Regional Senior Expert, Environment and Climate Change

WRI has been fortunate to receive experienced secondees from around the world to support its work – starting with a staff person from SIDA joining WRI fifteen years ago. More recently we have received staff from the US EPA, from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and from DANIDA. In addition, WRI has hosted numerous visiting fellows from African partners, and has provided a staff person to the Dept of Energy in the U.S. federal government. 

We have found these relationships tremendously beneficial for the Institute and our mission. Each exchange exposes WRI to new thinking and our partners to WRI’s work, while outplacements provide our staff a valuable and much-appreciated professional development opportunity. Over the next five years, we plan to grow the number of staff we receive from and provide to close partners and funders in order to increase collaboration and cross-pollinate ideas. WRI and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently took an important step toward this goal by agreeing a two-way, three year secondment arrangement to begin in late 2012.

There is a need to significantly contribute to sustainable development results by taking environmental and climate change considerations into account. Currently, environmental expertise is insufficiently available at the Dutch embassies. As a result, the intervention strategies in water and food run the risk of being ‘sustainability blind’ i.e. not taking into account environmental and climate change considerations.

Environmental expertise at embassies needs to increase and capacity to support the embassy colleagues will be provided through a variety of instruments, which are currently not available at Dutch embassies. Tools from other development agencies and institutions will be deployed to ensure sufficient integration into Dutch development programmes at country level. Currently, DME cooperates with other EU member states on a strategy to “integrate environment and climate change in development cooperation”  and to harmonise the use of instruments. Second, DME policy advisors inform embassies on the progress of international negotiations and ensure translation of the international acquis into Netherlands policies. Most of the development cooperation budget for water and food is delegated to embassy level. A regional learning programme on integrating environment and climate change can assist colleagues in charge of water and food programmes – by sharing best practices, the use of instruments and assessment tools and provide  ‘hands-on’ advice and support. On top of this social and economic dimensions are relevant in order to realize sustainable results.

The regional expert will provide advice to the staff of the Netherlands embassies in Africa partner countries on the mainstreaming of environment and climate in the sector programs.  Priority will be given to Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda.

The expert will work in close cooperation with the ‘sustainability unit’ when this is established.  

"Please Note: This position was originally intended as an internal recruitment open to WRI staff and WRI Alumni only. We are currently taking external applications, however, the selected individual will be onboarded to WRI prior to being seconded abroad."

DME seeks a secondee from WRI to work as a Senior Advisor on integrating environment and climate change in development plans and programmes supported by the Dutch government in Africa. The position will support at least the following tasks:

1)    Strategic, analytical and advisory functions

• Develop country environmental and climate change analyses for the sectors defined in the Multi Annual Plans of the Netherlands Embassies, make use of harmonized instrument in close consultation with relevant local and international partners. Advise on the preparation of the new cycle of Multi Annual Plans (2016 - ) which starts in 2015. 
• Pro-actively and on demand advise and support staff of the embassies about possibilities to integrate environment and climate change considerations in programs and projects with the aim to promote sustainable development. 
• Advise staff of embassies on progress indicators to effectively monitor the progress on the integration of environment and climate change in the bilateral programs.
• Assist in the formulation of effective pilot programmes on integrating environment and climate change, in line with the request from Standing Committee on Development in Parliament

2)    Training and capacity development

• Create a learning environment to identify and share key challenges, risks and opportunities with regard to sustainability for the sector programs of the Netherlands for colleagues working in water/food in Africa as well as DME/DDE.
• Identify an existing – or develop and convene, together with colleagues from DME, an effective training course on integrating environment and climate change considerations into programming.
• Effectively liaise with knowledge institutions (WRI, PBL, WUR, IIED) and development partners (EC, DfID, GIZ, Norad, Sida) and ensure lessons learned in academic and research institutions as well as other bilateral and multilateral donors related to integrating environment and climate change are translated into DME policy measures and, where possible, into concrete instruments for colleagues in charge of programming work at embassy level.

3)    Communication and engagement

• Participate on behalf of the Netherlands government in formulation, review or monitoring missions in the food and water sectors of the embassies and/or partnering organisations (multilateral institutions, NGOs, other bilateral donors).
• Effectively liaise with UNEP Nairobi regarding green growth and low carbon national development strategies, particularly related to food and water sectors
• Contribute to regular DME reporting to the State Secretary on mainstreaming – policy, programmes, funding (which includes regular updates to the Standing Committee on Development in Parliament)
• Report regularly, but at least every six months to DME, DDE embassies and WRI about the progress of the work.
• Participate in the annual consulations WRI-DME.
• Strengthen relationship between DGIS and WRI, by identifying and realizing synergies between WRI and DGIS programmes in the region.
• Share the results and experiences at international conferences and via international media.

Start Date and Length of Assignment

The projected start date of the secondment is January 2013, and its duration will be 3 years. The position will be based in the Royal Netherlands Embassy Nairobi, Kenya.

Reporting Structure

The Senior Expert will have dual reporting lines, to the Deputy Head of Mission at the Netherlands Embassy in Nairobi and to the ‘sustainability unit’ in DGIS.

• Advanced degree in economics, international relations, development studies, environmental studies, engineering, or a related field.
• At least ten years of relevant professional experience in Africa.
• A sound understanding of and demonstrated interest in development issues, with an emphasis on integrating environment and climate change into programming in water and agriculture sector.
• Interest and experience in Africa is a a key requirement, as well as a willingness to undertake significant travel in Africa.
• Strong English writing and oral communication skills. French language skills are a significant plus.
• Demonstrated capacity to work well under pressure and successfully manage multiple deadlines and competing demands.
• Commitment to MoFA’s development policy

Salary:  Competitive and commensurate with qualifications.  WRI offers a comprehensive benefits package.  The specific salary and benefits package may vary depending on location of work.

About Environment, Water, Climate and Energy Department (DME)

DME focuses on climate, energy, the environment and water – major themes that will continue to influence Dutch and international agendas in the decades to come. They are important not only to the competitiveness, sustainability and prosperity of the Netherlands, but to international stability and security as well. The Netherlands has a responsibility to tackle issues such as energy scarcity, environmental degradation and growing economic inequality, which threaten international stability and the prosperity of current and future generations. In addressing these global issues, DME serves the Netherlands’ interests and aims to contribute to global sustainability and poverty reduction. DME also initiates, directs and coordinates the role of the Netherlands in European and international political frameworks on these themes.

The World Resources Institute (http://www.wri.org/wri) is an environmental and development research and policy organization that creates solutions to protect the Earth and improve people’s lives. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, it is WRI’s policy to recruit, hire, and provide opportunities for advancement in all job classifications without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, citizenship, marital status, sexual preference, parental status, or disability. WRI’s global agenda requires a staff that is diverse – with respect to race, gender, cultural, and international background. Diverse perspectives and experience enhance the way WRI selects and approaches issues, as well as the creativity and applicability of WRI's policy research and analysis. WRI, therefore, encourages applications from U.S. minorities, persons from other countries (especially developing nations), and from women of all backgrounds.

About WRI

The World Resources Institute is a global environmental think tank that goes beyond research to put ideas into action. We work with governments, companies, and civil society to build solutions to urgent environmental challenges. WRI’s transformative ideas protect the earth and promote development because sustainability is essential to meeting human needs and fulfilling human aspirations in the future.

Established in 1982, WRI is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization respected globally by policymakers, NGOs, and corporate leaders because of the rigorous quality, balance, and independence of its work. With its think-tank roots, WRI values innovative ideas, working collaboratively, and thinking independently. WRI employees see the results of their hard work and have the satisfaction of making a significant difference in the world.

Currently a $50 million organization with an international staff of approximately 250, WRI works with more than 400 partners in 50 countries. WRI provides objective information and practical proposals for policy and institutional change that foster environmentally sound, socially equitable development.

Values

In its day to day work, WRI is guided by several core institutional values:

Innovation: To lead change for a sustainable world, WRI is creative, forward thinking, entrepreneurial, and adaptive.

Independence: WRI’s effectiveness depends on work that is uncompromised by partisan politics, institutional or personal allegiances, or sources of financial support.

Urgency: WRI believes that change in human behavior is urgently needed to halt the accelerating rate of environmental deterioration.

Independence: Our effectiveness depends on work that is uncompromised by partisan politics, institutional or personal allegiances, or sources of financial support.

Respect: Our relationships are based on the belief that all people deserve respect.

Approach

Everything WRI does is built on four key elements:

Focus on Results: WRI organizes all of its work to produce powerful and practical solutions, strategies and tools, policies and partnerships.

Analytical Excellence: WRI identifies problems, drivers of change, economic incentives, and consequences to arrive at comprehensive, incentive-based, practical solutions.

Partnerships: WRI works with scientists, governments, businesses, NGOs, and international institutions worldwide to create incentives and pressure for change.

Communications: WRI fosters change by disseminating their solutions and ideas to targeted audiences.