Programme Officer (Climate Change) NOB, FT - Open to the nationals of Armenia only
Contract
This is a NO-2 contract. This kind of contract is known as National Professional Officers. It is normally only for nationals. It's a staff contract. More about NO-2 contracts.
For every child, a champion
UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.
Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.
And we never give up.
How can you make a difference?
UNICEF is looking for a motivated professional with professional experience in the area of climate change and natural resources management, vulnerability mapping, governance, community-based development programmes, or closely related fields.
Under the direct supervision of the Deputy Representative, the purpose of this position is to lead and strengthen disaster risk awareness amongst vulnerable communities and strengthen their resilience, and children, and to lead the development of the climate change and environment programme and engagement. The focus will be on addressing climate and environment related risks to children and supporting evidence-based policy development and advocacy to mitigate those risks. This will include the provision of support in the development of partnerships, evidence generation, planning and implementation of advocacy campaigns and the development policy guidance to address climate and environmental risks to children. Involving children and adolescents, including those with disabilities as climate change actors and advocates will be an important component of this work. UNICEF supported actions are to align to and inform SDG implementation in country, Armenia’s participation to COP objectives, as well as the UNICEF Strategic Plan and Core Corporate Commitments for Children in Humanitarian Action.
The post holder will also function as Emergency focal point supporting the Representative and senior management in developing contingency plans, and coordinating humanitarian response as required.
Each component of UNICEF’s work presents opportunities to act on climate, energy and/or the environmental issues in order to deliver more sustainable results, inherent is to apply both equity and gender equality lenses. Promoting cross-sectorial programming is therefore essential.
Major Duties and Responsibilities
1. Strategic programme/project planning, coordination and implementation:
- Contribute to the further development, design and management of the climate and environment programme and related projects and activities including youth engagement and shock resistant social protection policies;
- Lead strategic planning, coordination and implementation of UNICEF supported DRR and climate change adaptation interventions;
- Identify and support evidence generation activities and research to enhance understanding on how climate change and environmental degradation are affecting children in Armenia and inform advocacy and child friendly policy and legislation to mitigate climate, and environmental risks on children’s welfare and development;
- Liaise with other teams in the office including Programmes and Operations as well as coordinate with UNICEF Implementing Partners, and multilateral and bilateral donors and civil society to support successful implementation of climate change adaptation and mitigation and disaster risk reduction projects;
- Contribute to identifying new strategic programming opportunities and partnerships in the area of low emission climate resilient development (LECRD);
- Participate in cross-substantive area technical dialogue, common strategic visioning, mainstreaming, programming and other collaboration within the regional team;
- Contribute to identifying strategic policy development and advocacy support and guidance;
- Support the development of strategic UNICEF policy position papers and internal briefing notes on climate change, environmental issues and involvement of children and adolescents as agents of climate change;
Promote active child and adolescent participation in climate change issues at local, regional and national levels.
2. Effective Management/Delivery of Climate Change, Environment and DRR Portfolio:
Support the achievement of timely and effective management of project delivery focusing on achievement of programme results through:
- Mapping of existing stakeholder and potential partners and interventions relevant to UNICEF’s mandate and mission in relation to climate change, environmental protection and DRR;
- Monitor current year and cumulative expenditure status and oversee achievement of key financial milestones such as budget revisions, financial closure and the like;
- Coordinate with Implementing Partners to ensure timely and quality submission of work plans, financial and substantive reports on annual and quarterly basis;
- Facilitate information gathering and preparation of annual project implementation reviews and external evaluations;
- Oversee the identification of any exceptions or irregularities and act to rectify these immediately;
- Identify any recurrent problems or trends and identify and suggest remedies and solutions such as training, guidelines, etc;
- Provide management with advice relating to strategic direction of project implementation;
- Provide day to day oversight of climate change, environmental issues and DRR and resilience programme portfolio;
- Promote gender equality/empowerment in adaptation and cross-sector programming coordination;
- Participate in country level and as required regional retreats, focal area meetings, regional strategic planning, pipeline management exercises, etc;
- Participate in field monitoring missions as required and document lessons learned.
3. Programming and Resource Mobilization:
- Assist in the identification of potential donors and projects for resource mobilization to support youth engagement, risk mitigation and climate adaptation;
- Assist government or national institutional partners with the provision of timely quality information and technical advice on policies and activities to enable the preparation of projects;
- Support the design, preparation, submission and approval of concept ideas/project proposals on behalf of the Government through UNICEF to vertical and bilateral donors as relevant;
- Liaise with potential agencies and institutions that UNICEF should partner with in the context of delivering integrated results at the country level on Climate Change, environmental issues and DRR;
- Advocate and support the government on public financing for children in respective areas.
4. Strategic advice on programming on Climate Change:
- Support the government in their preparations for and substantive engagement with the climate change negotiations across the key negotiation themes including climate finance;
- Support the improved capacity of governments and other stakeholders to integrate climate change concerns into development planning and policy processes at the national, sub-national and/or sectoral levels and implement these policies;
- Enhance climate change mainstreaming in UNICEF portfolio & programming.
5. Partnership, Coordination and Collaboration
- Build and sustain partnership and collaboration with internal and external counterparts, (including youth groups and private sector) including those of the UN and national partners, in order to improve the ability to collect and disseminate development data and information, exchange information on programme/project status and implementation and movement/distribution of supplies;
- Linkage to the Regional Programme Knowledge Network to ensure the availability of current and accurate programme data;
- Maintain collaboration with Regional Advisers and HQ Officers for effective overall coordination on programmes.
6. Learning, Knowledge Management and Self Development:
- Stay abreast of development trends and data in Armenia and outside relevant to the climate and environment programme development, and results;
- Evaluate, capture, codify, synthesize lessons and stimulate the uptake of best practices and knowledge emerging from the climate change, environmental and DRR portfolio;
- Apply cutting edge thinking, methodologies and lessons learnt from across the world to programmes and projects and share country office experiences with other countries;
- Respond to queries on programme/project progress, impacts and lessons.
7. Direct implementation support for the climate change project Adolescents as Agents of Climate Change in their communities (2019-2022):
- Provide overall operational and technical support for the delivery of climate change working in close collaboration with the Social Policy Section, Regional Office and development partners;
- Ensure adolescent participation in line with 21st Century Skills building and activation at local, regional and national levels
- Support the identification of up-scaling opportunities and strategies based on the results and recommendations of relevant evidence, including evaluations;
- Supervise the NO01 Programme Officer and the GS5 Programme Assistant and guide them in the project implementation.
8. Function as Emergency Focal Point:
- Ensure that the Country Office is up to date with its preparedness and response plans on UNICEF’s Emergency Preparedness Platform;
- Ensure UNICEF’s emergency/humanitarian preparedness and response planning is in line with UNICEF’s Core Commitments to Children and with the UNCT emergency/humanitarian response planning;
- Act as technical focal point within UNCT humanitarian coordination mechanisms;
- Seek advice from Regional and Headquarter offices at technical level;
- Coordinate internally and support the different sectoral coordination/cluster groups led by UNICEF;
- Advise senior management on actions that need to be taken. -
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
Education:
Advanced university degree in Social Sciences, International Relations, Government, Public Administration, Public Policy, Social Policy, Social Development, Community Development, or other relevant disciplines. Preferable with environmental or climate change specific studies.
Experience:
- A minimum two years of relevant professional work experience in the area of climate change and natural resources management, vulnerability mapping, governance, community-based development programmes, or closely related fields;
- Knowledge and familiarity with Child Rights and child and adolescent participation is an asset;
- Familiarity with equity and equality principles;
- National or field work experience;
- Background/familiarity with emergency planning and programming.
Languages:
Fluency in Armenian and English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language, such as Russian, is an asset.
For every Child, you demonstrate...
UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA) and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.
The core competencies required for this post are:
- Nurtures, Leads and Manages People (1)
- Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (2)
- Works Collaboratively with others (2)
- Builds and Maintains Partnerships (2)
- Innovates and Embraces Change (2)
- Thinks and Acts Strategically (2)
- Drive to achieve impactful results (2)
- Manages ambiguity and complexity (2)
The functional competencies required for this post are:
- Analyzing (2)
- Applying technical expertise (2)
- Learning and researching (2)
- Planning and organizing (2)
View our competency framework at
http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf
UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.
UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.
Remarks:
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.