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PROGRAMME MANAGER

UNDP Environment and Energy Group (EEG) is based in UNDP’s Bureau of Development Policy and is responsible for providing leadership and technical support for delivery of the Environment and Sustainable Development pillar of UNDP’s Strategic Plan. Its main focus is to help countries develop the capacity to fully incorporate environmental sustainability into development at national and local, but also global and regional, levels. The principal areas of work are in environmental mainstreaming, environmental finance, adaptation to climate change, and local governance of resources, including energy.

With its technical focus, the Environment and Energy Group (EEG) is organized into substantive technical teams to provide support to countries in the area of climate change through different initiatives. Within the Green Low-emission and Climate-resilient Development Strategies Team, one such initiative is the Climate Change Capacity Building Programme, funded by the European Union (EU) and the German Government. The programme will be carried out in 15 countries and has two overall objectives: 1. to build public sector capacity on developing greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory systems, nationally appropriate mitigation actions (NAMAs), low-emissions development strategies (LEDS), and monitoring, verification, and reporting (MRV) procedures; and 2. to build private sector capacity for mitigation actions in selected sectors (i.e. cement, iron and steel, petrochemicals, fertilizers).

The programme will follow a country-driven, multi-stakeholder approach and will be carried out through a collaborative effort between UNDP, EU, and the German Government. It will build on various experiences already developed by UNDP and the EU such as the National Communications Support Programme, the European Commission’s study on monitoring and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions, policies, and measures in developing countries, the UNDP Territorial Approach to Climate Change program, and the UN-REDD Programme, among others.

Additionally, UNDP will seek to assist other countries not included in the EU-UNDP Programme that are interested in developing low-emissions, climate resilience development strategies (LECRDS), upon request by national governments. This assistance will be provided to countries that are planning to initiate a discussion process on how climate change actions can be developed and implemented in the context of national priorities. Seed funding will be provided to prepare these initiatives that will serve as the basis to initiate discussions on low-emission policies to assist national or sub-national government put forward a climate change agenda that can more effectively contribute to their sustainable economic development goals.

In this context, UNDP is looking for a Programme Manager who will be responsible for coordinating the implementation of the Programme at the global and international level, ensuring solid technical quality of deliverables and sound financial and operational management. The Programme Manager will report to the Principal Policy and Technical Adviser of the Green, Low Emission and Climate Resilience Development Strategies (Green LECRDS) unit and will oversee the work of a number of staff under the programme, including two technical specialist and a programme analyst at the global level, and 3 technical specialists at the regional level.

The Programme Manager will be based in New York and is expected to have extensive and sound management experiences of climate change or related programmes at the global level. She/he will advice the Principal Policy and Technical Adviser of Green LECRDS on ways the programme can provide substantive inputs to UNDP in these areas of work.

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of key functions:

  • Practice Management and Co-ordination;
  • Policy Development and Advocacy
  • Technical guidance on substantive areas of work under the programme
  • Coordination of donors and relations with UNDP Country Offices and Regional Bureaus
  • Programme Development and Quality Assurance

1. Substantive leadership in programme management

  • Provide substantive and managerial leadership of the programme and coordination for all staff engaged in related operational activities at the global and regional levels;
  • Ensure proper and effective implementation of all programme activities in alignment with UNDP’s strategic priorities, donor’s expectations and countries’ requirements, while ensuring achievement of the programme’s overall objectives;
  • Coordinate the activities of the Programme’s Advisory Committee (SC) and organize periodic meetings to keep donors informed on programme’s implementation, highlighting issues that would need the SC’s attention and advice;
  • Collaborate with the Principal Policy and Technical Adviser in headquarters to ensure that the programme contributes to the goals of the Green LECRDS substantively and strategically;
  • Assist countries and the UNDP Country Offices in establishing a follow-up mechanism to assess the contribution of the programme to countries’ low emission development strategies, as appropriate;
  • Establish and maintain a strategic understanding of, and engagement with, the substantive technical issues, institutions, and processes within the countries. This includes establishing contacts with and developing technical partnerships with relevant organizations, donors, NGO’s, the private sector, and scientific institutions to support project implementation.

Expected Result: The programme’s activities are timely delivered; donors are regularly informed on progress and results; and UNDP’s and donor’s role and visibility in the areas of low emission development strategies and enhanced.

2. Coordination and guidance for implementation of programme’s activities at global and country level

  • Ensure liaison with Country Offices and Regional Service Centers to support the inclusion of the programme’s activities and outcomes in relevant initiatives implemented by UNDP at the national level;
  • Prepare a detailed implementation strategy for the programme outlining all activities, outputs and timeline on the basis of the project document and ensuring timely delivery;
  • Supervise and provide strategic guidance on technical backstopping activities to ensure sound and substantive deliverables of the programme at the country level;
  • Provide guidance on cross thematic issues, identifying opportunities for cross practice synergies;
  • Oversee the implementation of the programme’s communications & outreach strategy as well as the development of any relevant knowledge networks;
  • Design an effective system to periodically prepare and disseminate lessons learned to contribute with the creation of a community of practice in the area of low emission development strategies and other related areas;
  • Ensure coherence of programme’s outputs with the Green LECRDS work, especially with its other complementary GEF and non-GEF funded initiatives, such as adaptation and LEDS at the national and sub-national level.

Expected Result: The programme provides substantive support to all partners involved to ensure high quality results, while building sound synergies and partnerships for low emission development strategies in each participating country.

3. Technical Advisory/Programme Support-Delivery

  • Provide technical and policy advisory services to programme partners including national teams of country participating in the programme, country offices, regional bureaus and other partners;
  • Lead the design and formulation of technical assistance support to countries, ensuring project ownership at country level and linkages with relevant initiatives;
  • Provide technical guidance and backstopping to countries, as well as timely feedback to the programme partners during implementation of activities at global and national level;
  • Ensure implementation of capacity building activating to strengthen technical expertise of partners responsible for programme implementation in participating countries;
  • Coordinate the preparation of substantive analysis in the different thematic areas under the programme, namely GHG inventory systems, NAMA, LEDS, MRV, mitigation actions;
  • Coordinate technical backstopping activities through regional centers of excellence in the different thematic area under the programmes, tailoring assistance to countries. needs;
  • Provide guidance on methodological approaches for the different thematic areas of work under the programme (i.e. inventory systems, NAMA, LEDS, MRV, mitigation actions);
  • Oversee the preparation of countries’ intermediate products and final reports, highlighting lessons learned and potential for replication in other countries or programmes;
  • Design exchange workshops and training activities in coordination with Programme staff, and on the basis of capacity development needs in the participating countries.

Expected Result: Technical and institutional capacities at the national level are enhanced in the area of NAMA, LEDS, GHG Inventory Systems and MRV. Countries are able to demonstrate the relevance of the programme in the context of their national development through concrete actions and programmes in the area of GHG emission reduction

4. Policy Development and Advocacy:

  • Develop programme policy and guidance in focus area in coordination with the Principal Policy and Technical Adviser of Green LECRDS;
  • Provide substantive inputs to international for a to help shape global and regional development strategies, policies, and programmes on LEDS and related areas;
  • Provide substantive and content leadership in UNDP corporate discussions and Inter-Agency coordination in LEDS and related issues;
  • Represent UNDP to advocate practice messages in international fora discussion in the area of LEDS and other related areas;
  • Mobilize external partnerships to enhance support to the programme and expand its experience to a broader constituency.

Expected Result: The programme establishes a platform within UNDP and globally for technical and policy dialogue in the area of low emission development and demonstrates how it contributes to the global efforts to address GHG emission reduction.

5. Knowledge Management (KM):

  • Develop a Knowledge Management strategy, in co-ordination with the Green LECRDS unit, as well with appropriate HQ technical advisors, that can contribute to UNDP’s global strategies in the areas of low-emission development strategies;
  • Develop an expert roster in the areas of GHG inventory systems, NAMA, LEDS and mitigation to support programme implementation and more broadly strengthen UNDP role in these technical areas;
  • Provide guidance to the programme’s staff to evaluate, capture, and synthesize lessons and stimulate the uptake of best practices and knowledge that can be used in the broader context of Green LECRDS;
  • Supervise the preparation of lessons learned, impacts and results that can be disseminated to other countries and can feed into UNDP programming;
  • Coordinate the publication of programme’s results, experiences, and lessons learned and a dissemination strategy to ensure knowledge sharing at a global level.

Expected Result: A knowledge management strategy is established to disseminate the experiences, lessons learned and impacts of the EU-UNDP Low Emission Capacity Building Programme, while providing a knowledge platform in the areas of NAMAs, LEDS, GHG inventory systems, and MRVs, in coordination with other relevant initiatives at the global level.

Competencies

Corporate Competencies:

  • Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
  • Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
  • Knowledge of United Nations or other international organizations, understanding of world affairs, current events and international development issues;
  • Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
  • Treats all people fairly without favoritism.

Functional Competencies:

  • Promotes a knowledge sharing and learning culture in the office;
  • Good oral and written communication skills, with demonstrated analytic capacity and ability to synthesize project portfolios against achievements;
  • Maturity and confidence in dealing with senior and high ranking members of national institutions, government and non-government;
  • Actively works towards continuing personal learning and development in one or more technical areas, acts on learning plan and applies newly acquired skills.

Knowledge Management and Learning:

  • Promotes knowledge manage in UNDP and a learning enviroment in the office through leadership and personal example;
  • Seeks and applies knowledge, information, and best practices from within and outside of UNDP.

Development and Operational Effectiveness

  • Ability to perform a variety of specialized tasks including development, planning and implementation of projects/programme, managing information and data and reporting;
  • Good research, analytical and problem-solving skills, including ability to identify and participate in the resolution of programme-related issues/problems;
  • Familiarity with and experience in the use of various research methodologies and sources, including electronic sources on the internet, intranet and other databases;
  • Ability to apply good judgment in the context of assignments given;
  • Ability to plan own work and manage conflicting priorities;
  • Ability to lead strategic planning, results-based management and reporting.

Management and Leadership

  • Focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to feedback;
  • Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
  • Demonstrates strong oral and written communication skills;
  • Builds strong relationships with clients and external actors;
  • Remains calm, in control and good humored even under pressure;
  • Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities;
  • Open to challenges and change, and demonstrated ability to manage complex issues and situations;
  • Good interpersonal skills and ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and working relations in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment.



Required Skills and Experience

Education:

  • Masters degree or higher in environmental sciences, economics, business, or social sciences.

Experience:

  • Minimum of 10 years experience in climate change, ideally in the areas of mitigation, GHG inventory systems, integration of climate change into national development, and other relevant fields;
  • Extensive experience with project management and implementation at the global level, especially in climate change;
  • Demonstrated strategic skills in the areas of GHG inventory systems, GHG mitigation, LEDS, NAMAs, and MRVs;
  • Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain strategic partnerships; leadership, facilitation and coordination skills;
  • Solid understanding of capacity building needs and demonstrated experience in the design and coordination of training activities in climate change;
  • Extensive experience working in countries with different regions;
  • Demonstrated entrepreneurial abilities and demonstrated ability to work in an independent manner;
  • Extensive working experience in an international organization; knowledge of UNDP policies, procedures and practices is an advantage.

Language Requirements:

  • Excellent knowledge of English, as well as writing, presentation and communication skills;
  • Fluency in other UN languages is an asset.
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UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.