| Description |
ROGRAMME MANAGER ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE UNIT
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| Location : |
São Tomé, SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE |
| Application Deadline : |
28-Feb-14 |
| Additional Category |
Environment and Energy |
| Type of Contract : |
FTA International |
| Post Level : |
P-3 |
Languages Required :
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English French Spanish Portuguese |
Starting Date :
(date when the selected candidate is expected to start) |
01-Apr-2014 |
| Duration of Initial Contract : |
One year |
| Expected Duration of Assignment : |
One Year Renewalable |
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Background
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The Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe (STP) published its National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA) in 2006 that sets out a list of 22 priority adaptation projects in sectors including agriculture and fisheries, livestock, water, health, infrastructure, energy and civil protection. In recent years until now, STP has been facing problems related to deforestation, coastal erosion and increase frequency of extreme events (especially, squall lines and flooding). Rainfalls have been irregular with the later onset rainy season, and the dry season (gravana) starting earlier and finishing later. All these phenomena have widespread impacts, primarily on the poorest, destroying crops, reducing productivity for farmers, floods forcing the displacement of human populations and damaging properties and infrastructures. For this reason, adaptation represents a critical emerging and priority area of work for the STP government and the UNDPCO, to develop and lead a country-wide adaptation programme.
Brief Project Description:
In STP, the UNDAF priorities which are aligned with the government PRSP priorities are to increase awareness and population commitment to protect the environment; to strengthen climate resilient development and adaptation to climate change through Early warning system, adopting log terms mechanisms for adaptation to inherent uncertain impacts of climate change to vulnerable population; to ensure sustainable renewable energy sources to the major part of the population; to formulate and disseminate the strategies and national action plans to reinforce national institutions that are responsible for environmental, climate change, energy and disaster risks management in order to settle the National approaches to management sustainable development activities and priorities in order to attain the MDGS. The UNDP country office has recently implemented the Africa Adaptation programme and supported the development of the Second National Communication on Climate Changes, the fourth and fifth National Reports on Biodiversity and under the Convention to combat desertification.
This year, through UNDP, São Tomé and Príncipe has mobilised 13.2 million USD from the GEF (global Environment facility) to implement three full size projects between 2013 and 2017.
The first project will consist in “Strengthening climate information and early warning systems in São Tomé and Principe for climate resilient development and adaptation to climate change (4 million USD) will be completed by two additional projects on renewable energy, watershed, land and forest management (5.2 million USD) and Rural Communities adaptation to climate change (4 million USD). These projects will enhance the country capacity, promote adaptation action and lay the foundation for long-term investment in adaptation with the objective of adjusting Sao Tome and Principe national development processes to incorporate climate change risks and opportunities. The programme will help establish an enabling environment and develop the capacity required at local and national levels to permit the authorities to design, finance, implement, monitor and adjust long-term, integrated and cost-effective adaptation policies and plans that are robust and resilient to a wide range of possible changes in climate conditions. The UNDP CO will support this program and will participate with government authorities in the implementation of activities and projects.
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Duties and Responsibilities
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Under the overall guidance of the Country Office Management, the Programme Manager will act as the Head of the Environment Energy, Climate change and Disaster Risks Reduction Cluster/Unit. The Programme Manager is responsible for providing technical, monitoring, and operational support to the UNDP Sao tome and Principe environment portfolio. The Programme Manager also leads, supervises and coordinates the activities of the portfolio cluster. He will be responsible of the UNDAF thematic group and will acts as focal point to the Country Office and its partners. S/he will also provide support to the country office in formulation and monitoring of annual work plan and operational, budgetary and procurement support of portfolio projects and programmes.
Summary of Key Functions:
Coordinate the Unit
- Provide implementing partners with technical and operational support;
- Act as environment operational focal-point within UNDP, Technical assistance, backstopping and monitoring to the environment portfolio Programme and projects;
- Provide monitoring and operational support to the UNDP Sao Tome and Principe Environment portfolio programmes and projects;
- Support to the development of partnerships, advocacy and knowledge management services for environment mainstreaming into national strategic documents;
- Support the environment Programme on GEF resource mobilization and others funds;
- Support the government in developing and implementing the national programme on environmental, energy, disaster risks management and climate change adaptation strategy;
- Provide policy support, technical guidance, and implementation assistance for the national adaptation programme and associated projects;
- Identify and develop strategic partnerships with donors to ensure a coordinated approach to financing climate change policy and to secure additional funding to support climate change policy implementation;
- Identify and develop strategic partnerships with technical service providers to ensure well informed and designed climate change interventions;
- Conduct analytical work related to the project, as required, to improve project quality;
- Develop annual work plans and budgets and report on their implementation status.
Provide monitoring and operational support to the UNDP Sao Tome and Principe Environment Programme and focus on the following results:
- Implementation of Programme, projects plans and strategies;
- Supervise study based information, analysis, reporting and dissemination of the results of the country Programme;
- Provide support for the formulation, implementation and monitoring of activities and annual work plans;
- Supervise operational support to the Programme.
Provide technical assistance, and monitoring to the environment programme in support of implementation and mainstreaming of portfolio projects and programmes aspects into national development policies while focusing on the following results:
- Perform analysis of political situation and develop scenarios for effectively addressing environment, climate change adaptation and disaster risks reduction mainstreaming in this context;
- Prepare information and documentation on programme implementation;
- Provide background information to identify opportunities for project development;
- Provide support and contribute to the development and formulation of new project proposals.
Coordinating the UN country system on the environment portfolio:
- Connect consistently the UNDP Country Programme Action Plan and UN Development Assistance Framework with the Government’s PRSP priorities;
- Develop linkages with on-going UN activities in the course of developing interagency climate change adaptation projects;
- Promote a coherent and consistent UN approach to environment, energy, and disaster risk reduction and climate change and development investments;
- Ensure supply of training to UN to establish minimum standards of knowledge in climate change linkages and implications;
- Promote the participation of civil society in the development of an environment strategy.
Developing knowledge management:
- Develop knowledge management tools and processes to promote learning and awareness;
- Promote screening of climate-sensitive programmes and projects, and adaptation among different practices, such as disaster risk reduction, poverty, governance, etc.
Various:
- Participate in weekly meeting of the management team of the local office;
- Support the development of work and activities of the UNDPCO;
- Liaise with other partners and UN agencies to assure the flow of information;
- Strengthen the capacity of national environmental and meteorological institutions, and of communities, to protect the environment and implement international environmental conventions.
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Competencies
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Corporate Competencies:
- Demonstrates integrity by modelling the UN’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 competencies:
- Understanding of the GEF’s operating principles, in particular in relation to various adaptation funds, and how the application of these affects project design and implementation;
- Hands-on experience in design, formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development projects.
- Knowledge of how climate risk information can be used to add value to policy processes and planning tools is essential;
- Demonstrated capacity for innovation and results;
- Strong interpersonal and negotiation skills;
- Availability to contribute to the substantive development and increased capacity of the team and willingness to share expertise;
- Ability to prepare briefing notes, presentations and other knowledge products;
- Ability to communicate technical concepts among many different stakeholders – government, donors, civil society organisations - in plain, non-jargonistic language, and to understand the language of sectoral policy makers.
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Required Skills and Experience
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Education:
- A Master’s degree or equivalent in areas covering environmental studies, climate change adaptation, agriculture and rural development;
- A postgraduate qualification with required experience.
Experience:
- A minimum of 5 years relevant work experience in climate change and environment related work with a focus on policy and implementation at country level;
- Experience in working with the UN is desirable;
- Experience with UNDP operational policies and procedures desirable. Familiarity with the potential role of poverty environment linkages, sustainable management of the environment, in relation to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) would be an added advantage;
- Experience in working in small Island developing states (SIDS) in Africa and understanding its political and economic situation is desirable.
Language Requirements:
- Excellent knowledge of French and English;
- Good working knowledge of Portuguese, desirable.
Note:
Please note that any application submitted with no P11 will not be considered.
How to apply:
Please follow the following steps
Click on “Apply Now”;
Complete the personal information including short motivational note (max 1000 characters not words);
Cut and paste your CV (in the next box);
Click on Submit application;
On next page click on browse and upload the P11 form.
We strongly encourage qualified women to apply. |
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