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Technical Specialist – Climate Change Mitigation
Technical Specialist – Climate Change Mitigation
The Regional Technical Specialist (RTS) works under the overall leadership of the Principal Technical Advisor (PTA) for Climate Change Mitigation, the day to day supervision of the Environment Regional Team Leader for Africa based in UNDP’s Regional Hub in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and in close collaboration with other Technical Specialists and Advisors at both global and regional levels. RTS have global responsibilities in their area of specialized technical expertise but are deployed from Regional Hubs, normally close to the countries to which they provide most support.
The Regional Technical Specialist for Climate Change Mitigation (CTM) is expected to be home-based in the Africa region and will be required to travel. The Regional Technical Specialist will provide support to UNDP’s Principal Technical Advisor for CCM on various discrete tasks and deliverables related to the implementation of activities related to the Energy Strategic Plan Goals, as well as the climate change mitigation vertical fund portfolio with a focus in the African region. The Regional Technical Specialist will also work closely with the Environment Regional Team Leader based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The Regional Technical Specialist is responsible for providing specific technical support, including for the development of new GEF climate change mitigation projects and implementation support for ongoing projects with a focus in the Africa Region.
UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel including IPSA contract holders regardless where they are stationed are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams in order to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.
Provision of innovation, strategic leadership, policy dialogue, and advocacy.
- Contributing to a strategic understanding of, and engagement with, the substantive technical issues, institutions, and processes within the region, including establishing contact and developing strategic partnerships with other agencies, donors, NGO’s, the private sector, scientific institutions and the like;
- Participating in the development and implementation of UNDP’s global and regional strategies on environment and sustainable development within the BPPS, GN and beyond; engagement in policy and advocacy work with external partners where relevant;
- Providing policy development support and guidance to countries and governments;
- Facilitating the development of strategic UNDP policy position papers and internal briefing notes;
- Facilitating policy analysis and the development of technical tools and guidance;
- Maintain trusted relationships with country offices, government and non-governmental partners’ role within the region;
- Keeping the NCE Regional Team informed of trends and issues with respect to the substantive technical area and contribute actively to regional NCE programming and Business plans;
- Keeping the Principal/Senior Technical Advisors and RTL informed of trends and issues in the region;
- Work in coordination with other RTAs/RTSs in the region to develop projects requiring technical guidance from multiple areas, including collaborations with NCE regional team members and broader GPN and RBAS teams at the Regional Hub on delivery of integrated support to Country Offices.
Ensure effective Portfolio Management
- Providing guidance and support in the maintenance of programme/project and portfolio information and corporate information systems;
- Facilitating the identification, and sourcing of technical expertise and support, including assisting with the preparation of TORs, identification and evaluation of experts and reviewing reports.
Establish and maintain strategic partnerships and support resource mobilization efforts
- Providing guidance in programme and project identification and development, including on integrated approaches and multifocal area projects;
- Providing timely and quality information and technical advice on sources of funds, policies, priorities and activities – including the Global Environment Facility funds, the Green Climate Fund, other multilateral donors, bilateral donors and foundations;
- Identifying and suggesting to the PTA and regional RTL priorities and entry-points for UNDP assistance and linkage with broader UNDP priorities;
- Facilitating the process of preparation, design, submission and approval of programme/project concepts and full-fledged proposals for financing;
- Providing guidance and support in the identification and sourcing of technical expertise and support including assisting with the preparation of TORs, identification and evaluation of experts and reviewing reports;
- Facilitating liaisons with potential financing agencies and institutions.
Effectively manage development impact
- Assisting with inception and start-up of programmes/projects, ensuring the implementation teams’ understanding of technical and operational aspects of the projects, and strong technical and operational capacity of project management units;
- Facilitating UNDP country offices and programme/project implementation partners in project supervision, and timely and quality implementation, providing troubleshooting and guidance for adaptive management;
- Undertaking virtual and physical supervision missions aimed at (a) verification of results and (b) troubleshooting to manage technical quality assurance risks;
- Undertaking technical quality assurance of the Annual Work Plan cleared by the CO, ensuring alignment with the approved project document and technical robustness of proposed AWP activities in line with the approved project result framework;
- Undertaking risk management oversight including conducting risk-based second-tier portfolio oversight and address escalated GEF project risks/critical issues through Action Plan;
- Providing oversight for monitoring and evaluation support including quality and timely completion of the annual Project Implementation Reports (PIRs) reports and technical oversight related input during mid-term reviews (MTRs) and terminal evaluations (TEs);
- Facilitate production of project communication pieces effectively showcasing socio-economic and environmental impacts of individual projects and its linkage to the UNDP Strategic Plan priorities and targets.
Facilitate Learning, Knowledge Management and Self Development
- Evaluating, capturing, codifying, synthesizing lessons and stimulating the uptake of best practices and knowledge, including the development of knowledge materials;
- Peer reviewing, commenting on, and seeking to improve the technical quality of programmes/projects, policies, practices, guidelines, advisory notes, publications and the like;
- Assisting with preparation of regional Community of Practice meetings;
- Preparing and delivering training courses as needed;
- Responding to queries on programme/project progress, impacts and lessons;
- Developing knowledge products of relevance to UNDP-NCE’s support to countries on low emission climate resilient development in the area of energy, infrastructure and transport;
- Developing and carrying out a personal learning plan.
The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
Institutional Arrangement
- The Regional Technical Specialist will work from his/her home base, within the African region.
- The Regional Technical Specialist will report to, and be directly supervised by the Principal Technical Advisor, CCM based in New York and the Environment Regional Team Leader based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
- The Regional Technical Specialist will work closely with: (i) staff at UNDP’s BPPS Climate Hub; (ii) staff within the UNDP Sustainable Energy Hub; (iii) UNDP Country Offices; (iv) UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Africa, and (v) development partners and donors;
- The Regional Technical Specialist will be given access to relevant information necessary for the execution of the tasks under this assignment;
- Given the regional work to be undertaken during this assignment, the incumbent is expected to be reasonably flexible with his/her availability for such consultations taking into consideration different time zones where applicable.
- The Regional Technical Specialist will be responsible for providing her/his own working station (i.e. laptop, internet, phone, scanner/printer, etc.) and must have access to a reliable internet connection.
- Candidate must be located within the African region at the time of hire.
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