Program Officer – Resilience and Climate Change

Contract

This is a UNV National Specialist contract. This kind of contract is known as National UN Volunteer. It is normally only for nationals. More about UNV National Specialist contracts.

The UNDP Malawi’s Country Programme Document 2019-2023 is closely aligned to the Malawi Vision 2063 and the first 10-Year Implementation Plan of the vision to support Malawi achieve Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. UNDP ‘s programme is designed to address the interlinked issues of poverty, inequality and vulnerability to shocks.

With the majority of its population dependent on rain-fed, smallholder agriculture, Malawi is highly vulnerable to climatic shocks and stresses, which are increasing in intensity, frequency and unpredictability, making climate resilience ever more vital to safeguard Malawi’s development gains and secure a more prosperous future. Characterized by entrenched multi-dimensional poverty, with a large number of extreme poor people without sustained access to economic opportunity, coupled with weak national and sub-national institutions and systems to protect livelihoods, respond to shocks and generate economic growth, Malawi is one of the world’s countries most impacted by a changing climate.

Vulnerability in Malawi is primarily driven by chronic poverty, food and nutrition insecurity, high exposure to hazards and risks, inadequate provision and access to social services, lack of effective shock responsive social protection, disconnected shock preparedness, early warning and risk reduction systems, high exposure to hazards, limited economic opportunities, and weak coping capacity of households to withstand recurrent shocks and stresses, as reflected in its low ranking in the Human Development Index (HDI) and high ranking on climate vulnerability indices. Malawi’s energy consumption pattern shows a continued heavy dependence on primary energy. Cumulatively, access to electricity is just at 18%, with grid electricity contributing 11.4% while off grid solar photovoltaics accounting for the remaining 6.6%. The access rate for electricity in the rural areas is even lower at 3.9%. Insufficient generation capacity, unreliable infrastructure, frequent outages, and severely low rates of ‘last mile’ connectivity impedes the availability and affordability of electricity.

The work in climate change contributes to elevating people’s livelihoods against the impacts of climate change, thereby assisting millions of poor farmers moving out of poverty whilst gaining economic and social status in the communities.

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of Program Analyst - Resilience or his/her designated mandated representative(s), the UNV Program Officer – Climate Change will:

Support management of existing climate change initiative within UNDP and in the Unit.

Contribute to the designing of new interventions, and supporting programme and project activities.

Participate in project management and ensuring timely delivery of interventions.

Participate in substantive, analytical work to monitor and showcase results from RSG’s climate change initiatives.

Contribute to policy dialogue on renewable energy, including regulatory reform; supporting project administration in accordance with UNDP project management procedures

Reviewing unsolicited proposals; preparing reports and knowledge products; and monitoring budgets and payment requests.

Any other related tasks as may be required or assigned by the supervisor.

Furthermore, UN Volunteers are encouraged to integrate the UN Volunteers programme mandate within their assignment and promote voluntary action through engagement with communities in the course of their work. As such, UN Volunteers should dedicate a part of their working time to some of the following suggested activities:

Strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the concept of volunteerism by reading relevant UNV and external publications and take active part in UNV activities (for instance in events that mark International Volunteer Day);

Be acquainted with and build on traditional and/or local forms of volunteerism in the host country;

Provide annual and end of assignment self-reports on UN Volunteer actions, results and opportunities.

Contribute articles/write-ups on field experiences and submit them for UNV publications/websites, newsletters, press releases, etc.;

Assist with the UNV Buddy Programme for newly-arrived UN Volunteers;

Promote or advise local groups in the use of online volunteering or encourage relevant local individuals and organizations to use the UNV Online Volunteering service whenever technically possible.

Professionalism: demonstrated understanding of operations relevant to UNDP; technical capabilities or knowledge relevant or transferrable to UNDP procedures and rules; discretion, political sensitivity, diplomacy and tact to deal with clients; ability to apply good judgement;

Integrity: demonstrate the values and ethical standards of the UN and UNDP in daily activities and behaviors while acting without consideration of personal gains; resist undue political pressure in decision-making; stand by decisions that are in the organization’s interest even if they are unpopular; take prompt action in cases of unprofessional or unethical behavior; does not abuse power or authority;

Teamwork and respect for diversity: ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries; excellent interpersonal skills; ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and harmonious working relations in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, mixed-gender environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity; sensitivity and adaptability to culture, gender, religion, nationality and age; commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of UN operations; ability to achieve common goals and provide guidance or training to colleagues;

Commitment to continuous learning: initiative and willingness to learn new skills and stay abreast of new developments in area of expertise; ability to adapt to changes in work environment.

Planning and organizing: effective organizational and problem-solving skills and ability to manage a large volume of work in an efficient and timely manner; ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor (own) work; ability to work under pressure, with conflicting deadlines, and to handle multiple concurrent projects/activities;

Communication: proven interpersonal skills; good spoken and written communication skills, including ability to prepare clear and concise reports; ability to conduct presentations, articulate options and positions concisely; ability to make and defend recommendations; ability to communicate and empathize with staff (including national staff), military personnel, volunteers, counterparts and local interlocutors coming from very diverse backgrounds; capacity to transfer information and knowledge to a wide range of different target groups;

Flexibility: adaptability and ability to live and work in potentially hazardous and remote conditions, involving physical hardship and little comfort; to operate independently in austere environments for protracted periods; willingness to travel within the area of operations and to transfer to other duty stations within the area of operations as necessary;

Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement, which includes solidarity, compassion, reciprocity and self-reliance; and commitment towards [UNDP]’s mission and vision, as well as to the UN Core Values.

project management, stakeholder engagement , or project formulation, resilience building or other relevant programmes;

Experience with GEF and GCF programming would be an asset, as is experience working in the UN or other international development organization;

Excellent oral and written skills; excellent drafting, formulation, reporting skills;

Excellent interpersonal skills; culturally and socially sensitive; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a range of partners, including grassroots community members, religious and youth organizations, and authorities at different levels; familiarity with tools and approaches of communications for development;

As this is a national UN Volunteer assignment, the UN Volunteer will be responsible for arranging his/her own housing and other living essentials.