the country, and particularly in the south, suffered from the impact of floods caused by tropical storms. These and other extreme weather events are likely to occur more often as the climate continues to change. They will deepen poverty and inflict long-term suffering as villagers lose their harvests, struggle to rebuild their houses, and are pushed further into penury.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Engage in climate change policy dialogue at national level with key partners -- including key line Ministries, donors, NGOs, private sector, and civil society -- on preparing for a post-2012 institutional and financial regime, using technical guidance available at the regional and global level and ensuring consistency with international climate policy guidance provided by HQ.
- Provide substantive inputs on national low-carbon, climate-resilient development and green growth strategies and plans and review of sector policies, which can provide the foundation for Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs), building on and ensuring consistency with international climate policy guidance provided by HQ.
- Source expertise and backstop on economic climate change impact assessments for vulnerable sectors of a country’s economy, as required, using technical guidance available at the regional and global level.
- Support capacity development of government agencies to programme climate change-related resources and provide advice on the effective use and management of different climate financing mechanisms, drawing on the EEG Environmental Finance facilities.
- Observe and engage in national and international climate change policy debates within the overarching UNDP climate change policy framework.
- Identify areas of comparative advantage for interventions where UNDP can add value and inform the Regional Service Centre and HQ.
- Advise UNDP senior management on all climate related policy issues to provide strategic advice and guidance with a specific focus on adaptation and mitigation.
- Serve as a resource person on capacity development activities on climate change for the UNDP Country Office and UNCT.
- Support development of a programmatic approach at the UNDP/UNCT level to integrate climate risk management in the existing framework documents (UNDAF, CPAP) and project portfolios across all practice areas.
- Formulate, implement and manage the UNDP Country Office Programmes on climate change.Provide technical guidance and support to the country programme in identifying and addressing climate related risks and opportunities in all practice areas such as governance, poverty, environment, CPR, gender, capacity development) within UNDP as well as within the UN system.
- Identify and elaborate UNDP components, based on its comparative advantage, of the UN approach.
- Promote cross practice collaboration (poverty, governance, CPR, gender, capacity development) within UNDP as well as within the UN system.
- Support development of awareness generating activities on climate change
- Adapt global and regional technical and strategic position papers, presentations, advisory and briefing notes, for national circumstances.
- Mobilize members of the National Assembly on strategic policy dialogues on climate change issues
- Prepare and adapt inputs to policy briefs/position papers that address links between climate change and the National Social Economic Development Plan that sets out key development priorities, in collaboration with other practices such as governance, poverty reduction, gender, crisis prevention and recovery, and capacity development.
- Under guidance of Country Office, and in collaboration with the Regional Service Centre and EEG, strengthen strategic and thematic partnerships with key stakeholders, particularly government, donors, private sector to map out climate change activities in order to identify opportunities, formulate joint initiatives with maximum impacts and efficiency, minimize duplication of efforts and reduce transaction costs.
- Explore the potential for private sector partnerships on climate change and explore opportunities for carbon/environmental financing.
- Support resource mobilization efforts of the government on climate change, especially tapping into the climate change specific financing mechanisms such as the MDG Carbon Facility, CDM, Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) scheme, the UN Multi-Donor Trust Fund and other similar funding mechanisms.
- Promote information sharing and facilitate dialogue within the donor community by initiating and/or participating in consultative meetings and preparing briefs and policy papers on climate change.
- Provide regular briefings on the status of international climate change negotiations and forthcoming events, using disseminated inputs from EEG and the Regional Service Centres. These inputs should contribute to the development and strengthening common UN positions regarding climate change issues.
- Ensure optimal flow of information about initiatives, projects, international climate negotiations, and related issues between CO and other partners, in particular the Regional Service Centres and HQ.
Competencies
- Serves and promotes the vision, mission, values, and strategic goals of UNDP
- Recognizes and responds appropriately to the ideas, interests, and concerns of others; gives credit to the contributions of others
- Plans and prioritizes work activities to meet organizational goals
- Builds and sustains relationships with key constituents (internal/external/ bilateral/ multilateral/public/private; civil society)
- Conceptualizes and analyzes problems to identify key issues, underlying problems, and how they relate
- Generates creative, practical approaches to overcome challenging situations
- evises new systems and processes, and modifies existing ones, to support innovative behaviors
- Demonstrates excellent and effective written and oral communication skills
- Demonstrates effective communication skills in a multidisciplinary working environment
- Demonstrate respect to knowledge and culture and religion in a multidisciplinary working environment
- Applies the required depth and breadth of knowledge and expertise to meet job demands
Required Skills and Experience
- Master’s Degree in climate sciences, environmental sciences, earth sciences, natural resource economics, political science or related social sciences.
- At least 5 years of relevant work experience on issues related to climate risk, vulnerability reduction and capacity development.
- Background in partnership building is an essential requirement.
- Experience in working with government, donors or the UN previously is an asset
- Experience in policy analysis, development work in the area of climate change and related issues.
- Familiarity with and contributions to high-level policy dialogues and advisory functions involving high-level government counterparts and other stake-holders
- Thorough knowledge and understanding of the global debate on climate change and experience in multilateral environmental debates and dialogues and processes.
- Experience in advising on climate change adaptation and energy policy development a major asset
- Proven experience and knowledge of the country’s institutional framework and policies of climate change is an asset.
- Experience in development planning is a major asset.
- Fluency in the national language. Fluency in English or other UN languages may also be required, depending upon country.