Regional Policy Specialist

UNDP’s Environment and Energy Group (EEG) is based in the Bureau for Development Policy and is responsible for providing leadership and technical support to delivery of the Environment and Sustainable Development pillar of UNDP’s 2008-13 Strategic Plan. Its main focus is building the capacity of developing countries to make informed policy and investment choices that lead to long-term sustainability and pro-poor, pro-MDG development pathways. The principal areas of work are in environmental mainstreaming, environmental finance, adaptation to climate change, and local governance of resources, including energy, land, water, and biodiversity.

There is increasing concern that climate change, including variability, could undermine the achievement of a number of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), most notably in poverty reduction. This is particularly true for Least Developed Countries (LDCs), which are most likely to bear the brunt of climate change, yet are least equipped to adapt. Consequently, developing countries are increasingly turning their attention to the formulation of comprehensive approaches to address climate change, in particular the human development and economic implications, and the investment decisions that need to be made to implement these.

UNDP Country Offices are, in consequence, 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 – particularly to support Least Developed Countries.

Acknowledging the need to incorporate climate change concerns into the design and implementation of its core development assistance at the national, regional and global levels, EEG has created three regional policy specialist positions (Johannesburg/Suva/Cairo) that will support the Environment and Sustainable Development Focus of UNDP’s Strategic Plan. The Policy Specialists will complement and strengthen a team of Policy Advisors already active in the regions and will be placed in UNDP Regional Service Centres and sub-centres. The Policy Specialists will help to strengthen technical capacities of LDCs to integrate climate change risks and opportunities into human development based planning, programming, and public and private investments. They will work under the direction of the Environment and Energy Practice Leaders to ensure integrated service delivery on Environment & Energy to the countries concerned.

Strong links will also be made with the disaster risk reduction, capacity development and gender teams in the regional service centres and in HQ, so as to better incorporate these perspectives and skills into all climate change support. In order to ensure that policy guidance is pro-poor and aimed at poverty reduction whenever possible, the Policy Specialists will participate in any cross-practice teams within the Regional Service Centre in order to refine approaches and methodologies that are most effective to achieving these dual goals. The Regional Policy Specialists will build on the policy, technical, and methodological guidance developed by the EEG team at HQ and ensure consistency and coherent application at the regional and country level.

Under supervision of the Environment and Energy Practice Leader, who reports to the Deputy Regional Director and EEG Director, and in collaboration with the climate teams of the Regional Service Centre and HQ/EEG, the Regional Policy Specialists will provide:

1. Policy Advisory/Programme Support-Delivery, building on and ensuring consistency with policy guidance, approaches, methodologies, and strategies provided by HQ

• Contribute to the timely provision of guidance and support to Country Offices as they engage in the climate change policy dialogues at the national level with key partners such as governments, donors, civil society, ensuring adherence with, and consistent and integrated application of, HQ/global approaches, methodologies, and strategies.
• Support COs on specific issues for climate change policy dialogues 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, building on and ensuring consistency with international climate policy guidance provided by HQ.
• Provide substantive inputs to Country Offices and governments on national low-carbon, climate-resilient development strategies and plans and review of sector policies, which can provide the foundation for Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs), building on the methodologies developed by EEG.
• Provide to Country Offices, in close coordination with BDP/EEG, policy support and information in the context of multilateral negotiations/discussions on climate change, including those associated with the UNFCCC (including the processes of the National Communications).
• Support the Country Offices in the development of strategic and thematic partnerships with governmental agencies, UN agencies and other important actors in climate change.
• Support the capacity development of governments to programme climate change-related resources and provide advice on the effective use and management of different climate financing mechanisms.
• Explore strategic opportunities with Country Offices and governments that can maximize synergies between climate change, gender, poverty, and MDG-related activities, including south-south cooperation schemes and innovative clean technology options for energy access for the poor.
• Liaise and coordinate with regional development partners and donors, building strategic alliances on behalf the Regional Service Centre and HQ that deliver benefits to national governments and NGOs and Country Offices.

2. Research and Content Development/Knowledge Management

• Adapt HQ briefings for Country Offices, governments, and Regional Service Centre senior management on the international climate change negotiations, forthcoming climate events in the region, major regional and HQ initiatives under way, and climate change projects being implemented by UNDP and other UN organizations in the region, including National Communications.
• Secure a flow of information between the Country Offices, the Regional Service Center, and BDP/EEG by putting in place mechanisms to ensure the region and Country Offices know about climate change related activities undertaken by BDP/EEG and other UN bodies and major global and regional actors, while also delivering information on national needs for policy support to the Regional Service Centre senior management and BDP/EEG.
• Promote the use and improvement of knowledge management mechanisms put in place by BDP/EEG to share information about climate change related initiatives (e.g. the CC Map).
• Share HQ technical and strategic position papers, presentations, advisory and briefing notes, as needed.
• Adapt HQ inputs for regional policy briefs/position papers in collaboration with other practices that address links between climate change and other development concerns such as governance, private sector, poverty alleviation, gender, crisis prevention and recovery, and capacity development.
• Provide climate change advisory services to Regional Service Centre colleagues from all practice teams, as needed.
• Identify relevant lessons learnt to be disseminated between countries and identify and develop linkages between countries in the region as appropriate.

3. Policy Development/Practice Management/Practice Advocacy

• Support strategic planning for the regional activities addressing climate change and their incorporation into the regional business plan.
• As an elaboration of the above, support joint planning meetings involving the Regional Bureaux, both in HQ and regional centers, BDP/EEG and Country Offices, as required.
• Propose value-added activities based upon internal discussions and identification of in-house best practices and capacities.

4. Expertise in One of the Core Resource Areas

• Provide global specialized support in a particular area of climate change (e.g. technology, adaptation, capacity development, gender, economics, etc), building on existing technical and policy work by EEG in these areas.

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
• Devises 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

Education:

• Master’s Degree in climate sciences, environmental sciences, earth sciences, natural resource economics, political science, related social sciences or closely related discipline.

Experience and requirements:

• At least 7 years of relevant work experience on issues related to climate risk, vulnerability reduction and capacity development.
• At least 7 years of technical experience on specific climate issue (e.g., capacity development, technology, adaptation, gender, economics, etc)
• Strong background in partnership building will be an essential requirement.
• Experience in working with government, donors or the UN is an asset, particularly within the region of hire.
• Proven track record in policy analysis, development work in the area of climate change and related issues.
• Ability to engage in and contribute 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 in the region is a major asset.
•  Knowledge and experience with GEF and adaptation funds is desirable.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English 
• Fluency in other UN languages is an asset.