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UNDP is increasing its capacity and operations in the climate risk management in Central Asia. A new Central Asian Climate Risk Management (CA-CRM) programme, launched in March 2010, will assist the five Central Asian countries to adjust their national development processes to address risks posed by current climate variability and future climate change. CA-CRM will seek to strengthen climate-related disaster risk reduction and adaptive capacity, promote early action and provide the foundation for long-term investment to increase resilience to climate-related impacts across the region.
In order to achieve these aims, CA-CRM will build intellectual capital in the region to address the complex and multi-disciplinary problem that climate variability and climate change poses. Accordingly, CA-CRM proposes to form a”multi-country climate network” (MCN). A primary task of the MCN will be to provide tools, methods and expertise for in-depth socio-economic and biophysical analyses of the climate change impacts and cost-benefit analyses of potential CRM interventions for the region. This will be preceded by a thorough review of a wide-range of previous as well as ongoing CRM interventions in each country. The cost-benefit analyses will be used to prioritise interventions and to sensitize policy-makers and decision-makers to the risks posed by climate variability and climate change and the benefits associated with appropriate CRM interventions. Leadership capacity in the fields of climate-related disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation within the region will be strengthened, where required, throughout the CA-CRM programme. Additionally, CA-CRM will address the main institutional, policy and financial barriers to catalyzing systematic CRM and cost-effective adaptation across the region. Importantly, lessons-learned and results achieved through CA-CRM and already existing CRM initiatives will be disseminated on a web-based knowledge management platform to inform future adaptation endeavors.
The CA-CRM Programme Coordinator, located in the sub-regional Central Asia office managed by the UNDP Bratislava Regional Center (Almaty), will be responsible to manage the regional component of the programme and to coordinate and support all programme activities, overall monitoring and reporting, and to oversee staff and operations in five national Project Implementation Units (PIU) in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
The position requires a high degree of technical and contextual knowledge of climate risk management and its linkages with development trends in Central Asia. Understanding of how climate change affects human development, as well as how climate risks can be reduced through the development processes will be essential for this assignment.
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Duties and Responsibilities
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The CA-CRM Programme Coordinator, reporting to the Adaptation RTA and the DRR Adviser (UNDP/BRC), will be an integral part of the UNDP Practice architecture and will provide advisory support to stakeholders including donors, UNDP/UN Offices, and government and national institutions in Central Asia.
S/he will be responsible for the day-to-day management, co-ordination and supervision of the activities implemented under the programme ‘Central Asian Multi-Country Project on Climate Risk Management (CA-CRM)’, leading to the project outputs as outlined in regional and national project documents.
The specific tasks can be grouped into 4 main areas:
Project implementation (coordination, oversight, management, team leadership, monitoring and reporting);
Advisory support and capacity building on climate risk management in Central Asia;
Partnership building, stakeholder involvement, knowledge management support;
Fundraising for the programme (regional and national components).
1. Project implementation (management, team leadership, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting), 40%
In the framework of the project document for the regional component of the programme “Supporting Integrated and Comprehensive Approaches to Climate-Related Disaster Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation in Central Asia (Central Asian Multi-Country Project on Climate Risk Management (CA-CRM)”, ensure effective and efficient project management, including:
- Develop a detailed work plan for the project at inception phase and monitor progress against the initial quality criteria.
- Monitor financial resources, control expenditures and ensure an adequate management of the resources provided for the project.
- Prepare quarterly and annual progress reports, interim and final reports and financial reports.
- Ensure timely delivery of results and outputs in all activities.
- Manage and oversee all procurement processes.
- Provide high-quality reporting (including on-line – in “Atlas”) periodically and on demand.
- Monitor and evaluate project outcomes and results for 1) adopting corrective measures in project implementation, when necessary, to ensure timely delivery of required inputs and achievement of results and 2) deriving lessons learned to increased knowledge among stakeholders concerning CRM and inform future programming.
- Keep comprehensive risk and issues logs updated, alert the project board and suggest management responses as needed.
- Make and execute all necessary and suitable organizational arrangements.
- In line with UNDP’s rules and regulations and the prevailing project implementation arrangements, draft TORs for staff and consultants, identify candidates, and manage the recruitment and hiring process.
- Mobilise the initiation of the Project Board, and other relevant working groups.
- Organize project related meetings, including PB meetings and regional and national project inception workshops. Prepare the background materials for these meetings and their minutes.
- Coordinate between the international and national experts, ensuring the national staff receives all necessary training, templates, methodologies and support to undertake their data collection functions.
- Coordinate and oversee the work of PIUs and all teams and task forces at regional and national levels, and assure timely and quality implementation of all national project activities, including quality control of all produced outputs.
- Lead the process of fine-tuning and specification of regional and national project documents during the inception phase.
- Other tasks to ensure proper project implementation, as adequate and requested by the supervisors.
2. Advisory support, capacity building and regional and national CRM activities, 20%
- As leading UNDP climate risk management expert in Central Asia, and in the framework of the programme:
- Provide advisory services to the regional and national CA-CRM projects and lead strategic thinking on the overall programme.
- Conduct targeted research, develop briefing papers, prepare and/or hold presentations on related issues, or fulfill other services upon request.
- Continuously and pro-actively monitor the relevance and strategic approaches of the programme to address the overall development objective, alert the project board, and develop mitigation proposals, as required.
- Initiate and lead identification of the specific needs and demands of the countries in the region in the area of climate risk management, and serve as a broker in harnessing regional and global support (through EEG/BCPR) to respond to such needs.
- Proactively liaise with other UN(DP) colleagues, particularly the conflict prevention and recovery and the climate change team.
- Organize targeted capacity building and training activities, including develop, coordinate with partners, and conduct trainings, workshops, stakeholder roundtables, etc.
- Facilitate coordination with capacity building activities of partners and other relevant projects, which may include development and implementation of joint capacity building strategies and programmes.
- Lead the preparation of national and regional evidence to support increased integration of climate change into development strategies and plans and increased investment in climate risk management.
- Advise on key policy issues pertaining to climate risk management; engage in and contribute to policy dialogues on all levels, including the national level.
- Facilitate internal advocacy efforts related to mainstreaming climate risk management into UNDP supported development initiatives in the region.
- Develop increased climate risk management capacity in UNDP Country Offices including through training.
- Facilitate regional cross-practice collaboration between BDP and BCPR in the area of energy and environment and gender, especially as pertaining to the management of climate-related risks.
3. Partnership building and advocacy, knowledge management support, 20%
- Lead public relations for the programme, identifying collaborative opportunities and promoting project results, to ensure project remains relevant and linked to UNDP processes, including but not limited to:
- Design of the project visibility strategy.
- Implement the project visibility strategy.
- Prepare marketing materials, ensure regular website updates and press releases.
- Ensure adequate outreach, communication, P/R and project visibility.
- Manage the production and dissemination of both regular and occasional reports on UNDP activities in climate risk management in the region.
- Represent the project vis-à-vis UNDP projects and country offices, governments, and stakeholders.
- Support regional advocacy efforts related to the promotion, adoption and endorsement of national and regional climate risk management strategies.
- Regularly liaise with project partners and supporters.
- Identify and directly liaise with potential new partners in Central Asia, including research institutions, NGOs, bi- or multilateral donors, IFI’s or others as adequate.
- Promote and facilitate partner and donor-coordination efforts.
- Mobilise the initiation of the institutional framework and communications between key programme stakeholders.
- Initiate the establishment of and facilitate the multi-country climate network.
- Facilitate and promote exchange of data and information, codification and replication of experience and cutting-edge knowledge in the respective areas in the region.
- Advise and support the UNDP colleagues as adequate, in strategic positioning of UNDP and its operations in the area of climate change in Central Asia.
- Contribute to the generation of lessons learned from the programme and prepare lessons learned briefs on the regional and national programme components.
- Other ad-hoc tasks, within the ability of the incumbent, as appropriate and requested by the supervisor or project board.
4. Resource Mobilization, 20%
- Develop and implement a fundraising strategy and plan to mobilize resources for the regional and national programme components to first fill current budget gaps and then upscale the programme.
- Assist UNDP Country Offices in resource mobilization efforts for climate risk management activities in Central Asia.
- Prepare funding proposals and briefings in support of UNDP resource mobilization efforts.
- Manage the organization of donor briefings and presentations, regularly liaise with donor representatives in the region for resource mobilization purposes.
- Undertake working level negotiations with counterparts in multi and bilateral agencies located in the region.
- Represent UNDP and the CA-CRM programme on policy, strategy and technical matters in inter-agency, regional and international meetings. Present UNDP position on climate risk management in workshops, seminars and conferences.
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Competencies
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Corporate Competencies
- Demonstrates commitment and integrity in line with UN values and ethical standards.
- Promotes the vision and mission of UNDP.
- Displays cultural, gender, religious, ethnic, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.
Technical/ Functional
- Thorough understanding of national policies and programmes in Central Asia, as they relate to climate change.
- Demonstrated understanding of donor-funded national climate change programmes and projects.
- Demonstrated knowledge, analytical skills and relevant experience in climate change.
- Sound, practical understanding of market economics and how regulatory and fiscal policies can help to allocate resources equitably, applying this in particular to the agricultural, livestock and water sectors.
- Ability to pick up new terminology and concepts easily and to turn information from various sources into a coherent project document.
- Knowledge of vulnerability and risk assessment theory and practice.
- Experience in disaster risk assessment and in its application to risk management decision-making.
Knowledge Management and Learning
- Promotes a knowledge sharing and learning culture in the office.
- Understands development issues.
- Able to advocate and provide policy advice.
- Actively works towards continuing personal learning and development in one or more Practice Areas, acts on learning plan and applies new acquired skills and is able to draw lessons from professional/personal experience and integrate new learning into overall approach to work.
Management and Leadership
- Focuses on result for the client and responds positively to feedback.
- Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude.
- Good team player, self starter, has ability to work under minimum supervision and maintain good relationships.
- Demonstrated programme and team leadership skills.
- Demonstrated ability to develop strategies and work plans to accomplish objectives, empower others to translate visions into results, identify strategic issues, opportunities and risks and devise timely and effective responses.
- Strong oral and written communications skills.
- Ability to develop innovative solutions - encourages and contributes creative solutions to address challenging situations.
Partnerships
- Maturity and confidence in dealing with senior and high-ranking members of international, regional and national institutions.
- Builds strong relationships with clients, focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to feedback.
Development and Operational Effectiveness
- Demonstrated advanced social skills, including team building and coaching.
- Experience with organizing and giving lectures and trainings.
- Prince 2 concept knowledge.
- Experience and understanding of Atlas, especially reporting tools.
- General knowledge of UNDP POPPs.
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Required Skills and Experience
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Education:
- Master`s or equivalent degree in the field of environment, preferably with focus on climate change and/or disaster risk reduction
Experience:
- At least 7 years of relevant working experience
- Demonstrated solid knowledge of climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction and development
- Experience in the policy development process associated with environment and sustainable development an asset
- Experience in working and collaborating with governments an asset
- Demonstrated experience in resource mobilization
- Demonstrated experience with multi-country project or programme management, preferably related to climate change, including supervision of staff
- Experience in reporting to donors and associated monitoring and evaluation activities
- Communications experience and advocacy skills an asset
- Work experience in an international organization, knowledge of UNDP policies and procedures, and experience in working and collaborating with governments and UNDP Country Offices is desirable
- Willingness to travel as appropriate
Language Requirements:
- Excellent knowledge of English and Russian, including writing, presentation and communication skills
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