Project Specialist

Contract

This is a UNV International Specialist contract. This kind of contract is known as International UN Volunteer. It is normally internationally recruited only. More about UNV International Specialist contracts.

The assignment involves working closing with the Government to support the implementation of the project activities. The project activities are organized around 3 outputs to address the short-term needs of the most vulnerable households while building the long-term resilience of the communities by undertaking the following interconnected actions:

Output 1: Resilience to climate change of most drought affected communities and households (including headed by women and youth) is strengthened through provision of urgent food needs and long-term solutions; Output 2: Resilience and sustainability of 50 small-scale commercial farmers in Ngamiland District are enhanced through awareness raising and knowledge on climate smart agricultural practices; Output 3: Climate adaptation community water use practices strengthened to inform sustainable agricultural practices and livelihoods.

Under the direct supervision of Project Manager, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

1. Project Coordination: • Support the coordination of the project work plan development and ensure timely implementation; • Contribute to the project implementation, and monitoring, in collaboration with partners; • Record and maintain documents on relevant project activities, issues and risks; • Provide technical assistance and capacity development to project partners; • Contribute to coordinate relationships with nation-al partners to support implementation of the project, raise potential problems and suggest solutions; • Identify capacity building needs and support partners through technical assistance, mentoring, training, and capacity development initiatives, as needed; • Monitoring and reporting on the project by conducting monitoring missions, and draft report on the project results (outputs, and outcomes); • Provide substantive inputs to the preparation of donor and UNDP reports; • Contribute to the exchange of information and provide inputs to the development of knowledge products internally and externally of the project; • Coordination the organization of major advocacy campaigns, events, trainings, workshops, and knowledge products.

2. Resource Mobilization: • Assist in developing compelling grant proposals, from identifying opportunities to crafting persuasive narratives. • Concept Development: Collaborate with the programme team organizations to refine their project ideas and formulation of concept notes for resource mobilization.

3. General Administration: • Assist the Project Manager to perform other related administrative duties, as required (e.g. operational travel programme, physical space planning, procurement of goods and services and the identification of office technology needs and maintenance of equipment, software, and systems); • Backs-up the Administrative Officer during absences; • Performs other related work as required; •Collects and analyses data to identify trends or patterns and provide insights through graphs, charts, tables and reports using data visualization methods to enable data-driven planning, decision-making, presentation and reporting;

4. Events Management: • Share expertise in planning, organizing, and ideas for events in line with the project activities.

Accountability; Adaptability and Flexibility; Building Trust; Commitment and Motivation; Communication; Empowering Others; Ethics and Values; Integrity; Judgement and Decision-making; Knowledge Sharing; Planning and Organizing; Professionalism; Respect for Diversity; Self-Management; Working in Teams.

Social and Economic recovery, or Climate Smart Agriculture, or Food and Crop Production; • experience with supporting livelihood development, particularly for rural communities; • knowledge of Japanese International Cooperation mechanism as well as experience in resource mobilization will be an added advantage.

Japanese nationals are encouraged to apply. International UN Volunteers will receive the below entitlements: • A monthly Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA) of $2258.19 • A once of $4000 entry lumpsum; • Medical and Annual leave; • Comprehensive insurance; • Access to all the learning platforms; • Dependents allowance; • A once of exit lumpsum of $225 for each month served at the end of successfully completing the assignment.

Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory being the Kalahari Desert. It is bordered by South Africa to the south and southeast, Namibia to the west and north, and Zimbabwe to the northeast. A country of slightly over 2.3 million people, Botswana is one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world. It is essentially the nation state of the Tswana, who make up 79% of the population. About 11.6 per cent of the population lives in the capital and largest city, Gaborone. Formerly one of the world's poorest countries—with a GDP per capita of about US$70 per year in the late 1960s—it has since transformed itself into an upper-middle-income country, with one of the world's fastest-growing economies. The economy is dominated by mining and tourism. The country summer is predominately over the periods of September to April. Botswana is extremely vulnerable to climate change as its rural economy is agriculture dependent. With mounting concerns about the impact of climate change on the agriculture sector, the Government of Botswana is paying the highest attention to this intensifying crisis, which is taking the country into uncharted territory, with increasing weather volatility and a pattern of precipitation that is increasingly unpredictable. The effects of these changes in climate conditions, resulting in a drastic drop in rainfall, reduced groundwater levels and lower production are devastating and unpredictable. Concerns are especially elevated due to the contribution the long-term trend of El Nino phenomenon. Recent experiences show that current climate forecasting and early warning systems have to be improved, and structural and institutional solutions identified, to comprehensively address the impacts of climate change on the agriculture sector. By addressing these concerns, the Government of Botswana will help the large proportion of Botswana people who are dependent upon livelihoods connected to rain-fed agriculture and reverse the loss of production from climate-related hazards to improve food security and livelihood opportunities.