Partnerships Development Specialist (NDC Partnership Country Engagement Specialist – Asia Pacific Region)

Contract

This is a IICA-2 contract. This kind of contract is known as International Individual Contractor Agreements. It is normally internationally recruited only. It's an external contract. It usually requires 5 years of experience, depending on education. More about IICA-2 contracts.

Background Information - Job-specific

WEC Background:

UNOPS Water, Environment and Climate (WEC) supports the design and management of multi-stakeholder initiatives by providing services in financial and grant management, procurement, human resources, and project management. The cluster has supported projects in the areas of water resource management, climate change adaptation, mitigation and transparency, energy access and distribution, and environmental conservation under the Paris Agreement. The WEC has also supported operations and financial management services, in Vienna, the rest of the ECR region, and beyond. The main partners include UN agencies, bilateral agreements (with the Nordics, Germany, and Italy), the Green Climate Fund, and several NGOs (such as CIFF and CWF).

The NDC Partnership:

The NDC Partnership is a global coalition of countries and institutions collaborating to drive transformational climate action through sustainable development. In 2015, the world endorsed the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Nations signal their commitments to the Paris Agreement through Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) - each country’s strategy to cut its own greenhouse gas emissions and build resilience against the negative effects of a changing climate. The Partnership advances the goals of the Paris Agreement by bringing together nearly 200 countries and institutions in new ways to accelerate NDC implementation and enhance ambition over time. The Partnership’s work through 120 partners supporting almost 80 countries produces many examples of impact, lessons learned and ideas for the future. The Partnership is governed by a Steering Committee, co-chaired by two country representatives. The Partnership’s work is facilitated by a Support Unit based at World Resources Institute in Washington DC and the UNFCCC Secretariat in Bonn, Germany. UNOPS supports the NDC Partnership and its Support Unit through the Water, Environment and Climate (WEC).

Under the overall guidance of the UNOPS’ Country Engagement Coordinator, and in coordination with the UNOPS Senior Programme Manager and the Head of Programme for WEC, the incumbent will support the Country Engagement Team within the NDC Partnership in countries in the Asia Pacific and East Europe region. As part of the Partnership’s Country Engagement process, you will engage directly with Government counterparts and other stakeholders to assess climate-related needs and identify opportunities for collaboration around these needs across sectors, regions, and international partners. You will provide targeted and coordinated technical assistance, along with members of the Partnership to support countries. For example, policy and strategy formulation for NDC mainstreaming, development of NDC implementation plans and associated resource mobilization efforts, NDC revision and enhancement, /or green economic recovery.

Functional Responsibilities

1. Research, Analysis & Engagement: Under the direction of the Country Engagement Coordinator, the Partnerships Development Specialist will be tasked with: - Developing country engagement plans (e.g., Partnership Plans/NDC Implementation Plans), including target setting, action planning, and performance tracking, and preparation of guidance documents and training materials. - Facilitating exchanges with NDC Partnership focal points, other government officials, and implementing partners. - Planning and development the content for technical and high-level workshops, following applicable internal guidance. - Leading engagement, outreach and dissemination efforts around NDC Partnership Thematic Calls by coordinating work across work streams, proposing dissemination methods, designing outreach plans and strategies. - Coordinating formal communication between country counterparts as well as institutional and associate members of the Partnership. - Ensure information on assignment and contact details of focal points (FP) and day-to-day persons are up-to-date, and that new contact points receive proper on-boarding to the NDC Partnership, its core service offerings and processes. - Liaising with Knowledge and Learning counterparts, partners and other organization, as appropriate, to provide guidance and inputs for the development of in-depth analyses to support scoping, engagement planning, results reporting and Partnership Plan narratives. - Supporting/leading efforts to strategically link NDC Partnership knowledge products with in-country engagement efforts. - Supporting/leading exchanges and resource mobilization between the Support Unit, countries, and institutional and development partner members. - Supporting the overall request for support processes by providing guidance to focal points in identifying support priorities, filling up and preparing request for support forms, and supporting the development, preparation and packaging of concept notes, terms of references and budget plans that will be included in the RSL and/or PAF calls for proposals (CFP) circulation. - Conducting Quality Assurance and Quality Control of requests for support (including Partnership Plans) produced by governments / facilitators prior to circulation to the membership. This activity may entail reviewing requests for support for countries outside the specialist’s own portfolio. - Upon request of the supervisor, provide advisory and guidance to new in-country facilitators and Country Engagement team members on the day-to-day implementation of the Partnership’s Country Engagement Strategy. - Representing the country engagement team in external meetings and events. - Providing innovative ideas, strategies, and inputs to the management of the SU. - Contributing to or leading other relevant NDC Partnership initiative or programme, beyond her/his country portfolio, if required.

2. Reporting/ad hoc: Under the direction of the Country Engagement Coordinator, and as relevant to the work in the countries under her/his portfolio, the Partnerships Development Specialist will be tasked with:

• Preparing information resource materials for implementing partners of the NDC Partnership on country engagement progress and results, as requested.
• Ensuring SU tools are up to date in relation with the context of countries under her/his portfolio, including inputs and updates to Monday boards, and archiving and updating of Dropbox and SharePoint folders.

3. Communications & Administrative: Under the direction of the Country Engagement Coordinator, the Partnerships Development Specialist will be tasked with: - Organizing or contributing to internal and external meetings, workshops, conferences, and other dissemination activities (COPs, Peer-to-Peer exchanges, regional meetings). - Supporting the development and/or maintenance of content related to country engagement on NDC Partnership and affiliated websites. - Developing and co-authoring blog posts, presentations deck, talking points, infographics, brochures, and other online and offline communications materials. - Liaising with external partners to gather relevant information. - Evaluating proposals submitted under PAF CFP and job applications for in-country facilitators - Supervising in-country consultants, and interns as requested. - Reviewing and advising on consultant deliverables and coordinating approval with the government, in line with the Partnership Action Fund (PAF).

Education/Experience/Language requirements

Education: - Master's degree in international relations, international development, economics, finance, engineering or a related field, - Bachelor degree in related discipline in combination with additional 2 years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree.

Experience:

• At least 5 years of experience (or more depending on academic credentials) in international cooperation and/or project management related matters focused on the target region is required.
• Experience with other bilateral and multilateral donors, consulting, research institutions, think tanks and other civil society actors is an advantage.
• Good knowledge of international climate policy and of national climate policy making
• Demonstrated skills in building effective relationships with government officials from both developed and developing countries and navigating the complexities of working across the whole of government, including in countries with limited institutional capacity.

• Demonstrated experience in dissemination techniques and event coordination and organization.

  Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English is required
• Knowledge of another official UN language (French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, and Chinese Mandarin) is an asset.

Competencies

Develops and implements sustainable business strategies, thinks long term and externally in order to positively shape the organization. Anticipates and perceives the impact and implications of future decisions and activities on other parts of the organization.(for levels IICA-2, IICA-3, LICA Specialist- 10, LICA Specialist-11, NOC, NOD, P3, P4 and above) Treats all individuals with respect; responds sensitively to differences and encourages others to do the same. Upholds organizational and ethical norms. Maintains high standards of trustworthiness. Role model for diversity and inclusion.

Acts as a positive role model contributing to the team spirit. Collaborates and supports the development of others. For people managers only: Acts as positive leadership role model, motivates, directs and inspires others to succeed, utilizing appropriate leadership styles. Demonstrates understanding of the impact of own role on all partners and always puts the end beneficiary first. Builds and maintains strong external relationships and is a competent partner for others (if relevant to the role). Efficiently establishes an appropriate course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a goal. Actions lead to total task accomplishment through concern for quality in all areas. Sees opportunities and takes the initiative to act on them. Understands that responsible use of resources maximizes our impact on our beneficiaries. Open to change and flexible in a fast paced environment. Effectively adapts own approach to suit changing circumstances or requirements. Reflects on experiences and modifies own behavior. Performance is consistent, even under pressure. Always pursues continuous improvements. Evaluates data and courses of action to reach logical, pragmatic decisions. Takes an unbiased, rational approach with calculated risks. Applies innovation and creativity to problem-solving. Expresses ideas or facts in a clear, concise and open manner. Communication indicates a consideration for the feelings and needs of others. Actively listens and proactively shares knowledge. Handles conflict effectively, by overcoming differences of opinion and finding common ground.

Contract type, level and duration

Contract type: International ICA Contract level: IICA-2//ICSC-10 Contract duration: Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance.

For more details about the ICA contractual modality, please follow this link: https://www.unops.org/english/Opportunities/job-opportunities/what-we-offer/Pages/Individual-Contractor-Agreements.aspx

Additional Considerations

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request.
• Work life harmonization - UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options. This policy applies to UNOPS personnel on all contract types
• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few Mandatory Courses (around 4 hours) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS.
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns. Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.