Climate Finance MRV Specialist

Result of Service The Climate Finance MRV Specialist will contribute to the achievement of the expected Outcomes and Outputs of the Agreement between UNEP and SIDA in Panama in climate transparency. This includes supporting the Directorate of Climate Change of the Ministry of Environment in Panama in the MRV for climate finance.

The overall activities of Panama’s MRV for Climate Finance Specialist are:

Report with Regional best practices for the design and development of an integrated transparency system to track climate action and finance, including (but not limited to) recommendations on the following topics:

• Suggestion of System design and institutional arrangements for Climate Finance, tracking and labeling. o Support tracking and labeling process.

• Potential Integration of academia and other relevant stakeholders in the monitoring of Means of Implementation for the climate action, especially technology transfer and capacity building.

• Guidelines for an NDC tracking MRV around Climate Finance o Support elaboration of Guidelines and User´s Manual of ReNMI

• Support the uploading of information of mitigation actions into the National Registry of Actions (ReNA) and the process to verify the information related to means of implementation.

• Recommendations on the national conceptual MRV frameworks for Panama and their linkage to national planning programs on Article 6 (NDCs, LTS, national development plan, etc.) o Interlink between ReNMI – ReNA – CDN

Ultimate Result of the Service:

• To implement MRV system for climate finance

• Report on the structure to incorporate academia an other stakeholders into the MRV system for Means of Implementation.

• Support the government the development and implementation of climate finance module whiting the climate transparency platform

• Mitigation Actions registered and the financial data reflected in the Registry of Means of Implementation.

  Work Location Panama City, Panama – Ministry of Environment of Panama (MIAMBIENTE)

  Expected duration 8 MONTHS

  Duties and Responsibilities 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.

The UNEP Latin America and the Caribbean Office (LAC Office), 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).

Panama ratified the Paris Agreement through Law No. 40 of September 12, 2016, making effective its climate change commitment through its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). The Paris Agreement, in its Article 13, raises the need to have an enhanced transparency framework that allows information to be available to assess if the necessary is being done in relation to compliance with the commitments assumed to face climate change. Panama is preparing to fully comply with the transparency requirements set forth by the Paris Agreement (PA) and has identified the following constraints and gaps:

a) The lack of technical capacity and know-how to generate, manage and disseminate robust and verifiable climate-related data;

b) Limited tracking of climate actions and investments executed outside the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Environment;

c) The absence of a robust GHG Inventory Management System;

d) The lack of national adaptation methodologies and indicators;

e) Weak and outdated institutional arrangements for cross-sectoral climate planning, data collection, and sharing; and

f) The absence of climate considerations in decision making

Recently, the Government of Panama published a Presidential Executive Decree which regulates the Global Climate Change Mitigation Chapter of the Single Text of The General Environmental Law and creates the Reduce Your Footprint National Program for monitoring the low-carbon economic and social development in the Republic of Panama. In addition, under this national mandate, Panama legally establishes the creation of the National Framework for Climate Transparency. The next step will be the publication of an executive decree for the Adaptation chapter.

The Climate Ambition and Transparency Team within the Climate Change Unit at ROLAC oversees and manages several projects in Means of Implementation to support developing countries in the fulfilling of the transparency requirements of the Paris Agreement. The Capacity Building Initiative for Transparency (CBIT) Project in Panama, with funding from the Global Environment Facility (the GEF) is supporting the country in developing its National Climate Transparency Platform and associated compliance processes.

The CBIT Panama project plans to share lessons learnt among different countries in Latin America and the Caribbean for the benefits of all the Parties involved in the form of South-South Cooperation workshops and desk-based reviews. In this sense, the project requires hiring a Climate Finance Measuring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) Specialist to facilitate South-South Cooperation sessions in climate finance.

The consultant will be supervised by the UNEP’s Climate Ambition and Transparency Coordinator of the Climate Change Unit for Latin America and the Caribbean Office, and will work full time, 40 hours per week at The Climate Change Directorate in the Ministry of Environment in Panama City, Panama and in close collaboration of the Climate Change Unit of the UNEP Office for Latin America and the Caribbean.

The incumbent will focus on NDC Prioritized Strategic Sectors in Panama, including but not limited to the current NDCs sectors. The workplan will be coordinated with key professionals within the Ministry of Environment and UNEP-LAC Office.

Qualifications/special skills Academic Qualifications:

• A First-level University degree (Bachelor´s Degree) in Environmental Engineering, Sanitation and Environment, Environmental Sciences, Natural Sciences, or related areas is required.

• Engineering Technician Degree with a focus on Sanitation and Environment is desirable.

Experience:

• A minimum of two years of experience in project assistance and development is required.

• Experience in projects related to climate financing, sustainable development and / renewable energy in Panama is desirable.

Language:

• Fluency in Spanish and English is required.

Skills: PROFESSIONALISM:

• Good understanding of global and national climate change issues in particular related to the evaluation, validation, and verification of GHG, climate knowledge management, climate change international framework, and climate finance.

• Knowledge and understanding of theories, concepts and approaches relevant to climate change mitigation and adaptation planning.

• 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

TEAMWORK:

• 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.

  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.