Energy and Environment Analyst

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.

The UNDP Botswana Country Programme Document for 2022 – 2026 was approved by the UNDP Executive Board in September 2021. The guiding principle and intent of the country programme theory of change is to achieve transformational change for a green, just, prosperous Botswana. This intent is derived from the Vision 2036 of ‘Achieving Prosperity for All’ and the accompanying National Development Plans. The Country Office has identified key domains of change around climate change and sustainable resource management; inequality, corruption and accountability; and unemployment, economic diversification and digital innovation. These domains are addressed through levers of change, such as women and youth as rights-holders; communities, the private sector and the informal sector as transformational agents; and institutions as duty-bearers, each leveraging UNDP capacity to deliver through innovative and agile partnerships for a green, just, prosperous Botswana. Under the broader UNDP new Strategic Plan (2022-2025), energy is one of UNDP’s six signature solutions – alongside poverty and inequality, governance, resilience, environment, and gender equality - to support countries towards three directions of change: structural transformation, leaving no one behind and resilience. Scaled-up programming efforts on energy access and the energy transition represents parts of the organization’s systematic and programmatic approach to respond to the energy and climate change agendas.

Under the direct supervision of the Programme Specialist Environment and Climate Change the UN Volunteer will undertake the following specific tasks:

1. Policy and technical advisory support and the integration of Energy and Environmental issues into national development Plans and strategies; • Provide applied policy analysis for the integration of Energy and Environmental issues (including water resources and sanitation, natural resources management, energy, environment, climate change and human settlements) into national development Plans (NDPs); • Assist in ensuring that the political economy, governance and gender dimensions of environmental/energy/natural resource management in PICs is captured and main-streamed in NDPs; • Provide comprehensive policy advisory services to COs and governments/regional agencies on energy and environment SDG/policy costing tools, green accounting, environmental/energy finance, water and sanitation infrastructure investments, payment for ecosystem services, alternative/sustainable energy and related issues; • Provide support to the strengthening of institutional and governance aspects of environment and energy services delivery, including the role of government and private sector including NGOs, financiers and communities in delivering services. and in the role of the environment/energy (including environmental/energy fiscal policy) in long term economic planning for SDG achievement; • Support the design and formulation of climate change and energy projects; • Support teams across the portfolios to develop and implement new strategic programming and partnerships in the areas of energy access and transition, in line with UNDP’s Strategic Plan, Energy Offer, and others; • Conduct literature reviews and provide summary briefs on key topics, e.g., mini-grid development, productive use of energy, transition issues (e.g., decarbonization strategies, carbon markets/energy pricing approaches, just transitions etc.); • Support the CO in scaling up efforts towards clean energy goals through the flagship project; • Analysis and research on information on potential co-financing agencies and institutions, preparation of substantive briefs on possible areas of cooperation of regional climate change and energy strategies; • Develop partnerships with other UN agencies, governmental institutions, bi-lateral and multi-lateral donors and representation of UNDP on meetings/activities in the area of climate change and energy; • Identification of areas of support and technical assistance in climate risk management • Provide guidance and advice relating to integration of social and environmental governance standards across the CO Portfolios; • Provide technical advisory support on innovative finance to CO teams and government partners as needed.

2. Programme Management Support to the Green Portfolio: • Participation and coordination in all the steps in the UNDP/GEF project cycle including identification, design & preparation, GEF and UNDP approvals, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation, and closure; • Monitoring of the compliance of Green Portfolio projects with UNDP’s environmental and safeguards principles; • Ensure data collected and analyzed by projects is disaggregated (such as for women, youths, marginalized communities) in line with UNDP data standards; • Facilitate annual audit of project and ensure implementation of the audit recommendations; • Support implementation of corporate strategic initiatives such as: HACT, PIR and other reporting obligations to Project Implementation partners; • Follow up on projects implementation status, flagging issues and managing risk; • Lead preparation of periodic (quarterly/ semi-annual) progress reports for donors/ partners; • Develop annual work plans as needed; • Curate and coordinate various meetings, convenings and workshops as needed; • Focal person for environmental related SDGs and ensure the relevant SDG targets and indicators are mainstreamed in projects and plans.

3. Facilitation of knowledge building and sharing: • Support the creation of dialogue platforms with the engagement of key stakeholders at national and sub- national levels, to discuss energy and environmental issues; • Support the development of consistent communications platforms to share lesson learnt based on evidence and to encourage upscaling of the successful innovations in the piloted projects; • Identification of sources of information for the knowledge products to disseminate the knowledge and lessons learnt from the relevant energy and climate change projects; • Provides recommendations to integration of climate change and carbon finance in UNDP regional programmes; • Organization of training on carbon finance programmes; • Sound contribution to knowledge networks and communities of practice; • Support to the facilitation of the CoP for climate change; • In close collaboration with the CO Communications Associate, coordinate the production of media, communications and social media tools and assets for various audiences and platforms and ensure the dissemination of projects goals and achievement through presentations, promotional materials, videos, website content and announcements, newsletters, articles for intranet and reporting materials; • Support the CO’s partnerships and resources mobilization functions.

Accountability; Adaptability and Flexibility; Building Trust; Client Orientation; Commitment and Motivation; Commitment to Continuous Learning; Communication; Creativity; Empowering Others; Ethics and Values; Integrity; Judgement and Decision-making; Knowledge Sharing; Leadership; Managing Performance; Planning and Organizing; Professionalism; Respect for Diversity; Self-Management; Technological Awareness; Vision; Working in Teams.

a multilateral or bilateral organisation, environment-related Ministry, policy think-tank, applied research institution, or consulting firm; • Evidence of quantitative analytical capacity for cross-sectoral work on environmental costing; • A thorough understanding of interdisciplinary and political economy issues affecting the formulation and implementation of SDG-based national sustainable development strategies, with special reference to the Southern African region; • Practical experiences on institutional aspects of environment and energy services delivery, and thorough understanding of the respective roles of government and private sector including NGOs, financiers and communities in delivering services; • Evidence of strong writing skills and the ability to synthesize information is required. • Proficiency and experience working with PowerPoint is required; • Experience working with multilateral organizations and/or the UN system is an asset.

Botswana is located at the Centre of Southern Africa, positioned between South Africa, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The Country has a stable political environment, is well-regarded for its multi-party democracy, free and fair elections, solid rule of law, impressive economic growth. The country present visitors with an opportunity to experience spectacular wildlife scenes and picturesque landscapes from the dry Kgalagadi Dessert to the plushest Okavango Delta. The capital city Gaborone and all big villages have access to government and private medical facilities, schools and Universities. Overall, the country is family friendly.