ThaiNGO

Applications to be submitted online at: https://estm.fa.em2.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_1/job/1185

Background

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s policy work carried out at HQ, Regional and Country Office levels, forms a contiguous spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP invests in the Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in the Strategic Plan.

Within the GPN, the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance to support the results of UNDP’s Strategic Plan.  BPPS’s staff provides technical advice to Country Offices, advocates for UNDP corporate messages, represents UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora including public-private dialogues, government and civil society dialogues, and engages in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas. BPPS works closely with UNDP’s Crisis Bureau (CB) to support emergency and crisis response.  BPPS ensures that issues of risk are fully integrated into UNDP’s development programmes. BPPS assists UNDP and partners to achieve higher quality development results through an integrated approach that links results-based management and performance monitoring with more effective and new ways of working.  BPPS supports UNDP and partners to be more innovative, knowledge and data driven including in its programme support efforts.

UNDP’s 2018-2021 Strategic Plan emphasizes the critical links between environmental sustainability, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and broader efforts to achieve the goals of the 2030 Agenda and Paris Agreement. As part of the Global Policy Network in the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, UNDP’s Nature, Climate Change, and Energy (NCE) Team promotes and scales up integrated whole-of-governance approaches and nature-based solutions that reduce poverty and inequalities, strengthen livelihoods and inclusive growth, mitigate conflict, forced migration and displacement, and promote more resilient governance systems that advance linked peace and security agendas.

The NCE Team works with governments, civil society, and private sector partners to integrate natural capital, environment and climate concerns into national and sector planning and inclusive growth policies; support country obligations under Multilateral Environmental Agreements; and implement the UN’s largest portfolio of in-country programming on environment, climate change, and energy. This multi-billion dollar portfolio encompasses: Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services including forests; Sustainable Land Management and Desertification including food and commodity systems; Water and Ocean Governance including SIDS; Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation; Renewable and Modern Energy; Extractive Industries; Chemicals and Waste Management; Environmental Governance and Green/Circular Economy and SCP approaches. This work advances crosscutting themes on innovative finance, digital transformation, capacity development, human rights, gender equality, health, technology, and South-South learning.

In addition to UNDP’s bilateral partnerships on natural capital, environment and climate, UNDP is an accredited multilateral implementing agency of the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the Multilateral Fund (MLF), the Adaptation Fund (AF) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) which  includes the Global Environment Facility Trust Fund (GEF Trust Fund); the Nagoya Protocol Implementation Fund (NPIF); the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF); and the Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF)). As part of UNDP’s partnership with these vertical funds, UNDP provides countries specialized integrated technical services for eligibility assessment, programme formulation, capacity development, policy advice, technical assistance, training and technology transfer, mobilization of co-financing, implementation oversight, results management and evaluation, performance-based payments and knowledge management services.

The NCE Ecosystems and Biodiversity (EBD) Team based in the UNDP Bangkok Regional Hub (BRH) provides support to 34 countries in the region with an overall strategic objective to maintain and enhance the goods and services provided by biodiversity and ecosystems in order to secure livelihoods, food, water and health, enhance resilience, conserve threatened species and their habitats, and increase carbon storage and sequestration. Through this project portfolio UNDP provides support to countries’ work in three programming areas:

1. Integrating biodiversity and ecosystem management into development planning and production sector activities;
2. Unlocking the potential of protected areas, including indigenous and community conserved areas to contribute towards sustainable development; and
3. Managing and rehabilitating ecosystems for climate change adaptation and mitigation.

The Programme Analyst will carry out a number of tasks supporting the work of the EBD team in Bangkok with the UNDP-supported GEF-financed national projects.  This includes enhancing the collaborative work between the EBD team and other practice units at the Bangkok Regional Hub through project concept and development support, and project oversight and implementation support with a particular focus on Ecosystems and Biodiversity and Land Degradation issues. By identifying strategic opportunities for programming, partnership, and resource mobilization in different countries in the Asia and Pacific region, strong reporting mechanisms and developing knowledge and communications products, the Programme Analyst will enhance UNDP’s positioning for EBD service delivery in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.

Duties and Responsibilities

Project concept and development (20%)

• Provide inputs and assist with project concept and/or PIF development and finalization including, but not limited to, the Social and Environmental Screening Procedure (SESP) pre-screening, the Climate Change Risk Assessment, the Theory of Change (TOC), etc.; 
• Support with the formulation of the project preparation grant (PPG) initiation plan, preparation of ToR for PPG team, recruitment of international consultants, and preparation of inception workshop, as required;
• Review of technical and baseline reports and provide comments to align with the requirements of the project proposal;
• Review the final products of the project development stage including project document, CEO ER document, SESP, ToRs for key project personnel, and other annexes.  

Project implementation and oversight support (50%)

• Provide support to the inception phase of projects – inception workshop, development of ToRs for project personnel and recruitment as required, review of annual work plan (AWP), project’s results framework, and inception workshop report;
• Provide advisory support in conducting project Mid-term reviews (MTRs) and terminal evaluations (TE), and related processes, including reviewing and finalizing reports, and supporting CO drafting management responses;
• Oversight and support to the Annual Project Implementation Report (PIR) process: (i) review and finalize each APR/PIR for completeness of information with due consideration to the quality evaluation criteria; (ii) liaise with the relevant teams in Country Offices and project management units to support correction and completeness of each PIR; (iii) draft an assessment report on the accomplishments, lessons learned, and specific recommendations to improve project performance; and (iv) follow-up on PIR recommendations for under-performing projects with COs;
• Under the guidance of the Results and Evaluation team, support COs with the monitoring and reporting of project risks and provide guidance to COs on safeguards for projects with high risk rating including preparation and implementation of management plans;
• Identify further areas for collaboration between the NCE team and other practice areas, and support coordination/planning, ad hoc requests, etc.

Communications, knowledge building and knowledge sharing (30%)

• Produce communication products for international events based on results and lessons from national projects;
• Identify and support development of knowledge products and events for the Environmental Finance biodiversity portfolio in Asia Pacific;
• Provide inputs to presentations, concept notes, media events, and programming documents as needed;
• Undertake any other task consistent with the level of the post assigned by the supervisors.

Competencies

Core Competencies:

Innovation

• Ability to make new and useful ideas work.

Leadership

• Ability to persuade others to follow.

People Management

• Ability to improve performance and satisfaction.

Communication

• Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform.

Delivery

• Ability to get things done while exercising good judgement.

Technical / Functional Competencies:

Biodiversity and Eco-systems Management

• Knowledge of conservation, sustainable use and access and benefit sharing of biodiversity, land, forests and oceans and the ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations.

Brief and Speech Writing

• Ability to prepare quality briefs and/or speeches.

Report Writing

• Ability to prepare quality reports.

Results-based Management

• Ability to manage programmes and projects with a strategy aimed at improved performance and demonstrable results.

Risk Management

• Ability to identify and prioritize risks, and organize action around mitigating them.

Priority setting

• Ability to scan and synthesize diverse sets of information to arrive at strategic priorities and positioning recommendations.

Knowledge management

• Ability to capture, develop, share, and effectively use information and knowledge.

Quality Assurance

• Ability to perform administrative and procedural activities to ensure that quality requirements and goals are fulfilled

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• Master's degree in development studies, natural resource management, environment, social sciences, environmental economics or a related area;
• Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 2 years of experience in relevant fields would also be accepted;
• Completion of recognized certification program on project management (e.g. PRINCE 2, PMP, etc.) is an asset.

Experience:

• Master’s degree with 0 years, or a Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 2 years, of relevant experience at the national or international level in the development field particularly with experience in project development, implementation oversight, or management. Direct experience focusing on ecosystems and biodiversity and/or land degradation highly desirable;
• Experience in conducting research, summarizing material and meeting outcomes in Nature, Climate, or Energy related fields, and preparing draft inputs to written/oral communications pieces;
• Previous experience with UNDP, other UN or international organizations, or donors is an advantage;
• Knowledge of UNDP Environmental Finance Unit is an advantage;
• Mastery in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, as a minimum, database management as a plus), especially presentations, monitoring, communication and planning tools, and database management.

Language Requirements:

• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English and Thai is required;
• Fluency in or working knowledge of other UN languages is an asset.

Disclaimer

Important information for US Permanent Residents ('Green Card' holders)

Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment. 

UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.

Applicant information about UNDP rosters

Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

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