Junior Professional Officer (JPO) - Energy and Environment. Bridgetown (Kuwaiti nationals only)

This is a Junior Professional Officer (JPO) position

At the 14th Inter-Sessional Meeting held in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, in February 2003, Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community agreed to establish a task force to develop recommendations for a regional energy policy which will address issues such as security of energy, energy pricing and purchasing and transport arrangements. This in the light of the spiraling cost of oil and the grave dependence of the OECS on imported oil.
  
Over the last three to five years a surge in the benchmark price of oil and natural gas caused fears to grow over stability of the global energy market. In 2006 the International Energy Outlook and the World Energy Outlook projected that by 2030 total primary energy demands will increase by over 50%. Small economies like those in the Caribbean will face new challenges.
 
As a result of these imperatives, several regional energy initiatives have been birthed but the growth rate or even survival rate is questionable. As a development agency, UNDP is endeavoring to support the best of these through cross fertilization and the formulation of a solid policy and sustainable development base. In this regard UNDP is exploring options for a strong regional energy programme rooted in rural communities but connected to strong international support sources. 

Information About Living Conditions at the Duty Station:
 
Barbados is located at latitude 13′ 10” N and longitude 50′ 35” W and 1600 miles south east of Miami, Florida. Constantly cooled by the trade winds of the Atlantic, it has a tropical climate and enjoys pleasant summer-like conditions all year round.
 
Despite a tiny land area (432 sq. km.), the country’s strategic location – coupled with healthy living conditions and political stability – has allowed it to become the regional hub for transportation and communications.

Participate in the UNDP’s coordinated efforts in the regional response to Energy development and management, climate change adaptation and mitigation, and sustainable development;

• Informed by the CARICOM Energy policy and other emerging regional energy initiatives, formulate a draft programme support document on Energy for the Caribbean with special reference to the nexus between Climate Change and Energy
• Participate in project/programme formulation and related consultations as requested;
• Support the monitoring and execution of UNDP financed projects and/or programmes in the area of Energy and the Environment specifically Climate Change. Identify operational issues and make recommendations for responding to these issues.
• Prepare correspondence to national counterparts, UNDP Headquarters, Executing Agencies and other stakeholders with specific attention to Civil Society;
• Provide regular substantive analysis and briefing notes on programmatic matters related to projects and/or programmes in the area of Energy and the Environment with special reference to Climate Change;
• Maintain a regular contact with regional and national counterparts on implementation strategies of the projects and/or programmes;
• Prepare background papers on Energy and Climate Change issues for proposed meetings or missions of the UNDP Resident Representative (RR) and DRR.;
• Participate as a part of the UNDP’s team in negotiations aimed at financing a sustainable energy and environmental initiative with both technical and social components;
• Monitor and evaluate progress made in the implementation of Climate Change, Energy, and Environmental related projects and be able to collect socio-economic data and provide background information on the sector;
• Maintain an up-dated project brief on all projects and/or programmes in the area of Climate Change and Energy, including funding situation and achievements;
• Prepare substantive briefing notes and/or speeches for senior management on the occasion of seminars, workshops, project review meetings, etc.;
• Brief in-coming missions on matters related to the programme portfolio;
• Draft Press Releases on concluded events and achievements of the Sub-regional office in the area of Energy and Climate Change.
• Support the implementation of the UNFIP funded project “Bioenergy in the Caribbean: Supporting Policy Dialogue on Sustainable Energy” as needed.
• Support the efforts of UNDP on the Energy and Environment Donor Group.
• Facilitate cross practice linkage between EE and poverty practice.
• Undertake specific management assignment as delegated by the Programme manager for Energy and Enviornment.
• Perform any other required duty as requested by the RR, DRR or PM/EE.

The ability to be able to use a wide range of tools for interacting effectively (both physical and technological tools);

• Adaptability and the ability to interact with policy makers and technicians;
• Excellent written and oral communication skills;
• Negotiation skills;
• Coordination skills.
• Strong analytic and policy related skills;
• Good monitoring and Evaluation Skills

Learning Expectations:
 
Upon completion of the assignment, the JPO will have / be able to…
 
Upon completion of the two years assignment it is expected that the incumbent will be fully familiar with UNDP’s mandate and procedures in addition to the programmes and projects linked to Energy and the Environment. The JPO will receive advance hands-on training in project formulation, monitoring and evaluation, as well as in the preparation and quality management of project budgets.
 
The incumbent will get acquainted working with NGOs and other civil society organizations and learn development planning in a Small Island Developing State (SIDS) and how to adjust in the context of a continuously evolving situation.
 
The incumbent will also get acquainted with working relationship existing at the field level between UNDP and the other UN Agencies represented in the region.
 
Throughout the assignment, the incumbent will strengthen his/her facilitation and negotiation skills. Practical experience on the job will provide an immediate education for the JPO, combined with direct guidance from the PM/EE.
 
In addition to the mandatory JPO induction course to be attended during the first year of the assignment, active participation in JPO network is expected as well as in UNDP thematic knowledge networks.
 
During the first year of assignment, the incumbent is expected to:

• become fully knowledgeable with UNDP’s programmes and activities in the region;
• understand the coherence of these with national priorities;
• familiarize him/her self with a broad range of thematic entry points of UN developmental assistance as well as with the operational practices and approaches;
• acquire an ability to negotiate, manage and communicate effectively inside and outside the office.

By the end of the second year of the assignment, it is expected that the JPO will operate independently in these fields with minimal supervision.
  
Upon completion of the assignment, the JPO is expected to have acquired an in-depth substantive knowledge of development challenges in a Small Island Developing State (SIDS) environment; how the UN System structure and mandates seek to tackle these challenges and how individual responses can best be coordinated for greater developmental impact.
  
The JPO will also learn to work with people of different cultural background, different professional experiences and agencies.

Education (Master’s degree or equivalent):

• Masters degree in natural sciences, engineering, environmental management, development or any other related field.

• A minimum of 2 years-relevant work experience in development activities in the field of Energy
• Experience in project design, formulation and implementation and project management.
• Working with people from different social and cultural backgrounds will be an advantage as it would be necessary to ensure adaptability to and sensitivity to new cultural environments.

Exceptionally, candidates with a Bachelors’ degree in a relevant field and a minimum of four years relevant work experience will be considered.