UNDP Jobs - 101327- Environmental Governance Specialist

Environmental Governance Specialist

Location :

Home based

Type of Contract :

IPSA (Short-Term)

Starting Date :

Application Deadline :

28-Aug-21 (Midnight New York, USA)

Post Level :

IPSA-11

Duration of Initial Contract :

Languages Required :

English Spanish

Expected Duration of Assignment :

130 days over a period of 1 year (with possible extension)

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

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.

Travel:

The post is home-based and travel is not foreseen.

In the event of unforeseeable travel not anticipated in this ToR, payment of travel costs including tickets, lodging and terminal expneses should be agreed upon, between the respective business unit and the individual, prior to travel and will be reimbursed. Travel costs are covered only in the event that any official travel expected to be associated with performing the functions.

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 staff provides technical advice to Country Offices; advocates for UNDP corporate messages; represents UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora, including public-private, 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.
Nature, Climate and Energy Team.

UNDP’s 2018-2021 Strategic Plan emphasizes the critical links between environmental sustainability, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and broader efforts to achieve the goals of the 2030 Agenda and Paris Agreement. As part of the Global Policy Network in the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, UNDP’s Nature, Climate Change, and Energy (NCE) Team promotes and scales up integrated whole-of-governance approaches and nature-based solutions that reduce poverty and inequalities, strengthen livelihoods and inclusive growth, mitigate conflict, forced migration and displacement, and promote more resilient governance systems that advance linked peace and security agendas.

The NCE Team works with governments, civil society, and private sector partners to integrate natural capital, environment and climate concerns into national and sector planning and inclusive growth policies; support country obligations under Multilateral Environmental Agreements; and implement the UN’s largest portfolio of in-country programming on environment, climate change, and energy. This multi-billion dollar portfolio encompasses: Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services including forests; Sustainable Land Management and Desertification including food and commodity systems; Water and Ocean Governance including SIDS; Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation; Renewable and Modern Energy; Extractive Industries; Chemicals and Waste Management; Environmental Governance and Green/Circular Economy and SCP approaches. This work advances crosscutting themes on innovative finance, digital transformation, capacity development, human rights, gender equality, health, technology, and South-South learning.

In addition to UNDP’s bilateral partnerships on natural capital, environment and climate, 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) which includes the Global Environment Facility Trust Fund (GEF Trust Fund); the Nagoya Protocol Implementation Fund (NPIF); the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF); and the Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF)). As part of UNDP’s partnership with these vertical funds, UNDP provides countries 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.

The joint Swedish EPA-UNDP Environmental Governance Programme –Mining (EGP):
EGP is a global programme jointly implemented by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and UNDP. The EGP is fully funded by Sida. Phase one of the EGP (2014-2019) has just finished and the Phase two of the Programme will run from 2020-2023 and provide targeted support to 8-10 countries, as well as lighter support to many others through EGP’s global work. The EGP works with ministries of mining and environment, EPAs, National Human Rights Commissions, civil society, communities and the private sector to integrate environmental and social concerns and human rights-based approaches into the governance of the mining sector. This includes support for large, medium and small-scale mining across all stages of the mining cycle from initial environmental and social impact assessments and licensing through closure. EGP works at the national and community level to advance environmentally and socially responsible mining through the following areas of technical assistance and capacity building:

Strengthen and ensure coherence across legal and policy frameworks;
Conduct rule-of-law, governance, and strategic environmental impact assessments;
Strengthen public institutional capacities for policy design, implementation, and oversight;
Facilitate and strengthen stakeholder engagement through dialogue platforms and linked monitoring, accountability and conflict prevention mechanisms; and
Protect substantive and procedural rights including access to information and participation.

At the global and regional level, the EGP supports a global community of practice; influences and informs major fora and policy debates; facilitates platforms for advocacy and awareness raising, training, South-South learning, and peer-to-peer exchanges; and curates a range of knowledge management resources around the human rights, environment and mining nexus. These workstreams in Phase 1 have included a focus on:

Co-organizing with IISD the annual global Intergovernmental Forum on Mining;
Co-facilitating with the World Bank GOXI -a global e-platform on sustainable mining;
Supporting implementation of the African Vision on Mining and LAC Escazu agreement; and
Designing and applying demand-driven policy guides, training courses, and webinars.

Phase 2 will replicate Phase 1 good practices while providing expanded and deeper technical support to additional countries and linked sustainable development themes in line with Sida, SEPA and UNDP corporate priorities, comparative advantages and complementary initiatives. It will continue to support Phase 1 countries, i.e. Colombia, Mongolia, Kenya and Mozambique. It will also provide additional technical support to a new set of countries, e.g. Kyrgyzstan, Namibia, Ecuador, Argentina, Peru and Liberia, and others supported through ongoing EGP global activities. Phase 2 will also have a greater focus on the following SD themes and cross-cutting issues: water, soil, air and noise pollution; health; biodiversity loss and climate change; socio-environmental conflicts; and gender equality and women’s empowerment.
Phase 2 Partnerships and Resource Mobilization EGP will deepen collaboration and co-financing with complementary UNDP projects including:

GEF Gold, GEF Small Grants Programme, and other projects on the Minamata convention;
ACP-EU Development Minerals Projects;
Green Commodities Programme and related programming on forestry, PEM and safeguards;
Rule of Law and Human Rights Global Programme: Youth Programme;
Sida Strategic Collaboration Framework Programme and linked Climate Promise.

The EGP will continue to collaborate with sister UN Agencies including UNEP, UNITAR, UN Women, OHCHR, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Environment, and the World Bank. EGP will also deepen its collaboration with international partners including: The Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development hosted by IISD; Folke Bernadotte Academy; Canadian International Resources and Development Institute; Environmental Law Institute; Stockholm Resilience Center; CISDL; and Lund University.

The EGP team seeks to engage a rights-based environmental governance programme and policy expert to work with the Environmental Governance Programme (EGP) and broader teams to support the development of a global guide on participatory environmental monitoring and developing an integrated narrative and offer on Environmetnal Governance for UNDP.

Institutional Arrangement:

The consultant will report to and be directly supervised byt the UNDP EGP project manager. S/he will be expected to coordinate and collaborate closely with the joint WGP management team and the wider EGP team and partners as well as and a range of stakeholders from public and private sector and civil society.

Duties and Responsibilities

Lead the collaborative drafting of a UNDP narrative on Environmental Governance and a plan to operationalise it.
Coordinate multi-diciplinary team/ multistakholder process to develop a global guide on participatory environmental monitoring in the mining sector, and provide technical inputs to the governance and institutionalisation sections of the guide/ensure that UNDPs approach to conflict prevention and inclusive governance is embedded throughout the guide.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

Demonstrates commitment to UNDP’s vision, mission and values;
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;
Fulfills all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment.

Technical Competencies:

Conceptual development, project design and implementation of projects in an international development setting;
Thematic knowledge of SDG implementation and rights-based approaches to environmental governance and mining;
Experience with developing global knwoldge products and strategies, in an international development setting and preferabley in the thematic context of the nexus of governance and the environment;
Experience providing field support to UNDP Country offices, including in concflict settings;
Facilitation and convening skills focused on consensus building between multiple actors in broad-based partnerships.

Functional Competencies:

Ability to productively share UNDP knowledge and activities (at UN and other venues);
Client Orientation, Professionalism, and Communications;
Ability to make new and useful ideas work;
Ability to listen, adapt, persuade, and transform;
Capable of working in a high-pressure environment with sharp deadlines, managing many tasks simultaneously;
Exercise the highest level of responsibility and be able to handle confidential and politically sensitive issues in a responsible and mature manner.

Required Skills and Experience

Min. Academic Education:

Masters in Social Science, International Development, or similar.

Min. years of relevant Work experience:

Minimum 7 years of previous experience working on international policy making in the field of governance and sustainability including rights-based approaches to environmental governance;
Minimum 7 years’ experience with collaborative design processes for multi-stakeholder groups from international development setting.

Desired additional experience:

Experience with social corporate sustainability schemes;
Previous UNDP experience is desired.

Required Language(s) (at working level):

English
Spanish