International Technical Specialist - Climate Change Mitigation

Development Project Funded Post

• Advice and  support  MOIT and UNDP on planning, technical quality control, M&E and reporting of the project;
• Initiation, inputs and quality assurance of policy analysis/researches on low carbon development, climate change mitigation, and resources efficiency;
• Advice and contribution to knowledge generation, advocacy, policy development and dialogues, and development of UNDP Viet Nam’s Sustainable Development Progamme;
• Capacity building and knowledge transfer to the government counterpart and project staff.

• Project planning: Provide advice and assist the NPD, Deputy National Project Director, National Project Manager/Coordinator, and UNDP Programme Officer in charge of the project to ensure quality and timely preparation and submission of annual and quarterly project work-plans. Identify potential risks and emerging issues that may affect project outputs and outcomes, and initiate the revision of project plans and project’s Resource and Results Framework (RFF);
• Technical review and quality assurance: Assume the responsibilities of technical quality assurance for job descriptions, terms of references, and bidding requirements/requests for proposal, and project outputs/products. Design and put in place quality control/peer review mechanisms to ensure highest quality of documents and outputs/products before review and approval by the NPD and UNDP;
• Monitoring, review and evaluation:Lead to prepare, update and revise indicators, baselines, targets, and means of verifications for project outcomes, outputs, and activities. Design necessary tools and mechanisms for regular and ad-hoc project progress reviews/ meetings, evaluations, and ensure proper implementation and follow-up of recommendations/actions from such reviews/evaluations.
• Reporting and documenting lessons and good practices: 
• Provide inputs to the preparation of progress project reports, including reports to donors/global programme as required, focusing on capturing results and lessons, and undertake necessary reviews to ensure quality reports. Initiate and ensure proper documentation of project lessons, experiences, best practices, and human interest stories;
• Publishing and disseminating project results/ products:Ensure publication of project products, including policy briefs, research results/ products, and proceedings of policy dialogues/ technical meetings, and wide dissemination of these outputs.

• Initiating researches/ policy analysis and ensuring quality: Identify the needs of policy analysis, and researches in the areas of low carbon development, climate change mitigation, and resources efficiency. Formulate research proposals, terms of references, requests for proposals for such policy analysis/researches, and  provide guidance and quality assurance to ensure quality and timely productions of highest quality products;
• Research partnerships: Actively facilitate and participate in research partnerships relevant institutions within MOIT, line ministries, services providers, other UN organizations, relevant donors and private sector initiatives;
• Advising and assisting MOIT/the Government to formulate sectoral/city NAMAs: Ensure proper planning, processes, and quality controls as well as provide necessary technical inputs to the formulations of sectoral/city NAMAs, including introduction of mechanisms to engage private sectors (both international and national) into the processes.

• Generating knowledge and information: Based on policy analysis and research results in Viet Nam, experiences and practices elsewhere, prepare policy summary papers, focusing on policy recommendations, advocacy messages/ statements, and media information;
• Knowledge sharing: Participate in events to share knowledge/information acquired from the project and join UNDP and other international knowledge networks to extract good practices learned elsewhere in low carbon development, climate change mitigation and share those in Viet Nam; Support to the South-South cooperation and exchanges between Viet Nam and other countries and Viet Nam’s participations at international and regional forums/events;
• Contributing to advocacy, policy dialogues, and public relations: Identify opportunities for advocacy, policy dialogues, technical discussions; and dissemination through media; provide substantive inputs to the preparation of advocacy messages/policy statements for important events, and UNDP’s policy positions on substantive issues for policy dialogues and forums; and serve as an advocate for UNDP’s policy sustainable development and human development concepts in the areas of low carbon development, climate change mitigation, and resources efficiency;
• Contributing to policy formulation: Provide quality advice and technical inputs to the formulation of policy, including investment policies in the industry and trade sector to promote low carbon development, energy and resources efficiency, and green house gas emission; proactively engage in relevant policy discussions;
• Contributing to UNDP Programme: Actively contribute to the development and implementation of the UNDP Viet Nam’s Sustainable Development Programme; ensure synergies and coherence between the responsible project and other projects and related activities in order to materialize benefits and impacts of the UNDP’s Sustainable Development Programme in Viet Nam.

• Capacity assessment and capacity building: Provide advice in assessing capacity gaps on climate change and sustainable development issues that exist in MOIT and project staff. Develop plans and terms of references for capacity development, curricula of trainings; and assist in identifying appropriate training partners/organizations;
• Transfer of technical knowledge and experiences: Identify knowledge gaps that exist in MOIT, related ministries and local agencies and suggest necessary measures for addressing such gaps, including suggestions for policy research and data survey; the ITS is expected to transfer and dynamically apply technical knowledge and experiences from his/her academic background and professional experiences to enhance technical knowledge at MOIT for low carbon development, climate change mitigation activities and resources efficiencies;
• Coaching and on-the-job training: Mainstream lessons and best practices learned elsewhere into capacity building activities for the Project Management Unit and MOIT staff; Lead, deliver and provide on-the-job training on low carbon development relevant aspects, research methodology, and writing and publication of results.

Impact of results

• High quality project work-plans (annual and quarterly), M&E tools, technical assurance/review mechanisms, and project reports;
• High quality guidance to international and national consultants, contractors/ service providers, research-partners; and technical inputs and reviews to ensure high quality project outputs;
• High quality research proposals and policy dialogues; quality outputs, and publications of research results, policy briefs, focusing on recommendations; and documentation of lesson learns and human-interest stories;
• Quality inputs to the preparation of advocacy messages, policy development media information;
• Quality inputs to the devlopment and operation of the UNDP’s Sustainable Development Programme in Viet Nam;
• Quality advice and facilitation for capacity building of the government counterparts, related authorities, and project staff;
• Effective and active (knowledge, coordination relevant) networking;
• High quality advice on capacity building needs and plans.

• Contributes to the elaboration of advocacy strategies by identifying and prioritizing audiences and communication means
• Uses the opportunity to bring forward and disseminate materials for advocacy work

• Effectively networks with partners seizing opportunities to build strategic alliances relevant to UNDP’s mandate and strategic agenda;
• Sensitizes UN Partners, donors and other international organizations to the UNDP’s strategic agenda, identifying areas for joint efforts;
• Develops positive ties with civil society to build/strengthen UNDP’s mandate;
• Identifies needs and interventions for capacity building of counterparts, clients and potential partners;
• Displays initiative, sets challenging outputs for him/herself and willingly accepts new work assignments.

• Makes the case for innovative ideas documenting successes and building them into the design of new approaches
• Identifies new approaches and strategies that promote the use of tools and mechanisms
• Develops and/or participates in the development of tools and mechanisms, including identifying new approaches to promote individual and organizational learning and knowledge sharing using formal and informal methodologies

• Understands more advanced aspects of primary area of specialization as well as the fundamental concepts of related disciplines;
• Continues to seeks new and improved methods and systems for accomplishing the work of the unit;
• Keeps abreast of new developments in area of professional discipline and job knowledge and seeks to develop him/herself professionally;
• Demonstrates comprehensive knowledge of information technology and applies it in work assignments;
• Demonstrates comprehensive understanding and knowledge of the current guidelines and project management tools and utilizes these regularly in work assignments.

• Develops promotional activities based on monitoring/evaluation information identifying areas requiring higher visibility;
• Develops messages for use by UN staff when working with partners, internationally and nationally;
• Reviews documents and materials intended for use within and outside the organization in order to ensure consistency and validity of messages;
• Creates and cultivates networks of partners to promote UNDP’s image.

• Performed analysis of political situations and scenarios, and contributes to the formulation of institutional responses;
• Uses the opportunity to bring forward and disseminate materials for global advocacy work and adapts it for use at country level.

• Leverages different experiences and expertise of team members to achieve better and more innovative outcomes;
• Leverages multi disciplinary, institutional knowledge and experience of other countries and regions to promote UNDP’s development agenda;
• Participates in dialogue about conceptual innovation at the country and regional levels.

• Anticipates client needs;
• Works towards creating an enabling environment for a smooth relationship between the clients and service provider;
• Demonstrates understanding of client’s perspective.

• Promoting ethics and integrity, creating organizational precedents;
• Building support and political acumen;
• Building staff competence, creating an environment of creativity and innovation;
• Building and promoting effective teams;
• Creating and promoting enabling environment for open communication;
• Creating an emotionally intelligent organization;
• Leveraging conflict in the interests of UN & setting standards;
• Sharing knowledge across the organization and building a culture of knowledge sharing and learning. Promoting learning and knowledge management/sharing is the responsibility of each staff member;
• Fair and transparent decision making, calculated risk-taking.

Education:

• Master degree, preferably a Post Graduate degree, in environmental sciences, climate change or related fields.

Experience:

• Proven knowledge in low carbon development and climate change, especially climate change mitigation;
• At least seven years working experience and knowledge in conducting policy analysis and providing policy advice to the government agencies to enhance national and sectoral policies in relevant topics;
• Relevant knowledge of industrial production, energy and GHG analysis, GHG mitigation options in industries, National Appropriate Mitigation Action (NAMA) and energy and resources efficiency is an asset;
• Excellent conceptualization and analytical skills and proven experience in leading policy researches in relevant topics;
• Good advocacy and communications skills, able to take a forward looking strategic views;
• Good interpersonal skills and teamwork to work in a multi-cultural environment;
• Prior experience with UNDP or another UN or international organizations is an asset;
• Relevant experience of Viet Nam or South East Asia countries is an advantage.

IT Requirements:

• Good  skills in standard software (Word processing, spreadsheets) are expected;
• Experience with the use of databases is an important asset.

Language Requirements:

• Strong written and spoken skill of English is a must.

Fund Code: 04000 and 30079