Background

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UNDP is an accredited multilateral implementing agency of the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the Multilateral Fund (MLF), the Adaptation Fund (AF), and the Global Environment Facility (GEF). As part of UNDP’s partnership with these vertical funds (VFs), UNDP provides countries with specialized integrated technical services for eligibility assessment, programme formulation, capacity development, policy advice, technical assistance, training, and technology transfer, mobilization of co-financing, implementation oversight, results management and evaluation, performance-based payments, and knowledge management services.

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 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.

UNDP Country offices will require technical experts to support the project design and formulation in these sectors to achieve the objectives of the Strategic Plan and other country frameworks. To this end, the Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific (RBAP) seeks to establish a Long-Term Agreement (LTA) with a pool of vetted consultants who can support UNDP country offices in Asia and the Pacific region with project design and formulation for Vertical Funds and Energy transition portfolios, covering the technical areas listed below:

  1. Global Environment Facility Programming/focus on GEF-8 focal areas below:
    • Biodiversity
    • Climate Change
    • Land Degradation
    • International Waters
    • Chemicals and Waste
  2. Green Climate Fund (GCF) programming
  3. Adaptation Fund programming
  4. Energy Transition

Duties and Responsibilities

Below are some typical activities the Consultant will engage in through the call-off from the LTA. The list is not exhaustive. Specific TORs at the call-off stage will dictate the exact scope of work for each assignment.

1.Background Research, Analyses, and Documentation:

  • Undertake secondary research in the new areas of work based on a review of existing literature;
  • Develop research design, research questions, and scope of work for undertaking primary research in new areas;
    • Compile baseline/situational analysis for the project and ensure completion of all studies determined to be needed for preparing the Project Document and its related sections.
    • Lead and oversee the stakeholder identification, mapping, analysis, and consultations, with support from national consultants, and ensure that they are complete and comprehensive; prepare a comprehensive Stakeholder Engagement Plan following the analysis;
    • Ensure the gender analysis findings are meaningfully integrated into the project’s strategy, theory of change, and results in framework;
    • Ensure risk identification from the UNDP Social and Environmental Screening Procedure (SESP) at various stages of project development (“pre-screening” and updated screening) is conducted in consultation with relevant staff and personnel of the office and action plans are developed by relevant experts as appropriate;
    • Support the identification of the project sites, with documentation of selection criteria and making sure that geo-referenced data and maps are presented both for targeted protected areas and broader landscapes, as applicable;

 

2.Policy and Strategy Development:

  • Prepare Policy briefs, Concept notes, and Strategy papers on developmental challenges/issues based on a secondary review of existing literature for evidence-based advocacy and policy dialogue;
  • Develop guidelines and national and sub-national strategies in the areas of institutional strengthening;
  • Develop institutional and regulatory frameworks for the technical area;
  • Review of policy literature with respect to the subject;
  • Formulation of strategic national and sub-national development policy;

 

3.Project Design, Formulation & other project-related functions:

  • Prepare conceptual framework/concept note on a new area of work/developmental challenges;
  • Provide technical assistance in the identification of developmental challenges, target areas, beneficiaries, and partners and formulation of UNDP’s strategy to address the challenges;
  • Provide technical support in the development on new interventions/projects with a clear theory of change and results framework;
  • Design project document in line with UNDP quality standards for programming and requirements stipulated in the POPP;
  • Develop a detailed Monitoring Plan and Budget (i.e., costing of the means of verification of baseline and target indicators, ensuring compliance with the requirements of the Fund source (i.e., GEF, GCF, AF, and other donors as applicable) and alignment with the overarching strategic frameworks indicators including but not limited to the Country Programme Document, the UN Cooperation Framework, UNDP Strategic Plan 2022-2025;
  • Facilitate the stakeholder engagement and co-design activities to integrate contributions of various in-house and external experts to ensure solutions offered are implementable and appropriate risk mitigation strategies are developed;
  • Support the process of partner selection in consultation with relevant stakeholders and preparation of partner capacity assessments and discussions on management arrangements early in the design process, including finding the most effective deal for the achievement of the project’s strategic outcomes and transformational results;
  • Ensure that information from partners’ capacity and other requisite assessments are duly considered, both in the project design and assignment of roles, with a view to optimize resources and capacities of relevant stakeholders, thus ensuring successful attainment of project objectives
  • Perform thorough risk identification and analysis and develop a risk management plan informed by UNDP’s Enterprise risk management (ERM) policy;
  • Define resource requirements, value for money, and plan for mobilization and leverage of available funding to realize the project’s strategic outcome;
  • Ensure project costing is appropriately done, in consultation with relevant CO staff, including cost recovery, project management costs, evaluation, HACT assurance activities, cost of SES safeguards, etc.
  • Ensure critical elements of programming are applied in line with the UNDP Strategic Plan Enablers, GEF-8 Enabling Elements, to achieve the scale and transformational change;
    • Ensure RBM principles and approaches are integrated into the design, including SMART indicators, realistic timelines, and value-for-money approaches in suggested activities.
    • Draw upon lessons learned and recommendations from various evaluations and assessments and feed them into the project design.
    • Oversee and ensure the updating of the SESP based on assessments undertaken during the concept stage or initiation plan stage as applicable, and ensure the development of required environmental and social assessments and management plan(s) as needed;
  • Ensure project documentation is complete for final quality assurance and appraisal processes by the offices.

Competencies

1. Corporate Competencies:

  • 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; and,
  • Demonstrable experience with VF project development, implementation, and/or evaluation with capacity development elements.

 

2. Functional Competencies

  • Strong interpersonal and communication skills;
  • Able to communicate effectively in writing to a varied and broad audience simply and concisely.
  • Capable of working in a high-pressure environment with sharp and frequent deadlines, managing many tasks simultaneously;
  • Excellent analytical, research, writing abilities and reporting skills;
  • Proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office applications, ICT applications, and internet;
  • Exercises the highest level of responsibility and can handle personal and politically sensitive issues responsibly and maturely.
  • Excellent presentation and facilitation skills and ability to work in multicultural environments;
  • Demonstrates integrity and ethical standards;
  • Openness to change and ability to receive/integrate feedback; and,
  • Focuses on results for the client.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

  • Master’s degree or higher in a relevant field, such as Natural Resource Management, Environmental Sciences, Conservation, and Marine Biology, Ecology, Forestry, Engineering, Applied Sciences, or Energy Technologies. Bachelor’s degree in the relevant fields will require additional 2 years of experience.
  • Master’s degree or higher in other governance-related fields, including Law, Economics, Development studies, Business Administration, and Public Policy, may be considered provided the relevant experience in the areas related to Nature, Climate, and Energy can be demonstrated. Bachelor’s degree in the mentioned fields will not be considered.

Experience:

  • Minimum 7 years of international experience in designing and implementing projects in the respective technical areas  
  • Minimum 7 years of experience and knowledge of donors’ project formulation/design requirements for the Vertical Funds (GEF, GCF, AF, MPU)
  • It would be an advantage to understand the partnerships and requirements of IFIs, including but not limited to ADB, WB, KfW, and their funding mechanisms.
  • Knowledge and experience in application of results-based management and integrated programming in development projects
  • Demonstrated experience in conducting research, analytical studies, desk review, stakeholder engagement, and consultations to inform project design

Language:

  • Fluency in spoken and written English is a must.