Indonesia REDD+ RBP Technical Safeguards Expert

Contract

This is a IPSA-11 contract. This kind of contract is known as International Personnel Services Agreement. It is normally internationally recruited only. It usually requires 7 years of experience, depending on education. More about IPSA-11 contracts.

Background

Instructions to Applicants: Click on the?"Apply now"?button. Input your information in the appropriate Sections: personal information, language proficiency, education, resume and motivation. Upon completion of the first page, please hit "submit application" tab at the end of the page. Please ensure that CV or P11 and the Cover letter are combined in?one file.

Personal CV or P11, indicating all past positions held and their main underlying functions, their durations (month/year), the qualifications, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate, and the contact details?for three (3)?most recent professional references this may include??previous supervisors and peers.

A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page) indicating why the candidate considers him-/herself to be suitable for the position.

Travel:

a) The post is home-based with possible travel to Indonesia as required; b) UNDP will cover the cost of travel of the individual to the required destination, as well as their return to their home upon completion of their services. Travel costs are covered only in the event that the function will be undertaken physically in the required destination and excludes working from home arrangements; c) Include any official travel expected to be associated with performing the functions.

Background

UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s policy work carried out at HQ, Regional and Country Office levels, forms a contiguous spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP invests in the Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in the Strategic Plan.

Within the GPN, the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance to support the results of UNDP’s Strategic Plan. BPPS’s staff provides technical advice to Country Offices; advocates for UNDP corporate messages, represents UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora including public-private dialogues, government and civil society dialogues, and engages in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas. BPPS works closely with UNDP’s Crisis Bureau (CB) to support emergency and crisis response. BPPS ensures that issues of risk are fully integrated into UNDP’s development programmes. BPPS assists UNDP and partners to achieve higher quality development results through an integrated approach that links results-based management and performance monitoring with more effective and new ways of working. BPPS supports UNDP and partners to be more innovative, knowledge and data driven including in its programme support efforts.

Climate change mitigation – or reducing greenhouse gas emissions - is essential to fulfilling commitments to the Paris Agreement and limiting the global mean temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. UNDP, with more than 280 climate change mitigation projects and programs in over 110 countries, is a key actor supporting countries in their emission reduction plans, contributing to ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions. Activities in energy, as well as forests and agriculture, will be critical to meeting global mitigation objectives.

UNDP’s approach to forestry aligns with the SDG 15 and contributes to UNDP's 'signature solution' on environment and nature-based solutions for development. Deforestation and forest degradation accounts for more than 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions and it is clear that the stabilization of global temperatures cannot be achieved without reducing emissions from the forest sector. UNDP's Climate and Forests Programme supports countries to conserve and sustainably manage forests and ensure sustainable and equitable development paths that lead towards carbon neutrality. More information here: www.climateandforests-undp.org.

Within this context, the Climate and Forests Programme is supporting the implementation of the UNDP/GCF project ‘Indonesia’s REDD?Plus Results-Based Payment (RBP) for results period 2014?2016’. This project is based on results-based payments received from Green Climate Fund (GCF) for emissions reductions from deforestation already achieved in Indonesia, covering the period 2014 to 2016. These proceeds, almost USD 104 million, will be used to contribute to the implementation of Indonesia’s national REDD+ strategy (STRANAS), which is aligned with Indonesia’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Climate Agreement.

The project is a pilot in the sense that it adopts a new UNDP performance-based payment (PBP) modality where countries (Implementing Partners) formulate a set of Deliverables or Results, describe how the Results are defined and measured, and establish payments for specified Results. Implementing Partners self-finance all or a significant portion of its activities until the Results are achieved and validated by an Independent Assessor through application of a pre-agreed Validation Methodology.

The project is structured around two components: Component 1 providing support to strengthening REDD+ coordination and implementation and overall REDD+ architecture, and Component 2 supporting decentralized sustainable forest governance. Under this second component, payments will be provided based on actual performance or results achieved (Performance-Based Payments or PBPs). The Implementing Partner, the Indonesian Environment Fund, will be supported by a project management unit (PMU).

The project will comply with UNDP’s updated Social and Environmental Standards (SES), which came into effect 1 January 2021 and national safeguards requirements. The project will also comply with the UNFCCC REDD+ safeguard requirements, including the ‘Cancun safeguards’. COP16 (Cancun) in 2010 agreed that a set of seven safeguards, commonly referred to as the Cancun Safeguards, should be promoted and supported when undertaking REDD+ activities. In addition, the applicable national and international legal framework is outlined in Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) as well as in the Social and Environmental Screening Process (SESP) undertaken as part of the Funding Proposal submission to the Green Climate Fund.

To date, three SES instruments have been implemented in relation to this project: an Environmental and Social Assessment (ESA), an SESP and an ESMF ? the latter establishing the framework for operationalizing safeguards as the project moves towards implementation.

In the first half of 2021, UNDP developed a series of concrete proposals to ensure that the ESMF could be further operationalized once project implementation started. For the remainder of 2021, this work will include the preparation of the 5 items below, followed by their implementation from 2022 onwards:

1. A focused Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP);
2. An Adat Communities Plan (ACP);
3. An updated Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP);
4. A clear summary of how grievances are currently address, and if needed, the preparation of a project Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM);
5. An updated Gender Action Plan (GAP) N.B. A preliminary GAP was completed as part of the funding proposal for the project. Nevertheless, it needs to be reviewed and updated per ESMP findings on gender as necessary.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Technical Expert for Safeguards will support the PMU, liaising and working closely with the national Gender Safeguard Expert, Environmental Safeguard Expert and Social Safeguard Expert as well as with the UNDP advisors/specialists in the Climate and Forests Programme team. The main role of the expert is to provide targeted technical advice and support to the PMU in the implementation of the ESMP and the safeguards monitoring plan under the Performance-Based Payment, in compliance with UNDP’s Social and Environmental Safeguards and GCF’s Environmental and Social Safeguards policies.

While the implementation of the ESMP, ACP, SEP and potentially the GRM will fall under the responsibility of the national social and environmental experts and the GAP under the national gender expert in the PMU, the Technical Expert for Safeguards will also provide targeted support in ESMP, ACP, SEP and potentially GRM implementation on a as needed basis, specifically as it relates to capacity building activities around the PBP.

In close collaboration with the PMU, UNDP Country Office and the UNDP advisors/specialists in the Climate and Forests Programme team, the Technical Expert for Safeguards will undertake the following activities:

• As part of the development of the ESMP and based on findings of the preliminary ESMF undertaken as part of the Funding Proposal for the project, provide quality assurance to the work of the consultants to develop the ESMP, ACP, SEP and potentially the GRM;
• Provide support/guidance to the PBP Independent Assessor on safeguards-related PBP indicators as necessary;
• Review and update PBP indicators as necessary;
• Provide technical support to the PMU for the overall implementation of the ESMP, PBP safeguards-related indicators and the safeguards monitoring plan for the PBP. This could include undertaking necessary capacity building training;
• Support monitoring of the progress in the project’s implementation of required environmental and social safeguards elements such as grievance redress mechanism and others;
• Identify common safeguards risks, capacity needs, challenges in the project and support the development of strategies to address these issues, including but not limited to the PBP implementation;
• Regularly monitor and report on emerging safeguards issues and risks, capacity needs and demand for support to ensure issues are escalated and additional support mobilized when needed;
• Support environmental and social safeguards capacity development and trainings in the project;
• Undertake safeguards technical missions as needed;
• Review relevant knowledge products (including publications and reports).

Competencies

UN CORE VALUES AND COMPETENCIES

Professionalism: Shows pride in work and 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. Takes responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.

Communication: Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; Listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; Asks questions to clarify and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; Tailors language, tone, style and format to match the audience; Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

Client Orientation: Considers all those to whom services are provided to be "clients " and seeks to see things from clients' point of view; Establishes and maintains productive partnerships with clients by gaining their trust and respect; Identifies clients' needs and matches them to appropriate solutions; Monitors ongoing developments inside and outside the clients' environment to keep informed and anticipate problems; Keeps clients informed of progress or setbacks in projects; Meets timeline for delivery of products or services to client.

Required Skills and Experience

Min. Academic Education:

• Master’s Degree in field related to Natural Resources Management, Forestry Management, sustainable development or related fields.

Min. years of relevant Work experience:

• At least 7 years of relevant working experience in the areas of international development, environmental science, anthropology or similar field;
• At least 7 years of experience related to social and environmental safeguards, including impact assessment and management;
• At least 7 years of experience in applying social and environmental due diligence in project level implementation and management. Familiarity with international standards such as those of IFC is an asset.

Required skills:

• Demonstrated experience working with public sector actors in developing countries;
• Extensive experience in Indonesia and the Asia-Pacific region;
• Strong experience in providing strategic advice and dealing with the government and development partners and stakeholders

Desired additional skills:

• Strong facilitation skills, capacity-building and multi-stakeholder engagement expertise;
• Experience in advising on natural resource management and/or climate change related themes.

Required Language(s) (at working level):

• Fluency in English;
• Familiarity with Bahasa Indonesia is an asset.