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Consultant - Climate Vulnerability Forum Support Specialist

5:25:00 PM
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the UN’s global development network, an organization advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience, and resources to help people build a better life. On the ground in 177 countries and territories, UNDP works with national level partners to seek solutions to global and national development challenges.
 
UNDP Environment and Energy Group (EEG) is based in UNDP’s Bureau for Development Policy and is responsible for providing leadership and technical support toward delivery of the Environment and Sustainable Development pillar of UNDP’s Strategic Plan. Its main focus is to help countries develop capacity to manage and mainstream environment into national, local, global, and regional policy and practice in support of sustainable development. The principal areas of work are in policy development and support, market mechanisms, adaptation to climate change, and local governance of resources, including energy.
While many developing countries recognise these fundamental arguments, they often face significant institutional and technical capacity challenges in making informed investment choices.
 
Launched in 2009, the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) is a non-exclusive, semi-formal South-South cooperation mechanism focused on climate change policy and involving developing country UN member States self-identified as particularly vulnerable to climate change. The CVF serves as an international platform for cooperation, coordination, advocacy and knowledge-building on climate change policy issues. In 2012, the CVF established a Trust Fund, which is being administered by the UNDP Multi-Partner Trust Fund Office. The aim of the CVF Trust Fund (CVFTF) is to facilitate the administration and management of activities and to ensure sustainable resource flows now and in the future so that the CVF can achieve its overall goals. Expected outcomes of the CVFTF Programme include: unity and consensus promotion; awareness raising; increased accountability; and, knowledge building.
 
UNDP engagement with the CVF initiative has spanned a range of functions since 2009: participating and supporting the CVF Ministerial events; the Administrator’s role as a member of the Advisory Panel for the CVF-commissioned Climate Vulnerability Monitor (one of the key outputs of the CVF); contributions as part of the Monitor Peer Review Committee; and most recently as a signatory to the MoU of the CVFTF, for which UNDP’s MPTF Office provides the Administrative Agent function.
 
The CVFTF Programme’s Framework document and 2013 Work Plan foresees institutional support and a Technical Secretariat function in order to support and sustain the work of the CVFTF Steering Committee and Forum Chairs (outgoing, incumbent and incoming), including for resource mobilization and in their leading role overseeing the implementation of priority activities. The CVFTF Technical Secretariat functions include responsibility for supporting the CVF’s Chairs and Members in coordinating and implementing activities and supporting the governance mechanisms of the Trust Fund including working in close collaboration with CVFTF Steering Committee members, Administrative Agent and Implementing Partners/Participating Organizations as appropriate.
 
Because of its role as indicated by the MoU for the CVFTF, UNDP has committed to supporting the work of the CVF including the implementation of the CVFTF Work Plan and Technical Secretariat function.

Duties and Responsibilities

Expected Outputs and Deliverables:
With guidance from senior staff members within BDP and the climate policy team within EEG, the Climate Vulnerable Forum Support Specialist will work in direct assistance to and in coordination with the incumbent and incoming CVF/CVFTF Steering Committee Chairs, providing services equivalent to a level of effort of 60 days of work to fulfill CVFTF institutional support and Technical Secretariat functions.
 
The services include support the achievement of the following two objectives:
Ensure interim services to fulfill the CVFTF Technical Secretariat institutional support functions, including with special emphasis on resource mobilization for the CVFTF/UNDP programme;
Develop and oversee the approval process to completion of a Global Project Document for the longer-term participation of the UNDP in implementing CVFTF activities.
 
Objective 1: Ensure interim services to fulfill the CVFTF Technical Secretariat institutional support functions, with special emphasis on resource mobilization for the CVFTF/UNDP programme:
  • Ensure that decisions taken in the context of the CVFTF Steering Committee (SC) are duly recorded and promptly communicated to the members of the SC, including Implementing Partners/Participating Organizations, and as appropriate, the programme country and donors;
  • Developing for consideration by the SC the resource mobilization strategy, and supporting its implementation;
  • Transmitting approved work plans to the Administrative Agent to guide fund disbursement;
  • Supporting the resource mobilization efforts of the Forum’s Chairs and Members for the capitalization and replenishment of the CVF Trust Fund;
  • Supporting the coordination of the implementation of activities undertaken by Forum members and Implementation Partners/Participating Organizations and in monitoring the implementation of the decisions of the SC, including ensuring that SC approved work plans are effectively implemented and adhered to;
  • Organizing the preparation and development of substantive documentation and communications content of all kinds, including briefing notes, meeting minutes/reports, correspondence, event programmes, press releases, and analytical tools either through internal or external means, or following proposals from Implementing Partners/Participating Organizations;
  • Other relevant ad hoc institutional tasks within reason that may be assigned to the interim Technical Secretariat by the CVFTF SC or its Chair, as approved by the consultant’s line manager;
  • 2 x missions of 4 days to Costa Rica to support the incoming CVF Chair in assuming leadership of the CVF and in exercising governance tasks and preparatory arrangements with respect to the forthcoming CVFTF-linked activities and resource mobilization;
  • 2 x additional missions of 1-2 days for resource mobilization purposes where necessary.
Objective 2: Develop and oversee the approval process to completion of a Global Project Document for the longer-term participation of the UNDP in implementing CVFTF activities:
  • Develop a project document following the UNDP policies and procedures which aligns with the activities indicated in the approved/adopted CVTF Programme framework, Terms of Reference and 2013 workplan;
  • Undertake consultations with relevant UNDP stakeholders CVF members, as required, on the proposed project document;
  • Support other relevant and ad hoc tasks needed to oversee approval process of the project document, in accordance with UNDP policies and procedures;
  • 2 x missions of 3-4 days to NYC for meetings with representatives of UNDP units relevant to CVFTF activity implementation for advancing and finalizing the internal UNDP Global Project Document process.
Institutional Arrangement:The consultant will report to Dr. Veerle Vandeweerd, Director, BDP/EEG, with regular consultation with the EEG Climate Policy Team.
The consultant will receive payments on a monthly basis, upon successful delivery of the expected outputs as cleared by the BDP/EEG Director, in consultation with the EEG Policy Team.
 
Duration of Work:
The contract will go through 31 July 2013, with anticipated level of effort of 60 days.
 
Duty Station:
The consultant will be home-based with travel as deemed necessary; the consultant will be required to visit the New York or Geneva office occasionally for meetings with UNDP staff.
 
Scope of Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments:Financial proposals must be all inclusive and must be expressed on the basis of a daily fee in USD; Note that all travel will be arranged and funded by UNDP, and should not be included in the proposal.
Payments will be released in three equal tranches as per the schedule:
1st payment expected 31 May 2013 (20 days)
2nd payment expected 30 June 2013 (20 days)
Final payment expected 31 July (20 days)

Competencies

Functional Competencies:
  • Strong analytical, writing and communication skills;
  • Excellent organizational skills;
  • Strong interpersonal and communication skills; commitment to team work and to working across disciplines;
  • Proven ability to deliver reliably within tight timelines;
  • Focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to critical feedback;
  • Proven ability to work independently with little supervision and responsiveness during duty station working hours;
  • Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude.
Corporate Competencies:
  • Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
  • Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP;
  • Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
  • Treats all people fairly without favoritism;
  • Fulfills all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment

Required Skills and Experience

Education:
  • Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in international relations, political science, climate change, public/environmental management or a closely related field.
Work experience:
  • At least 5 years of experience on climate change, including a focus on developing countries and/or fieldwork experience, and progressively responsible experience in programme management and international relations in the climate change domain.
  • Experience in liaising with Permanent Missions to the UN and with senior officials in relevant national institutions required.
  • Broad and proven understanding of all thematic areas of climate change, in particular vulnerability, finance and adaptation issues on an international level, including demonstrated experience with global climate change policy research, communications and publications.
  • Experience and understanding of UNFCCC international climate change negotiations.
  • Excellent analytical, drafting/writing, presentation and communication skills in English, with extensive experience required in drafting formal communications and briefing documents of all kinds, including press releases, speeches, talking points, op-eds, technical reports and meeting minutes.
  • Good understanding of climate change groundwork in countries, particularly National Communications and national policies and actors.
  • Strong experience with resource mobilization and working with multiple donor countries and with the processes of UNDP-managed Trust Funds an imperative.
  • Experience of development of cost effective and pragmatic programmes and their coordination and execution is also required.
    Proven working experience in diverse cultural working scenarios comprising different cultural and professional backgrounds a distinct asset.
  • Experience of UN processes procedures is an asset. FC:30000
Languages:
  • Excellent knowledge of English is essential. A good working knowledge of other UN languages (especially French and Spanish) is a distinct asset.
For all interested candidates, please DO NOT apply on this page.  This is simply to advertise the Terms of Reference for this assignment.
 
To APPLY for this consultancy, please go to: http://procurement-notices.undp.org/view_notice.cfm?notice_id=11132

FC:30000
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.

http://jobs.undp.org/cj_view_job.cfm?cur_job_id=36951

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