Programme Management Associate - Retainer

The Programme Management - Associate facilitates the delivery of the programme activities with a focus on support with the implementation of the Equator Prize and related events and activities. The incumbent would coordinate the overall delivery and implementation of the Equator Prize work to allow the programme to effectively shine a spotlight on the success of local and Indigenous groups that contribute to sustainable development at the grassroots level; to develop the capacities of local and Indigenous peoples in the Equator Prize network; to inform policy and foster knowledge exchanges amongst local and national policy makers; and to document Equator Prize winners’ best practices.

This role comprises management of the outreach and communications efforts, liaison with and support to organizations nominating for the Equator Prize, management of the selection process identifying the winners, and preparation of community representatives for their travels to New York or elsewhere to participate in the Equator Prize Award Ceremony, associated activities, and/or global conferences, among others.

The Programme Management - Associate would also advance the NfD program by contributing to the development of knowledge products and by working on facilitating connections between Equator Prize winners and other stakeholder, to further promote nature-based solutions for sustainable development by improving the value chain and increasing livelihoods of local communities.

The assignment is supervised by the Manager of the Global Programme on Nature for Development.

• Outreach support: Implement detailed outreach strategy for the Equator Prize (e-mail outreach, social media, research on additional contacts, liaison with previous winners etc.); provide technical support to nominations and management of inquiries; provide support to communications efforts such as creation and dissemination of social media materials.
• Support to selection process: Handle nominations for the Equator Prize, provide technical support to the members of the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC); ensure nominations are evaluated correctly and in a timely manner; provide support to the organization of the Technical Advisory Committee meeting; manage translations.
• Support to due diligence process: Conduct desk top review to verify information provided by shortlisted organizations and liaise with referees.
• Support case studies production: liaise with case study writers, editors, and local communities to ensure the proper gathering of materials and feedback, and the finalization of case studies about nature-based solutions.
• Support to travel preparations: Support Equator Prize winner representatives in their travel preparations for New York for the Award Ceremony or other relevant events and/or to other locations/venues to attend relevant events or international conferences.
• Support the coordination related to ensuring the participation of Indigenous peoples and local communities (“IP and LCs”) in national/regional and global policy events to make inroads in the UN system or other political bodies to advocate for human/civil/Indigenous rights, civil society engagement and inclusion, and nature-based solutions advancement for sustainable development.
• Support IP and LCs to actively participate in global conservation and development conferences and side events (e.g. by CBD, UNFCCC, WCC and UNCCD) by convening dialogue, identifying appropriate participants, summarizing key issues, providing supporting evidence and materials, preparing speakers for presentations, rehearsal of interventions, and supporting them for travel.
• Support the organization and coordination of global and national or local Equator Prize ceremonies and other capacity-building events.
• Support partnerships between the Equator Initiative and other international organizations, foundations, private sector companies, Indigenous groups, local communities, subject matter experts, UNDP offices worldwide, internal UNDP partners (GEF Small Grants Programme and other initiatives supporting local development initiatives) and other UN agencies.
• Support procurement processes to source external vendors for events, dialogues, workshops and to direct funds to Equator Prize winning communities.
• Support the Equator Prize community dialogues: Help organize community dialogue workshops, including logistical support, volunteer management, interpretation, etc.
• Support the drafting of written outputs and knowledge products: e.g., publications, newsletters, toolkits, sections of reports, concept notes, presentations, social media posts, interviews, podcasts, etc.
• In partnership with the Learning for Nature team and/or other partners, support the production and full delivery of webinars, training, workshops and other learning or capacity-building events tailored to IPs and LCs constituencies. Topics may include economical transformations, green entrepreneurship, supply chains, commodities, fundraising, private sector partnerships, MSME finance, basics of community video production, communications skills for IPLCs, nature-based solutions, advocacy for Indigenous peoples, mapping for biodiversity, land and tenure rights, community forestry, mangrove restoration, sustainable agriculture, local green energy, and others.
• Perform other duties as may be reasonably required and in line with the incumbent’s scope of services above.