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 the contact details for three (3) most recent professional references this may include  previous supervisors and peers.

A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page) indicating why the candidate considers him-/herself to be suitable for the position.

Travel:  

UNDP will cover the cost of travel of the individual to the duty station, as well as their return to their home upon completion of their services. Travel costs are covered only in the event that the function will be undertaken physically in the duty station and excludes working from home arrangements.

Office/Unit/Project Description

Viet Nams’s SDG index ranked 49 out of 163, the country joined high human development countries for 1st time and had one of highest rates of growth in HDI value between 1990 and 2019 with relatively low inequality.  

Viet Nam is at the important juncture to enter into the next 10 year social economic development, 2021-2030, giving high priority to the fourth industrial revolution, sustainable poverty reduction, development of ethnic minorities, and sustainable environmental management. Viet Nam reaffirmed its commitment to the Paris agreement: raising its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) targets, introducing key legal framework and policies to address carbon emissions, encourage green and resilient development.

Viet Nam is among the 10 countries most affected by natural disasters and climate extreme events over the period 1999-2018. Climate change is occurring rapidly, with vivid demonstrations through extreme weather events including typhoons, floods, heat waves and cold spells. The successive floods and storms in central Viet Nam in 2020 caused an estimated loss of 1.5% of the GDP. Viet Nam also faces the high risks of communicable desease and non-communacable deseases, including COVID-19. In 2000 and 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic occurred, and the Vietnam’s economy was impacted by reduced consumer spending, production and trade, especially in the tourism, transportation, retail trade and manufacturing sectors. 

COVID & natural disasters brought to surface & aggravated existing gaps critical to sustaining Viet Nam’s development trajectory. These include need to: balance  economic growth with  environmental sustainability;  build resilience of Viet Nam’s economy & its social protection system against global shocks, natural disasters & climate change; and strengthen  accountability and responsiveness of Viet Nam  institutions to meet expectations/needs of its people, especially most vulnerable & newly poor. 

In line with the One Strategic Plan of the UN in Viet Nam for the period 2017-2021, UNDP Country Programme Document (CPD) for the period 2017-2021 underscores UNDP’s action to promote adaptation and resilience to climate and multiple risks, will focus on empowering the poor and vulnerable groups. UNDP will support the application and scaling-up of gender-sensitive, community and nature-based solution approaches. Besides, innovative solutions, digital tools to measure and track natural and pandemic risks are key components of our work and will enable strengthening cooperation and support to ministries and governmental agencies.  

The Climate Change and Environment portolio of the UNDP Viet Nam has has been providing technical support to the Government and various stakeholders through mobilizing resources for and supporting the implementation of a sizeable five portfolios of:  

1) Climate-health-environment Nexus: adaption of health sector to changing climate, health impacts of environmental pollution, expansion of telehealth, health system strengthening, COVID-19 recovery and support to vulnerable poor and near poor and informal workers, and green health procurement.

2) Climate and Disaster Resilience and Poverty reduction: Resilience to risks and impacts of climate change and natural disasters; and humanitarian assistance. 

3) Low carbon development and Energy: energy efficiency, reneable energy, Viet Nam’s NDC, MRV of greenhousegas emission, e-mobility and green transport)

4) Natural Resources and Biodiversity: conservation of biodiversity and natural resources, nature-based solution for development, sustainable tourism, sustainbable ocean.

5) Circular economy and Waste management: capacity development and legal framework for circular economy, sustainable domestic waste and marine plastics. 

To enhance the capacity for programme and project design, management, implementation,  and resources mobilization with strong focus on government co-financing  in the areas of climate-health-environment nexues, healthprocurement, COVID-19 reocvery, , and sustainable ocean economy, UNDP is mobilizing an International Programme Management Specialist (PMS).

Institutional Arrangement

The International Technical Specialist will report to the Team Leader of the Climate Change and Environment Unit, UNDP in Viet Nam. 

Duties and Responsibilities

3.1. Technical advice and support to the programme/project management and implementation, focusing on the achievenment of the following outputs: 

• Improvment project management SOPs, and development project implementation manuals for large scale and specific projects, hamonainzing the rules and regulations of UNDP and that of the Vietnamese Government. Based on the country context and agreed project documents, and consultations with relevant project stakeholders to develop SOPs for review and approval by both UNDP and the Government ministries and competent authorities 

• Enhancement  of the M&E frameoworks and capacity to enhance to the likage of the project level interventions and outputs to the outcomes of UNDP’s CPD at national level and Stratsgeic Plan at global level.

• Enhancing documentation of lessons learnt, best practices and knowledge generation and sharing. 

• Providing quality assurance and ensuring syneregies and coherence among for cross- projects and products of UNDP support to COVID-19. This also includes coordination of activities and results from different projects and activities, technical peer reviews, and ensure timely achievement of results.

• Consolidattion and finalization of all reports for COVID-19 projects. This includes review, edits and ensure coherence and consistency of information and data. 

3.2. Programme development and resources mobilization, focusing on the achievenment of the following outputs:

• Initiating partnership dialogues and networks with development partners to to build and enhance partnerships and identify opportunities for project development and resource mobilization.

• Leading the development of idea notes, concept notes and project proposals and follow up with partners, working closely with relevant staff, for resource mobilization in the areas of government co-financing, climate-health nexus, health procurement, waste management, and COVID-19 recovery..

• Contributing to the preparation of CO’s strategies for expansion of partnership with private sector and other stakeholders.

3.3. Health system strengthening, focusing on the achievenment of the following outputs: 

• Leading the development and finalization  of a health procurement programme for government co-financing, with a detailed implementation roadmap, including activities, milestones, and deliverables

• Working closely with regional and global technical advidors, national partners and provide guidance and support to programme officers and other support staff, to ensure effective  implementation of the roadmap and achievement of the deliverables.

• Providing supervision and necesry coaching to the health procuremnet staff members.

• Providing regular updates on progress and achievements as well as any issues that require immediate actions by the Team Leader and Senior Management.

• Identifing and proposing additional areas of support and resource mobilization.

3.4. Technical advice and substantive inputs for policy dialogue and advocacy, focusing on the achievenment of the following outputs: 

• Keep abreast of new developments in area of climate-health nexus, health procurement, and COVID-19 to effectively support the CCEU Team Leader and Senior Management Team on strategic positioning within UN system and in Viet Nam.

• Providing substantive inputs to policy papers, speeches, and presentations for important dialogues, high level meetings, and events in relevant thematic areas.

• Advising and providing technical inputs to UNDP Capacity development work to the GoVN in the area of health system strengthening, health procurement, telehealth and climate-health nexus

• Lead in organizing the International Conference on Sustainable Ocean Economy and Climate Change Adaptation.

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