Job ID: 33927

Practice Area – Job Family: Environment and Energy

Vacancy End Date: (Midnight New York, USA) 09/12/2020

Duty Station: Accra, Ghana

Education & Work Experience: I-Master’s Level Degree – 5 year(s) experience

Languages: English

Grade: NOC

Vacancy Type: FTA Local

Posting Type: External

Bureau: Africa

Contract Duration: 1 Year with possibility for extension

This position is open for Ghanaian nationals only

Background

Addressing climate change is one of the key global challenges and priorities for UNDP. Working in over 170 countries and territories, UNDP is uniquely placed to work with all sectors of society to help mobilize the institutions and resources required to support countries implement their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in the context of the Paris Agreement. For example, through the Climate Promise initiative, UNDP provides technical support to help 114 countries (including Ghana) take bold action to reduce their emissions, increase their resilience to climate impacts and support sustainable development priorities. Another key initiative is the NDC Support Programme, which is supporting 36 countries (including Ghana) to implement their NDCs and design more ambitious climate targets that are aligned with national development priorities.

Climate change is a key component of UNDP’s programme in Ghana, with a growing project portfolio. Under its Country Programme Document (CPD 2018-2022), UNDP aims to strengthen public institutional capacities to reduce environmental degradation and implement climate action, as well as facilitate access to information, knowledge and tools that promote green jobs, citizen participation in environmental conservation, and community resilience. In this regard, UNDP is collaborating with the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation and other institutions to turn Ghana’s commitments under the Paris Agreement into concrete action, ensuring that climate change is addressed in a wholesome and strategic manner, that plans are gender responsive, and that different strategies are employed to mobilize the financial resources that are needed to implement Ghana’s climate agenda.

This area of work includes support to have attractive and realistic financing strategies in place, access vertical funds, take advantage of international cooperation mechanisms outlined in Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, as well as build local capacities (including of the private sector) to mobilize climate finance. At the local level, UNDP is helping communities to adapt to climate change and reduce their vulnerabilities to disasters.

UNDP Ghana Country Office seeks to engage the services of a Climate Change Specialist to

1) strengthen UNDP’s technical advisory support in the area of climate change;

2) contribute to the effective and high-quality delivery of the climate change portfolio;

3) manage and expand current climate change project pipeline; and

4) strengthen key partnerships that advance UNDP’s vision for supporting NDC enhancement and implementation.

The chosen candidate will be based in the Environment and Climate Cluster and work under the direct supervision of Head of the Cluster in close collaboration with UNDP HQ and regional staff, and other UN Agencies. S/he will liaise with government officials, technical advisors and experts, multi-lateral and bi-lateral donors, private sector and civil society as needed.

Duties and Responsibilities

Summary of Key Functions:

1. Policy advice

2. Programme management

3. Partnership and resource mobilization

1. Provide top-quality advisory and technical services in the area of climate change (40%):

• Provide timely and quality information and technical advice to the Government of Ghana on NDC
• implementation, public and private climate finance opportunities and strategic engagement of the private sector
• Provide technical advice on nationally led climate-related initiatives and processes, upon the request of the
• Government of Ghana to UNDP.
• Undertake relevant analytics and research, as required, and prepare knowledge materials to support UNDP’s
• climate related initiatives and more broadly those implemented by the Environment and Climate Cluster.
• Contribute to the preparation of necessary briefings and update for UNDP effective participation in programme
• important meetings, workshops and relevant events.
• Support UNDP’s efforts on advocacy and policy dialogue, including participation and contribution to policy-
• driven researches and reviews.
• Advise UNDP and UN Country Team on relevant national and international developments on climate change
• (including UNFCCC processes) and assist in identifying coordinated approaches.
• Maintain close collaboration within UNDP’s Global Policy Network (specifically staff focusing on climate change)
• to receive technical support as needed.
• Contribute to global learning and knowledge exchange by documenting and disseminating lessons learned from
• activities of climate change portfolio and disseminate widely through on-line platforms.
• Enhance UNDP’s visibility and profile on climate change.

2. Support effective implementation of CO’s project portfolio on climate change (30%):

• Manage projects assigned to her/him, including assurance that project implementation follows agreed upon prevailing regulations with transparency.
• Provide oversight of nationally implemented projects in close collaboration with the relevant implementing partner/responsible party, ensuring timely quality delivery.
• Undertake monitoring and commission evaluations of the projects, identification of operational and financial challenges and development of solutions.
• Ensure top quality planning (annual, and quarterly work-plans), reporting, monitoring and evaluation of assigned portfolio.
• Effectively apply Result Based Management (RBM) tools, establishing management targets and monitoring achievement of results.
• Produce aggregate reports on activities, outputs and outcomes, including reports for donors as needed.
• Support procurement of goods, services and consultants.

3. Maintain and expand strategic partnerships and support resource mobilization in the area of climate change (30%):

• Explore new areas of cooperation and identify opportunities for initiation of new initiatives on climate change in line with UNDP Strategic Plan (2018-2022), United Nations Sustainable Development Partnership with Ghana (2018-2022), and UNDP Country Programme Document (2018-2022).
• Provide technical support to the formulation of project proposals on climate change.
• Strengthen partnerships with key stakeholders in the area of climate change.
• Participate and contribute to development partners’ engagements with government on climate change actions including meetings and events

Competencies

Core

Innovation

Ability to make new and useful ideas work

Level 5: Creates new and relevant ideas and leads others to implement them

Leadership

Ability to persuade others to follow

Level 5: Plans and acts transparently, actively works to remove barriers

People Management

Ability to improve performance and satisfaction

Level 5: Models high professional standards and motivates excellence in others

Communication

Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform

Level 5: Gains trust of peers, partners, clients by presenting complex concepts in practical terms to others

Delivery

Ability to get things done while exercising good judgement

Level 5: Critically assesses value and relevance of existing policy / practice and contributes to enhanced delivery of products, services, and innovative solutions

Technical/Functional

Climate change (general)

Knowledge of climate change Including climate change nternational regime) and ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations

Level 5: Originate: Catalyzes new ideas, methods, and applications to pave a path for innovation and continuous improvement in professional area of expertise

Climate change mitigation

Knowledge of climate change mitigation concepts and the ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations

Level 5: Originate: Catalyzes new ideas, methods, and applications to pave a path for innovation and continuous improvement in professional area

Climate change adaptation

Knowledge of climate change adaptation concepts and the ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations

Level 5: Originate: Catalyzes new ideas, methods, and applications to pave a path for innovation and continuous improvement in professional area

Climate finance

Knowledge of climate finance concepts and instruments and the ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations

Level 5: Originate: Catalyzes new ideas, methods, and applications to pave a path for innovation and continuous improvement in professional area of expertise

Disaster risk reduction

Knowledge of disaster risk reduction and the ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations

Level 5: Originate: Catalyzes new ideas, methods, and applications to pave a path for innovation and continuous improvement in professional area

Sustainable development

Knowledge of sustainable development concepts, principles and issues and the ability to apply to strategic and/or practical situations, covering the economic, social and environmental dimensions

Level 5: Originate: Catalyzes new ideas, methods, and applications to pave a path for innovation and continuous improvement in professional area

Project management

Ability to plan, organize, and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals

Level 5:Originate: Catalyzes new ideas, methods, and applications to pave a path for innovation and continuous improvement in professional area of expertise

Result Based Management

Ability to manage programmes and projects with a strategy aimed at improved performance and demonstrable results

Level 5: Originate: Catalyzes new ideas, methods, and applications to pave a path for innovation and continuous improvement in professional area of expertise

Knowledge management

Ability to capture, develop, share and effectively use information and knowledge

Level 5: Originate: Catalyzes new ideas, methods, and applications to pave a path for innovation and continuous improvement in professional area of expertise

Partnerships

Ability to engage with other agencies, donors, and other development stakeholders and forge Level 5: Originate: Catalyzes new ideas, methods, and applications to pave a path for innovation and continuous improvement in professional area of expertise productive working relationships

Relationship management

Ability to engage and foster strategic partnerships with other parties, Inter-Agency Coordination and forge productive workingrelationships

Level 5: Originate: Catalyzes new ideas, methods, and applications to pave a path for innovation and continuous improvement in professional area of expertise

Resource mobilization

Ability to identify and organize programmes and projects to implement solutions and generate resources (definition is unclear and not well linked to the stated competency)

Level 5: Originate: Catalyzes new ideas, methods, and applications to pave a path for innovation and continuous improvement in professional area of expertise

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Master’s degree or higher in environmental sciences, social sciences or closely related field.

Experience: ·

At least five (5) years of professional experience in the formulation and implementation of climate change initiatives/projects. ·

At least five (5) years of relevant progressively responsible experience supporting national processes on climate change and sustainable development.