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.

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.

Travel

This consultancy is not expected to involve any travel.

Background

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.

Within the GPN, the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance to support the results of UNDP’s Strategic Plan.? BPPS’s staff provides technical advice to Country Offices; advocates for UNDP corporate messages, represents UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora including public-private dialogues, government and civil society dialogues, and engages in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas.? BPPS works closely with UNDP’s Crisis Bureau (CB) to support emergency and crisis response.? BPPS ensures that issues of risk are fully integrated into UNDP’s development programmes. BPPS assists UNDP and partners to achieve higher quality development results through an integrated approach that links results-based management and performance monitoring with more effective and new ways of working.? BPPS supports UNDP and partners to be more innovative, knowledge and data driven including in its programme support efforts.

Climate change mitigation – or reducing greenhouse gas emissions - is essential to fulfilling commitments to the Paris Agreement and limiting the global mean temperature increase to 1.5° C above pre-industrial levels. UNDP, with more than 280 climate change mitigation projects and programs in over 110 countries, is a key actor supporting countries in their emission reduction plans, contributing to ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions. Activities in energy, as well as forests and agriculture, will be critical to meeting global mitigation objectives.?

UNDP’s approach to forests aligns with the SDG 15 and contributes to UNDP's 'signature solution' on environment and nature-based solutions for development. Deforestation and forest degradation accounts for approximately 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Further, stabilization of global temperatures cannot be achieved without reducing emissions from the forest sector. UNDP's Climate and Forests team supports countries to conserve and sustainably manage forests and ensure sustainable and equitable development paths that lead towards carbon neutrality. UNDP Climate and Forests manages a portfolio of national and jurisdictional projects and provides technical assistance to countries and stakeholders ensuring alignment with the UNFCCC agreements, enhancing forest and land-use components of NDCs, and ensuring social inclusion, notably through mainstreaming gender equality and promoting the rights of indigenous peoples and forest communities. The objectives of UNDP’s Climate & Forests work are i) to support countries develop policies and instruments for sustainability in the land, forest & climate interface, in line with UNFCCC requirements and safeguards and to advance the Paris Agreement (notably articles 5 and 6); ii) to support countries access, combine, implement and monitor finance for their REDD+ actions and results, including international, market, and private-sector sources; and, iii) to promote partnerships and disseminate knowledge to better advance the forest solutions to the climate crisis. UNDP is currently active in the three major tropical forest areas (Amazonia, Congo and Southeast Asia) and in 20 countries.

UNDP’s Climate and Forests team is spread globally, with management based in Geneva.? Duty stations for the global team include Bangkok, Panama, Nairobi.? The team supports UNDP’s country offices and partners in their region.? Support to UNDP country offices is coordinated closely with the Regional Bureaus through the regional hubs.

The team works closely with other parts of the Natural Capital and Environment team, particularly the UNDP-GEF team, the Green Commodities Programme (GCP), and the New York Declaration of Forest global platform). It also works closely with the Climate team within the GPN (particularly with regards to NDC support).? The team can support Climate and Forest initiatives of the regions and country offices and provide quality assurance on a full cost-recovery basis.

In this context, UNDP is seeking a consultant to provide high quality technical, policy and programming support to the Climate and Forest Team and partner countries, in particular on REDD+ nesting as well as REDD+ implementation.

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of Work

The consultant will be responsible for the following:

1) Provision of technical advisory support services to national and regional teams and stakeholders engaged in REDD+ and related matters;?

• Provide policy development support and guidance;
• Keep the Principal Technical Advisor and Senior Regional Technical Advisor in the region informed of trends and issues with respect to REDD+, including in relation to REDD+ nesting;
• Provide technical assistance to selected countries in relation to UNDP’s Climate Promise on Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in the Land Use Change and Forestry (LUCF) sector

More specifically on the topic of nesting:

• Analyze the needs and opportunities related to ‘nesting’ in various REDD+ countries
• Provide technical assistance on the institutional, legal & regulatory, financial and technical aspects of nesting to national counterparts and the Climate and Forests team (i.e. legal & regulatory framework, nesting-compatible Forest Reference Levels (FRL) and subnational allocation, registries and the avoidance of double-counting, Voluntary Carbon Market standards, etc.);
• Identify and support the mobilization of additional specialized expertise required by countries to further develop and operationalize their national nesting framework;
• Support the development of Verra jurisdictional FRLs in relevant countries
• Provide technical assistance to selected countries to enhance the environmental integrity of REDD+ results, notably in providing technical guidance in the field of FRLs and Monitoring Reporting and Verifications;

2) Support to the development, formulation and review of programmes and projects:?

• Support the development, formulation and review of projects and programmes on nesting in relevant countries (nesting framework, jurisdictional projects, etc.)
• Support the development, formulation and review of projects and programmes for REDD+ implementation
• Contribute to the development of national programmes of REDD+ Results-Based Actions.
• Providing timely and quality information and technical advice on sources of funds, policies, priorities and activities;?
• Facilitate the sourcing of technical expertise.

3) Contribute to the overall quality assurance and oversight of the regional Asia and the Pacific portfolio:

• Support UNDP country offices in the supervision, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, troubleshooting and adaptive management;
• Apply and support the development of REDD+ guidance, tools, approaches and procedures;
• Maintain project and portfolio information and corporate information systems, including support to the preparation of semi/annual progress reports and final reports;
• Assist with inception, contracting and start-up of programmes/projects including establishment of indicators, benchmarks and work plans
• Coordinate with UN-REDD partners as needed

4) Support strategic initiatives and partnerships:

• Assist the UNDP’s Climate and Forests lead on Markets in developing strategic initiatives and partnerships on nesting
• Contribute to a strategic understanding of, and engagement with, the substantive technical issues, institutions, and processes within the Asia and the Pacific region, including the establishment of contact and development of strategic partnerships with other agencies, NGO’s, scientific institutions;
• Support the development of strategic UNDP policy position papers and internal briefing notes;
• Participate in retreats, regional strategic planning, pipeline management exercises, etc.

5) Knowledge generation and sharing:

• Analyze and synthesize lessons and stimulating the uptake of best practices and knowledge, including the development of resource kits and other knowledge materials;
• Peer review, comment on, and seek to improve, the technical quality of projects, policies, practices, guidelines, advisory notes, publications and the like;
• Respond to queries on project progress, impacts and lessons;
• Contribute to global knowledge products on relevant REDD+ technical matters; and
• Participate in capacity development at the regional and country level on relevant REDD+ technical matters.

Institutional Arrangement

The consultant will be supervised by, and report directly to the Climate and Forests Senior Regional Technical Advisor in the region. S/he will be expected to provide monthly updates. In addition, s/he will be expected to liaise and collaborate with the professionals of the UNDP Climate & Forests Programme.

Competencies

UN CORE VALUES AND COMPETENCIES

Professionalism: Shows pride in work and achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.

Communication:Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; Listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; Asks questions to clarify and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; Tailors language, tone, style and format to match the audience; Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

Client Orientation: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be "clients " and seeks to see things from clients' point of view; Establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; Identifies clients' needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; Monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients' environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; Keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; Meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.

Required Skills and Experience