Technical, Policy and Partnerships Specialist – IPSA 10 – Bangkok

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.

The following documents shall be required from the applicants:

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.

A cover letter (maximum length: 1 page) indicating why the candidate considers him-/herself to be suitable for the position.

Managers may ask (ad hoc) for any other materials relevant to pre-assessing the relevance of their experience, such as reports, presentations, publications, campaigns or other materials.

1.Office/Unit/Project Description 

UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s policy work carried out at HQ, Regional and Country Office levels offers a spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP invests in its Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in UNDP’s Strategic Plan.

Within the GPN, the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing all relevant policy and guidance to support the results of UNDP’s Strategic Plan. BPPS staff provides technical advice to Country Offices; advocates for UNDP corporate messages; represents UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora, including public-private, government and civil society dialogues; and engages in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas.

BPPS’ Nature Climate and Energy (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; Sustainable 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.

In addition to UNDP’s bilateral partnerships in NCE, UNDP is an accredited multilateral implementing agency of the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the Multilateral Fund (MLF), the Adaptation Fund (AF) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF). As part of UNDP’s partnership with these vertical funds (VFs), 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.

In line with UNDP’s Strategic Plan and corporate strategies, the NCE Team is strengthening its capacities to catalyze, accelerate, and scale innovative solutions, partnerships and integrated programming that help countries advance an inclusive green recovery and transforms their sustainable development trajectory. This includes activities undertaken through the Sida-UNDP Environment and Climate Change Programme, as well as other UNDP and NCE strategies, offers, and workstreams around partnerships, knowledge management, and resource mobilization.

The Technical, Policy and Partnerships Specialist (TPPS) works under the overall supervision and leadership of the Senior Policy Advisor (SPA) for Environment and the Regional Team Leader for NCE for Asia and the Pacific based in UNDP’s Regional Hub in Bangkok, Thailand, and in close collaboration with other technical specialists and advisors at both global and regional levels. TPPS has global responsibilities.

The Technical, Policy and Partnerships Specialist will be based in Bangkok, Thailand and will be required to travel. UNDP Specialists may be periodically redeployed, in accordance with capability, consent, and due process, to a different duty station as needed.

2.Position Purpose

The Technical, Policy, and Partnerships Specialist will provide high quality technical, policy, and programming support to projects and partnerships, including in relation to the Sida-UNDP Environment and Climate Change Programme and linked initiatives as part of the UNDP Global Policy Network, the Specialist will work with the UNDP Climate and Biodiversity teams, including Forest-linked workstreams and Private Sector engagement.

The Technical, Policy and Partnerships Specialist is primarily responsible for providing technical, policy, and partnership building support and oversight, and knowledge and capacity development services pertaining to the work on environment, climate and nature capital to UNDP country offices, and works with other UN agencies, governments and inter-governmental organizations, NGO’s, donors, the private sector and many others.  Specific results are expected in the areas of:

• Strategic policy and technical advisory support: High-quality technical and strategic policy advisory support services to regional, national and subnational counterparts, UNDP Country Offices as well as stakeholders engaged on Climate Change, Sustainable Development, Food Systems, Biodiversity and Forest-related matters;
• Resource mobilization: Contributing to resource mobilization, ensuring that key strategic initiatives and partnerships are maintained and further developed, and building new partnerships through the development, appraisal and review of programmes and projects;
• Partnerships: Supporting the design, operationalization and expansion of South-South and Triangular Cooperation, UNDP partnerships, and public-private partnerships, aimed to support sustainable development action and investment in developing countries;
• Interagency collaboration: Contributing to global initiatives and inter-agency exchanges, leading regional NCE collaboration with other UN agencies and partners, in particular with UNEP and FAO, including for the operationalization of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, and promoting cross-team collaborations
• Learning, knowledge management and continuous professional development.
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• 1.Institutional Arrangement
• The Technical, Policy and Partnerships Specialist shall work office-based for the duration of the assignment.
• The Technical, Policy and Partnerships Specialist will report to the NCE Regional Team Leader (P5) with matrix reporting to the Senior Policy Adviser for Environment (P5)
• The Technical, Policy and Partnerships Specialist will engage/interact with the Supervisors in person, by email and Teams/Zoom on a regular basis. In addition, Technical, Policy and Partnerships Specialist will also engage with other UNDP colleagues based in NY, relevant regional hubs, and country offices through these same virtual platforms;
• Given the global consultations to be undertaken during this assignment, the Technical, Policy and Partnerships Specialist is expected to be reasonably flexible with his/her availability for such consultations taking into consideration different time zones where applicable.

1.Travel:      

Some mission travels may be required to perform the function.  Any travel must require a prior approval by the supervisors

1.Scope of Work

1. Strategic policy and technical advisory support to regional, national and subnational counterparts, UNDP Country Offices as well as stakeholders engaged on Climate Change, Sustainable Development, Food Systems, Biodiversity and Forest related matters:

• Stay abreast of global and regional developments related to climate change, sustainable development, food systems, biodiversity and forests, and share knowledge within UNDP and with relevant partners – donor public institutions and private partners in particular;
• Provide high-quality technical and strategic policy advice to UNDP Country Offices, development partners, regional, national and sub-national partners;
• Coordinate with other related initiatives and mechanisms, globally and regionally, and engage in policy and advocacy work with external partners;
• Provide updates and guidance on trends and issues in the countries served;
• Contribute to the development and implementation of UNDP’s global and regional strategies on environment and sustainable development within the BPPS, GPN and beyond;
• Advise UNDP Country Offices and national counterparts on NDCs, food systems, biodiversity and forest;
• Prepare strategic UNDP policy position papers and internal briefing notes;
• Contribute to a strategic understanding of, and engagement with, substantive technical issues, institutions, and processes within the countries, regions and globally.

1. Resource mobilization and partnerships: Contributing to resource mobilization, ensuring that key strategic initiatives and partnerships are maintained and further developed, and building new partnerships through the development, appraisal and review of programmes and projects;

• Collaborate with partners to develop and appraise proposals in-line with requirements of donors and funding sources;
• Provide strategic advice in the process of preparation, design, submission and approval of programme/project concepts and full-fledged finance proposals; 
• Organize roundtables and discussions with potential financiers and donors to gauge interest in financing and prioritize specific innovative solutions, including in the context of the UNFCCC negotiations;
• Build strategic initiatives and partnerships, including with private sector companies, in line with the UNDP Strategic Plan;
• Support the development of proposals for deforestation-free commodity supply and value chains, including through sources of innovative finance;
• Identify and propose opportunities to strengthen relationships, enhance donor interest in NCE initiatives and liaise with potential financing agencies and institutions;
• Provide high-quality implementation support and oversight to UNDP country offices and regional, national and sub-national partners to support the successful implementation of the NCE portfolio, across all relevant sources of funds globally and regionally.

1. Partnerships: Supporting the design, operationalization and expansion of South-South and Triangular Cooperation, UNDP Partnerships, and public-private partnerships, aimed to support action and investment in developing countries:

• Support substantive engagement on South-South and Triangular Cooperation strategies;
• Contribute to a strategic understanding of, and engagement on substantive technical issues, institutions, and processes globally and within the region, including establishing contact and developing strategic partnerships with other agencies, donors, NGOs, the private sector, scientific institutions and the like;
• Organize joint technical meetings between UNDP, public, and private sector organizations to propose and evaluate concrete opportunities and project ideas to cooperate toward sustainable development, which can crowd in national and international, public and private resources;
• Actively contribute to the scoping, fostering and implementation of new public and private partnerships

1. Interagency collaboration: Contributing to global initiatives and inter-agency exchanges, leading regional NCE collaboration with other UN agencies and partners, in particular with UNEP, FAO, and ESCAP including for the operationalization of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, and promoting cross-team collaborations

• Support the UN’s convening role by organizing, attending, and contributing to international events, such as policy and technical dialogues, including in the context of the Rio Conventions, the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, G20, UN Forum of Forests, Collaborative Partnership on Forest, Global Working Group on repurposing food and agricultural public subsidies – and across-teams collaborations (e.g. Forest CoP);
• Organize periodic meetings with other UN agencies in the region, scoping new opportunities for collaboration and involvement of relevant NCE teams and GPN;
• Coordinate UNDPs involvement in the follow-up activities of the UN Food Systems Summit at regional and country-levels;
• Contribute to the implementation of the FACS strategy, identify and lead thinking on integrated programming around FACS in Asia and the Pacific;
• Contribute to the identification and development of new FACS-related project opportunities in the region and work with RTAs on GEF and GCF programming and other vertical and non-vertical sources of funding to ensure an integrated approach, including with blended finance and multiple sources of funding for systemic interventions in country and at regional level;
• Contribute actively to the Global Policy Network, including relevant Communities of Practice (e.g. Forest CoP) and other UNDP corporate requirements.

1. Learning, Knowledge Management and Continuous Professional Development

• Facilitate production of communication products effectively showcasing socio-economic and environmental impacts of individual projects and its linkage to the UNDP Strategic Plan priorities and targets;
• Evaluate, capture, codify, and synthesize lessons and stimulate the uptake of best practices and knowledge, including the development of knowledge materials;
• Peer review, comment, and seek to improve the technical quality of programmes/projects, policies, practices, guidelines, advisory notes, publications and the like;
• Contribute to the preparation of regional Community of Practice meetings;
• Develop and carry out a personal learning plan.