Date of last update: 18/04/2024 (Expiry date: 17/05/2024)
UNDP is the UN Development Programme and works in some 170 countries and territories, helping to achieve the eradication of poverty, and the reduction of inequalities and exclusion. UNDP helps countries to develop policies, leadership skills, partnering abilities, institutional capabilities and build resilience in order to sustain development results. UNDP supports the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the 17 new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as they help shape global sustainable development for the next 10 years.
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Duty Station: Multiple
Successful applicants should:
Additionally, specific preferences include:
UNDP seeks applicants under the following sub-profile areas of expertise and should refer to the additional qualifications noted below:
1. Ecosystem and Biodiversity
Master´s degree or higher in a discipline relevant to natural resources management, biological sciences, forestry, agriculture, agro-economics, geography, climate sciences, international development, public policy, social sciences, economics, public administration, environmental finance or other closely related fields.
2. Food and Agricultural Commodity Systems
University degree in the topics of Environmental Management, Natural Resource Management, Agriculture, Agricultural Policies and Development, Responsible Business, International relations, Economy and Economic Policies, Business Management, development studies, International Development/Development Studies or related field.
WHAT IS NATURE?
Within UNDP's Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS), the Nature Hub is engaged in supporting developing countries to access finance from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and other sources on issues relating to biodiversity and the sustainable management of ecosystems and land-/seascapes, including forests, croplands, freshwaters, peatlands, oceans and coasts, and grasslands, among others. The Ecosystems and Biodiversity (EBD) and Integrated Landscape Management (ILM) cluster additionally provides support through global projects on related policy, finance and capacity development.
The Ecosystem and Biodiversity (EBD) portfolio includes national projects in over 140 countries, with oversight and technical support provided by a Senior Technical Advisor (STA) and Regional Technical Advisors (RTAs), as well as global initiatives coordinated through the Vertical Fund portfolio unit providing policy (BES-Net), capacity (NBSAP Forum) and finance (BIOFIN) support to countries. Teams work out of different locations and regions, requiring both personnel and consultants to be flexible in order to produce results. To facilitate the identification, allocation and designation of the appropriate expertise for the technical, management, monitoring & evaluation (M&E) and support requirements of the client countries in their efforts on nature-related programming support, the Nature Hub is developing a roster of experts that would comprise of vetted capable and qualified individuals who can be called upon to provide specific project design, implementation oversight, management, M&E support, and/or other specialised thematic/substantive research and policy support as required to client countries and the global programmes supporting them, guided by the Nature Hub team of advisers. Specialized support may also involve the activation of UNDP's Nature Pledge. A screening procedure will be applied to select the prospective applicants who will be registered in the EBD Vetted Experts Roster.
Beyond the EBD portfolio, Food and Agricultural Commodity Systems (FACS) are fundamental to the sustainable development of the 170 countries UNDP supports. FACS are often the largest contributor to their economies; food and nutrition is fundamental for citizen health; and FACS have a key role to play in achieving the SDGs. UNDP aims to shift to a new paradigm for food and agricultural commodity systems (FACS) based on diversified, resilient, agroecological systems and value chains which work simultaneously on achieving economic, environmental, social and health outcomes, with smallholders central to the transformation as the engine of economic development. UNDP works to transform FACS through collaborative action among stakeholders, to build trust and generate breakthrough solutions on systemic issues. With the current multiple crises of climate change, conflict, food and fertilizer shortages and the cost of living increase, UNDP is supporting governments and other national actors to transition their FACS from recovery to resilience for them to become equitable, inclusive and environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable systems.
SCOPE OF WORK, RESPONSIBILITIES AND DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED WORK
Ecosystem and Biodiversity sub-profile:
The scope of work will vary depending on the assignment but would include one or various deliverables described on section 3, within national, regional and global programmes or projects led by the Nature Hub.
Responsibilities and Description of the proposed work also vary depending on the assignment and will be defined in specific Terms of Reference to be posted in the Roster. These may include specific project design, implementation oversight, management, M&E support, and/or other specialised thematic/substantive research and policy support to client countries and the global programmes supporting them, guided by the Nature Hub team of advisers. This work will also include a focus on advancing integrated solutions within and across EBD and linked sustainable development themes in line with the UNDP Nature Pledge.
Project and programme design and development
• Gather data and undertake detailed desktop research;
• Support consultations with government and other project stakeholders and implementing partners, including potentially through mission travel (see below);
• Support discussions and negotiations with potential project partners and project co-financers;
• Conduct logical framework analysis (LFA) exercises and other methods for project framework formulation, as the basis of the initial project design (e.g. preparation of a project information form or PIF, or a concept note);
• Identify, assess, and undertake basic design of demonstrations/pilot activities (where required);
• Undertake detailed design of priority project components and activities, estimation of quantitative and qualitative project baselines, beneficiaries and estimated impacts, proposed activities, budgets, scheduling, and delineation of responsibilities for activities implementation and monitoring and evaluation (e.g. preparation of full UNDP-GEF project documents);
• Undertake background work on policy and institutional review, economic assessment and cost-benefit analysis to inform project design;
• Design new programmatic interventions involving biodiversity and ecosystems management for sustainable development.
• Assign, review and quality assure work of local consultants and experts as required.
Project and programme management and implementation support
• Serve as resource person in assisting project implementation by conducting capacity development activities planned for technical personnel of project partners and stakeholders (excluding projects or programmes where the consultant played a role in the design and development);
• Network with and engage key stakeholders during the project implementation;
• Provide technical input in preparing and implementing project activities during project implementation, in line with Government, UNDP, GEF, and other funders' technical and operational standards/guidelines;
• Ensure timely and quality implementation of project activities, outputs and results;
• Create and maintain tools and systems to facilitate knowledge creation, building, and communication with/to key stakeholders and beneficiaries.
• Provide recommendations for expediting/improving implementation progress and results as appropriate including making available examples and best practices from other regions and initiatives
Monitoring and evaluation / knowledge management
• Carry out required independent monitoring and evaluation of projects and programmes (excluding evaluation of projects or programmes where the consultant played a role in designing) and make sound recommendations for adaptive management;
• Prepare knowledge and communications products, such as featured articles and case studies in publications of UNDP and partner organizations, video productions, press-releases, content for BESNet, NBSAP Forum and UNDP websites etc.;
• Support the development of literature on good practices and case studies for dissemination to exchange knowledge and to support dialogue and knowledge events;
• Carry out knowledge management and monitoring and evaluation of effectiveness of national and sub-national policies and strategies;
• Prepare and disseminate knowledge and communications products.
• Provide recommendations for portfolio wide knowledge management systems as appropriate
Specialized Technical Support on biodiversity & ecosystem policy and finance (including BIOFIN)
• Provide specialised support to global initiatives supporting countries to implement policy and finance changes to enhance management of biodiversity and ecosystem services;
• Conduct or support the conduct of economic assessments, including cost benefit analysis and/or targeted scenario analysis;
• Analyse or support analyses of the impacts of subsidies and incentives on biodiversity and ecosystems, recommend scenarios to redesign subsidies and provides support to the redevelopment of subsidies;
• Conduct or support the conduct of public and private sector policy, institutional and expenditure reviews, and/or costing exercises;
• Develop or support the development of natural capital accounts;
• Provide technical advice and inputs on inclusion of environmental and biodiversity expenditures, and of natural capital accounts more widely, in countries' systems of national accounts;
• Lead or provide technical and political analyses and advice on the assessment of a wide range of financing mechanisms and the development of national financing plans (for biodiversity, landscapes, ecosystems and beyond) and on their subsequent implementation;
• Provide technical assistance for the diagnosis, design, implementation and scaling up of financing mechanisms such as Payments for Ecosystem Services, Nature bonds/sukuk, conservation trust funds, debt for nature swaps, public budgets, protected area fees, taxes and tax breaks, crowdfunding, ecological fiscal transfers, disclosure frameworks, green credit schemes and others.
• Provide technical leadership or input on linking the above ecosystem-specific issues to environmental issues as well as more broadly to the 2030 Agenda for sustainable Development and Finance for Development agendas;
• Undertake capacity development with a range of national and regional stakeholders on biodiversity and ecosystems policy and finance.
• Design and conduct trainings for personnel of UNDP Country Offices, projects and government departments on specific topics and substantive issues under ecosystem and biodiversity as requested
The prospective experts who apply for the EBD Vetted Experts Roster should indicate if they have experience and expertise in all or a combination of the areas of expertise described on section 3 above, as well as related to one or more of the following subject areas below:
• Biodiversity conservation and management;
• Protected Area Management
• Access and benefit sharing (genetic resources);
• Combating poaching and Illegal Wildlife Trafficking;
• Integrated Landscape Management
• Nature-based Solutions;
• Ecosystem management, restoration / rehabilitation;
• Sustainable land management
• Sustainable agriculture and food systems transformation;
• Regenerative agriculture and agroecology
• Sustainable forest management;
• Deforestation-free commodities / biodiversity-compatible supply chains;
• Freshwater ecosystems;
• Marine and coastal ecosystems;
• Sustainable/regenerative and innovative finance for nature-positive actions and investments (e.g., biodiversity finance, landscape finance, restoration finance etc.);
• Environmental governance, environmental mainstreaming
Food and Agricultural Commodity Systems sub-profile:
The experts will provide technical advice in the area of Food and Agricultural Commodity Systems.
The exact scope of the work will be determined on a case by case basis by the hiring unit, which may be the UNDP Regional Centers, a UNDP country office, National Counterparts and/or a Project Management Unit.
Technical analysis and advisory services on:
• Strengthening government policies, regulations, legislation and programs related to FACS
• Provision of technical inputs into the work of the Multi-stakeholder Platforms and decision making mechanisms (for Food and Commodities) , including Action Plan development to ensure that issues related to policy, agricultural extension, food systems are adequately included.
• Strategies and plans including Multi-stakeholder Collaboration for Systemic Change in Food and Commodities sectors.
• Undertake gap analyses and action plans for strengthening existing food and agriculture systems to become more inclusive (e.g. gender- and youth-responsive), more sustainable (e.g. increased uptake of sustainable production practices) and more integrated (i.e. ensure multiple benefits/SDGs).
• Food Systems Monitoring, learning and evaluation approaches.
• Develop adaptation policy advisories, strategies, projects and programmes in the area of food and nutrition security and for the agriculture sector.
• Undertake sector-wide climate change risk and vulnerability analysis, based on existing assessments and studies and construct theory of change towards viable adaptation solutions;
• Undertake degradation assessments and productivity losses to determine restoration needs in agricultural production landscapes.
• Effective approaches to supporting the sustainable intensification of commodity production in target landscapes
• Undertake market and value chain assessments/analysis focused on climate-related losses and damages and to determine adaptation options
• Best practices for farmer training and for strengthening national and sub-national extension services and strategies
• Assess costs and benefits of priority actions and technology options for climate change mitigation and adaptation for the agriculture sector;
• Identify financial gaps and prepare financing strategies for the sector to shift towards low carbon and climate resilient pathways.
• Develop climate investment or financing strategies / frameworks / plans for the agriculture sector;
• Develop training programs for food systems capacity building;
• Development of knowledge products, tools, training, and awareness materials on FACS.
• Support integration of inner and mindsets transformation into food systems transformation efforts.
• Design and facilitate learning journeys to build inner capacities for food systems transformation.
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION:
At UNDP, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UNDP recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need.
UNDP has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNDP, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UNDP's policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UNDP personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference checks.
Requirements and skills
Global Call
-Nature
This is how cinfo can support you in the application process for this specific position:
Working hours (%): 80-100%
80-100%Macro-area: Multiple
Level of experience: Senior Professional, more than 5 years
Area of work Definition: Environment, Disaster Risk Management DRM, Energy and Resource Efficiency
Type of organisation: Multilateral Organisations