Background
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The project “Addressing Climate Vulnerability in the Water Sector (ACWA) in the Marshall Islands)” implemented by the Government of the Republic of Marshall Islands (GoRMI) in collaboration with UNDP became operational in January 2020 with the objective to address expected impacts of climate change on water security on Republic of Marshall Islands (RMI).
RMI is a small island developing state in the Pacific. The nation is a large-ocean state, with a total land area of only 182 km², spread across over 2 million km² of ocean. There are 24 inhabited atolls and islands, which are mostly remote and lie merely 2 m above sea level on average. There are no rivers, streams or lakes in RMI and the number of small surface ponds is very limited.
GoRMI, with the assistance of UNDP, has developed a project on adaptation to climate change impacts to water supply in RMI. The project is co-financed by GoRMI and Green Climate Fund (GCF). The project will build resilience to the impacts of climate change on water supply, particularly in 24 atolls and islands that are highly vulnerable to drought. The project will invest in improving water security, water resilience and water governance through:
- Water Security – Improving household and community rainwater harvesting and storage structures to increase resilience of water supply in 77 rural communities in the outer islands and atolls accounting for approximately 28% of RMI’s population, including 7,630 (49%) women, currently at risk.
- Water Resilience – Securing groundwater resources from contamination due to inundation caused by wave overtopping of seawater.
- Water Governance – Strengthening the technical capacities of national and subnational institutions and key stakeholders to integrated climate change risks into water governance processes so that management of climate change risks are coordinated, effective, participatory, equitable, and sustained over the long-term when risks are expected to worsen.
The project aligns with GoRMI’s key climate change policies and strategies and has been developed through extensive consultation with government, Non-Government Organizations (NGOs), Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) and beneficiary communities. The proposed project is aligned with RMI’s NDC and country work programme to the GCF. The NDA has issued a letter of no-objection and the proposed project is aligned with the work programme of the AE (UNDP) selected by the NDA.
- This GCF project will be executed by UNDP, in close partnership with the GoRMI, given UNDP’s extensive experience in implementing climate change adaptation projects globally. The project implementation will be led by a team based in Majuro, RMI and Suva, Fiji.
The Community Engagement Associate will work under the supervision of the Project Manager ACWA Project, and work closely with the Team Lead for the Climate Change & Resilience Team and the Project management Unit (PMU) as well as the key government counterparts. Below is the ACWA project’s organizational structure – depicting the reporting line for this position.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Under the direct supervision of the Project Manager, the Community Engagement Associates will primarily focus on securing community support and engagement with ACWA project implementation activities, but will also have involvement in other aspects of the project as described below.
The Community Engagement Associate will work in tandem with the Area Coordinators and Site Coordinators in the implementation of project activities at the target communities and liaising with the Mayors, Members of Parliament, and community leaders. The Project will operate all outreach initiatives to the target communities based on the four Atoll and Island geographical areas that have been designated based on their geographical locations.
Summary of Key Functions
- Oversee the implementation of project activities
- Coordinate with various stakeholders at national and community level
- Oversight Site Coordinators
- Strengthen community engagement
- Support Grievance Redress Mechanism
Oversee the implementation of project activities
- Establish and maintain social rapport with communities in the 24 targeted Atolls and Islands.
- Provide supports for Technical Design Survey disclosure meetings, delivery of material to Atolls and Islands, installation works for rainwater harvesting system, groundwater rehabilitation
- Conduct training for Site Coordinators and communities, Community-based Water Committees for water safety management, climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction and gender equality.
- Compiles summary reports to the Project Manager and Area Coordinators following individual missions and be prepared to provide responses to queries.
- Contribute and participate in trainings, workshops, and other activities conducted by ACWA project to promote and maintain community engagement and participation.
Coordinate with various stakeholders at national and community level
- Establish and maintain social rapport with the Paramount Chiefs, ranking chiefs, and elders of the target communities and ensuring they are kept abreast of project progress as it relates to their domains.
- Ensure close coordination with local leaderships for transparent and accountable communication
Oversight Site Coordinators
- Monitor, supervise and oversight Site Coordinator for their daily activity and compile bio-weekly report
- Guide and train Site Coordinator for monitoring and porting activities
Strengthen community engagement
- Conduct visits to targeted communities in the 24 Atolls and Islands with the objective of informing the people about ACWA project and its overarching goals and methodology and receiving feedback.
- Closely work with ACWA Project Management Unit (PMU) team especially Area Coordinator, Water Governance Coordination Specialist, Field Engineers, and Chief Technical Advisor to ensure community support and engagement with ACWA project activities
Support Grievance Redress Mechanism
- Support Chief Technical Advisor and Site Coordinator to ensure proper handling community suggestion, concern or request to be accountable and compile report.
- Any other responsibilities that may be assigned by the Project Manager.
Competencies:
Core competencies:
- Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline
- Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements
- Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback.
- Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible in change process
- Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident.
- Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships.
- Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination.
Cross-Functional & Technical competencies:
Business Direction & Strategy
- Strategic Thinking: Ability to develop effective strategies and prioritized plans in line with UNDP’s objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, potential risks and opportunities, linking the vision to reality on the ground, and creating tangible solutions; Ability to leverage learning from a variety of sources to anticipate and respond to future trends; to demonstrate foresight in order to model what future developments and possible ways forward look like for UNDP.
- 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.
- Effective Decision Making: Ability to take decisions in a timely and efficient manner in line with one’s authority, area of expertise and resources.
- Negotiation and Influence: Ability to reach an understanding, persuade others, resolve points of difference, gain advantage in the outcome of dialogue, negotiates mutually acceptable solutions through compromise and creates ‘win-win’ situations.
Business Development
- Collective Intelligence Design: Ability to bringing together diverse groups of people, data, information or ideas, and technology to design services or solutions.
2030 Agenda: Planet
- Nature, Climate and Energy: Water Governance: Integrated Water Resources Management; Climate Change Adaptation: Water Management
Required Skills and Experience:
Education:
- Secondary Education is required.
- University degree (Bachelor´s degree) in Social Science or relevant fields will be given due consideration but is not a requirement.
Experience:
- Minimum 7 years (with Secondary Education) or (4) years (with Bachelor´s degree) of experience in community engagement, development, environmental management, customer service, teaching, facilitation of stakeholder meetings at community level or any relevant work experiences.
- Demonstrated strong ability of supporting/promoting community work development.
- Proficiency in the use of basic software applications (MS Word, MS Excel) and adequate knowledge and practical experience in handling web-based information management systems.
- Experience on working in the Pacific or sub-tropical environment – ideally in an atoll island environment.
- Understanding of climate change issues is desirable.
- Experiences working in remote Islands is strongly desirable.
Required Languages:
Disclaimer
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UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.
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Non-discrimination
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