Socio Economic and Livelihoods Associate

With projects and programmes in every state and union territory in India, UNDP works with national and subnational government, and diverse development actors to deliver people-centric results, particularly for the most vulnerable and marginalized communities. As the integrator for collective action on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within the UN system, we are committed to supporting the Government of India’s national development vision and priorities and accelerating the achievement of the SDGs for the people and the planet. 

UNDP India’s new Country Programme (2023-2027) builds on our prior work and aims to provide an integrated approach to development solutions in three strategic portfolios: 
· Strong, accountable and evidence-led institutions for accelerated achievement of the SDGs 
· Enhanced economic opportunities and social protection to reduce inequality, with a focus on the marginalized 
· Climate-smart solutions, sustainable ecosystems and resilient development for reduced vulnerability 

South-South cooperation, gender equality and social inclusion are promoted across the pillars. The programme is supported by a framework of renewed partnerships and blended finance solutions, strategic innovation and accelerator labs, and data and digital architecture.

You are invited to join a team of future-smart development professionals to support India in achieving the national and globally agreed goals. As part of the UNDP team, your focus will be to work with diverse stakeholders to find country-specific solutions that lead to sustainable development and reach those furthest behind first. 

Project Description

The Action for Climate and Environment Team (ACE) portfolio at UNDP is currently working in various thematic areas of climate change adaptation and mitigation; disaster management and resilience; and access to clean and efficient energy. The following projects have a strong component on climate change adaptation

 The Green Climate Fund (GCF) project – on “Enhancing Climate Resilience of India’s Coastal Communities” supports the Government of India and the state governments in the project states of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Maharashtra, to enhance the resilience of vulnerable coastal communities to climate change through ecosystem based adaptation (EbA). The project combines GCF grant finance with significant leveraged co-finance from central and state governments to shift the paradigm towards a new approach, integrating ecosystem-centred and community-based approaches to adaptation into coastal management and planning by the public sector, the private sector and civil society. 

The project supports the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India and the nodal departments of the target State governments, to enhance the resilience of the lives and livelihoods of the most vulnerable populations, particularly women, in the coastal areas of India to climate change and extreme events, using an ecosystem-centered and community-based approach in three target states. This project as well contributes towards the achievement of climate priorities outlined in India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change (2008), the State Action Plans, as well as commitments outlined in India’s Nationally Determined Contributions (2015). 

The project works at national, state and community levels to enhance capacities for ecosystem-based approaches to climate change adaptation and enable climate policy and finance shifts to catalyze climate action in all of India’s coastal states and union territories.

The project will enhance the resilience of coastal communities throughout India, through the implementation of interventions under the following inter-linked outputs: 
· Output 1: Enhanced resilience of coastal and marine ecosystems and their services. 
· Output 2: Climate adaptive livelihoods for enhanced resilience of vulnerable coastal communities; and 
· Output 3: Strengthened coastal and marine governance and institutional frameworks for climate resilient management of coastal areas. 

The above will be achieved through interventions outlined below in target landscapes in the three states – Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Odisha: 
· Protect and restore ecosystems such as mangroves and seagrass 
· Help communities adopt climate-adaptive livelihoods and value chains 
· Mainstream EbA principles into coastal planning and governance, enabling intersectoral coordination for addressing climate risk across all of India’s coastal states.

Job Purpose and Scope of Work

The Socio Economic and Livelihoods Associate will be a part of the State project management team and will work under the direct supervision of the State Project Manager (SPM) Odisha and will work in close collaboration with the National Project Management Units (NPMU) (New Delhi). S/he will ensure engagement of all direct stakeholders and delivery of project objectives in coordination with the state nodal agency (Forest, Environment and Climate Change department, Govt. of Odisha), when needed.

A. Main Purpose:

S/he will act as the focal point in the state for the implementation of the socio-economic and livelihoods strategy in all target landscapes of the state.

B. Duties and Responsibilities:

· Undertaking participatory, user-centric livelihoods planning in target landscapes in Odisha:
· Assist State Project Manager (SPM) to providing technical support to community groups to set up the adaptive livelihoods and add value to the products of climate-adaptive aquaculture and agriculture.
· Coordinate with SPM to support local communities in increasing potential for adopting climate-resilient practices to reduce the vulnerability of livelihoods to climate change impacts by undertaking new livelihood activities.
· Help SPM to oversee livelihood support work being undertaken by NGOs at community level under the project (rice intensification, crab fattening, mussel farming, oyster farming, crab hatchery, ornamental fishery and seaweed farming).
· Support SPM in analyzing climate-resilient value chains, identifying market opportunities, developing business plans, promotion market linkages, and accessing finance for livelihood and value-chain development
· Supporting the development of value chains for climate-adaptive livelihoods, by facilitating backward linkages for input supply, and forward linkages for processing, packaging, storage, refrigeration, transport and market access
· Providing technical assistance to community groups to set up certification schemes for “eco” products, and to develop bankable business plans to access loan finance for expansion, during or post-project.
· Facilitate trainings for extension officers and community mobilizers on ensuring that planned livelihoods and value addition activities are climate-risk informed
· Undertaking village-level capacity building on climate change and EbA in target landscapes considering evolving climate risks – involving women’s groups, self-help groups, producer and fisher organizations, CBOs, NGOs and Panchayat Raj institutions, with focus on women, youth, and marginalized groups
· Facilitating training courses for climate-adaptive aquaculture, ecotourism and non-timber forest products, as well as climate-smart intensification and climate-adapted crops through relevant community-based organizations (e.g. self-help groups) and local self-governance institutions (e.g. Gram Panchayats)
· Working with the NPMU/SPMU and relevant stakeholders in developing multimedia public education and awareness campaigns on climate change and its impacts, and the need to conserve and restore ecosystems to underpin livelihoods and buffer extreme events 
· Facilitating capacity building of team on ecological aspects, ecosystem-based adaptation and livelihoods. 
· Any other related task assigned from time to time by State Project Manager. 

Institutional Arrangement 

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 

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 Management- 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 

Business Management- Evaluation 
· Ability to make an independent judgement based on set criteria and benchmarks – Ability to anticipate client’s upcoming needs and concerns. 

Business Management- Working with Evidence and Data 
· Ability to inspect, cleanse, transform and model data with the goal of discovering useful information, informing conclusions and supporting decision-making 

2030 Agenda: People Gender 
· Gender Mainstreaming 

2030 Agenda: Planet Nature, Climate and Energy  
· Climate Change Policies: Governance / integrated planning for climate change investments in the context of urbanization 
 

Business Management- 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

Min. years of relevant work experience 
Minimum 7 years with secondary education or 4 years with a Bachelor’s degree of work experience in livelihood, natural resource management and rural development project at national and sub-national levels; experience in Odisha is desired.

Required skills 
· Good understanding of all aspects of project management. 
· Strong knowledge and understanding sub-national institutional contexts in the select state 
· Work experience in in conducting assessment and analysis of natural resource management livelihood related options/activities 
· Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages, good knowledge and experience in handling of web-based management systems 

Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section 
· Experience in working with local government or NGOs on /livelihood and other socio-economic activities related activities in India, experience of work at community level 
· Experience of working with Central and/or State Government/international agencies/ on similar assignments related 

Required Language(s) Fluency in English, Odia

Professional Certificates N/A