| Description |
INTERNATIONAL CONSULTANT ( LAC REGIONAL ADVISOR) GREEN COMMODITIES FACILITY
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| Location : |
Panama City, PANAMA |
| Application Deadline : |
15-Jul-12 |
| Additional Category |
Environment and Energy |
| Type of Contract : |
Individual Contract |
| Post Level : |
International Consultant |
Languages Required :
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English Spanish |
Starting Date :
(date when the selected candidate is expected to start) |
01-Sep-2012 |
| Duration of Initial Contract : |
1 year |
| Expected Duration of Assignment : |
1 year |
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Background
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Priorities of UNDP Strategic Plan and RPD:
Agricultural commodity supply chains constitute one of the largest threats to biodiversity. Expansion policies lead to encroachment of productive landscapes into natural habitat, with an estimated loss of 13 million hectares of forest cover each year. Conventional practices reduce farmland’s on-site biodiversity and ecosystem functions as a result of soil eroding tillage and agrochemical pollution; sustain overharvesting of terrestrial and marine resources; and contribute significantly to climate change because of high GHG emission footprint of its productive practices.
UNDP has wide experience building national capacity for biodiversity conservation through changing production of commodities (coffee, cocoa, beef, cotton, seafood, minerals etc) and several major sustainable commodity initiatives underway which support sustainable production and linkages to markets. UNDP’s Environment and Energy Group (EEG) provides advocacy, policy advisory and operational services to support the organization’s work in these areas across 166 countries. In 2009 UNDP EEG launched the Green Commodities Facility (the Facility) to fulfill this need and improve the social, environmental and economic sustainability of commodities production and trade by developing global multi-stakeholder strategies on a sector-by-sector basis. The objective of the Facility is to contribute to shifting global markets to drive the production and sale of green commodities instead of current unsustainable practices. The Facility systematizes and scales up the existing green commodity activity of UNDP to achieve this vision. Supply chain management and public-private partnerships are key approaches used.
The Facility is now up and running with a global team of advisors and is expanding in the LAC region.
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Duties and Responsibilities
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Goals and Specifics:
- Identify partnerships and develop projects for key agricultural commodities in LAC (coffee, cocoa, palm oil, sugar, soy, beef, fisheries, timber, cotton, rice, tea);
- Develop connections between the commodities and REDD, climate change adaptation and low carbon development through the Facility’s sustainable approach.
Primary supervisor will be RCLAC EEG Practice Leader and secondary supervisor will be BDP Lead Natural Resource Economist.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Project development:
- Identify and develop opportunities for national level projects in target countries for target commodities;
- Identify and secure financing for national projects with multi-lateral, bi-lateral donors and companies;
- Organize the design of National Platforms in coordination with Country Offices, and national governmental and private counterparts;
- Provide technical oversight for the national level projects and activities;
- Develop regional projects.
Project Implementation:
- Provide supervision support to project implementation;
- Provide technical support to the projects;
- Strengthen partnerships with companies for the projects.
Team coordination:
- Identify and develop new positions for the team as needed;
- Manage UN Volunteers in the region;
- Ensure good and fluid communications with the global team.
Stakeholder engagement and partnership:
- Consolidate key partnerships with relevant sustainable commodity supply chain stakeholders;
- Facilitate engagement of UNDP Country Offices with international supply chain stakeholders;
- Support organization of events by the Facility or in which the Facility will participate;
- Develop and manage regional and international corporate partnerships.
Knowledge management:
- Incorporate findings of national projects into global facility strategies and the design of other national interventions;
- Share and disseminate knowledge products within UNDP.
Expected Products:
- All proposals in the pipeline approved and under implementation;
- At least 3 new national level commodity projects in LAC, financed and operational;
- Two new donor sources of funding secured;
- Quarterly technical and financial reports on: the development progress of the projects, funding variations plus recommendations on project initiatives and fundraising strategies;
- Minutes of monthly meetings with supervisors et al. to provide recommendations for further action and report on progress;
- Monthly activity report
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Competencies
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Corporate Competencies:
- Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN s values and ethical standards;
- Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
- Treats all people fairly without favoritism.
Functional Competencies:
- Good level of technical report writing skills;
- Good management skills;
- Multi-tasking;
- Highly motivated;
- Willing to work under pressure.
Management and Leadership:
- Focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to feedback;
- Demonstrates strong oral and written communication skills;
- Builds strong relationships with clients and external actors;
- Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities.
Development and Operational Effectiveness:
- Knowledge about UNDP functioning, commodity trade, voluntary standards;
- Knowledge and skills to formulate, implement, and monitor development programmes and projects.
Knowledge Management and Learning:
- Promotes a knowledge sharing and learning culture.
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Required Skills and Experience
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Education:
- Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or higher) in natural resource management and/or agriculture and/or business, or relevant experience.
Experience:
- Over 3 years of work experience on sustainable agriculture supply chains. Experience with producers, governments and companies in one or more commodities highly preferred;
- Proven experience in portfolio management, project development, fundraising, technical studies, working with public and private sector;
- Experience in the usage of computers and MS Office Word, Excel and Power Point.
Language requirements:
- Excellent command in written and spoken English and Spanish is essential; working level proficiency of a third language is desirable.
Regime For Payment Of Fees:
- The interested professionals should set their fees based on a monthly rate in US dollars;
- The contract signed as an Individual Contract (IC) does not involve any fees in advance at the beginning of the consultancy;
- Travel or workshop costs will be covered by the project, if any.
Additional Information:
VERY IMPORTANT:
Download, fill and sign the P11 (Personal History Form), and scanned it along with your letter of interest indicating your monthly fee. (Only one document can be uploaded at the time of application).
Find P11 form at: http://sas.undp.org/Documents/P11_Personal_history_form.docx
The system will prompt to upload the P11 form (only one document can be uploaded) on the next page after "submit" application. UNDP will not process an application if P11 form is not uploaded.
Only qualified and shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
The General Conditions of Contract for the services of Individual Contractors can be found at the following link: http://www.undp.org/procurement/documents/UNDP_GCC_IC_Final_English.pdf
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