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Title

Policy Specialist (Climate Change) - (For Lao national only)
Posted
Reference   (Please mention Stopdodo/Environment Jobs in your application)
Sectors
Location Laos - Asia & M East
Type Temporary / Contract / Seasonal
Status Full Time
Level Mid Level
Deadline 07/11/2010
Company Name United Nations Development Program
Contact Name Human Resources
Website Further Details / Applications
United Nations Development Program logo
Directory Entry : UNDP is the UN's global development network, an organization advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. We are on the ground in 166 countries, working with them on their own solutions to global and national development challenges. For environmental jobs with UNDP visit their website. Or for more environmental jobs search environmentjobs.com
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Description
IMPORTANT:  This Advertiser has requested that applicants MUST be National Residents / Valid Work Permit-holders.  Other applicants need not apply.

 

UNDP Country Offices are receiving an increasing number of national requests for assistance with understanding the implications of climate change on national development and preparing integrated strategies and plans to manage anticipated challenges and opportunities. UNDP has played an important role assisting countries to access and deliver climate change financing, as implementing agency of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), joint manager of the National Communications Support Programme and by delivering initiatives like MDG Carbon, Capacity Development for Policy Makers, the MDG Achievement Fund, Africa Adaptation Programme, CC-DARE, UN REDD, Carbon Neutral and Climate Resilient Territories, and the 2007 Human Development Report on climate change (activities totaling more than 220 million USD in catalytic funding). Yet at the same time, UNDP must further strengthen its climate change policy advisory capacity.
 
In light of the increasing urgency of climate change responses in every programme country, UNDP is now investing in strengthening its climate change services to all countries, in particular to Least Developed Countries (LDCs). Up to 26 Policy Specialists (Climate Change)at the national level will be recruited to supplement existing Country Office staff capacity on climate change. The Policy Specialists (Climate Change)will seek to strengthen UNDP’s climate policy capacity, improve coherence within UNDP and the wider UNCT, and promote strategic engagement on key climate issues for UNDP. The Policy Specialists (Climate Change) will be fully integrated in the community of practice of climate change advisors and experts already working at national, regional and HQ levels. In addition to their integration into the respective CO structure, the Policy Specialists (Climate Change)will work under the technical guidance of the Regional Service Centre EE Practice Leader. It is expected that workplans and priorities will be fully aligned with corporate global and regional goals.
 

The impacts of climate change and natural disasters are being increasingly felt in the Lao PDR. In 2009 alone, communities across the country, and particularly in the south, suffered from the impact of floods caused by tropical storms. These and other extreme weather events are likely to occur more often as the climate continues to change. They will deepen poverty and inflict long-term suffering as villagers lose their harvests, struggle to rebuild their houses, and are pushed further into penury.

When the climate changes, the most vulnerable people will suffer the most. Already fragile livelihoods are most likely to be disrupted, with poor people having little or no capital to rebuild and recover from floods, droughts and other impacts. The predicted effects of climate changes around the world will be long lasting and far reaching. Even in the Lao PDR, a country that contributes very little to global climate changes, shifts in climatic conditions can both undermine progress towards achieving the MDGs and exiting LDC status by 2020 and alter precarious environmental balances. The changing climate will require new agricultural practices to produce the food that communities rely on; stronger and more resilient infrastructure, including buildings, bridges, roads and others; expanded health care as the incidence of vector-borne and water-borne diseases spread; and many other adaptation measures. With 80 per cent of the Lao population living in rural areas, these are issues that require substantial planning and support.

 

Duties and Responsibilities
Under supervision of the  Environment Unit Chief, within existing climate change structures in the country office and guided by the climate team at the Regional Service Centre and HQ, the national Policy Analyst (Climate Change) will:
 
1.     Promote a substantive and strategic policy engagement on climate change with government and development partners, building on and ensuring consistency with international policy guidance on climate change provided by HQ
·         Engage in climate change policy dialogue at national level with key partners -- including key line Ministries, donors, NGOs, private sector, and civil society -- on preparing for a post-2012 institutional and financial regime, using technical guidance available at the regional and global level and ensuring consistency with international climate policy guidance provided by HQ.
·         Provide substantive inputs on national low-carbon, climate-resilient development and green growth strategies and plans and review of sector policies, which can provide the foundation for Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs), building on and ensuring consistency with international climate policy guidance provided by HQ.
·         Source expertise and backstop on economic climate change impact assessments for vulnerable sectors of a country’s economy, as required, using technical guidance available at the regional and global level.
·         Support capacity development of government agencies to programme climate change-related resources and provide advice on the effective use and management of different climate financing mechanisms, drawing on the EEG Environmental Finance facilities.
·         Observe and engage in national and international climate change policy debates within the overarching UNDP climate change policy framework.
·         Identify areas of comparative advantage for interventions where UNDP can add value and inform the Regional Service Centre and HQ.
·         Advise UNDP senior management on all climate related policy issues to provide strategic advice and guidance with a specific focus on adaptation and mitigation.
·         Serve as a resource person on capacity development activities on climate change for the UNDP Country Office and UNCT.
 
2.     Support a UN-wide approach to climate change and promote UNDP’s role, including policy and programmatic initiatives, ensuring consistency and integration with regional and global approaches, methodologies, and strategies
 
·         Support development of a programmatic approach at the UNDP/UNCT level to integrate climate risk management in the existing framework documents (UNDAF, CPAP) and project portfolios across all practice areas.
·         Formulate, implement and manage the UNDP Country Office Programmes on  climate change.Provide technical guidance and support to the country programme in identifying and addressing climate related risks and opportunities in all practice areas such as governance, poverty, environment, CPR, gender, capacity development) within UNDP as well as within the UN system.
·         Identify and elaborate UNDP components, based on its comparative advantage, of the UN approach.
·         Promote cross practice collaboration (poverty, governance, CPR, gender, capacity development) within UNDP as well as within the UN system.
·         Support development of awareness generating activities on climate change
 
3.     Support strategic partnerships and knowledge management
 

Adapt global and regional technical and strategic position papers, presentations, advisory and briefing notes, for national circumstances.

·         Mobilize members of the National Assembly on strategic policy dialogues on climate change issues
·         Prepare and adapt inputs to policy briefs/position papers that address links between climate change and the National Social Economic Development Plan that sets out key development priorities, in collaboration with other practices such as governance, poverty reduction, gender, crisis prevention and recovery, and capacity development.
·         Under guidance of Country Office, and in collaboration with the Regional Service Centre and EEG, strengthen strategic and thematic partnerships with key stakeholders, particularly government, donors, private sector to map out climate change activities in order to identify opportunities, formulate joint initiatives with maximum impacts and efficiency, minimize duplication of efforts and reduce transaction costs.
·         Explore the potential for private sector partnerships on climate change and explore opportunities for carbon/environmental financing.
·         Support resource mobilization efforts of the government on climate change, especially tapping into the climate change specific financing mechanisms such as the MDG Carbon Facility, CDM, Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) scheme, the UN Multi-Donor Trust Fund and other similar funding mechanisms .
·         Promote information sharing and facilitate dialogue within the donor community by initiating and/or participating in consultative meetings and preparing briefs and policy papers on climate change.
·         Provide regular briefings on the status of international climate change negotiations and forthcoming events, using disseminated inputs from EEG and the Regional Service Centres. These inputs should contribute to the development and strengthening common UN positions regarding climate change issues.
·         Ensure optimal flow of information about initiatives, projects, international climate negotiations, and related issues between CO and other partners, in particular the Regional Service Centres and HQ.

 

Competencies
Corporate Responsibility & Direction:
  • Serves and promotes the vision, mission, values, and strategic goals of UNDP
People Skills:
  • Recognizes and responds appropriately to the ideas, interests, and concerns of others; gives credit to the contributions of others
Managing for Results:
  • Plans and prioritizes work activities to meet organizational goals
Partnering & Networking:
  • Builds and sustains relationships with key constituents (internal/external/ bilateral/ multilateral/public/private; civil society)
Innovation & Judgment:
  • Conceptualizes and analyzes problems to identify key issues, underlying problems, and how they relate
  • Generates creative, practical approaches to overcome challenging situations
  • evises new systems and processes, and modifies existing ones, to support innovative behaviors
Communication:
  • Demonstrates excellent and effective written and oral communication skills
  • Demonstrates effective communication skills in a multidisciplinary working environment
  • Demonstrate respect to knowledge and culture and religion in a multidisciplinary working environment
Job Knowledge & Expertise:
  • Applies the required depth and breadth of knowledge and expertise to meet job demands
Uses Information Technology effectively as a tool and resource

 

Required Skills and Experience
  • Master’s Degree in climate sciences, environmental sciences, earth sciences, natural resource economics, political science or related social sciences.
  • At least 5 years of relevant work experience on issues related to climate risk, vulnerability reduction and capacity development.
  • Background in partnership building is an essential requirement.
  • Experience in working with government, donors or the UN previously is an asset
  • Experience in policy analysis, development work in the area of climate change and related issues.
  • Familiarity with and contributions to high-level policy dialogues and advisory functions involving high-level government counterparts and other stake-holders
  • Thorough knowledge and understanding of the global debate on climate change and experience in multilateral environmental debates and dialogues and processes.
  • Experience in advising on climate change adaptation and energy policy development a major asset
  • Proven experience and knowledge of the country’s institutional framework and policies of climate change is an asset.
  • Experience in development planning is a major asset.
  • Fluency in the national language. Fluency in English or other UN languages may also be required, depending upon country.
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