Background

Applicants who previously applied need not re-apply.

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.
 
Beginning end 2013, UK Aid is financing a 3 year sub-regional programme titled “Strengthening the Governance of Climate Change Finance to Benefit the Poor and Vulnerable in South Asia”. This programme is based around three mutually reinforcing outputs – the first looks to strengthen the policies and institutional arrangements which will enable central government, particularly Ministries of Finance to formulate climate compatible budgets that will lead to effective prioritization of climate change finance; the second output looks at strengthening capacity of Ministry of Finance to track and report climate change expenditure with relevantministries; and the third output will work to share experience accross stakeholders  including governments, civil society, development partners and international organisations across the region and globally aligned with international process. The programme will be implemented in various South Asian countries among which India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Governance and Public Finance Specialist will provide substantive and administrative support to the Governance of Climate Finance Cross-Practice Team and will report to the Governance of Climate Change Finance and Development Effectiveness Advisor.
 
The key activities are as follows:
 
Climate Change is integrated into budget formulation at national and sub-national levels:
  • Implement methodological workshop with national PFM Specialists and initiate the implementation of CPEIR.);
  • Prepare the inception report;
  • Undertake a methodology development mission and prepare a revised methodological note that specifically addresses the challenges of conducting a CPEIR at the sub-national level and makes concrete propositions to strengthen the institutional section of the study;
  • Prepare final report together with national and Bangkok based APRC team;
  • Develop an appraisal of the budget formulation process to identify a longer term road map for systematic integration of climate change analysis within the budget formulation process;
  • Work with government officials and stakeholders to develop a Climate Budgeting Handbook for government;
  • Deliver on-the-job training to key government officials, and work with them to implement climate change analysis as part of the formulation of priority budget documents;
  • Provide support to the development of policy briefs in priority areas which demonstrate the links between climate change and major national and sub-national budgeting and fiscal policy concerns.
Support institutions to track and report on climate change expenditure as part of the budget process at national and sub-national levels:
  • Provide options for systems that can assist in tracking climate change related expenditures through either systems for ‘marking’ or earmarking climate expenditure;
  • Develop activities to support a further institutionalization of climate change expenditure reporting with the Ministry of Finance-led budget expenditure reporting process. He/she will assess options and present them to the Ministry of Finance for piloting;
  • Build CSOs capacity to analyze and appraise climate change related expenditures and produce briefs and reports that can inform future budget formulations;
  • Develop handbook/training material for parliamentarians and the relevant committees helping them to ask questions that ensure that key schemes and allocations take the climate change dimension into account during the budget sessions.
Gender and poverty dimensions are wholly integrated in budget formulation, tracking and reporting of climate change expenditures:
  • Integrate the poverty dimension in all knowledge products at country and regional level.
Knowledge effectively shared within and across countries as well as with key international policy processes related to climate finance:
  • Provide overview and technical expertise with a focus on public finance issues in reviewing regional knowledge products which synthesize country analysis produced.

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.
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.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:
  • Master’s Degree in Economics, Public Finance, Environment, Political science, Sociology or another international development related area.
Experience:
  • At least 7 years of progressive experience in support country process of governance reform including public financial management and institutional reform;
  • Proven experience in providing advice on public finance / institutional reform to senior policy makers and practitioners in governments of developing countries a must, and experience in Asia an advantage;
  • Experience in working on climate change and climate change finance is an asset;
  • Work experience in promoting transparency and accountability for government policy and programming;
  • Experience in programmes/projects management including technical, administrative and financial management;
  • Experience working in the international organization or UN family is an advantage;
  • 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:
  • Proficiency in English with advanced command of speaking and writing;
  • Fluency in other languages spoken in the region is an asset.
Note:
  • Female qualified candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.