Regional Technical Specialist – Green, Low-emission and Climate-resilient Development (Green LECRD)

UNDP recognizes that the growing risks and impacts of climate change and the accompanying loss of ecosystem services requires the world to urgently invest in a new green development paradigm. Based in UNDP’s Bureau of Development Policy and its Environment and Energy Group, the UNDP/GEF unit helps developing countries make green, low-emission and climate-resilient development not only possible, but also economically attractive. To achieve this, it works closely with UNDP country offices to help countries develop and implement programmes and projects which advance their capacity to put in place the right mix of regulatory and financial incentives, remove institutional and policy barriers, and create enabling environments that attract and drive private sector investment into green development.

UNDP/GEF staff assist partner countries to develop and implement programmes and projects that combine and sequence resources from a wide range of global environment and climate funds, financial mechanisms, and instruments including, but not limited to: the GEF managed family of vertical funds such as the GEF Trust Fund, the Special Climate Change Fund and the Least Developed Countries Fund; the Adaptation Fund; the Clean Development Mechanism, Joint Implementation, voluntary carbon markets and other innovative sources of carbon, climate, and ecosystem finance, as well as a variety of multilateral, bilateral, national, sub-national and private sector sources.

Staff are organized into thematic teams of technical specialists led by Principal or Senior Technical Advisors (PTAs/STAs). Each team leader supports, guides, and supervises a team of Region-based Technical Advisors (RTAs) and Specialists (RTSs). RTAs and RTSs work in close collaboration with other technical specialists at both global and regional levels. While RTAs and RTSs have global responsibilities in their area of specialized technical expertise, they are deployed from Regional Service Centres, normally close to the countries to which they provide most support, and have a secondary line of reporting to the Regional Practice or Team Leaders on the countries they support.

The strategic objective of the Green, Low-emission, Climate-resilient Development Strategies team is to support countries to attract and direct public and private investment towards catalyzing and supporting sustainable economic growth through initiatives focused on integrated Climate Change Strategies, Advancing Cross-sectoral Climate Resilient Livelihoods and Strengthening Climate Information and Early Warning Systems for Climate Resilient Development.

This position, within the Green, Low-emission and Climate-resilient Development Strategies team, will be initially based in Bangkok but may be periodically re-deployed, in accordance with capability and due process, to a different regional centre as needed. The portfolio that the RTS is expected to support will include a focus on initiatives in Asia and the Pacific with a focus on climate information for climate resilient planning and development and long-term adaptation to climate change.

The RTS will be primarily responsible for providing high quality technical, policy, programming, gender-equitable implementation support and oversight, as well as knowledge and capacity development services, to UNDP country offices. S/he will work with UN agencies, governments, inter-governmental organizations, NGO’s, donors, and the private sector in accordance with UNDP’s key results as outlined in the corporate strategy. This will be undertaken in full compliance with UNDP’s Programme and Operations Policies and Procedures including on gender, environmental safeguards, etc. Specifically the RTS will be expected to deliver results in the areas of:

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

• Maintaining a strategic understanding of, and engagement with, the substantive technical issues, institutions, and processes within the countries served, including establishing contact with and developing strategic partnerships with other agencies, donors, NGO’s, the private sector, and scientific institutions etc.;
• Contributing to the development and implementation of UNDP’s global and regional strategies on environment and sustainable development, especially with the private sector;
• Contributing to identifying strategic policy development support and guidance;
• Supporting the development of strategic UNDP policy position papers and internal briefing notes;
• Supporting the development of specific policy analysis and development tools and guidance;
• Establishing a trusted leadership role amongst the countries served;
• Keeping the Regional Practice/Team Leader and other RTSs informed of trends and issues with respect to their substantive technical area; and
• Keeping the Principal/Senior Technical Advisors informed of trends and issues in the countries served.

Portfolio Management (25%)

• Maintaining programme/project and portfolio information, as well as corporate information systems;
• Fostering relationships between those involved in project development, external contractors, government agencies and UNDP country offices;
• Facilitating the identification, and sourcing of technical expertise and support including assisting with the preparation of TORs, identification and evaluation of experts and reviewing reports, and promoting gender equality;
• Developing and advocating for specific policy analysis and development tools and guidance in support of programming and finance for Green LECRD, including from both public and private sources;
• Supporting the establishment of a trusted leadership role for UNDP/GEF within the region; and
• Contributing to regional retreats, focal area retreats, regional strategic planning, pipeline management exercises, etc.

Resource Mobilization (20%)

• Supporting programme and project identification and development;
• Providing timely quality information and technical advice on source of funds policies, priorities and activities;
• Identifying priorities and entry-points for UNDP assistance;
• Facilitating the process of preparation, design, submission and approval of programme/project concepts and full-fledged proposals for financing;
• Identification and sourcing of technical expertise and support including assisting with the preparation of TORs, identification and evaluation of experts and reviewing reports; and
• Facilitate relationships with potential financing agencies and institutions.

Development Impact (30%)

• Assisting with inception, contracting and start-up of programmes/projects including establishment of indicators, benchmarks and work plans;
• Supporting UNDP country offices and programme/project implementation partners in supervision, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, troubleshooting and adaptive management;

Learning, Knowledge Management and Self Development (15%)

• Evaluating, capturing, codifying, synthesizing lessons and stimulating the uptake of best practices and knowledge, including the development of resource kits and other knowledge materials;
• Peer reviewing, commenting on, and seeking to improve, the technical quality of programmes/projects, policies, practices, guidelines, advisory notes, publications and the like;
• Assisting with preparation of Community of Practice meetings;
• Supporting the preparation and delivery of training courses;
• Responding to queries on programme/project progress, impacts and lessons;
• Developing and carrying out a personal learning plan (5%).

Technical Competencies:

• Experience working with national, sub-national and local institutional structures, and systems of governance, including public financial management as well as engaging with the private sector;
• Demonstrated understanding of the implications of climate change on key sectors and ability to provide guidance on the integration of climate risk management and, development of long term and medium term responses to climate change, within public and private sector institutions
• Experience of disaster management procedures and institutional arrangements at the national and international level;
• Ability to guide the design and implementation of multi-sectoral and sectoral programmes and projects at different scales; and
• Ability to work with multiple stakeholders across a wide range of disciplines

Corporate Competencies:

• Demonstrates integrity by modeling 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
• Treats all people fairly without favoritism

Functional Competencies:

Development and Operational Effectiveness

• Ability to contribute to strategic planning, change processes, results-based management and reporting
• Ability to lead formulation, oversight of implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development projects
• Ability to apply development theory to the specific country context to identify creative, practical approaches to overcome challenging situations

Knowledge Management and Learning

• Promotes knowledge management in UNDP and a learning environment in the office 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

Client Orientation

• Maintains relationships with clients, focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to feedback
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude
• Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities
• Effective leadership, mentoring as well as conflict resolution skills
• Demonstrates strong oral and written communication skills
• Remains calm, in control and good humored even under pressure
• Proven networking, team-building, organizational and communication skills

Management and Leadership

• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude
• Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities
• Effective mentoring, as well as conflict, resolution skills
• Demonstrates strong oral and written communication skills
• Remains calm, in control and good humored even under pressure
• Proven networking, team-building, organizational and communication skills

Education

• Masters degree in Climate change and development, Development Economics, Environmental Economics, Energy, Environmental Law or a closely-related field

Experience

• At least 5 years of relevant experience preferably in the area of climate resilient integrated planning at national and sub-national levels ; experience in Asia would be an advantage
• Experience working with private sector/public-private partnerships especially on financing and operations for small, medium and multinational enterprises;
• Experience with project development, implementation and management. Familiarity with UNDP/GEF projects is an advantage;
• Experience in the policy development processes associated with environment and sustainable development issues in the context of climate change risk management
• Strong analytical, writing, and advocacy skills;
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Excellent drafting ability, presentation and communication skills, both oral and written
• Skills in facilitation and coordination, entrepreneurial spirit and demonstrated ability to work in an independent manner; commitment to team work and to working across disciplines
• IT literacy, familiarity with e-presentation techniques and ability to operate with on-line web-based applications
• Work experience in an international organization is an advantage, as is knowledge of UNDP policies and procedures

Language Requirements

• Excellent knowledge of the English language, with exceptional writing, presentation and communication skills;
• Proficiency in other UN languages is an asset

UNDP Personal History form (P11): 

http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/library/corporate/Careers/P11_Personal_history_form.doc