International Technical Specialist – GCF2 project (Water security and Climate Resilient Smallholders Agriculture)

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 at least three (3) the most recent professional references of previous supervisors. References may also include peers.

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

Managers may ask (ad hoc) for any other materials relevant to pre-assessing the relevance of their experience, such as reports, presentations, publications, campaigns or other materials.

Travel:

UNDP will cover the cost of travel of the individual to the duty station, 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 duty station and excludes working from home arrangements.

Office/Unit/Project Description:

Viet Nam is particularly vulnerable to climate change and already impacted by more irregular and intense climate variability and change. Two of the regions most vulnerable to droughts-exacerbated by climate change affecting smallholder farmers are the Central Highlands and South-Central Coast. Changes in precipitation are leading to increasing deficits in surface and ground water availability for agricultural production with longer periods of severe water scarcity during the dry season and increased frequency and intensity of droughts. Overall agricultural productivity is falling, with corresponding declines in yields and incomes particularly harmful to small-scale farmers vulnerable to reduced water availability on rain fed lands and within this group, poor and near-poor, ethnic minority and women farmers.

UNDP is collaborating with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI, as the GCF National Designated Authority), and the five participating provinces of Dak Lak, Dak, Nong, Binh Thuan, Ninh Thuan, and Khanh Hoa to implement the GCF-financed project “Strengthening the resilience of smallholder agriculture to climate change-induced water insecurity in the Central Highlands and South-Central Coast regions of Vietnam” (herein after referred to as “the GFC2 Project”).

The objective of this project is to empower vulnerable smallholders in five provinces of the Central Highlands and South-Central Coast regions of Vietnam – particularly women and ethnic minority farmers – to manage increasing climate risks to agricultural production. To achieve its objective, the project will enable smallholder farmers to adapt to climate-driven rainfall variability and drought through implementation of two linked Outputs integrating GCF and co-financing resources from the Asian Development Bank and the Government of Vietnam:

(1) improved access to water for vulnerable smallholder farmers for climate-resilient agricultural production in the face of climate-induced rainfall variability and droughts, and

(2) strengthened capacities of smallholder farmers to apply climate and market information, technologies, and practices for climate-resilient water and agricultural management.

The project was developed as part of an integrated programme funded through multiple sources, as envisaged by the Government of Vietnam (GoV), that was aimed at enhancing water security and building the climate change resilience of the agriculture sector focusing on Vietnam’s Central Highland and South-Central Coastal Regions. In alignment with this programme, the project will enable the GoV to adopt a paradigm shift in the way smallholder agricultural development is envisioned and supported through an integrated approach to agricultural resilience starting with planning for climate risks based on identification and analysis of agroecosystem vulnerabilities; enhancing water security and guaranteeing access; scaling up adoption and application of climate-resilient agricultural practices and cropping systems; and creating partnerships among value chain stakeholders to ensure access to market and credit. This approach directly addresses climate risks while also establishing or strengthening institutional capacities for long-term multi-stakeholder support to vulnerable smallholders.

Under the overall direction of the Assistant Resident Representative (ARR)/ Head of the Climate Change and Environment Unit, and coordinating with the GCF2 Programme Management Specialist, the International Technical Specialist (ITS) takes accountability for overall quality technical design, planning, monitoring and evaluation/impact assessment, quality assurance, delivery of the GCF2 Project and coordination with ADB Water Efficiency Improvement In Drought-Affected Provinces Project (WEIDAP). The ITS is a key senior advisor to the project teams at UNDP and partners – the Central Project Office for Water Resources (CPO) under MARD, and the five target provinces.

Institutional Arrangement:

The ITS will implement his/her functions under the guidance of the Assistant Resident Representative/Head of Climate Change and Environment (CCE), with certain decree of accountability to the project governing body (CPO). The ITS will work closely and agree with UNDP Programme Management Specialist and the National Project Director (NPD) on specific tasks. The ITS works in close collaboration with Regional Technical Advisor at Bangkok Regional Hub (BRH) and the programme staff at the UNDP Country Office) as well as national counterparts and key experts for ensuring the highest possible quality of project outputs and knowledge sharing. He/she ensures the alignment of the project outputs with intended outcomes, benefits, and impacts of UNDP’s CCE Programme and Country Programme Document (CPD) in Viet Nam.

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of Work

1) Effective initiation and preparation for quality planning, management, implementation, M&E and reporting of the Project

• Ensure integration of all requirements by GCF and UNDP (agreement between UNDP and GCF, POPP, etc) into the project inception documents and into Project Implementation Manual (PIM).
• In close coordination with PMS, lead and support the development and roll out of the project’s impact evaluation (phase one), which includes the overall impact evaluation design, baseline survey, and required M&E system assessment and baseline assessment.
• Lead, in close cooperation with M&E Specialist, in setting up a project implementation monitoring system from central to local level within a unified framework alligned with the Project Monitoring Framework, including preparation, update, and revise indicators, baselines, targets, and means of verifications for project outcomes, outputs, and activities.
• Guide the M&E Specialist in design and put in place tools and mechanisms for regular and ad-hoc project progress reviews/meetings, evaluations, and ensure proper implementation and follow-up of recommendations/actions from such reviews/evaluations;
• Lead and provide guidance to the project team in regular monitoring, and timely quality evaluation, and producing highest quality reports as required by UNDP and GCF; and in enhancement and implementation of the Project Implementation Manual (PIM).
• Provide guidance and support to the Gender and Safeguards specialists, M&E specialist and provinces to implement social and environmental safeguards frameworks/plans, including stakeholder engagement plans, gender action plans, indigenous/ethnic minority planning frameworks.
• Lead the preparation of progress project reports, including proposals of revision, to donor and stakeholders, as required, focusing on capturing results and lessons, and undertake necessary reviews to ensure quality of all the Project reports. Work with the Project team to document lessons learnt, best practices, and human-interest stories, as well as risks and challenges in implementation.
• Active participation and contribution to the Project coordination meetings and discussions with implementing partners, responsible partners and the donors on UNDP’s regular reports on outputs and outcomes as well as outcome evaluations.

2) Technical advices on water security and climate resilient agriculture, and knowledge management

• Lead identification and introduction of technical needs, appropriate approach and methodology to enhance project working packages design and activities, ensuring synergies and coherence among 2 Outputs, and between the GCF2 and WEIDAP project. Provide overall technical and ground support to CPO and provinces in the sharpening and implementation of the projects with due attention to gender, ethnic minorities and community engagement. Specifically, technically coordinating for the interventions relating in the following aspects:
  • Enhanced irrigation via last-mile connections (between WEIDAP irrigation infrastructure and the farmer lands), rain fed facilitites in relations to climate resilient crop production to help farmers to cope with rainfall variability and drought.
  • Enhanced synergies and linkages between construction and non-construction activities, and among stakeholders, for effective and well-coordinated intervention on capacity building for farmers and agriculture sector, on-farm water efficiency and climate resilience practices, farmer field schools, climate information; value chain and market development, stakeholders and private sector engagement.
  • Climate resilient crop production (climate smart farming techniques, soil, watering and cultivation, adaptation initiatives, crop packages)
  • Promotion of innovation initiatives, including setting voucher/credit modality to provide subsidy for poor farmers to apply climte resilience practices; Climate Innovation platform, climate information, market and business platform/ localized agro-climate advisories services.
• Provide technical inputs and advice to the project team and government counterparts, to ensure quality and timely preparation and submission of annual and quarterly project work-plans, activities implementation plans etc. that meet the project goals, targets, technical establishment and stakeholders engagements.
• Initiate and prepare and review job descriptions, terms of references, and bidding requirements/requests for proposal, and quality criteria for outputs/products of the project.
• Design and put in place quality control criteria and peer review mechanisms. Provide guidance to the project team and project partners to ensure that project activities and deliverables are technically robust and produced in a timely manner.
• Build partnerships with research institutions, formulate research proposals/policy analysis and plans
• Ensure documentation and publication of project lesson learnt, best practices, research results/products, and proceedings of policy dialogues, for wide dissemination of these outputs.
• Identify and connect UNDP global knowledge and experience for application and replication in the planning, management, and implementation of the Viet Nam project

3) GCF2-evidence based advocacy and strategic policy advice to the government and UNDP

• Identify strategic areas for policy analysis, research and advocacy; Based on policy analysis and research results in Viet Nam, experiences and lessons from GCF2 projecy and practices elsewhere, prepare policy summary papers, focusing on policy recommendations, advocacy messages, and media information.
• Provide quality advice and substantive inputs to the formulation of policies for climate-resilient agricultural and water management and climate change adaption; Proactively engage in policy discussions relating to (nation-wide) legislations, policies and guidelines.
• Provide substantive inputs to the important events, partnership and joint-advocacy on climate-resilient water and agricultural management, and for the active roles on the poor and ethnic minority women and men, and other vulnerable groups in climate change adaptation work; Serve as an advocate for UNDP’s policy sustainable development and human development concepts in the areas of climate change adaptation, resilience, climate smart agriculture and water security.
• Identify concrete contributions of the “GCF2” project results towards the achievement of the NDC and NAP, and provide necessary adjustments, if needed, in these policy frameworks based on learnings from the project.

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 or PhD degree in climate change, agriculture, environment, or related fields.

Min. years of relevant Work experience

• At least seven (7) years working experience in climate-resilient agricultural and water management, climate change adaptation and resilience; monitoring and evaluation and management of development projects.

Required skills

• Proven knowledge and experiences in Impact assessment, project management, M&E. Experience in setting up and implementation of social and environmental safeguards frameworks/plans, including stakeholder engagement plans, gender action plans, indigenous/ethnic minority planning frameworks;
• Sound knowledge of international best practices, national policies, climate change adaptation, climate-resilient agricultural and water management, and resilience;
• Solid experience in conducting policy analysis and providing policy advice to the government agencies to enhance national and sectoral policies in relevant topics preferably with experience in the Asia region;
• Excellent conceptualization and analytical skills.
• Previous experience with UNDP project implementation and Programme Operations Policies and Procedures (POPP).
• Proven experience in resource mobilisation and partnership building;
• Good advocacy and communications skills and demonstrated report writing skills;
• Good interpersonal skills and teamwork to work in a multi-cultural environment;
• Strong organizational skills.

Desired additional skills

• Previous working experience with GCF-financed projects and understanding of GCF regulations will be preferred;
• Experience working in multi-cultural teams;
• Prior experience with UNDP or another UN or international organizations will be an asset;
• Previous related work experience in Viet Nam and understanding of agriculture, climate change adaptation and resilience issues in Viet Nam.

Required Language(s) (at working level)

• Fluency in written and spoken English.