Policy Advisor, Gender and Environment

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has a longstanding commitment to mainstreaming gender equality and promoting women’s empowerment in its work.  As the UN’s lead development agency, with extensive field presence, UNDP has facilitated the integration of gender equality in the work of Country Offices through core and non-core fund investments and has initiated and implemented numerous innovative initiatives, some in partnership with UNW, that support both government and civil society work on gender issues.  Work on gender mainstreaming in UNDP is led and coordinated by the Gender Team, housed in the Bureau Development Policy (BDP), comprised of human resources located at HQ and Regional Centers.

UNDPs work on gender equality and women’s empowerment is guided by UNDPs Gender Equality Strategy (GES) 2008-2013.  The Gender Equality Strategy accompanies UNDPs strategic plan, providing guidance on how to mainstream gender within each of UNDPs four focus areas of: Achieving the MDGs and reducing poverty: Fostering democratic governance; Supporting crises prevention and recovery; and Managing energy and environment for sustainable development.

The Gender Team is comprised of the following four main clusters corresponding to the focus areas of UNDPs strategic plan. These are: Cluster on Democratic Governance and Crisis Prevention and Recovery; Cluster on Energy and Environment; Cluster on MDGs and Poverty Reduction and Cluster on Institutional Development.  The Policy advisor, Gender and Environment will lead the work of the Cluster on Energy and Environment but will work closely with the Policy Advisor, MDGs and Poverty Reduction in supporting the work on the post 2015 development agenda and bringing the economic and environmental dimensions of sustainable development together.

The Gender Team has intensified its work on mainstreaming gender in UNDP’s work on Environment and Energy. The Team is working closely with the Low Emissions Climate Resilient Development Strategies, Africa Adaptation Programme, Community Based Adaptation Programme, and UN-REDD.  Further, the Team is providing technical support and advice to integrate gender in UNDP’s capacity development programmes that support climate-resilient development in developing countries, and access to energy for the poor among others. The demand for technical advice and support services has grown, particularly from country offices.

In addition, the Gender Team has been expanding its work on gender and climate change. It has been an active partner in the Global Gender and Climate Alliance and is supporting capacity building and awareness raising activities around the UNFCCC process. It is also leading in the area of gender and climate change finance, and is generating innovative research and new knowledge on gender and environment.

In the coming year the Gender Team will be elaborating the next generation of the corporate Gender Equality Strategy to cover the period 2014-2017 and will also be contributing to corporate policies related to the post Rio and 2015 development agenda. The Gender and Environment Policy Advisor will guide the work of his/her cluster and work closely with the Poverty cluster in this regard.

The Policy Advisor is responsible for bringing solid substantive advice and technical expertise, advocacy and knowledge to the Sustainable Development, Environment and Gender practice/thematic area.  Working to ensure quality services to BDP’s clients, the Policy Advisor works towards advancing UNDP’s credibility in the practice/thematic area, ensuring coherence and quality technical advice in this area.  The incumbent will report to the Director of the Gender Team, BDP in NY.

The incumbent, will be responsible for:

• Policy Advisory/Programme Support-Delivery;
• Research and Content Development;
• Policy Development;
• Practice Management/Co-ordination;
• Practice Advocacy; and
• Knowledge Management

Policy Advisory/Programme Support-Delivery

• Lead the provision of policy advisory services that respond to country office needs;
• Provide policy advice and technical guidance to and collaborate substantively with regional/country focal points to help achieve practice strategic goals and implement practice supported programmes;
• Provide direct technical advice, backstopping and training to COs, UNCTs, Regional Centres and Regional Bureaux and Practice Groups, in particular the Environment and Energy Group.
• Provide programme support related to the design, implementation oversight and results &  M & E;
• Contribute to developing the capacity of national counterparts in support of achieving the MDGs as it relates to the work of the practice area;
• Facilitates the engagement of governments, country offices and regional programmes with civil society at large, including indigenous peoples and minorities; and provides advice on civic engagement, participatory approaches, civil society capacity development and the creation of an enabling environment for civil society;
• Support relevant regional initiatives and promote synergies with the regional programmes of the Regional Bureaux;
• Exercise quality assurance for policy services in practice service area and foster policy innovation to enhance programme delivery.

Research and Content Development

• Conduct analysis of data, case evidence and research findings to distill relevant lessons;
• Based upon research and analysis, generate innovative operational concepts aimed at widening UN/UNDP policy/programming tools;
• Develop, test and roll out tools and methodologies in focus areas to provide “how to” guidance and ensure standards;
• Research, develop and share knowledge-based tools, such as policy positions/practice notes/concept  papers and other research papers to help influence/advance policy dialogue in the practice service area and present such material at global and regional forums;
• Lead and manage activities in support of the corporate Knowledge Road Map within BDP and UNDP.

Policy Development

• Lead policy development  in the Environment and Gender thematic area
• Develop corporate policy and guidance in focus area and act as one of the primary focal points in the post Rio/ post 2015 development process making substantive contributions to the elaboration of policy in this area;
• Provide substantive inputs to international fora to help shape global and regional development strategies, policies, norms and standards;
• Develop tools for the implementation of global policy standards.

Practice Management/Co-ordination

• Work closely with the Practice Manager and Director of the Gender Team to develop work plans, monitor/report progress in service area in line with practice strategic goals and within the practice resource framework and agreed work programme;
• Provide practice/cluster programme management/oversight, including development/management of global programmes and manage related human resources if applicable;
• Mobilize and manage financial resources, including for Trust-Funds;
• Provide results reporting and other management obligations for corporate planning/management processes of UNDP, UN system and trust funds’ governing boards;
• Enlist management solutions to troubleshoot programme delivery difficulties and share best practices;
• Develop practice business plan in the service area, and forge/implement successfully strategic partnerships with UN and external partner institutions – Governments, private sector, academia, NGOs, CSOs.)

Practice Advocacy

• Provide substantive and content leadership in UNDP corporate discussions and inter-agency coordination on practice issues;
• Represent UNDP (and UN partner organizations) to advocate practice messages in the international development arena for a discussion;
• Mobilize external partnerships behind UNDP initiatives;
• Advocate the importance of the practice service area in various fora with a view to deepen related political commitment and related reforms;
• Lead the design of material and promote initiatives for advocacy and policy dialogue in practice service areas and nurture partnerships with academia and civil society to develop the content;
• Support the Director of the Gender Team in providing intellectual leadership of practice in specific service area.

Knowledge Management

• Build and facilitate internal and external Communities of Practice in relevant thematic and cross-thematic area(s)
• Contribute to global and regional knowledge networks;
• Produce knowledge products in accordance with corporate standards;
• Manage content in the relevant practice service space of Teamworks.

Corporate:

• Demonstrates integrity and fairness, by modeling the UN/UNDP’s values and ethical standards;
• Promotes the vision, mission and strategic goals of UNDP;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.

Functional:

Leadership

• Strong managerial/leadership experience and decision-making skills;
• Ability to conceptualize and convey strategic vision from the spectrum of development experience;
• Knowledge and expertise in UNDP’s programming processes;
• Proven ability to lead a practice area and drive for results with a strong knowledge of results-based management and budgeting.

Managing Relationships

• Demonstrated well developed people management and organizational skills;
• Strong ability to manage teams; creating an enabling environment, mentoring and developing staff;
• Excellent negotiating and networking skills;
• Strong resource mobilization and partnering skills.

Managing Complexity

• Ability to address global development issues;
• Substantive knowledge and understanding of development cooperation with the ability to support the practice architecture of UNDP and inter-disciplinary issues;
• Demonstrated substantive leadership and ability to integrate knowledge with broader strategic, policy and operational objectives;
• A sound global network of institutional and individual contacts.

Knowledge Management and Learning

• Ability to strongly promote knowledge sharing and knowledge products and services;
• Demonstrated ability to understand clients' needs and concerns; respond promptly and effectively to client needs; and customize services and products as appropriate.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate with others in own unit and across boundaries; acknowledge others' contributions; promote collaboration and facilitate teamwork across organizational boundaries;
• Open to new ideas; shares own knowledge; applies knowledge in daily work; builds partnerships for learning and knowledge sharing;
• Promotes knowledge management in UNDP and a learning environment in the office through leadership and personal example;
• Seeks and applies knowledge, information and best practices from within and outside of UNDP;
  Familiarity with current Knowledge Management technologies, including Web and Enterprise 2.0 etc.

Judgment/Decision-Making

• Mature judgment and initiative;
• Proven ability to provide strategic direction in practice area;
• Independent judgment and discretion in advising on handling major policy issues and challenges.

• Master's degree in international relations, development, public administration, environmental and/or gender studies
  or in a related development related area.

• A minimum of 10 years of experience of international development, programme development, partnership building, analytical work in development issues and gender mainstreaming;
• Experience of working on partnership building and resource mobilization processes, and in partnership with a range of UN agencies and CSOs;
• Experience in managing staff and UN/UNDP operations;
• Knowledge of UNDP and UN system policies and programming in gender equality and women’s empowerment;
• Knowledge and experience working on environment and gender issues, climate change finance mechanisms.

• Excellent communication and drafting skills in English. Working knowledge of other UN official languages would be an asset.