Sustainable Development Specialist-MDG Carbon Facility

UNDP-GEF has, over the last 16 years, built a large portfolio of Climate Change projects with the help of funding provided by the GEF. The majority of the projects have focused on achieving long-term global benefits in terms of greenhouse gas emission reductions through mitigation activities, in line with guidance provided by the UNFCCC and the operational strategy and programs of the GEF. The Kyoto Protocol, concluded under the UNFCCC in December 1997 and entered into force in February 2005, introduced a number of complementary financial mechanisms (CDM, JI, emissions trading, collectively referred to as “carbon finance”) that have a shorter term investment focus resulting in concrete and measurable greenhouse gas emission reductions. The objective is to maximize/optimize the synergies and use of both types of instruments, to the overall benefit of achieving the short and long-term objectives of the UNFCCC.

To complement UNDP-GEF, UNDP has established the MDG Carbon Facility (MDGCF, http://www.undp.org/mdgcarbonfacility/index.html) with the twin objectives of expanding MDG impacts (sustainable development outcomes) from carbon finance, and expanding access to carbon finance to currently under- or unrepresented countries and sub-national regions. The core of MDGCF is a partnership between UNDP, to provide technical assistance to project proponents and host governments; and a private sector Financial Service Provider, to provide competitive carbon credit purchasing and marketing services.

The MDG Carbon Facility Sustainable Development Specialist’s (hereafter ‘the Specialist’) main responsibility will be to establish a pragmatic approach to assessing, reporting and promoting sustainable development outcomes from the portfolio of MDGCF projects. The Specialist will develop and implement MDG impact assessment frameworks and tools to support the sourcing, screening, due diligence and reporting on MDGCF projects to ensure all projects in the MDGCF portfolio: meet sustainable development requirements; demonstrably contribute to MDGCF objectives; and are consistently and transparently reported on.

The Specialist will achieve this through working collaboratively with international best practitioners of sustainable development assessment and promotion to establish a recognized pragmatic framework for assessing and promoting sustainable development through carbon finance. The Specialist will coordinate with Country Offices, Regional Centres and Head Office staff in order to provide support to the global team of Regional Technical Advisers (RTAs) in sourcing and implementing carbon finance projects.

The position is based in the Bratislava Regional Center. The scope of the work is global, covering all regions within UNDP.

The Specialist will work within UNDP's Environment and Energy Group of the Bureau for Development Policy and report to the UNDP-EEG Technical Manager for the MDG Carbon Facility.

The Specialist will be responsible for the provision of timely and relevant information for services relating to the assessment and reporting of MDG impacts of the MDGCF.

Under the direction of the Technical Manager, the main tasks of the position will be to:

• Establish a pragmatic approach to assessing, promoting and reporting MDG impacts from the portfolio of MDGCF projects.  
• Collaborate with other organizations to facilitate harmonization of approaches for reporting sustainable development impacts from carbon finance projects.  
• Provide effective and timely support and advice to the RTAs, Head Office and Country Office staff on all aspects of MDG assessment, enhancement and reporting.  
• Develop tools and information sources to enable UNDP staff to undertake MDG impact screening and assessment during the sourcing of MDGCF projects including, but not limited to: project screening tools and processes; updating and developing MDGCF Project Idea Note (PIN) and other process templates as needed; guidance documents; identification and application of appropriate impact quantification/qualification protocols; updates including analysis and interpretation of key developments such as new DNA sustainable development criteria in the carbon market; and other tools as identified as needed by UNDP staff developing MDGCF projects.  
• Develop tools, guidance and formats for UNDP staff reporting on MDG impacts from MDGCF projects to enable consistent, meaningful and transparent reporting.  
• Cooperate with other UNDP staff working on climate change as well as other areas of UNDP related to the MDGs (for example, Gender Group, Energy Access) to maximize information sharing and collaboration as part of an active network of practitioners, including providing regular summary information updates and analysis of MDG-related developments.  
• Input to project concept, PIN and Project Design Document reviews through effective and systematic analysis (and where necessary, compilation) of project documentation, research and analysis of relevant development information (such as national development plans).  
• Compile country risk assessment information as input to project viability assessment.  
• Advisory services to Country Office and other staff on Greening Investment Schemes or other investments of revenues toward development outcomes, including input on the monitoring, quantification and reporting of outcomes such that they are appropriate to end users of the information including buyers and the public.  
• Direct engagement with project development work when required.  
• Periodically prepare reports on MDG impacts of MDGCF portfolio performance to the MDGCF Board, MDGCF’s Financial Service Provider, UNDP and public stakeholders.  
• Provide training packages relating to MDG impact assessment and facilitate and deliver training presentations to relevant Head Office, Regional Bureaus, and Country Office staff as required.

Corporate:

• Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN 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.

Technical:

• Comprehensive understanding of the disparities and variation in the challenges facing developing countries in meeting their MDGs, and the flexibility and sensitivity required in operationalising a global framework;
• Technical and analytical capability to establish flexible reporting criteria from widely varied and heterogeneous data sources and ability to draw meaningful and relevant conclusions transparently and credibly;
• Practical understanding of the MDGs, their strengths and limitations as a reporting framework, as well and their implementation globally to date;
• Practical understanding of carbon finance project development processes, particularly stakeholder engagement requirements;

Functional competencies:

Creativity/Vision

• Ability to advise on problems with full technical competency leading to fact-based and practical recommendations and creative solutions;

Planning and Organizing

• Ability to produce high-quality outputs in a timely manner while understanding and anticipating evolving needs.

Client Orientation

• Ability to effectively appraise and apply existing knowledge to improve performance.

Partnerships and teamwork

• Capacity to effectively lead and contribute with UNDP perspectives in UN agency collaboration and multi-stakeholder fora;
• Ability to manage complexity and contribute effectively to team-based activities and manage conflict and stress productively;
• Interdisciplinary and intercultural sensitivity and capacity to build strong relationships with partners and clients, using interpersonal skills to network effectively;

Communication

• Ability to write clearly and convincingly, adapting style and content to different audiences, and speak clearly and convincingly, demonstrating strong chairing and presentation skills in meetings, and adapting style and content to different audiences;
  

• Masters degree in Development Economics, Natural Resource Management, Public Policy or related fields;
• 7-10 years experience, of which at least 5 are, in development programme implementation, development project management, project design or other relevant field;
• Demonstrated experience relating to development impact assessment and reporting of projects in developing countries;
• Demonstrated experience in leading multi-stakeholder processes in a complex subject matter (networks within, and understanding of UNFCCC, Gold Standard, World Bank, UNEP, IISD and/or equivalent organizations considered desirable);
• Knowledge of and experience in Climate Change related issues, including carbon finance, is strongly preferred.
• Fluency in English; working knowledge of another UN language desirable.