International Specialist on Policy Scan

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.

Climate Promise is the world’s largest offer of support to countries on national climate pledges under the Paris Agreement. These pledges, or Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), are crucial stepping stones towards net-zero emissions and meeting the Paris goals. The initiative supports over 120 countries, in collaboration with over 35 partners and is as major contribution to the NDC Partnership.

GENERAL BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THE CONTEXT OF THE ENGAGEMENT:

As part of the Global Policy Network in the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, UNDP’s Nature, Climate, Energy, and Waste (NCE&W) Team promotes and scales up integrated whole-of-governance approaches and nature-based solutions that reduce poverty and inequalities, strengthen livelihoods and inclusive growth, mitigate conflict, forced migration and displacement, and promote more resilient governance systems that advance linked peace and security agendas.

The NCE&W Team works with governments, civil society, and private sector partners to integrate natural capital, environment and climate concerns into national and sector planning and inclusive growth policies; support country obligations under Multilateral Environmental Agreements; and implement the UN’s largest portfolio of in-country programming on environment, climate change, and energy. This multi-billion-dollar portfolio encompasses: Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services including forests; Sustainable Land Management and Desertification including food and commodity systems; Water and Ocean Governance including SIDS; Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation; Renewable and Modern Energy; Extractive Industries; Chemicals and Waste Management; Environmental Governance and Green/Circular Economy and SCP approaches. This work advances crosscutting themes on innovative finance, digital transformation, capacity development, human rights, gender equality, health, technology, and South-South learning. UNDP's Nature, Climate and Energy practice spans 137 countries, with a portfolio directly benefiting 86 million people. Our support to Governments focusses on enabling an inclusive, resilient, green recovery by: building competency to accelerate access to sustainable energy and climate and nature-positive policies and finance; scaling capacity to ensure No One is Left Behind; catalyzing SDG and Paris-aligned investments (public and private); delivering client-focused solutions that respond to countries' immediate, mid- and long-term recovery and socio-economic development priorities; and leveraging our on-the-ground presence and networks to unlock bottom-up solutions that deliver lasting impacts at country level.

SCOPE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

UNDP aspires to be a world-class knowledge leader and seamless knowledge sourcing and sharing entity. The corporate KM Strategy is a call to action: to establish and align the systems, incentives, culture, and resources needed to move the needle on the 2030 Agenda.

The knowledge management (KM) strategy advances an approach to knowledge that embeds development impact with a sense of purpose. This approach to knowledge management is both quantitative and qualitative, collaboration-based and curiosity driven. Designed in the third year of the COVID pandemic, this strategy reflects our learning as an organization, and critical role of knowledge-based coalitions to drive change.

Under the overall supervision of the (NCE&W) Regional Team Leader, and in coordination with the Environment Knowledge Manager and the Regional Energy Policy Specialist, the Consultant is expected to contribute to the implementation of the corporate Knowledge Strategy and the Strategic Plan and, in particular, the seamless integration of policy and programmatic work.

The objective of the assignment is to (i) develop a strategically aligned and accepted taxonomy to categorize all the policy work undertaken in the context of the region’s Vertical Funds’ portfolio over the last five years; to (ii) populate the taxonomy; to (iii) analyze the policy content of the portfolio, identifying gaps, key opportunities for elevating UNDP’s policy work in the region, and associated challenges; to (iv) present findings, collect feedback from the teams and integrate into report.

A - Develop a strategically aligned and accepted taxonomy to categorize all the policy work undertaken in the context of the region’s Vertical Funds’ portfolio over the last five years 1. Acquaint himself/herself with the type of policy work undertaken as part of the vertical funds’ portfolio (now to minus five years), reviewing docs in PIMS+ (projects documents, mid-term evaluations, terminal evaluations, progress reports, developed policies, knowledge products, etc.) 2. Text mining: collect terms that seem to represent concepts that are high value to the organization extracting pertinent terms and meaningful information and tagging them 3. Decide on how much information to enter and how to set up the database that will contain all the information 4. Review existing taxonomies including the new PIMS+ taxonomy and the MDB taxonomy to define climate change activities, that are relevant for categorizing policies in the Nature, Climate and Energy space, consult with team and/or experts, decide on appropriate taxonomy to be used.

B - Populate the taxonomy 1. In-depth review of all the docs in PIMS+ (project documents, mid-term evaluations, terminal evaluations, progress reports, developed policies, knowledge products, etc.) 2. Fill in the database to capture all the policy work, and its scope, within the chosen taxonomy 3. Coordinate closely with digitalization team to run text searches on policy terms that can help to identify where the content is within the portfolio

C- Analyze the policy content of the portfolio, identifying gaps, key opportunities for elevating UNDP’s policy work on the NCE themes in the region, and associated challenges 1. Structure analytical report and develop annotated outline, consult with the team and agree on the outline 2. Draft the report

D- Present findings, collect feedback from the teams and integrate into report 1. Present findings in a team meeting/webinar 2. Solicit feedback from the team and integrate into findings 3. Draft final report

• Innovation • Leadership • People Management • Communication • Delivery

climate policy and economic instruments in areas related to energy and climate change mitigation; climate change adaptation; biodiversity and ecosystems; integrated water resource management; and chemicals and waste. • A solid understand of climate finance projects funded by public international climate finance (GEF, GCF, AF, etc.), the key milestones within their project cycles • Experience with major existing climate change taxonomies, including those applied by multilateral development banks, and content tagging desirable. • Excellent analytical skills in drafting and compiling professional reports • Fluency in English is required

UNV Entitlements in a Nutshell:

International Specialist UN Volunteers: • receive approx. USD 2099 USD for Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA) for Istanbul Duty Station. Family allowance is also provided based on dependency status (USD 250 for 1 dependant, USD 450 for 2 or more dependants, monthly) • additional expertise differential might be applicable if the selected candidate demonstrate specific expertise and experience in the mentioned fields. • are entitled for 100% health coverage by CIGNA. • accrue an entitlement to annual leave at the rate of 2.5 working days per completed month of volunteer assignment. • receive entry allowance (4000 USD) at the beginning of the assignment and exit lumpsum (225 USD per month) at the end of their assignment. • relocation costs are covered when applicable, but specific to this 3-month assignment, telecommuting option is available, relocation to Istanbul might not be required.