Background

Corporate Background

UNDP works in about 170 countries and territories, helping to achieve the eradication of poverty, and the reduction of inequalities and exclusion. We help countries to develop policies, leadership skills, partnering abilities, institutional capabilities and build resilience in order to sustain development results.

UNDP is working to strengthen new frameworks for development, disaster risk reduction and climate change. We support countries' efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, which will guide global development priorities through 2030. The key 2030 Agenda principle of leaving no one behind and stamping out inequality is at the core of everything we do.

UNDP focuses on helping countries build and share solutions in three main areas:

• Sustainable development
• Democratic governance and peacebuilding
• Climate and disaster resilience

In all our activities, we encourage the protection of human rights and the empowerment of women, minorities, and the poorest and most vulnerable.

Project Background

Coastal ecosystems – mangroves, coral reefs, seagrasses, and tidal marshes - are some of the most productive on Earth. In recent years, their significant role in sequestering and storing ‘blue carbon’ is also increasingly being recognized by policymakers. In addition to mitigation benefits, these coastal ‘blue carbon’ ecosystems are home to a wealth of biodiversity and provide communities with essential ecosystem services, such as coastal protection from storms and land erosion, and nursery grounds for fish. As such, they provide a full spectrum of mitigation, adaptation, and protection benefits.

The conservation, protection, restoration, and sustainable management of these important ‘blue carbon’ ecosystems are therefore valuable climate actions, which can be achieved from the application of nature-based solutions (NbS).

In order to ensure that NbS effectively and at scale strengthen the delivery of mitigation (and adaptation) benefits from ‘blue carbon’ ecosystems in contribution to achieving Viet Nam’s mitigation targets announced in its 2022 Nationally Determined Contribution, the proposed project intervention Strengthening Nature-based Solutions to Restore Ecosystems, Conserve and Enhance Blue Carbon Stocks and Biodiversity in Viet Nam will support the Government of Viet Nam in addressing identified barriers, specifically:

• Insufficient national, regional, and provincial policy frameworks and regulations that incorporate considerations for NbS.
• Limited national and provincial cross-sectoral coordination, multi-stakeholder engagement and capacities to support coordinated inter-sectoral planning, financing, and implementation of NbS with high mitigation potential.
• Lack of proof-of concept for localized NbS delivering quantifiable climate mitigation with co-benefits, hampering the mobilization of engagement and investments from the private sector and local communities for upscaling NbS in coastal ‘blue carbon’ ecosystems.

The objective of the project is formulated as:

Strengthen nature-based solutions to restore ecosystems, conserve and enhance blue carbon stock with biodiversity, land protection, and livelihood co-benefits in coastal landscape mosaics of the Mekong delta.

The project objective will be achieved through the implementation of four inter-related and mutually complementary components (Project Outcomes) that are focused at addressing existing threats and barriers:

• Component 1: Enhancing national, regional, and provincial policy and institutional frameworks for mainstreaming, developing, and implementing NbS to restore ecosystems, conserve and enhance blue carbon stocks and biodiversity.
• Component 2: Strengthening capacity for cross-sectoral coordination, planning, budgeting and implementation of NbS at national and provincial levels to restore ecosystems, conserve and enhance blue carbon stock with biodiversity, environmental and social conservation co-benefits.
• Component 3: Mobilize participation and investments of private sector and local communities in demonstrating NbS to restore ecosystems, enhance ‘blue carbon’ stock in coastal ecosystems in two target provinces.
• Component 4: Monitoring & evaluation, communication, and knowledge management.

Duties and Responsibilities

Objective

The assignment will focus on providing inputs to strengthening the development and management of UNDP Viet Nam’s ongoing work on nature-based solutions (NbS). Specifically, the intern will be expected to:

1. Assist in the scoping and validation of potential NbS for sustainable coastal resilience and blue carbon restoration.
2. Contribute to knowledge development and innovative learning on NbS.

Scope of Work

Based in the Climate Change and Environment Unit, and under the overall direction of the Assistant Resident Representative, the intern will report on a day-to-day basis to the Programme Analyst on Climate Change & Resilience. S/he will also work closely with relevant technical specialists, programme officers and programme associates in the Unit.

As a member of the UNDP programme team, the intern is responsible for the oversight and implementation of projects assigned to him/her to ensure quality planning, budgeting, procurement of services and consultants, and oversight of implementation, reporting, and monitoring and evaluation for timely delivery of quality results/products.

As a member of the UN family in Viet Nam, the intern is expected to make contribution to the implementation of the UN One Plan, advancing UN’s delivery as one (DAO) agenda, enhancing synergies and impacts of UN support in the area of NbS. The intern will work in partnership with UNDP colleagues, government counterparts, project staff, and non-government organizations, as relevant, to ensure successful programme development and implementation to achieve One Plan results.

In addition, the intern may be engaged in ongoing project initiatives on climate change and resilience, conducting knowledge management and research assignments, and providing management oversight and policy advocacy in support of timely and quality delivery.

Through the assignment, the selected intern will benefit from (i) enhancing his/her technical expertise in the subject areas; (ii) building and expanding a professional network with development partners and the government of Viet Nam; and (iii) enhancing analytic and organizational skills.

The intern’s assignment may entail any of the following tasks:

Task 1: Assist in the scoping and validation of potential NbS for sustainable coastal resilience and blue carbon restoration for GEF8.

As a member of the Climate Change & Environment team, the intern is expected to make contribution to formulation of new project and resource mobilization in the area of NbS, focusing on the following tasks:

• Undertake a desk study on international and national good practices on blue carbon restoration, particularly with nature-based solutions and community-based resource management models.
• Support to draft related TORs to mobilize experts for detailed project formulation.
• Assist UNDP and expert teams in coordinated scoping missions, data collection, data analysis for the project baselines, and design and prioritization of interventions and validation.
• Assist with preparing concept notes for consultation and validation workshops with stakeholders.
• Support expert teams in possible surveying and data collection from the field.
• Prepare thematic analytical report or contribute to relevant technical report.

Task 2: Support to implementation of UNDP’s climate change project portfolio and advocacy, particularly on youth initiatives.

The intern will support to enhance integrated planning, implementation, and operation of relevant project interventions under climate change portfolio, by conducting the following tasks:

• Participate and contribute to the activities of UN system co-ordination and programming, including the UN Results Group on Climate Change and Environment.
• Support the UNDP’s effort on advocacy and policy dialogue, including participation and contribution to policy-driven research and reviews, and the preparation of briefing notes or concept papers in collaboration with UNDP and project technical staff.
• Engage in supporting specific project implementation activities, through research and analysis, formulation of TORs for subcontractors’ activities, with relevance to innovative approaches and global best practices on mitigation of cause/impact correlations and mainstreaming of NbS issues.
• Support to ensure quality planning (annual and quarterly work-plans), reporting, and monitoring and evaluation of projects.
• Make sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice, including relevant national, regional and/or global networks.
• Work with the youth focal point to organize relevant technical meetings and training or capacity building for youth communities.
• Co-create NbS training materials for the Youth4Climate Initiative in Viet Nam and curate online learning materials for the Climate Learning Hub. 

The intern will benefit from the following supervision modalities:

• Structured guidance provided by the supervisor, especially in the beginning of the assignment, with the purpose of gradually increasing the responsibilities of the intern;
• Establishment of a work plan, with clear key results formulated;
• Effective supervision through knowledge sharing and performance/development feedback throughout the assignment;
• Easy access to the supervisor;
• Participation in unit/team/office meetings to ensure integration and operational effectiveness;
• Guidance and advice in relation to learning and training opportunities within the field of expertise;
• If more than one supervisor: clear agreement of the roles and responsibilities between the relevant parties.

The intern will be expected to fully cover their own travel expenses to and from their country of origin. All travel costs relating to the fulfilment of specific tasks assigned during the course of the placement, if incurred, will be covered by UNDP separately using the 2017 UN-EU cost norms.

Competencies

• Strong interpersonal skills, able to communicate and work with diverse people; Participate effectively in team-based, information-sharing environment, collaborating and cooperating with others;
• Proven track record of experience volunteering or working with NGO/CSO is an advantage;
• Excellent ability to use basic computer software (Word, PowerPoint, and Excel) is required. Basic web image, layout and design, and video editing ability will be an advantage;
• Tactful and responsible, able to keep information confidential;
• Able to analyze and think strategically.

Required Skills and Experience