Programme Officer (Integrated Land Use Planning)

Contract

This is a P-3 contract. This kind of contract is known as Professional and Director staff. It is normally internationally recruited only. It's a staff contract. It usually requires 5 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 105,404 USD and 138,019 USD.

Please keep in mind that the salary displayed here is an estimation by UN Talent based on the location and the type of contract. It may vary depending on the organization. The recruiter should be able to inform you about the exact salary range. In case the job description contains another salary information, please refer to this one.

Org. Setting and Reporting Desertification, along with climate change and the loss of biodiversity were identified as the greatest challenges to sustainable development during the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. Established in 1994, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), one of the three “Rio conventions” is the sole legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management.

In September 2015, the Sustainable Development Goals were adopted. Goal 15 “Life on Land” has the target to achieve a land degradation-neutral world by 2030 (target 15.3). In October 2015, the 12th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) of the UNCCD endorsed the concept of Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) as a guiding principle for the implementation of the Convention and requested the Global Mechanism to assist countries in establishing targets to achieve SDG target 15.3 through an “LDN target setting Support Programme”. At its 13th session, the COP asked the GM to support countries in mobilizing resources to carry-out investments to meet their LDN targets and other activities to meet the Land SDG.

The Global Mechanism (GM) is an organ of the UNCCD that is mandated to support country Parties to the Convention in the mobilization of resources for its implementation. With the view to increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of existing financial mechanisms, the GM is requested to promote “actions leading to the mobilization and channeling of substantial financial resources, including for the transfer of technology, on a grant, and/or on concessional or other terms, to affected developing country Parties” (Article 21, para. 4, UNCCD).

The Global Mechanism is currently spearheading several initiatives to implement its resources mobilization mandate and respond to Parties’ need for innovative approaches to attain the Convention’s aims. These initiatives include:

(i) The Land Degradation Neutrality Target Setting Programme (TSP) to support countries in the setting and strengthening of voluntary, policy coherent, quantitative, time bound and geographically explicit LDN targets and associated measures to achieve SDG target 15.3 by 2030.

(ii) The partnership for project preparation which supports countries in the development of gender-responsive Transformative Projects and Programmes (TPPs) through the provision of financial and technical support to prepare project concept notes and project proposals jointly with partners.

The Global Environment Facility recently approved an enabling activity proposal titled ‘Integrating Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) into land use planning frameworks to strengthen national UNCCD enabling environments’. The project is implemented by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and executed by the Global Mechanism. The project objective is to strengthen LDN governance and land use planning in a gender responsive manner. The project will assist countries in mainstreaming LDN into integrated land use planning1 frameworks at (sub)national level as an effective way to strengthen national UNCCD enabling environments for LDN implementation, in line with recent scientific and technical guidance provided by the Science-Policy Interface (SPI) of the UNCCD, and in coordination with relevant ongoing complementary work of UNCCD partners in this area.

1 The term “Integrated Land Use Planning (ILUP)”, as per the definition adopted by the Science-Policy Interface of the UNCCD, refers to assessing and allocating land-based resources across a landscape, accounting for differing uses and demands from different users. It requires coordination of planning and management across sectors concerned with land resources and their use, within a spatial administrative or geographic unit (e.g., catchment, region, and/or country). Its purpose is to identify the combination of land uses that can meet stakeholders’ needs while safeguarding resources for the future. By examining all land uses in an integrated manner, land-use planning identifies the most efficient trade-offs between land-use options and links social and economic development with environmental protection and enhancement, thus helping to achieve sustainable land management. Integrated land use planning is an umbrella term that includes more specific approaches such as — but not limited to— territorial planning and spatial planning.

Responsibilities Under the direct supervision of the LDN and Land Restoration Programme Coordinator and overall supervision of the Managing Director, and in close collaboration with the TSP and TPP team leads, the Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Unit of the UNCCD secretariat, and project counterparts from IUCN and Conservation International (CI), the incumbent will be responsible for leading the implementation of the GEF 7 Enabling Activity Project on “Integrating Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) into land use planning frameworks to strengthen national UNCCD enabling environments”.

Specifically, the incumbent will be responsible for the following duties:

1. Participates the day-to-day implementation, monitoring and reporting of the GEF 7 Enabling Activity Project mentioned above; 2. Coordinates activities related to work planning, project delivery and budget management in accordance with the project agreement and UN rules and procedures; 3. Prepares progress reports and ensures project financial reports are prepared timeously in close collaboration with UNCCD Administrative Services; 4. Organizes and prepares reports of project steering committee meetings and ensures project reviews and evaluations are implemented; 5. Identifies problems and issues to be addressed, proposes corrective actions and tracks follow-up; 6. Provides substantive support to country Parties and relevant partners at country level to facilitate timely and effective delivery of project activities for the effective mainstreaming of LDN into integrated land use planning frameworks, including relevant training, capacity building and stakeholder consultation events, and promotes national ownership of country processes involving key national and local partners; 7. Provides advisory services to country Parties on: a. Relevant data, tools, methodologies and applications for integrating Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) into land use planning frameworks; b. Effective identification and documentation of operational synergies between LDN implementation (typically within the context of UNCCD NAPs) relative to NBSAPs, NDCs, NAPs, both at policy and implementation level; c. Facilitating gender transformative LDN investments, LDN leverage and capacity building of country Parties, including 3 Rio Conventions alignment, gender mainstreaming, tapping into innovative financing and public-private partnerships, private sector mobilization, etc.; 8. Prepares various written outputs such as technical guidelines, background papers, reports, studies, briefing/guidance notes, national assessments, gap analysis reports, project communication products, and provides inputs to publications and official UNCCD documents; 9. Prepares training and capacity building materials, organizes capacity building and other project events and produces event reports and evaluation results; 10. Cooperates closely with UNCCD Secretariat by: a. Ensuring that related scientific, technical and policy work of the Science, Policy Interface (SPI) and the Secretariat of the UNCCD is applied through Global Mechanism’s work at country level; b. Supporting the Managing Director of the Global Mechanism to ensure relevant evidence from individual country work is fed back to the work of the Global Mechanism in other countries, the scientific work of the SPI, and the communication and policy work of the UNCCD Secretariat. 11. Ensures integration of the project activities as part of the roll out of the second phase of the LDN TSP and supports resource mobilization; 12. Reviews relevant documents and reports, liaises with parties and establishes relevant partnerships to deliver the project effectively; 13. Performs any other job-related activity required to achieve the goals and objectives of the Global Mechanism and the UNCCD secretariat.

Competencies Professionalism: Knowledge and understanding of integrated land use planning concepts and approaches, national/regional issues on land degradation and the implementation of relevant public and private initiatives; Ability to identify issues, analyze and participate in the resolution of issues/problems. Conceptual, analytical and political skills. Ability to apply judgment in the context of assignments given, plan own work and manage conflicting priorities. Shows pride in work and in 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.

Teamwork: Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; solicits input by genuinely valuing others’ ideas and expertise; is willing to learn from others; places team agenda before personal agenda; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position; shares credit for team accomplishments and accepts joint responsibility for team shortcomings.

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.

Education Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in integrated land use planning, engineering, geography, natural resources management, or related fields is required. A first-level university degree in combination with two additional years of qualifying experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree

Work Experience A minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible experience in project development and management, resource mobilization, partnership building, and innovative finance in the field of integrated land use planning is required.

Experience working with governments and expert institutions on national, regional and global environmental and sustainable development issues, including land use planning, is desirable.

Demonstrated experience working with Geographic Information Systems (i.e., ArcGIS, Q-GIS) and relevant Land Degradation Neutrality indicator data and related platforms/applications (i.e., Trends.Earth, LUP4LDN, Collect Earth, others) is desirable.

Languages For the advertised position, fluency in English (both oral and written) is required. Knowledge of another UN official language is an advantage.

Assessment Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which will be followed by competency-based interview.

Special Notice This is a project post. The initial appointment will be for a period of one year. Any extensions of the appointments are subject to the availability of the funds.

Individual contractors and consultants who have worked within the UNCCD in the last six months, irrespective of the administering entity, are ineligible to apply for professional and higher temporary or fixed-term positions and their applications will not be considered.

United Nations Considerations According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment.

Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment.

The paramount consideration in the appointment, transfer, or promotion of staff shall be the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. By accepting an offer of appointment, United Nations staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General and assignment by him or her to any activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). In this context, all internationally recruited staff members shall be required to move periodically to discharge new functions within or across duty stations under conditions established by the Secretary-General.

Applicants are urged to follow carefully all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira. For more detailed guidance, applicants may refer to the Manual for the Applicant, which can be accessed by clicking on “Manuals” hyper-link on the upper right side of the inspira account-holder homepage.

The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application.

Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.