UNDP Jobs - 36513- Climate Change Finance Specialist

Climate Change Finance Specialist

Location :

Bangkok, THAILAND

Type of Contract :

FTA International

Starting Date :

17-Jun-2013

Application Deadline :

21-Apr-13 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

P-4

Duration of Initial Contract :

1 year extendable based on performance and budget availability

Languages Required :

English

Expected Duration of Assignment :

3 years

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

In Asia and the Pacific, UNDP is increasingly being requested to provide governance related services that support governments in articulating their response to climate change. These services include strengthening government’s institutional and administrative framework to be able to deliver integrated climate policy and programming within a range of sectors; strengthening government’s planning and budgeting processes to be able to account transparently for climate relate services; strengthening parliament and civil society’s roles in holding governments to account for their response to climate change and supporting local governments in integrating climate related services into their programming. There is also an increasing urgency to ensure that the needs, priorities, and interests of all people, including women, the poor, youth, and minorities and others who are particularly vulnerable to climate change impacts are included and that these people participate in the governance of a climate change response: in all stages of policy formulation, programme implementation and processes of accountability that determine a response to climate change.

To respond to the growing demands, in 2009 APRC established a multi-disciplinary team to deliver services which can support governments develop comprehensive approaches to govern the challenge of climate change in ways that support their overall development, particularly in the context of Rio+20 follow up and post 2015 development agenda. This team works across practices within UNDP and HQ, APRC, UNDP country offices and in partnership with a range of development partners at the regional level, to deliver this support.

Late 2012, Sweden has agreed to finance a 3-year regional project titled “Strengthening the Governance of Climate Finance to benefit the poor and vulnerable”. This project is based around three mutually reinforcing outputs – the first looks to strengthen the policies and institutional arrangements which will ENABLE PLANNING AND BUDGETING to effectively prioritise climate change finance; the second output looks at the government modalities which will ENABLE DELIVERY of climate change finance, including the national budget and government-led programmes; and the third output will work to SHARE experience across the region and globally through strengthening key regional institutions.
The project will have a regional component covering the Asia-Pacific region, and a country component focusing on South-East Asia which will include four countries. Alongside Cambodia and Thailand, the other two countries will be finalized by June 2013.

UNDP is now hiring a Climate Change Finance Specialist who will, together a Governance / Public Finance Specialist, provide the technical expertise required to implement the project: “Strengthening the Governance of Climate Change Finance to benefit the poor and vulnerable programme”.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Climate Change Finance Specialist will provide substantive and administrative support to the Governance of Climate Finance Cross Practice Team and will report directly to the Governance of Climate Change Finance and Development Effectiveness Advisor with key functions as follows:

Support the development of Climate Public Expenditure and Institutional Reviews and Climate Finance Strategies and Plans in selected countries.

Lead on the implementation and strengthening of the CPEIR methodology in selected countries in Asia and Pacific countries.
Assist in the organization of country level stakeholder consultations and contribute significantly to CPEIR final report production and launch.
Provide regional support and direct technical assistance to develop gender responsive climate finance strategies and policies in Asia and Pacific countries.
Carry out training on integrating climate change into national systems including financial tracking and codification mechanisms and monitoring and evaluation systems (e.g. budget code development, results indicators, expenditure classification, sex disaggregated data etc.) .

Directing Climate Finance to the poor and Vulnerable

Review benefit incidence of climate programmes and budgets in selected countries including attention to the gender implications .
Review targeting criteria and data collection methodology for addressing climate change vulnerability in local development, social protection and disaster risk reduction programmes and to ensure they are gender responsive.
Lead on supporting pilot approaches to targeting those vulnerable to climate changethrough gender-responsive social protection, disaster risk reduction and local development programmes.

Supporting Climate Change Finance initiatives regionally.

Provide overview and technical expertise in reviewing regional knowledge products which synthesize country analysis produced.
Contribute and lead on the community of practice on climate change finance champions which are being identified.
Develop and support innovative South-South issues which strengthen climate finance in Asia and Pacific. Contribute to the regional dialogues and communities of practice.

Coordination of climate finance initiatives in Asia and Pacific

Support climate change finance donor coordination groups at regional levels including (i) UN agencies and by supporting (ii) UNDAF processes.
In close collaboration with the APRC, consolidate Busan/ODA/Climate finance reports to provide annual regional overviews.
Lead on creating an enabling environment (including as a donor secretariat) for regional coordination mechanisms to be established which assists planning for climate finance in SE Asia.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

Demonstrate the integrity and fairness by modeling UN/UNDP value’s and ethical standard.
Promote the vision, mission and strategic goals of UNDP
Display culture, gender, religious, race, nationality and age sensitivities and adaptability

Technical/Functional Competencies:

Management and Leadership

Good managerial and leading skills
Demonstrate strong coordination skill
Consistently approaches to work with energy and a positive and constructive attitude

Communication

Good communication skill both in writing and oral including networking and interpersonal skills;
Proven ability to persuade and influence others to cooperate

Client Orientation

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
Establishes, builds and sustains effective relationships within the work unit and with internal and external clients
Proven ability to build strong relations with partners, clients for positive feed back

Ability to undertake and apply gender analysis to ensure gender equitable solutions.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Master’s or Bachelor’s degree in climate change, environment, economics, gender and development, international policy or a closely related field.

Work Experience:

At least 7 years of experience for Master’s degree holders and at least 9 years of experience for Bachelor’s degree holders in areas related to climate change (i.e. environmental/ climate economics, adaptation, mitigation, technology transfer, investments and financing, land use, forestry, gender and climate change), with a good understanding of the developing country context.
Track record of successfully working with governments in the Asia on climate change issues. Proven experience and knowledge in Development Effectiveness, Climate Change Finance, gender equality and its related issues is an asset and knowledge of regional institutions working on climate finance.
Excellent analytical and writing skills
Excellent organizational and communication skills.
Work experience in an international organization is an advantage.
Extensive knowledge of UNDP’s policies, procedures and practice is an asset.
Ability to work as a part of a team, sharing information and coordinating efforts within the team;
Full computer literacy in internet searching and Microsoft Office programmes i.e. MS-Word, MS-Excel and MS-Power Point. Website management experience is an asset.

Language Requirements:

Excellent knowledge of English, both spoken and written.
Fluency in other languages spoken in the region is an asset.

REMARK: QUALIFIED FEMALE CANDIDATES ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY.

FC: 30000