Public Financing of Nature-Based Agriculture – Project Coordinator

Result of Service

The work of the consultant will contribute to the implementation of the UN Development Account-funded project on ‘Financing NbS for Green and Inclusive recovery,’ which seeks to support Colombia in delivering the SDGs and the commitment under the Paris Climate Agreement and the Kunming- Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework while promoting the socio-economic objective of poverty reduction and food security for all. In this regard, the work of the consultant will also contribute to UNEP’s ‘Nature’, ‘Biodiversity,’ and ‘Finance and Economic Transformation’ Programmes.

Duties and Responsibilities

UNEP is the voice for the environment within the United Nations system, acting as a catalyst, advocate, educator, and facilitator to promote sustainable development through the effective use of the global environment. Its Industry and Economy Division plays a leading role in the Green Economy Initiative, which aims to shift national economies towards a sustainable trajectory. By doing so, it seeks to ensure that growth is driven by increased investment in green sectors and a transition of consumers’ preferences to sustainable goods and services. Located within this Division, the Resources and Markets Branch examines the manner in which economics, trade, and finance interact with the environment, thereby contributing to sustainable development at the local, national, regional, and global levels. It does so by working with countries through analytical studies in partnerships with UN agencies, intergovernmental institutions, governments, academic institutes, businesses, and civil society organizations to support the shift to an inclusive green economy. Among its areas of work, the Economic and Trade Policy Unit supports global efforts on green fiscal policy revisions by advising countries on how fiscal policies can support the inclusive green economy and thus delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals across different sectors, particularly agriculture. As one of its partner countries, Colombia possesses the second highest level of biodiversity in the world, hosting ten percent of global biodiversity. As biodiversity management affects the social and economic welfare of a large portion of the population, it is considered to be a matter of economic interest. However, biodiversity loss is being increasingly exacerbated by agricultural expansion, which could be limited through improvements in productivity. This is important as agriculture productivity in Colombia is below other countries in Latin America with no significant improvements having been made over the past decade. Among other things, this is because around ninety percent of transfers to producers are still in the form of market price support, which is considered one of the most distortive forms of agricultural support, with a range of agricultural products being driven by border measures. Moreover, government transfers to much-needed general public services such as research and development are low, only accounting for 2.3 percent of value-added in the agriculture sector (OECD, 2021). The consultant’s responsibilities will include, but will not be limited to, coordinating with the implementing partner to complete the following activities of the following outputs:

• Identify the conceptual scope of the project based on desk review and stakeholder engagement.
• Produce an updated workplan and budget.
• Conduct a stakeholder mapping analysis on relevant organizations in Colombia.
• Conduct several rounds of desk review on relevant policies in Colombia.
• Organize, facilitate, and report on regular stakeholder engagement meetings to acquire technical insights in an inclusive manner.
• Organize, facilitate, and report on a national launch event.
• Draft and incorporate subsequent feedback from relevant stakeholders in Colombia and from UNEP technical focal points on an analytical study and toolkit, providing quality control on the final English and Spanish versions.
• Organize, facilitate, and report on a workshop for a mid-term workshop where interim results will be shared with national stakeholders.
• Organize, facilitate, and report on a final workshop where final results will be shared with national stakeholders.
• Organize, facilitate, and report on a virtual knowledge exchange event where lessons learned will be shared with Brazil.
• Undergo any other actions required for project execution.

Qualifications/special skills

• Master’s or equivalent in economics, public policy, environment policy, or related field -At least five years of work experience with at least two years in public policy with a focus on public finance and/or agricultural finance -Strong analytical and research skills, with the ability to synthesize and communicate complex information and generate actionable insights, are required; -In-depth knowledge of agricultural policies, economic dynamics, and sustainable development issues in Colombia is an advantage; -Knowledge of agricultural fiscal policy, and in particular environmentally harmful subsidies in the context of agriculture is an advantage; -Experience in working with the Colombian government and the UN system on the theme of fiscal policy and/or sustainable agriculture is an advantage.

Languages

• English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. Spanish is the national language of Colombia. For the post advertised, fluency in oral and written English and Spanish are required.

Source: https://careers.un.org/jobSearchDescription/242908?language=en