Climate Strategy and Policy Specialist in Asia Pacific

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, forms a contiguous spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP invests in the 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 the 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’s staff provides technical advice to Country Offices, advocates for UNDP corporate messages, represents UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora including public-private dialogues, government, and civil society dialogues, and engages in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas. BPPS works closely with UNDP’s Crisis Bureau (CB) to support emergency and crisis response. BPPS ensures that issues of risk are fully integrated into UNDP’s development programmes. BPPS assists UNDP and partners to achieve higher quality development results through an integrated approach that links results-based management and performance monitoring with more effective and new ways of working. BPPS supports UNDP and partners to be more innovative, knowledge and data driven including in its programme support efforts.

BPPS’s Hubs on Nature, Climate, Energy and Waste, with the support of the Vertical Fund Programme Support, Oversight and Compliance Unit, works 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.

The newly established UNDP Climate Hub is the arrowhead of UNDP’s commitment to the “Climate Promise” that aims to support programming countries designing and implementing pledges under the Paris Agreement, including ambitious National Determined Contributions, with climate change mitigation and adaptation interventions fully embedded in the national development planning and budgetary processes. The Climate Hub will build on UNDP’s existing over USD 4 billion country-level climate portfolio on Climate Change Policies and Strategies, Climate Change Adaptation, Climate Change Mitigation, Climate and Forests, covering over 142 countries, as well as on UNDP’s Nature portfolio, UNDP’s Sustainable Finance Hub, UNDP’s Digital offer and other relevant portfolios on youth, gender, health, climate security among others. 

The UNDP Climate Hub is responsible for: 

• Thought leadership on Climate and to be the custodian of UNDP policy positions on Climate.
• Strategy and vision formulation.
• Pipeline development in coordination with the other hubs and the Vertical Fund Programme Support, Oversight and Compliance Unit.
• Provision of integrated policy and programme support to Country Offices
• Global engagement, advocacy in collaboration with BERA.
• Integration across thematic areas.
• Strategic Partnerships development and resource mobilization.
• Lead and support global flagship initiatives and partnerships on Climate.
• Serve as focal point with relevant UN coordination mechanisms and Conventions (UN Framework Convention on Climate Change).
• Cross-organization knowledge and learning, and
• Innovation.

Position Purpose

UNDP seeks to engage the services of a Climate Strategy and Policy Specialist in Asia Pacific who will provide policy advice to Country Offices and through them to Governments in the region on the Paris Agreement and the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) enhancement and implementation, oversee the implementation of the NDCSP/Climate Promise in the Asia Pacific Region, lead the coordination of initiatives on different climate related thematic areas (e.g. adaptation, mitigation, biodiversity , disaster risk reduction, finance, etc.) at the Bangkok Regional Hub to shape an integrated approach to address climate crisis and help position UNDP (both COs and BRH) in the region on climate actions, and support COs and BRH to mainstream climate considerations and actions across their programming and operations work with a better utilization of the climate marker in Quantum. 

In particular, the Climate Strategy and Policy Specialist will be expected to support making tangible and explicit linkages between the Climate Promise initiatives and other climate related initiatives in each Climate Promise countries.  The Climate Strategy and Policy Specialist will also actively engage in UN-wide discussions and coordination of efforts across UN agencies in the region to advance our climate actions to reduce vulnerabilities and building resilience among communities through UN Issue-based Coalitions and other platforms. In addition, the position will map and engage with potential external partners capable of contributing to, co-creating with, or supporting delivery of UNDP’s vision and work around climate action, including NDC enhancement and implementation and the Paris Agreement. Special attention will be given to new and innovative partnerships off the beaten path (REAs, regional and national development banks, regional institutions). 

The successful candidate will support countries across the region participating in the NDCSP/Climate Promise, while also helping to ensure NDCs are integrated into the regional strategy and priorities as a critical tool for bringing together UNDP’s programming across climate and sustainable development. He/she will be expected to guide the effective implementation of Climate Promise related activities in the Asia Pacific region, aligned with UNDP’s strategic priorities and in close coordination with teams responsible for implementing UNDP’s wider climate portfolio. This includes ensuring that countries’ requirements and donor’s expectations are adequately met in accordance with the approved global portfolio initiative and associated global, regional, and country workplans.

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration. 

Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic Policy Advisory and Integration:

• Provide strategic advice to the Regional Technical Lead on bringing together the mitigation, adaptation, forestry, and carbon finance portfolio towards the implementation of the NDCs.
• Contribute to better positioning of UNDP coordinated support within region to deliver UNDP Strategic Plan.
• Drive the collaboration between the Climate Hub and the Sustainable Finance Hub in the Asia Pacific Region with regards to leveraging SDG finance tools for the NDC implementation.
• Guide analysis and identification of key needs, demands and trends across the region with regards to climate policies and NDCs.
• Provide strategic policy advice to countries across the region, in climate policy and NDCs, by responding to specific requests.
• Contribute to regional priority setting and strategy development to ensure NDCs and climate policy are integrated and leveraged to advance SDGs.
• Establish synergies and partnerships between the Climate Promise and other UNDP projects and programmes in Asia Pacific region, as well as with other institutions in the region, to coordinate country support on NDC implementation.
• Ensure improved mechanisms to deliver quarterly, annual, and final country reports from the region, along with timely updates.
• Follow up on potential strategic partnerships with private sector actors resulting from the series of NDC/LTS progress mapping, to accelerate a multistakeholder approaches to implement the Paris Agreement in the region.
• Contribute to the efficient integration across the Asia Pacific Regional Hub thematic areas as needed.
• Support the RTL in the development of regional business plans and regional data compilation as well as with corporate tasks as requested by the BPPS and RBAP management.
• Actively engage in the development of knowledge products in close coordination with RTL and Global CSP Team Lead.

Technical backstopping and quality assurance for the development and delivery of national activities:

• Ensure effective implementation of Climate Promise related activities aligned with UNDP’s strategic priorities in Asia Pacific region.
• Provide technical backstopping by guiding countries on project design in coordination with relevant thematic leads within the UNDP’s GPN teams at Asia Pacific Regional Hub in Bangkok.
• Provide substantive expertise and ensure the technical quality, accuracy, and relevance of country-level climate change activities to support the implementation of the Climate Promise projects in the region, both for mitigation and adaptation (resilience) actions.
• Maintain regular onsite supervision (country visits), as needed, to engage with relevant government stakeholders and local authorities, including UNDP country offices, and provide guidance for project implementation.
• Contribute to the implementation of capacity building activities to strengthen technical expertise of partners responsible for NDC implementation in participating countries.
• Monitor progress of project implementation, including the oversight and coordination of quarterly and final reports of country projects.
• Ensure improved mechanisms to deliver quarterly, annual, and final country reports from the region for the Climate Promise, along with timely updates.

Regional coordination and engagement on climate change and NDCs:

• Leverage the entire regional portfolio of climate related initiatives (e.g. energy, forestry, nature, biodiversity, sustainable finance, etc.) towards NDC implementation in the region.
• Coordinate with UNDP Sustainable Finance Hub in the Asia Pacific Region to mainstream NDC measures in sustainable finance mechanisms within countries in the region.
• Track, monitor and advise on the Climate Promise budget and implementation progress in accordance with the Annual Workplan.
• Coordinate with relevant global and regional development partners, such as ADB, IDB, ESCAP, WB, UNEP, FAO, IFAD, IRENA, UNFCCC in the area for NDC implementation in Asian and Pacific countries, in line with the NDC Partnership agenda.
• Liaise closely with the NDC Partnership regional manager to ensure coordination with the NDC Partnership Support Unit and NDC Partnership implementing partners.
• Coordinate regional technical backstopping activities in the different thematic areas under the Programme, tailoring technical assistance to countries’ needs.
• Support inter-agency efforts at regional level through Issue Based Coalitions on CC, concerted contributions to UNFCCC COPs and other global/regional events.
• Follow up on potential strategic partnerships with private sector actors resulting from the series of NDC/LTS progress mapping, to accelerate a multistakeholder approaches to implement the Paris Agreement in the region.

Regional knowledge, learning and communication: 

• Deliver regional-level knowledge, learning and south-south cooperation activities for Asia and Pacific region, in close coordination with other teams within the Regional Hub and in alignment with overall regional priorities and strategies, to ensure information from the country portfolio is extracted, consolidated, and shared.
• Contribute to the implementation of the Regional Knowledge and Communication Strategy in line with Climate Promise global/regional communications strategy.
• Lead development of a regional reporting on NDC status, progress, and trends across the region.
• Oversee the implementation of the Programmes communications, visibility & outreach strategy in the Asia Pacific region as well as the development of any relevant knowledge networks for the Climate Promise activities.
• Conduct peer reviews, comments, and seek to improve the technical quality of Climate Promise deliverables.
• Monitor and gather intelligence on activities related to the development of NDCs, NAMAs carbon markets, scaled up climate change mitigation, climate finance architecture, and sustainable energy, and facilitate knowledge transfer to stakeholders.
• Prepare relevant materials for advocacy and outreach activities related to key NDC-related issues relevant for the region.
• Actively engaged in the development of knowledge products in close coordination with RTL and Global CSP Team Lead.
• The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Supervisory/Managerial Responsibilities

The Climate Strategy and Policy Specialist for the Climate Hub for Asia Pacific will supervise the performance and work of the Climate Promise project team based in the region, including 1 Regional Coordinator (IPSA), and at least 1 Country Coordinator. Additional supervisees may be added when and if the portfolio expands. In this role the Climate Strategy and Policy Specialist will be expected to:

• Promote empathy and emotional intelligence to Climate Promise country coordinators in the region: enable the wellbeing of the team, show genuine care about people, be able read the emotional climate in the team and respond appropriately adapting leadership style as needed.
• Manage performance and ensure accountability to Climate Promise country coordinators in the region: Hold regular conversations about work including providing positive and constructive feedback, praise, and recognition, managing underperformance in a timely manner ensuring accountability.
• Provide effective management and oversight of staff and consultants.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

• An Advanced University Degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in Environment, Economics, Sustainable Development, or International Relations is required. OR
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the above -mentioned fields of study, in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

• A minimum of 7 years (with master’s degree) or 9 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant progressively responsible experience on climate change at the international level is required.
• Substantive experience in the design and implementation of mitigation and/or adaptation actions and long-term climate strategies to support greenhouse reduction efforts at country level is required.
• Demonstrated experience in providing policy advice to national governments on climate action in general and the NDC implementation in particular is required.
• Extensive experience with climate change projects in the region at country level is required.
• Demonstrated experience in project management is required.
• Substantive and relevant working experience in assisting national governments and agencies on climate change, particularly regarding governance and implementation strategies of the Paris Agreement and National Determined Contributions (NDC) will be considered an advantage.
• Networking and partnership experience, including establishing cooperation agreements for national or regional climate change agenda or mobilization of expertise to support joint work on the ground will be considered an asset.
• Extensive experience working in an international organization will be considered an asset.
• Knowledge of UNDP policies, procedures and practices is an advantage.
• Demonstrated experience facilitating the exchange of knowledge among peers, development of knowledge products and communication strategies is desired.

Language:

• Fluency in English is required.
• Knowledge of another language dominant in the region is an asset.

Source: https://estm.fa.em2.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_1/requisitions/job/17955