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.

Managers may ask (ad hoc) for any other materials relevant to pre-assessing the relevance of their experience, such as reports, presentations, publications, campaigns or other materials.

Office/Unit/Project Description  

The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) makes public and private finance work for the poor in the world’s 46 least developed countries. With its capital mandate and instruments, UNCDF offers “last mile” finance models that unlock public and private resources, especially at the domestic level, to reduce poverty and support local economic development.

UNCDF’s Local Transformative Finance Practice (LTFP) is a center of excellence and innovative fund for local government finance and local economic development finance in the world’s 46 LDCs. To promote and support transformative investments through local governments and domestic banks in LDCs, LTFP designs, pilots and tests out financing mechanisms and business models in both public and private sectors that support locally designed public investments and revenue-generating capital investment projects.

The Smart Green ASEAN Cities Programme (SGACP) is a program to support the implementation and achievement of environmentally sustainable cities in ASEAN, a policy priority for ASEAN Member States (AMS) . The program is being implemented by UNCDF and funded by the European Union. SAGCP provides technical and financial support the ASEAN Member States on a city, national, and regional level, to address structural and financial challenges of urban environmental governance and climate adaptation, focusing on smart solutions enabled by digitalization, big data analytics and the application of disruptive technologies to drive adaptive investment solutions. Technical assistance and advsiory will also facilitate evidence informed policy making providining greater access to public and private funds. SGACP will foster trans-national knowledge sharing leading to potential collaborations between ASEAN and Euroepan through sharing of European experiences.

Institutional Arrangement 

The position is in the context of the Malaga agenda for a financial ecosystem that works for cities and local governments and to the agreement between UNCDF and UN Habitat on the Cities Investment Facility. UNCDF is the partner to UN Habitat and to United Cities and Local Governments on transformative local government finance and local infrastructure finance. The incumbent reports foremost to the Regional Technical Advisor and Director of Local Transformative Finance Practice and through the SGACP liaises with other LTF staff including the Advisory Staff of LTF, and country offices ensuring that the RTA is kept informed and is invited to all meetings as agreed.   

This position is mainly office-based (80%) with flexibility for alternative work arrangements as agreed with the RTA.

Scope of Work

The incumbent will provide substantive measurable advisory and, where requested by the SGACP directors (New York and Bangkok) technical inputs that include but are not limited to; (i) High level strategic engagement with government and city officials, (ii) negotiation and advocacy with development finance institutions and other appropriate partners about sustainable infrastructure finance in ASEAN in the context of the Malaga coalition policy agenda, (iii) policy guidance notes, (iv) project briefings and visibility materials, (v) inputs to project progress reports, (vi) editorial to project technical studies and reports and (vii) advisory to project stakeholders related to implementation and policy directives related to SMART urban development. Additionally, the advisor will function and act as locum for the SGACP Team Leader, in the immediate term accepting full responsibility and accountability in alignment to the associated TL duties and responsibilities under the project document and EU-UN agency agreements.     

Summary of key functions:

•  Act as Locum for the TL position until the recruitment is completed (30%)
•  Develop and provide an underlying implementation and exit strategy for SGACP  (10%).
•  Provide high-level technical and implementation advisory to SGACP implementing team (35%)
• Facilitate and advocate for knowledge sharing and  knowledge management (10%)
• Provide substantive contribution to networking and partnership building (15%) 

1. Locum for Team Leader Position

• Function as the TL for SGACP until the engagement and mobilization of the permanent TL following the requirements and conditions as set out in the project document and EU UN Agency agreement and which include but are not limited to the core functions
• Establish collaborative arrangements with all SGCAP implementation stakeholders that include the ASEAN secretariat, AMS as represented in ASEAN, and participating national and subnational governments
• Develop and maintain effective and efficient client relationships with the contracting authority as represented by the European Delegation to ASEAN, Jakarta
• Manage and coordinate SGACP implementing partners (FMDV and UN-Habitat) to ensure timely delivery of agreed services and reporting
• Support UNCDF (Bangkok and New York) for the development, oversight, and monitoring of the annual work plan and budget assuring delivery targets are met
• Monitor and update the project’s logframe.
• Advise the formulation of the project progress report providing inputs as requested by UNCDF
• Provide advisory and QA on visibility components that include but are not limited to, (i) press releases, (ii) events, (iii) printed and online media and (iv) the establishment and maintenance of a communications portal that includes an online newsletter 

2. Develop and provide an underlying implementation and exit strategy for SGACP·       

• Provide advisory on strategies, policies, and plans affecting project operations, delivery, knowledge, and learning services;
• Establish collaborative arrangements with potential external partners and parties at ASEAN and country-level and maintain such operational partnership arrangements;
• Provide Advice to the project manager to ensure that project objectives and activities are well coordinated with plans and activities of the other government and non-government partners participating in the programme.
• Advise on the visibility of the Donor and Implementing Partners in all project outputs.
• Establish and maintain a dialogue with government officials, NGOs, partners, donors and communities to provide knowledge and understanding, ensuring accurate interpretation of the project’s mission.
• Identify and find solution to emerging issues and related opportunities to optimize the implementation of the Smart Green ASEAN Cities Programme (SG-ACP) making specific recommendations on actions needed;
• Lead the resource mobilization efforts including providing technical and operational design inputs and negotiation of complementary initiatives to the Smart Green ASEAN Cities Programme (SG-ACP).

3. Provision of high-level technical and implementation advisory to SGACP implementing team

• Technical and implementation advisory, inclusive of the generation of advisory notes for the SGACP implementation team and stakeholders to ensure the effective delivery of all three project components; (i) 1: Enhanced design, planning, and implementation of green and smart city solutions in selected cities, (ii) Strengthened national capacity for green and smart city development (through EU-ASEAN experience sharing) and (iii) Increased exchange of good smart and environmental city management practices from the EU and within ASEAN.

4. Facilitation and advocacy support  to knowledge sharing and  knowledge management 

• Advise to the selected TL and SGAPC on the generation and management of knowledge products, related to the thematic areas under SGAPC
• Provide advocacy for the uptake of knowledge sharing, technical and thematic knowledge transfer and facilitate trans national knowledge exchange specifically for participating government officials, private sector representatives, local community leaders and experts;
• Contribute to the establishment and maintenance of the SGAPC national, corporate, and global knowledge platform networks; 

5. Networking and partnership building 

• Liaise with the relevant stakeholder and institutions to disseminate information relevant to the project.
• Coordinate the setting up of pilot projects and establish relationships with respective central governments, local governments, EU, and other stakeholders including UN Agencies.
• Promote cooperation with UN sister agencies, Government, bilateral development agencies, and other technical partners to identify and develop synergies with relevant technical partnerships for the project.
• Identify areas of cooperation and coordination with other UN agencies for the implementation of joint activities related to the Smart Green ASEAN Cities Programme (SG-ACP);
• Contribute to synergies and partnership with the development finance interventions at the country level

Competencies

Minimum Qualifications of the Successful IPSA