Climate Knowledge and Policy Specialist

Contract

This is a UNV International Specialist contract. This kind of contract is known as International UN Volunteer. It is normally internationally recruited only. More about UNV International Specialist contracts.

Working in 170 countries and territories to eradicate poverty, reduce inequalities and exclusion, UNDP plays a critical role in helping countries/territories achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s 2022-2025 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. Climate change could drive an additional 100 million people into poverty by 2030. One of its key priorities for the next 10 years is to support countries/territories accelerate ambitious action on climate change.

Climate change is the single greatest challenge currently facing humanity, threatening water and food security, health, livelihoods, and the safety of billions of people together with drastic negative impact on global ecosystem balance. UNDP’s ambitious “Climate Promise” supports over 120 countries/territories to enhance their climate ambitions under the Paris Agreement, with focus on greater emissions reduction and resilience building. The Climate Promise is currently scaling up its support to countries on implementation of their national climate pledges, or Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), and long-term planning to ensure inclusive climate action at the speed and scale required to keep global temperature below 1.5°C. Achieving carbon neutrality in the second half of the century by all countries/territories is a crucial requirement set by the Paris Agreement to avoid the irreversible global climate change. Realization of this goal involves work on global, national, and local levels, as well as participation of all relevant stakeholders – governments, business, MDBs, international organizations, NSOs. The path to carbon neutrality should be just and leaving no one behind, while empowering women, youth, indigenous people, and vulnerable groups of the population. UNDP is well positioned to enable such work through cooperation on HQ, Regional and Country Offices (CO) levels, forming an interconnected system of knowledge exchange and expertise delivery enabling the cutting-edge climate policy advocacy, development, and implementation.

The Climate Promise provides direct financial and technical support to countries on NDC implementation in the context of national development priorities. As part of this portfolio initiative, a contribution from the Japan Supplementary Budget (JSB) of $42M has made Japan the newest and one of the largest partners to UNDP’s Climate Promise This contribution provides financial and technical assistance to 23 countries/territories around the world and serves as the catalyst to deliver and showcase NDC implementation as part of the UNDP flagship initiative. The JSB component seeks to advance the implementation of the country’s NDC measures and realization of its targets under two key pillars: clean energy and net-zero pathways; and resilience of vulnerable and fragile settings to climate impacts.

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of Regional Climate Change Specialist for the Climate Promise in Europe and Central Asia, or his/her designated mandated representative(s), the UN Volunteer in Climate Knowledge and Policy in Istanbul Regional Hub will coordinate his/her work with the Global Climate Promise Team and will be responsible for:

1) Knowledge management and peer-to-peer learning

• Collect inputs for knowledge generation, analysis and codification in the region, including analysis of regular reports, extracting lessons learned, and tracking progress and results • Coordinate peer-to-peer learning among JSB programme countries/territories and organize or coordinate with other regional teams to support webinars and south-south exchange workshops, including to share information and experience across different regions. • In coordination with the global and regional climate teams, create knowledge products on NDC enhancement and implementation that draws on and showcases the results and experiences under JSB in the region, with a focus on benefits of the projects for vulnerable groups of population and wider stakeholder involvement. • Contribute to relevant regional outreach, visibility, and reporting requirements, as requested by Regional Team Leader and global JSB coordinators. 2) Country and Regional delivery and support • Support the coordination and implementation of JSB-funded projects across the region, backstopping COs with technical advice, in coordination with the global coordinators of JSB and broader Climate Promise infrastructure. • Provide the information requested by the donor in relation to RBEC JSB-supported activities from COs, as needed. • Help to oversee the timely delivery and reporting of the CO-driven JSB projects and provide technical support as needed – particularly on key outputs related to the NDCs and the relevant climate change portfolio in the region, in coordination with the NCE Regional Team Leader and relevant regional technical focal points.

Furthermore, UN Volunteers are encouraged to integrate the UN Volunteers programme mandate within their assignment and promote voluntary action through engagement with communities in the course of their work. As such, UN Volunteers should dedicate a part of their working time to some of the following suggested activities:

• Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day); • Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country; • Provide annual and end of assignment self- reports on UN Volunteer actions, results and opportunities.
• Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.; • Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UN Volunteers; • Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering, or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.

13. Results/expected outputs

• As an active UNDP team member, efficient, timely, responsive, client-friendly and high-quality support rendered to UNDP and its beneficiaries in the accomplishment of her/his functions, including: o Periodic and timely updates to the regional/global team on JSB projects in the region for the delivery and implementation of countries’ NDC and climate change portfolio; o Donor requested information and reporting of the CO-driven JSB projects; o Knowledge sharing opportunities and platforms through peer to peer exchange among countries and community of practice on climate policy and strategies; o Knowledge products on NDC enhancement and implementation, within the broader context of climate action in the region, that draws on and showcases the results and experiences under the JSB portfolio in the region – with a focus on benefits of the projects for vulnerable groups of population and wider stakeholder involvement.

• Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) perspective is systematically applied, integrated and documented in all activities throughout the assignment • A final statement of achievements towards volunteerism for peace and development during the assignment, such as reporting on the number of volunteers mobilized, activities participated in and capacities developed

• Professionalism • Integrity • Teamwork and respect for diversity • Commitment to continuous learning • Planning and organizing • Communication • Flexibility • Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement, which includes solidarity, compassion, reciprocity and self-reliance; and commitment towards UNDP’s mission and vision, as well as to the UN Core Values.

conducting policy research and analyses related to climate change; • Demonstrated knowledge on inter-governmental processes on climate change such as NDCs, LTSs, NAPs etc.is mandatory; • Demonstrated experience in supporting with organizing or facilitating of knowledge exchange events/workshops is mandatory; • Demonstrated experience in project management, specifically relevant to Japan Supplementary Budget, is considered an asset; • Excellent oral and written skills in English; working knowledge of Russian or Japanese are considered an asset; • Knowledge and a proficient user of Microsoft Office productivity tools; advanced knowledge on using MS Excel is considered an asset; • Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in a challenging environment; ability to work effectively in a multicultural team of international and national personnel; • Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision; ability to work with tight deadlines; • Excellent interpersonal skills; culturally and socially sensitive; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a range of teams and partners

The initial contract is issued upon arrival for the period indicated above. The contract can be extended depending on continuation of mandate, availability of funding, operational necessity and satisfactory performance. However, there is no expectancy of renewal of the assignment.

A UN Volunteer receives a Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA), which is composed of a Monthly Living Allowance (MLA) and a Family Allowance (FA) for those with dependents (maximum three).

The Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA) is paid at the end of each month to cover housing, utilities, transportation, communications and other basic needs. The VLA can be calculated using by applying the Post-Adjustment Multiplier (PAM) to the VLA base rate US$ 1,631. The VLA base rate is a global rate across the world, while the PAM is duty station/country-specific and fluctuates on a monthly basis according to cost of living. This method ensures that international UN Volunteers have comparable purchasing power at all duty stations irrespective of varying costs of living. The PAM is established by the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC) and is published at the beginning of every month on the ICSC website - http://icsc.un.org.

In non-family duty stations that belong to hardship categories D or E, as classified by the ICSC, international UN Volunteers receive a Well-Being Differential (WBD) on a monthly basis. Furthermore, UN Volunteers are provided a settling-in-grant (SIG) at the start of the assignment (if the volunteer did not reside in the duty station for at least 6 months prior to taking up the assignment) and in the event of a permanent reassignment to another duty station.

UNV provides life, health, permanent disability insurances as well as assignment travel, annual leave, full integration in the UN security framework (including residential security reimbursements).

UN Volunteers are paid Daily Subsistence Allowance at the UN rate for official travels, flight tickets for periodic home visit and for the final repatriation travel (if applicable). Resettlement allowance is paid for satisfactory service at the end of the assignment.

UNV will provide, together with the offer of assignment, a copy of the Conditions of Service, including Code of conduct, to the successful candidate.