Background

Instructions to Applicants: Click on the "Apply now" button. Input your information in the appropriate Sections: personal information, language proficiency, education, resume and motivation. Upon completion of the first page, please hit "submit application" tab at the end of the page. Please ensure that CV or P11 and the Cover letter are combined in one file.

The following documents shall be required from the applicants:

Personal CV or P11, indicating all past positions held and their main underlying functions, their durations (month/year), the qualifications, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate, and at least three (3) the most recent professional references of previous supervisors. References may also include peers.

A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page) indicating why the candidate considers him-/herself to be suitable for the position.

Managers may ask (ad hoc) for any other materials relevant to pre-assessing the relevance of their experience, such as reports, presentations, publications, campaigns or other materials.

 

Office/Unit/Project Description 

UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s policy work carried out at HQ, Regional and Country Office levels, forms a contiguous spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP invests in the Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in the Strategic Plan.

Energy is one of UNDP’s six signature solutions, alongside poverty and inequality, governance, resilience, environment, and gender equality, to support countries towards three directions of change: structural transformation, leaving no one behind and resilience.

As per UNDP’s new Strategic Plan 2022-2025, the first objective of UNDP is increasing energy access for those furthest behind. By speeding up investment in distributed renewable energy solutions, especially for those hardest to reach and in crisis contexts, it aims to increase access to clean and affordable energy for 500 million people.

Second, UNDP will work to accelerate the transition to renewable energy through systems changes that support inclusive, green economies, particularly in countries with low levels of renewable energy generation or poor energy-efficiency improvement rates. This work will capitalize on technological gains, clean energy innovations and new business models in the energy sector.

The central purpose of the Rome Centre is to ensure the effective implementation and further development of the strategic partnership between the Italian Ministry of Ecological Transition (MITE) and UNDP.

The initial phase of the activities will run from 2022 to 2025 gearing up, among other initiatives, to the Italian Presidency of the G7 in 2024. The goals of the partnership are linked to 2030 as a crucial year for global climate and sustainability goals. The partnership in this initial phase will focus on the critical policy areas of climate action, youth engagement, and energy transition. These objectives will be advanced through the rapid, effective, and sustainable implementation of two main programmes:

  • The Youth for Climate Programme
  • The Italy-UNDP Energy Partnership

Furthermore, to guarantee the effective implementation of The Youth for Climate Programme and The Italy-UNDP Energy Partnership, and indeed to ensure the strategic and long-term impact of both these programmes and the broader partnership, the Centre will be strengthened to support the development of broader strategic partnerships.

Delivering on the Italy-UNDP Partnership, the Centre will provide support to the international cooperation efforts (strategic objectives) of Italy and will support UNDP’s global policy initiatives.

Recognizing that change will be disruptive, UNDP will work to ensure that such transitions are just, and that their impact on vulnerable people is understood and duly mitigated.

The Policy and Strategy Analyst will report to the Coordinator of the Rome Centre for climate action and energy transition.  S/he will work collaboratively with a number of key staff across Bureaus and Units.

Travel

  • Given the scope of the work, the Policy and Strategy Analyst may be required to travel to HQ and in the countries that will be interested by the activities of the Rome Centre.

Institutional Arrangement

  • The Policy and Strategy Analyst will be provided office space at the UNDP Rome Centre in Rome, Italy;
  • The Policy and Strategy Analyst will report to, and be directly supervised by the Coordinator of the Rome centre for climate action and energy transition;
  • The Policy and Strategy Analyst will be given access to relevant information necessary for execution of the tasks under this assignment;
  • Given the global scope of the work to be undertaken during this assignment, the Policy and Strategy Analyst is expected to be reasonably flexible with his/her availability taking into consideration different time zones.

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of Work

The UNDP Rome Centre, which focuses on Climate Action and Energy Transition, requires the support of the Policy and Strategy Analyst to deliver on the activities described below. The scope of work over the course of the period will vary depending on the specific assignment and region. 

Supporting the implementation of the Rome Centre work plan and strategic vision.

  • Support the Coordinator of the Centre in the implementation of the Rome Centre for Climate Action and Energy Transition work plan;
  • Provide strategic inputs in the development of the Rome Centre for Climate Action and Energy Transition, in line with UNDP’s new Strategic Offer, and working closely with relevant BPPS and regional teams;
  • Support the activities, outreach, and implementation of the Rome Centre;
  • Support the organization and reporting for, regular meetings with donors, partners, and other key stakeholders as appropriate;
  • Facilitate collaboration and support the coordination within the broader BPPS and Global Policy Network and Regional Bureaux to ensure programmatic integration and delivery of integrated results on energy for sustainable development;
  • Support the engagement with funding partners to contribute to the achievement of results associated with UNDP’s Energy Promise;
  • Support the Youth4Climate initiative, by contributing to workplans, and to the project substantively and operationally;
  • Support relevant meetings with other teams in UNDP (youth, climate) and partners, with a focus on youth organizations, movements, and networks;
  • Maintain strong relationships with existing partners and provide support to the engagement with new partners, in coordination with BPPS/NCE and BERA (as appropriate);
  • Prepare and deliver regular presentations on the Rome centre for climate action and energy transition (key activities and progress) to senior management, technical teams, and external audiences (e.g., public webinars, engagements with countries, and partner events, etc.).

Technical Services to Country Offices and Member Countries

  • Support the assessment, management, and monitoring of country requests;
  • Support the internal coordination within UNDP;
  • Contribute, and coordinate as requested, substantive inputs for energy programming outputs as well as to youth engagement activities;
  • Support relevant meetings with other teams in UNDP (youth, climate) and partners, with a focus on youth organizations, movements, and networks;
  • Preparation of reports and briefings on topics related to climate and energy;
  • Participation to policy strategy meetings and roundtables with public and private stakeholders;
  • Prepare and provide inputs to strategic documents, briefing notes and speeches;
  • Support preparation of documents intended to monitor design and implementation of programmes.

Competencies

Core

Achieve Results

LEVEL 2: Scale up solutions and simplifies processes, balances speed and accuracy in doing work

Think Innovatively

LEVEL 2: Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic/integrated thinking

Learn Continuously

LEVEL 2: Go outside comfort zone, learn from others and support their learning

Adapt with Agility

LEVEL 2: Adapt processes/approaches to new situations, involve others in change process

Act with Determination

LEVEL 2: Able to persevere and deal with multiple sources of pressure simultaneously

Engage and Partner

LEVEL 2: Is facilitator/integrator, bring people together, build/maintain coalitions/partnerships

Enable Diversity and Inclusion

LEVEL 2: Facilitate conversations to bridge differences, considers in decision making

 

Cross-Functional & Technical Competencies

Thematic Area

Name

Definition

 

Business Management

Partnerships Management

  • Ability to build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies

 

Business Management

Portfolio Management

  • Ability to select, prioritize, and control the organization’s programmes and projects, in line with its strategic objectives and capacity.
  • Ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives and the maintenance of business-as-usual, while optimizing return on investment

 

Business Management

Operations Management

  • Ability to effectively plan, organize, and oversee the Organization’s business processes in order to convert its assets into the best results in the most efficient manner.
  • Knowledge of relevant concepts and mechanisms

 

2030 Agenda: Planet

Nature, Climate and Energy

  • Climate Change Adaptation: Embedding adaptation into development policy/planning/decision making

 

Partnership management

 

Emerging partnerships

 

  • Ability to engage with emerging partners, develop and manage a strategy and develop approaches to developing and managing these new strategic partnerships

 

Engagement & Effectiveness

Effectiveness Development

  • Development Partnership Architecture

 

Required Skills and Experience

Min. Academic Education

  • Master’s degree in economics, business administration, social sciences, or related disciplines;
  • Bachelor’s Degree in economics, business administration, social sciences, or related disciplines with 4 years of experience will also be accepted.

Min. years of relevant Work experience

  • Master’s degree with 2 years, or a Bachelor’s degree with 4 years, of relevant professional work experience in the fields of policy, government and/or project management.

Required skills

  • Experience in supporting activities across multiple workstreams and activities (e.g. program work plans, stakeholder engagements, coordination of partners, etc.);
  • Demonstrated presentation, research, and writing skills.
  • Experience with project cycle management;

Desired additional skills

  • Experience in supporting the activities and workplan of a national government or international organization, preferably at cabinet/executive office level;
  • Experience in providing support to project coordinators / policy makers in the field of climate and energy;
  • Experience in supporting an office in engaging with high-level stakeholders in the public and private sector;
  • Experience in international or multilateral organizations (e.g. UN agencies, European Commission, European Central Bank etc.);
  • Experience with data analysis and/or data collection;

Required Language(s)

(at working level)

  • Fluency in spoken and written English is required
  • Working knowledge of Italian is desirable.