Programme Specialist (Climate Change Adaptation)

UNDP's Regional Centre in Bratislava provides policy advice and technical support to 22 UNDP Country Offices in Europe and the CIS Region. In addition it implements regional programmes and acts as a hub for regional knowledge management activities. The position will be part of Regional Energy and Environment Practice.  

The goal of the regional Environment and Energy Practice is to contribute to sustainable human development, by supporting the countries’ transition to low carbon and climate resilient economies, ecosystems and communities. UNDP’s Environment and Energy work in Europe and CIS is in line with four interconnected and higher level strategic priorities, as outlined in the UNDP Strategic Plan (2008 – 2013): (i) mainstreaming environment and energy into national and local development policies and plans; (ii) catalyzing environmental finance - assisting  countries with assessing their environmental financing needs, accessing, sequencing and combining different sources of environmental funds to support market development for climate and environmentally friendly technologies; (iii) addressing climate change; and (iv) strengthening local capacity and action for the environment and sustainable development. UNDP’s capacity in the region to promote these issues is demonstrated through a portfolio of 257 projects in 28 countries under implementation with a total budget value of approximately US$ 660 million (with a turnover of about $US 44 million).

In the area of low-emission development, the regional Environment and Energy practice supports the countries of the region to: (i) formulate, mobilize finance and implement Low-Emissions Development Strategies (LEDS) or Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs); (ii) develop policy framework and capacity for investment in low-carbon technologies and practices in energy efficiency, sustainable transport, renewable energies; (iii) catalyze carbon Finance. In the area of climate resilient ecosystems, economies and communities, UNDP work covers: (i) Climate risk management - addressing both the risks associated with climate variability and projected change in climate; (ii) Early adaptation actions and long-term adaptive capacity of economic sectors and vulnerable groups; (iii) Ecosystems and Sustainable Land Management - maintaining and enhancing the beneficial services provided by ecosystems in order to secure livelihoods, water and health, reduce vulnerability and disaster risk, storing carbon and avoiding emissions from land use change and forestry; (iv) Water Governance – promoting Integrated Water Resource Management and transboundary dialogue on water management in key water basins in the region.

This position will be responsible for contributing to the work on Climate Risk Management.

The Regional Climate Change Adaptation Specialist will work under the overall guidance and supervision of the RBEC Energy and Environment Practice Leader and in close consultation with the UNDP/GEF Regional Technical Advisors and Specialist for Climate Change in Europe and CIS. He/she will coordinate and manage UNDP activities and project portfolio in the area of climate risk management and climate resilient development and adaptation throughout the Europe and CIS.

The Regional Climate Change Adaptation Specialist is primary responsible for providing high quality programming and implementation support and capacity developments services to UNDP Country Offices in the region. Secondary clients might include UN agencies, governments and inter-governmental organizations, NGOs, donors and the like.

Summary of key functions:

Innovation, Strategic leadership, Dialogue and Advocacy (10%)

• Maintaining and understanding of substantive technical issues, institutions, and processes within the region, including establishing contact with and developing strategic partnerships with other agencies, donors, NGOs, the private sector, scientific institutions and the like;
• Contributing to identifying new strategic programming opportunities and partnerships especially with the private sector in the area of climate resilient development and climate risk management;
• Managing correspondence and communications with the Regional team, COs and partners on trends and issues with respect to the substantive technical area;
• Participating in cross-substantive area technical dialogue, common strategic visioning, mainstreaming programming and other collaboration within the regional team;
• Assisting in keeping the Regional Team informed of trends and issues pertaining to climate change adaptation and climate resilient development;
• Thorough analysis and research on the existing strategies on climate risk management, preparation of substantive inputs to design and implementation of the regional climate strategy and programme for Eastern Europe and the CIS

Programming and Management (20%)

• Developing strategic policy development support and guidance for strengthening UNDP Country Offices with adaptation project design and implementation, including alignment with national priorities, as well as leveraging public finance to attract private sector partnerships and investments;
• Development and advocating for specific policy analysis and development tools and guidance in support of programming and finance for adaptation;
• Supporting the establishment of a trusted leadership role for UNDP within the region.
• Sourcing of technical expertise and support including assisting with the preparation of ToRs, identification and evaluation of experts and reviewing reports;
• Contributing to regional strategic planning, pipeline management exercise, etc.
• Promoting gender equity/empowerment in adaptation and climate resilient development programming opportunities;
• Ensuring that the developed projects are aligned with the country outcomes and UNDP corporate environment results in internal UNDP tracking systems (e.g. ERBM);
• Maintaining quality/accuracy in data and project management, management of ATLAS Risk logs, portfolio delivery;
• Ensuring expected quality standards are maintained in annual project reports;
• Supporting the regional team to internalize lessons from evaluations in adaptation programming in the region.

Programming and Resource Mobilization (20%)

• Assisting with the provision of timely quality information and technical advice on sources of fund policies and activities to country offices and other partners to enable the preparation of projects;
• Assisting with the coordination of design, preparation, submission and approval of project proposals, project documents and requests for project development financing;
• Draft, revise, finalize and help editing concepts and project documents for submissions to donors;
• Support the liaison with potential co-financing agencies and institutions from both the public and private sector.

Development Impact (35%)

• Assisting with inception, contracting and start-up of projects, including establishing of indicators and workplans;
• Supporting UNDP Country Offices in supervision, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, troubleshooting and adaptive management of approved projects;
• Developing guidance and tools for country offices to utilize in operationalizing projects, contracting and start-up of projects;

Learning, knowledge management and self development (15%)

• Capturing, Codifying, synthesizing lessons and stimulating the uptake of best practices and knowledge, including the development of resource kits and other knowledge materials;
• Developing knowledge products of relevance to UNDP/GEF’s support to countries on climate resilient development;
• Sound contribution to knowledge networks and communities of practice
• Assisting with the preparation of regional Community of Practice meetings.
• Developing and carrying out a personal learning plan (5%)

Impact of Results:

The key results of the work of the Regional Climate Change Adaptation Specialist impact on the overall performance of the BRC Energy and Environment Practice and on the design and implementation of climate change adaptation projects, as well as on the standing and reputation of UNDP in all countries in the region. Overall, the guidance provided by the Regional technical Specialist also impact:  the relations and credibility of UNDP with the government; programme success and failure; the efficiency and effectiveness of resource allocations within UNDP. The Regional Climate Change Adaptation Specialist has regular contact with the Country Offices and national counterparts in monitoring climate change adaptation programmes and projects, The Regional Climate Change Adaptation Specialist makes recommendations to the UNDP Resident Coordinators or Country Director on necessary courses of action in response to changes in the country context and new programme and resource mobilization opportunities especially relating to partnerships with the private sector and mobilizing funding for private sector of finance. When requested, the Regional Specialist represents UNDP in international and national for a, liaises with external clients and a broad range of constituencies and UNDP counterparts in the Government, local and international media, civil society, as well as counterparts from other international organizations. The Regional Specialist promotes good cooperation and coordination among programme and operations staff.

Technical Competencies:

• Ability to advise on the integration of climate risk management, including vulnerability and adaptation impact analysis, climate risk assessment and long term and medium term responses to these, into national, sub-national and local institutional structures and systems of governance, including public financial management;
• Ability to guide the design and implementation of multi-sectoral and secoral programmes and projects at different scales; and
• Ability to work with multiple stakeholders across a wide range of disciplines.

Corporate Competencies:

• Demonstrates integrity by upholding the UN’s values and ethical standards
• Promotes the vision, mission and strategic goal of UNDP;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, national and age sensitivity and adaptability
• Treats all people fairly without favoritism

Functional Competencies:

Development and Operational Effectiveness

• Ability to lead strategic planning, results based management and reporting;
• Ability to lead formulation, oversight of implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development projects;
• Ability to apply development theory to specific country context to identify creative, practical approaches to overcome challenging situations;
• Perform a variety of specialized tasks related to the  formulation, implementation and evaluation of development programmes and projects;
• Excellent organizational and project management skills; and
• Demonstrate participatory teamwork, ability to take appropriate initiatives to further team interests in culturally diverse environment

Knowledge Management

• Promotes a knowledge sharing and learning culture through leadership and personal example;
• In-depth practical knowledge of inter-disciplinary development issues;
• Actively works towards continuing personal learning and development in one or more Practice areas, acts on learning plan and applies newly acquired skills;
• Seeks and applies knowledge, information and best practices from within and outside of UNDP

Leadership and Management

• Builds strong relationships with clients, focuses on impacts and results for the client and responds positively to feed back;
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
• Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities
• Ability to lead effectively, mentoring as well as conflict resolution skills;
• Demonstrated strong oral and written communication skills
• Remains calm, in control and good humored even under pressure.

Education:

• Masters degree in environmental sciences, energy, economics or a closely related field;

Experience:

• At least 5 years of relevant experience with project development, implementation and management in the area of climate change, preferably in Eastern Europe and CIS;
• Work experience in an international organization is an advantage, as is knowledge of UNDP policies and procedures;
• Skills in facilitation and coordination, demonstrated ability to work ikn an independent manner;
• Strong analytical, writing, communication and advocacy skills.
• IT literacy, familiarity with e-presentation techniques and to operate with online web-based applications;
• Excellent drafting ability and presentation and communication skills, both oral and written ability to explain complex issues to UNDP staff and external partners.

Language Requirements:

• Excellent knowledge of English, as well as writing, presentation and communication skills;
• Fluency in Russian and/or other Eastern European languages are assets;