Chief Technical Advisor - Argentina’s Transparency Framework on GHG Inventories and Mitigation
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Result of Service Objective.
CBIT’s most important contribution will be to strengthen Argentina’s reporting capacities so as to adequately comply with the requirements of the Enhanced Transparency Framework through the new reporting format under the Paris Agreement: the Biennial Transparency Reports (BTR). In order to carry out the activities of Argentina’s CBIT project it requires the hiring of a Chief Technical Advisor.
Ultimate Result of the Service: - The project meets its objectives and achieves expected outcomes via day-to-day project operations and the Project Steering Committee (PSC), the National Project Director (NPD) and UN Environment are periodically updated on the progress of the project via progress reports. - The National Project Director, UN Environment and the PSC are periodically updated for allocation of the GEF grant according to the quarterly and annual work plans and budgets elaborated in coordination with UN Environment and the NPD. - Via monitoring the risk management plan, UN Environment and the PSC are notified in writing if there is need for modification to the agreed implementation plan and budget, as a means to seek approval. Any inconsistencies made by the Executing Agencies (EA) will be addressed and rectified. - Annual workplans are prepared in consultations with the NPD and project partners; - Agreements with implementing partners are elaborated and complies with UNEP´s requirements. - National CBIT workshops and Project Steering Committees are held according to the approved work plan. - Technical advice and guidance are provided to the project team on issues related to the project activities. - Technical advice on transparency issues related to the report requirements under the Paris Agreement is provided to national experts. - The consistency between national priorities and the project´s objectives is ensured. - The technical quality of improvements of the land representation is ensured; - The technical quality of audiovisual material and/or interactive tools on mitigation and adaptation is ensured; - Deliverables related to the Long Term Strategy are elaborated.
The consultant will carry out the following activities: - Support the day-to-day activities in order to ensure that the project meets its objectives and achieves expected outcomes; - Prepare annual work plans in consultation with project partners; - Prepare annual procurement plans in consultation with the Executing Agency; - Support the drafting of TORs for consultants - Participate in the preparation of agreements with implementing partners and ensure its compliance with the UNEP´s requirements; - Participate in meetings with future implementing partners and provide technical and administrative support to ensure the implementation of the agreement´s activities. - Prepare the Project progress reports and, all annual/year-end project revisions; - Ensure coordination with relevant national institutions and government agencies to guarantee that project activities are distinct and fully complementary to other national initiatives; - Attend and organize inception workshops, national technical workshops and project steering committee-PSC meetings; - Support the Monitoring of risk management plan; - Periodic reporting to UN Environment and the PSC for allocation of the GEF grant according to the quarterly and annual work plans and budgets in coordination with UN Environment and the National Project Director (NPD); - Notify UN Environment and the PSC in writing if there is need for modification to the agreed implementation plan and budget, and to seek approval; - Address and rectify any issues or inconsistencies raised by the Executing Agency; - Support compilation and submission of progress and financial reporting to the Executing Agency; - Provide accurate and up-to-date technical advice, inputs and guidance on issues related to the implementation of the project activities; - Liaison and engagement with national stakeholders and local climate change involved entities; - Provide national insights for all experts involved; - Co-drafting, and reviewing of all products assigned to local and international experts; - Be responsible for and coordinate the NCCC’s revision and approval procedures; - Provide local insights to international experts; - Attempt to ensure the quality of the activities and the coordination of local and international experts; - Engage with local climate change involved entities and with national stakeholders within the activities of the National Climate Change Cabinet; - In close coordination with the different units of the National Directorate of Climate Change (NDCC), provide technical guidance to the project team regarding: i) the format and temporary programming of the deliverables, and ii) the procedures to be followed for data storage, archiving and presentation from reports; in order to ensure coordination between the different components of the project, and between their development and national needs and guidelines; - Articulate and support the priorities defined by the NDCC, within the framework of the CBIT project; - Collaborate with the NDCC in the definition and review of information and documents; - Participate actively in the CBIT Global Coordination Platform by attending meetings, but also preparing materials to be shared through the platform and providing information about the country, relevant to the Platform; - Report periodically to the EA about progress of the project´s implementation; - Assist to national and international meetings related to reporting in order to ensure the consistency between national and international requirements and the project´s deliverables. - Articulate with the NDCC to ensure the consistency between the project´s activity and national objectives. - Participate in south-south cooperation workshops and trainings to exchange experience between countries in the region. - Ensure technical quality in the development of new audiovisual material and/or interactive tools on mitigation and adaptation (Activity 1.1.3.2), including the revision of updates in the existing GHG Inventory Platform website. - Provide technical feedback deliverables elaborated to support the elaboration of the LTS with a holistic perspective (Activity 3.3.2.3). - Elaborate one summary report on the training/workshop results; - Provide technical support to the NCCD for the inclusion of the deliverables elaborated by the project in the next report to be submitted to the UNFCCC. - Ensure technical quality of the deliverable related to carbon markets (Deliverables L, M and N of CBIT Argentina´s workplan); - Elaborate report including proposal to adequate the actual National GHG Inventory System to the new requirements of the ETF - Coordinate the capacity building activities related to the energy sector to national experts;
Work Location Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MAyDS), Buenos Aires, Argentina
Expected duration 6 MONTHS
Duties and Responsibilities Purpose.
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment.
UNEP Latin America and the Caribbean Office (LACO), located in Panama City, works closely with the 33 countries of the region and its activities are integrated into the Medium-term Strategy and the Programme of Work approved by the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA).
The Argentine Republic ratified the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1994 (Law No. 24,295), the Kyoto Protocol in September 2001 (Law No. 25,438) and the Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol in May 2015 (Law No. 27,137). As a signatory of the UNFCCC, the country undertook obligations including the report of the national greenhouse gases inventories, national programs with mitigation and adaptation actions against climate change and any other relevant information regarding the fulfilment of the objective of the UNFCCC. As part of the country’s undertaken obligations, Argentina submitted its First National Communication in July 1997, and a revised communication in October 1999. The Second National Communication was submitted in December 2007 and the Third National Communication and the First Biennial Updated Report (BUR) were both submitted in December 2015. The Second BUR was submitted in August of 2017, the Third BUR was presented to the UNFCCC in November 2019 and the Fourth BUR was presented in December 2021.
In December 2015 during the 21st Conference of Parties (COP 21), the Paris Agreement (PA) was adopted; its article No. 2 established the objective of “holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2 °C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels”. In September 2016, Argentina ratified the Paris Agreement (Law No. 27,270), then in December 2019, the National Congress approved the National Law No. 27,520 on Global Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation. Finally, in December 2020, the country submitted its 2nd Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) which reflects its enhanced commitment to combat climate change and its effects. Argentina´s 2nd NDC outlines an absolute economy-wide reduction target of limiting its Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions to 359 MtCO2e (Megatons of Carbon Dioxide – equivalent) by 2030.
One of the most relevant challenges the implementation of the Paris Agreement poses to countries is to count with strong Transparency Frameworks. Article No.13 of the PA establishes the need for Parties to implement national robust and transparent reporting and accounting systems to give clarity on action and support while providing clear information to stakeholders. As part of building and enhancing their Transparency Frameworks, Parties of the UNFCCC Convention will progressively implement better tools and institutional practices, many of them not sufficiently developed in the countries. This is especially true for developing countries.
The UNFCCC Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF) demands substantial and immediate progress in the countries’ domestic Monitoring Reporting and Verification (MRV) systems and strategic de-carbonization planning. This entails moving from often disintegrated and often different-methodological approaches in data management to an integrated and robust system. The success of the Paris Agreement hinges on enhanced transparency of action and support, as a critical foundation to making its bottom-up, country-led approach work, as well as building mutual trust and confidence amongst Parties.
The Global Environment Facility - Capacity Building Initiative for Transparency (GEF-CBIT) will support the Argentinian government for four years, mainly in strengthening its ETF. This will happen by improving the accuracy, completeness and consistency of its greenhouse gas (GHG) emission inventories and increasing its capacities to domestically track and evaluate mitigation measures and related finance support received and provided, as well as generating the technical inputs needed for medium and long-term planning contributing to the improvement of climate-related decision-making in the country. In order to achieve this objective, Argentina’s GEF-CBIT project, which was approved in July of 2019, is organized into three components: - National and subnational GHG inventory System - Domestic tracking of mitigation actions and support received - Medium and long-term projections In this sense, the Climate Change Unit of UNEP is recruiting a Chief Technical Advisor to strengthen Argentina’s reporting capacities so as to adequately comply with the requirements of the Enhanced Transparency Framework-ETF through the new reporting format under the Paris Agreement: the Biennial Transparency Reports (BTR). The incumbent will work from Monday to Friday, 40 hours per week, full time in Argentina and he/she will be supervised by Coordinator of the Climate Ambition and Transparency Team of the Climate Change Unit for Latin America and the Caribbean of UNEP. He/she will work in close collaboration with the National Climate Change Directorate (NCCD) within the Secretariat of Environment, Sustainable Development and Innovation of Argentina’s Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MAyDS).
Qualifications/special skills Qualifications Required
ACADEMIC: - 5-year university degree in Engineering, Environmental sciences, Biology, Economics, Law, Political Science, or other climate change relevant university degree is required; - Post-graduate degree in relevant areas related to climate change and development is desirable.
PROFESSIONAL: - A minimum of 5 years of professional experience in areas related to climate change mitigation or adaptation and topics related to the planning, execution and monitoring of GHG emissions in general especially with projects under public administration is required; - Verifiable professional experience of at least 1 year, related to environmental activities and the elaboration of national reports of climate change especially linked with the National GHG Inventory is desirable, which could be within the two/three years of professional experience in areas related to climate change mitigation topics; - Verifiable professional experience of at least 1 year of management of projects related to climate change and transparency is desirable, which could be within the two/three years of professional experience in areas related to climate change mitigation topics ; - A minimum of 3 years of academic experience teaching environment related classes is desirable, which could be within the (2/3) years of professional experience in areas related to climate change mitigation or adaptation topics; - Verifiable professional experience coordinating activities and people related to subjects linked with climate change(desirable); - Verifiable professional experience in international negotiations of transparency issues (desirable); - Demonstrates understanding of tools used for the estimation of GHG emissions and captures (desirable); - Demonstrates understanding of UNEP´s administrative, procurement and report processes (desirable); - Demonstrates understanding of administrative processes of the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (desirable). - Knowledge of GHG emissions inventories estimation methodologies such as IPCC 2006 (desirable); - Demonstrates excellent understanding of Argentina’s national policy related to climate change with particular focus on Transparency, Mitigation, MRV and its corresponding application to Argentina’s context such as National Climate Change Action Plans (required); - Demonstrates excellent understanding of the national and international climate change framework related to environment and professional experience on climate change international negotiation forums such as UNFCCC (desirable); - Experience working with, and building partnerships with public sector both national and subnational (desirable); - Experience working with and building partnerships with international agencies (desirable). - Experience working with, and building partnerships civil society organizations (desirable); - Professional experience in managing projects (desirable);
LANGUAGE: - Native in Spanish (Required); - Confident level in English (Required);
SPECIAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS: - Excellent knowledge and understanding of theories, concepts and approaches relevant to global and national politics and its links to climate change mitigation and adaptation (required); - Good knowledge and understanding of theories, concepts and approaches on sustainable development; 2030 agenda and transparency and MRV (desirable); - Verifiable experience using of IT tools such as Microsoft Office (Word, Excel and Power Point) and related apps. (required); - Experience using Generador Electrónico de Documentos Oficiales (GEDO) (desirable); - Relationship skills with public and private sector officials (desirable); - COMPETENCIES - PROBLEM SOLVING: - Ability to identify issues, analyze and participate in the resolution of issues/problems; - Ability to apply judgment in the context of assignments given, plan own work and manage conflicting priorities. Shows pride in work and in achievements; - Demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; Is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; - Shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; Remains calm in stressful situations; Shows leadership capacities; - Comfortable with teamwork and cooperation with consultants of other specialties; TEAMWORK: ¿ Experience in teamwork, with recognition in the field of their specialty to cooperate with consultants of other specialties; ¿ Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others' ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings. PLANNING AND ORGANIZING: ¿ Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies; identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required; allocates appropriate amount of time and resources for completing work; foresees risks and allows for contingencies when planning; monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary; uses time efficiently. OTHERS: - Consultant must have availability to travel within Argentina and abroad as needed.
No Fee THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.