UNDP Jobs - 25236- Programme Specialist (Livelihoods and Environment)

Programme Specialist (Livelihoods and Environment)

Location :

New York, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Type of Contract :

FTA International

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

31-Aug-11 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

P-3

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 Livelihoods and Economic Recovery Group (LERG) is an integral part of the Conflict Prevention and Recovery Team (CPRT) and the Disaster Risk Reduction and Recovery Team (DRRRT). It is responsible for practice development in the areas of livelihoods and economic recovery as they relate to crisis prevention and recovery in conflict and disaster settings. It provides high quality technical support to country offices for the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of crisis-sensitive employment and livelihood and reintegration programmatic activities. It is headed by a Group Leader with a dual reporting arrangement, the primary reporting line being with the CPRT and the secondary one with the DRRRT.

Under the general guidance of the Team Leader, Livelihoods and Economic Recovery Group (LERG) Leader, the Programme Specialist (Livelihood and Environment) will work closely with UN agencies and other partners, particularly at country level, as well as other parts of the Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery, such as regional teams within the Country Support and Management Team (CSMT) and the CPRT and DRRRT regarding technical advice.

Duties and Responsibilities

Promotes a common understanding, within BCPR and with relevant UNDP Bureaux, on UNDP's role in environment-related aspects of livelihoods recovery;
Consolidates and designs programming tools for UNDP staff on approaches for environment-related aspects of livelihoods in recovery situations;
Provides technical and strategic support to UNDP country offices in developing area-based approaches in recovery situations and supports the consolidation and dissemination of tools and analytical approaches to understanding and reducing environmental crisis risks in vulnerable livelihood systems;
Builds partnerships and supports networks, within and beyond the UN, regarding environment-related aspects of livelihoods in recovery situations;
Leads in UNDP's knowledge building on environment-related aspects of livelihoods in recovery situations.

Promotes a common understanding, within BCPR and with relevant UNDP Bureaux, on UNDP's role in environment-related aspects of livelihoods recovery, focusing on achievement of the following results:

Promotion of environment-related aspects of livelihoods recovery as a key element in the UNDP approach to recovery from crises;
Support to the development of a set of guiding principles for UNDP's engagement in this area;
Support to UNDP’s role in environment-related aspects of livelihoods recovery for crisis-affected urban communities;
Technical and programmatic support to include environment-related aspects of livelihoods recovery in short- to long-term employment/income generation;
Support to capacity strengthening of economic actors (government, CSOs, private sector), in particular capacity assessments of economic actors for enhanced understanding of the environment-related aspects of livelihoods recovery;
Representation of BCPR in high-level meetings and advocacy for the promotion of UNDP’s role in environment-related aspects of livelihoods recovery.

Consolidates and designs programming tools for UNDP staff on approaches for environment-related aspects of livelihoods in recovery situations, focusing on achievement of the following results:

Consolidation and review of existing programmatic tools on approaches for environment-related aspects of livelihoods in recovery situations, both within and beyond UNDP, to identify key gaps;
On the basis of this review, preparation of a programming toolkit with standardized approaches for environment-related aspects of livelihoods in recovery situations to guide COs in the rapid development of livelihoods inputs in Flash Appeals and CAPS;
Consolidation and dissemination of tools and analytical approaches to understanding and reducing environmental risks of livelihoods in recovery situations;
Review of UNDP environment-related approaches to these appeals and provide recommendations for improvements to the appealing country office;
Collaboration with BCPR and UNDP colleagues, in consultation with key partners such as FAO and ILO, in the development of an immediate, short- and medium-term programming framework for sustainable livelihoods interventions in post-crisis situations which take into consideration the impact of environmental aspects;
Collaboration with ILO and FAO on the preparation of training for field-level staff on the use of environment-aspect assessment toolkit in livelihoods situations;
Monitoring and evaluation framework devised for UNDP approaches to environment-related aspects in livelihoods programmes, with specific and measurable indicators, ensuring that all BCPR programming is monitored, reviewed and evaluated according to these procedures.

Provides technical and strategic support to UNDP country offices in developing area-based approaches in recovery situations and supports the consolidation and dissemination of tools and analytical approaches to understanding and reducing environmental crisis risks in vulnerable livelihood systems, focusing on achievement of the following results:

Responses to requests from UNDP country offices for the development of area-based approaches to early recovery;
Development of training for UNDP country offices for the application of the local level early recovery;
Provision of rapid support, following crises, to UNDP COs to assess needs and quick development of programming responses for most affected geographic areas;
Coordination of the technical appraisal of environment-related aspects of employment projects formulated by UNDP country offices and recommendations to the BCPR Project Appraisal Committee, when appropriate;
Ensuring that appropriate technical support is provided to ongoing UNDP country office regarding their employment strategies and approaches and environmental risks.

Builds partnerships and supports networks, within and beyond the UN, regarding environment-related aspects of livelihoods in recovery situations, focusing on achievement of the following results:

Participation in existing working-level groups on livelihoods and recovery issues, including the Working Group on Employment and Reintegration in Post-Conflict Settings, the sub-working group of the Global Cluster Working Group on Early Recovery (CWGER) on Sustainable Livelihoods and Early Recovery;
Support to the development of new strategic partnerships and alliances with other UN organizations, multilateral organizations, regional organizations, NGOs, scientific, academic and technical organizations and with donors and programme countries;
Close co-operation with other BCPR units employment creation; development of alliances and working partnerships within UNDP (thematic, advocacy and policy units, regional bureaux, sub-regional resource facilities, etc.);
Active support to the roll-out of the UN Policy on Post-conflict Employment Creation, Income Generation and Reintegration, including the development of Operational Guidance Note for the policy, development of proposals for the policy roll-out, recruitment of consultants for policy roll-out, support to policy roll-out in target countries, etc.

Leads in UNDP's knowledge building on environment-related aspects of livelihoods in recovery situations, focusing on achievement of the following results:

Mapping of existing knowledge products on approaches to inclusion of environment-related aspects in livelihoods situations, both within and beyond UNDP, such as lessons learned exercises, case-studies, comparative experiences, policy notes, practice notes, guidance notes, etc. Categorization of knowledge products according to post-conflict and post-natural disaster. On the basis of that research, identification of the key knowledge gaps in both settings;
In coordination with BCPR colleagues, retrieval of knowledge of environment-related aspects in livelihoods situations from UNDP employment creation programmes, through periodic reporting, meetings, analysis of documents produced, lessons learned exercises, and other means;
Documentation of retrieved knowledge, systematization and feed-back into programme development by contributing to knowledge networks both within UNDP and beyond, in particular to the evolving inter-agency community of practice on Early Recovery;
Supervision of the production of practice notes, publications and other knowledge products on environment-related aspects in livelihood situations, in close coordination with the Knowledge Management Team and BCPR's Policy and Planning Division (PPD).

Impact of Results:

The key results will have a decisive impact on the capacity of UNDP, the UN system and partners, to support programme countries in the design and implementation of strategies and activities to improve environment-related aspects in sustainable employment creation in early recovery and recovery situations.

Competencies

Functional Competencies:

Building Strategic Partnerships: Identifying and building partnerships

Displays initiative, sets challenging outputs for him/herself and willingly accepts new work assignments;
Takes responsibility for achieving agreed outputs within set deadlines and strives until successful outputs are achieved.

Promoting Organizational Learning and Knowledge Sharing: Developing tools and mechanisms:

Makes the case for innovative ideas documenting successes and building them into the design of new approaches
Identifies new approaches and strategies that promote the use of tools and mechanisms

Innovation and Marketing New Approaches: Developing new approaches

Generates for regional and innovative ideas and effective solutions to problems;
Identifies new approaches and promotes their use in other situations.

Job Knowledge / Technical Expertise: In-depth knowledge of the Subject-matter

Understands more advanced aspects of reintegration and recovery as well as the fundamental concepts of environment-aspects in livelihoods situations;
Keeps abreast of new developments in area of reintegration and recovery and seeks to develop him/herself professionally;
Demonstrates comprehensive understanding and knowledge of the current guidelines and project management tools and utilizes these regularly in work assignments.

Client Orientation: Contributing to positive outcomes for the client

Works towards creating an enabling environment for a smooth relationship between the clients and service provider;
Keeps the client informed of problems or delays in the provision of services.

Core Competencies:

Ethics & Values: Demonstrating / Safeguarding Ethics and Integrity
Demonstrates and promotes the highest standard of integrity, impartiality, fairness and incorruptibility in all matters affecting his/her work and status
Organizational Awareness: Demonstrate corporate knowledge and sound judgment
Understands the structure and hierarchy of UN/UNDP, process flows throughout the organization, products and services, their measures of effectiveness, and perceptions of clients
Developing & Empowering People/Coaching and Mentoring: Self-development, initiative-taking
Takes appropriate risk in developing new or adapting existing methods and approaches to more effectively perform tasks or to solve problems in new and unique ways
Working in Teams: Acting as a team player and facilitating team work
Works collaboratively with colleagues inside UN/UNDP as well as its partners and other stakeholders to pursue common goals
Communicating Information and Ideas: Facilitating and encouraging open communication in the team, communicating effectively
Delivers verbal/written information in a timely, clear, organized and easily understood manner
Self-Management & Emotional Intelligence: Creating synergies through self-control
Tolerates conditions of stress, uncertainty or ambiguity and continues to maintain a positive outlook and to work productively
Conflict Management/Negotiating & Resolving Disagreements: Managing conflict
Remains calm, composed and patient, regardless of his/her own state of mind in the face of conflict
Knowledge Sharing & Continuous Learning: Learning and sharing knowledge and encourage the learning of others
Demonstrates commitment to ongoing professional development and keeps abreast of new developments in his/her professional field
Appropriate and Transparent Decision-making: Informed and transparent decision making
Accepts responsibility and accountability for the quality of the outcome of his/her decisions

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

A minimum of a Master’s degree or equivalent in international development, sustainable livelihoods, public policy, environmental studies or other relevant social sciences.

Experience:

At least 5 years of relevant professional experience in the field of sustainable livelihoods approaches with a focus on recovery and reintegration in crisis and complex contexts, including experience at the international level;
Experience in partnership building and/or inter-agency coordination in post-conflict and/or post-natural disaster settings in particular at the field level and working with donors and NGOS;
Proven ability to interact at the highest governmental and inter-agency levels;
Familiarity with UN common procedures and tools, especially regarding needs assessments, pooled funds and joint programming;
Experience in project design, implementations and evaluation;
Experience in the use of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc).

Language Requirements:

Fluency in English, both oral and written, is required; working knowledge of other UN official language (preferably French and/or Spanish) is an asset.