Senior Technical Expert on Land Degradation Neutrality

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Application deadline 2 years ago: Thursday 15 Jul 2021 at 23:59 UTC

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Contract

This is a IPSA-12 contract. This kind of contract is known as International Personnel Services Agreement. It is normally internationally recruited only. It usually requires 10 years of experience, depending on education. More about IPSA-12 contracts.

Background

Instructions to Applicants: Click on the "Apply now" button. Input your information in the appropriate Sections: personal information, language proficiency, education, resume and motivation. Upon completion of the first page, please hit "submit application" tab at the end of the page. Please ensure that CV or P11 and the Cover letter are combined in one file.

  1. Personal CV or P11, indicating all past positions held and their main underlying functions, their durations (month/year), the qualifications, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate, and at least three (3) the most recent professional references of previous supervisors. References may also include peers.
  2. A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page) indicating why the candidate considers him-/herself to be suitable for the position.
  3. Three writing samples.

Travel:

  1. UNDP will cover the cost of travel of the individual to the duty station, as well as their return to their home upon completion of their services.
  2. The Specialist will cover the cost of visa and work permit that UNDP will facilitate

Office/Unit/Project Description

UNDP’s 2018-2021 Strategic Plan emphasizes the critical links between environmental sustainability, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and broader efforts to achieve the goals of the 2030 Agenda and Paris Agreement. As part of the Global Policy Network in the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, UNDP’s Nature, Climate Change, and Energy (NCE) Team promotes and scales up integrated whole-of-governance approaches and nature-based solutions that reduce poverty and inequalities, strengthen livelihoods and inclusive growth, mitigate conflict, forced migration and displacement, and promote more resilient governance systems that advance linked peace and security agendas.

The NCE Team works with governments, civil society, and private sector partners to integrate natural capital, environment and climate concerns into national and sector planning and inclusive growth policies; support country obligations under Multilateral Environmental Agreements; and implement the UN’s largest portfolio of in-country programming on environment, climate change, and energy. This multi-billion dollar portfolio encompasses: Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services including forests; Sustainable Land Management and Desertification including food and commodity systems; Water and Ocean Governance including SIDS; Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation; Renewable and Modern Energy; Extractive Industries; Chemicals and Waste Management; Environmental Governance and Green/Circular Economy and SCP approaches. This work advances crosscutting themes on innovative finance, digital transformation, capacity development, human rights, gender equality, health, technology, and South-South learning. UNDP's Nature, Climate and Energy practice spans 137 countries, with a portfolio directly benefiting 86 million people. Our support to Governments focusses on enabling an inclusive, resilient, green recovery by: building competency to accelerate access to sustainable energy and climate and naturepositive policies and finance; scaling capacity to ensure No One is Left Behind; catalyzing SDG and Paris-aligned investments (public and private); delivering client-focused solutions that respond to countries' immediate, mid- and long-term recovery and socio-economic development priorities; and leveraging our on-the-ground presence and networks to unlock bottom-up solutions that deliver lasting impacts at country level.

In addition to UNDP’s bilateral partnerships on nature climate and energy, UNDP is an accredited multilateral implementing agency of the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the Multilateral Fund (MLF), and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) which includes the Global Environment Facility Trust Fund (GEF Trust Fund); the Nagoya Protocol

Implementation Fund (NPIF); the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF); and the Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF). As part of UNDP’s partnership with these vertical funds, UNDP provides countries specialized integrated technical services for eligibility assessment, programme formulation, capacity development, policy advice, technical assistance, training and technology transfer, mobilization of co-financing, implementation oversight, results management and evaluation, performance-based payments and knowledge management services. The Nature, Climate and Energy Team focuses on managing the oversight of climate and environmental financial resources from global trust funds to catalyze and unlock other types of public and private financing for sustainable development. This includes oversight of the design as well as implementation phase of projects (together with Country Offices and Regional Bureas), as well as portfolio level oversight and management.

Land degradation, desertification and drought are significant and growing barriers to sustainable development as the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation impact human health, productivity and resilience for billions of people. The Nairobi-based Global Policy Centre on Resilient Ecosystems and Desertification (GC-RED) focuses on strengthening the linkages between environmental sustainability and human development and resilience, and particularly contributes to improving the sustainable management of natural capital (biodiversity, land and ecosystem services) in support of expanded employment and livelihoods opportunities. It also contributes to UNDP’s resilience agenda based on the long track record of the Centre in drylands/drought resilience. The main service lines offered by GC-RED are:

  1. Sustainable management of land, biodiversity and ecosystem services for optimal livelihoods and jobs creation, with a focus on the poorest communities. GC-R’D’s work in this area complements and builds on the global project portfolio supported by UNDP through vertical funds.
  2. Building resilience of communities in drylands and other fragile ecosystems to shocks and stresses from climate-related weather events, particularly drought.
  3. Mainstreaming land, biodiversity and climate objectives for poverty eradication into development planning and budgeting systems and into public and private finance and investment.

The Centre’s work is guided by UNDP’s strategic vision and approach, as outlined in its current Strategic Plan (20182021), specifically under “Signature Solution 4 – Promote nature-based solutions for a sustainable planet” which responds to challenges presented by environmental degradation. It supports UNDP’s nexus approach on the themes of climate change, inequality and migration as entry points for supporting countries to address their pressing development challenges.

Project Description

The Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Network (BES-Net) is a capacity sharing “network of networks” initiative managed jointly by UNDP, UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre and UNESCO with the financial support of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety. It promotes dialogue between science, policy and practice sectors for more effective management of biodiversity and ecosystems, contributing to long-term human well-being and sustainable development.

BES-Net complements and contributes to the capacity building work of the Intergovernmental Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) by aligning its activities with the IPBES global assessment themes and applying the related IPBES guidance documents. In implementing its mandate, BES-Net follows an inclusive approach, collaborates with Multilateral Environmental Agreements, and draws on the support of other partner organizations.

Among the series of landmark assessment reports released by IPBES to date, the Assessment Report on Land Degradation and Restoration (LDR) provides the key evidence base and insights for the ongoing global efforts towards land degradation neutrality (LDN) in line with the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 15.3. With the BES-Net’s Regional Trialogue support, awareness of the importance of land based resources, status, trends underlying causes of land degradation was raised and collaborative networks were created to combat land degradation among policymakers, scientists and practitioners in the pilot countries across different regions. A range of voluntary actions has since been undertaken at policy, science and practice levels in these countries in support of the respective LDN targets.

BES-Net is seeking a senior technical expert who will guide the selected UNDP Country Offices in taking up the context relevant messages and evidences of the IPBES LDR Assessment Report in a manner to enhance and accelerate the implementation of the LDN transportation projects in the respective countries. The project is also seeking the support of the expert to capture and present the key results of the LDR-informed LDN acceleration works in the target countries at the relevant regional/global fora, including the fifteenth session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP 15).

Institutional Arrangement:

The consultant will work under the supervision of the BES-Net Project Manager and in close consultation with collaboration with the Project Coordinator, other BES-Net team members and relevant existing BES-Net partners including the concerned UNDP Country Offices and the government counterparts. During the assignment, the consultant is expected to ensure regular communication with the BES-NET team and a timely delivery of the expected outputs, regularly informing the team of the progress as well as any obstacles that might occur.

Duties and Responsibilities

The overall objective of the position is to provide the selected BES-Net beneficiary countries with the advisory and technical backstopping expertise in accelerating the respective LDN initiatives by incorporating the relevant IPBES LDR assessment findings and messages into the LDN planning, implementing and monitoring processes. More specifically, under the supervision of the BES-Net Project Manager and day-to-day guidance of the Project Coordinator, the Senior Technical Expertn is expected to perform the following tasks:

  • Undertake the gap analysis of the ongoing LDN initiatives and identify the gap-filling opportunities based on the new evidences and insights of the IPBES LDR assessments in close consultation with the UNDP, government and other key stakeholders in the four target countries;
  • Facilitate the strategic and participatory work planning on the IPBES LDR assessment uptake into the LDN initiatives in the respective target countries, with a set of concrete actions and corresponding budget plans with realistic timeframe;
  • Facilitate the implementation of the work plan by reviewing and providing inputs to the draft and final deliverables and participating in the consultative meetings; and
  • Coordinate the wide circulation and the presentation of the achievements in the target countries at the relevant regional/global fora, including UNCCD COP15.

Competencies

UN CORE VALUES AND COMPETENCIES

Professionalism: Shows pride in work and 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.

Communication:Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; Listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; Asks questions to clarify and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; Tailors language, tone, style and format to match the audience; Demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

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.

Required Skills and Experience

Min. Academic Education

  • Master’s degree in environmental, social science or related fields

Min. years of relevant Work experience

  • At least 10 years of relevant ‘on-the-job’ experience in project management, including results-based management and participatory process, at global and regional levels, preferably in the field of sustainable land management

Required skills and competencies

  • Demonstrated knowledge of the LDN concept and principles and experience in LDN target setting and/or transformative projects;
  • Familiarity with the UNCCD and/or IPBES mechanism and processes;
  • Skill to interact with local stakeholders, collect and evaluate data and transform the information into high quality documentation tangible to the target audience

Desired additional skills and competencies

  • Previous work experience with the UN system (preferably, familiarity with UNDP’s general project/programme work

Required Language(s) (at working level)

  • Professional proficiency in English with good oral and writing communication skills
  • Working knowledge of French
Added 2 years ago - Updated 2 years ago - Source: jobs.undp.org