Project Specialist (Home based)

Job Purpose and Organizational Context

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 provide technical advice to Country Offices, advocates for UNDP corporate messages, represent UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora including public-private, government and civil society dialogues, and engage in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas. 

UNDP's 2022-2025 Strategic Plan highlighting our continued commitment to eradicating poverty, accompanying countries in their pathways towards the SDGs and working towards the Paris Agreement. As part of the Global Policy Network in the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, UNDP's Nature, Climate Change, Energy, and Waste (NCE&W) Hubs promote and scale up integrated whole-of-governance approaches and nature-based solutions that reduce poverty and inequalities, strengthen livelihoods and inclusive growth, mitigate conflict, forced migration and displacement, and promote more resilient governance systems that advance linked peace and security agendas.

 BPPS’ Hubs on Nature, Climate, Energy and Waste work with governments, civil society, and private sector partners to integrate nature, climate, energy and waste related concerns into national and sector planning and inclusive growth policies, support country obligations under Multilateral Environmental Agreements, and oversee the implementation of the UN’s largest portfolio of in-country programming nature, climate change, energy and waste. 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 including Nature-based Solutions for Adaptation
• Climate Mitigation; 
• 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.

The Global Fund for Coral Reefs (GFCR) is a unique blended finance vehicle dedicated to coral reefs globally. Hosting both a Grant Fund and an Investment Fund, the GFCR is designed to scale financial solutions and blue economic transition that bolsters the resilience of coral reefs and the communities that depend on them. In more than 20 coral nations, GFCR focuses on incubating and scaling financial interventions and enterprises that address local drivers of coral reef degradation, unlock conservation funding flows, and increase communities’ adaptive capacities. Supported solutions include waste treatment and recycling facilities, coral reef insurance, sustainable aquaculture and agriculture, ecotourism enterprises, blue carbon credits, and sustainably financed Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).   

The GFCR Coalition is a public-private partnership driven by Member States, UN Agencies, financial institutions, philanthropies, impact investors and organisations. The GFCR Coalition includes more than 20 coral nations, the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation; Prince Albert II Monaco Foundation; Minderoo Foundation; the Governments of  Germany, France, Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom; the Green Climate Fund; Pegasus Capital Advisors; Builders Vision; Bloomberg Philanthropies; the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP); United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF); the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN); the Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance (ORRAA) and the Coral Research & Development Accelerator Platform (CORDAP). 

Through the Fund, capital will be leveraged to help developing countries mobilize the resources they need to meet their coral reef commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. The Fund will support business models that can sustainably finance key conservation and development goals for coral reefs via two initiative windows. Technical assistance, capacity development, monitoring, and evaluation are provided via the grant window using grants and concessional finance, while the investment window generates de-risked investment capital to maximize the impact of projects supported by the grant window. 

Based on a “resilient reefs” approach which targets coral reefs with the greatest chance of survival and reduces local drivers of reef degradation, the Fund will finance interventions in priority locations framed by a signature Theory of Change premised on four inter-connected Outcomes: to Protect and Restore coral reefs and to Transform and Recover coral-dependent communities.

UNDP is a founding partner of the GFCR. Drawing on relevant knowledge and resources from within UNDP – and working with a range of third-party delivery partners – the UNDP team is responsible for delivering a comprehensive set of activities and outcomes in support of the continued implementation of GFCR’s strategy and mission, including production and adaptive management of the GFCR investment strategy and plan, strategic finance and knowledge partnerships, knowledge management, and development and monitoring of GFCR policies, reporting, standards, and guidance. In addition, the team is responsible for providing technical advice and oversight for UNDP GFCR programmes in Fiji, Maldives, Papua New Guinea, Jordan and Egypt, with other programmes in the pipeline.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Project Specialist will provide technical advice and oversight support to the growing portfolio of GFCR-financed UNDP implemented programmes. The Specialist will support project design and implementation processes for UNDP-GFCR projects, as well as oversee key project milestones such as mid-term reviews and terminal evaluations. This role will include liaison with UNDP Country Offices, Regional Technical Advisors, Government stakeholders (where appropriate and under guidance of the RTA), project teams, and other relevant consultants. 

For selected countries, the Specialist will provide regular technical advice for project development and implementation, including: 

• Advise UNDP Country Offices (COs) and/or contracted experts in the development and writing of UNDP GFCR programme concept notes;
• Provide strategic advice to COs in the formulation and review of Initiation Plans and Terms of Reference for Project Preparation Grants;
• Lead in the review and editing of Project Documents for submission to the GFCR Executive Board;
• Provide strategic inputs into the writing/reviewing of TORs for Mid Term Reviews and Terminal Evaluations, as well as ensuring high quality delivered reviews and evaluations by consultants;
• Provide technical advice to COs on coral reef conservation and innovative financing, reviewing of assessments and business plans;
• Provide strategic advice to COs to finalize annual reporting processes including providing inputs to the commentary for each annual report, liaising with COs and project teams as required, and editing the annual report for yearly submission in October, as needed;
• Advise COs through the provision of tools and guidance to assist with inception, contracting and start-up of programmes/projects including establishment of indicators, benchmarks, and work plans;
• Coordinate with the COs to ensure compliance with GFCR and UNDP policies, inclusive but not limited to risk management, gender and inclusion, social and environmental safeguards;
• Coordinate with COs and Regional Teams to prepare reports and communications pieces effectively showcasing project results, including environmental and socio-economic development benefits; 
• Coordinate the UNDP GFCR team on knowledge management and learning, including evaluating, capturing, and synthesizing lessons and facilitating the uptake of best practices and knowledge, including the development of knowledge materials, ensuring linkage to the GFCR REEF+ platform and community of practice;
• Strategically formulate responses to queries from the UN Global Team of GFCR and COs on programme/project progress, impacts and lessons; 
• Coordinate, where possible, in the updating and maintenance of programme/project and portfolio information and corporate UNDP and GFCR information systems; 
• Coordinate with COs in the identification and sourcing of technical expertise for UNDP-GFCR programs, including preparation of TORs and the identification and evaluation of experts, alongside the UNDP-GFCR team
• Ensure effective integration and coordination with existing and related UNDP portfolios and pipeline, including Vertical Funds and other donor supported initiatives.
• Provide strategic advice in the development and management of partnerships to promote the development and deployment of coral reef finance in UNDP/GFCR/BIOFIN countries, including potentially Seychelles and Belize.

Institutional Arrangement

• The Project Specialist will report to the UNDP Senior Technical Advisor for Oceans.
• The Project Specialist will be given access to relevant information necessary for the execution of the tasks under this assignment.
• The Project Specialist will be responsible for providing her/his own workstation (i.e. laptop, internet, phone, scanner/printer, etc.) and must have access to reliable internet connection.
• Given the global consultations to be undertaken during this assignment, the Project Specialist is expected to be reasonably flexible with his/her availability for consultations taking into consideration different time zones.
• The Project Specialist will engage regularly with the supervisor by email and other communication tools on a weekly and/or as needed daily basis.
• The Project Specialist shall provide the Supervisor with a monthly progress report on the status of the implementation of tasks.

Competencies

Core

Achieve Results:                   LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact 

Think Innovatively:             LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems 

Learn Continuously:            LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences

Adapt with Agility:              LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands 

Act with Determination:   LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results

Engage and Partner:          LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency

Cross-Functional & Technical Competencies                                                                                                              

• 2030 Agenda: Planet
  • Nature, Climate and Energy
    • Ecosystems and biodiversity
• Business management
  • Customer Satisfaction/Client Management                                       
    • Ability to respond timely and appropriately with a sense of urgency, provide consistent solutions, and deliver timely and quality results and/or solutions to fulfil and understand the real customers' needs. 
    • Provide inputs to the development of customer service strategy. 
    • Look for ways to add value beyond clients' immediate requests. 
    • Ability to anticipate client's upcoming needs and concerns.
  • Project management                                                                                
    • Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals
  • Communication                                                                                           
    • Ability to communicate in a clear, concise and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience
    • Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media and other appropriate channels
  • Monitoring                                                                                                   
    • Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback on the consistency or discrepancy between planned and actual activities and programme performance and results
  • Partnership management                                                                        
    • Ability to build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies
• Business Direction and Strategy                                                                            
  • System Thinking                                                                                          
    • Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system

Minimum Qualifications of the Successful IPSA

Min. Academic Education                                                                                                        

• An advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Marine Science, Environmental Sciences, and Economics or Business Studies with a specialization in environment and development, or other closely related fields is required, or
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the said fields in combination with additional 2 years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of an advanced university degree.

Min. years of relevant work experience                                                                                                                   

• Minimum 7 years (with master’s degree) or 9 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant professional work experience with developing countries in the field of conservation, management, and financing.

Required skills                                                                                                                                   

• At least 5 years of experience with conceptualizing and developing internationally financed projects and programmes is an asset.
• At least 5 years of experience with the Global Environment Facility (GEF), Green Climate Fund (GCF) and/or GFCR is an asset.

Desired additional skills                                                                                                     

• Demonstrable experience in working across different disciplines and connecting natural resource issues with the sustainable development agenda
• Demonstrable experience in working on conservation finance 
• Experience working with/in small island developing states  and/or coral nations in the policy development and implementation processes associated with coral reef conservation is an advantage
• Experience in direct project development for vertical funds and guiding project implementation and management
• Experience working with multilateral, bilateral and/or regional environmental funds
• Experience in establishing and/or maintaining strategic and long-term partnerships.
• Working experience in an international organization/ UN System/ UNDP is an advantage

Required Language(s) (at working level)                                                                                                      

• Fluency in English language is required
• Working knowledge of French or Spanish is an asset.