Office/Project Description 

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 provides technical advice to Country Offices; advocates for UNDP corporate messages; represents UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora, including public-private, government and civil society dialogues; and engages 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, Energy, Waste and Chemical 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,Waste and Chemicals work with governments, civil society, and private sector partners to integrate natural capital, environment and climate concerns into national and sector planning and inclusive growth policies; support country obligations under Multilateral Environmental Agreements; and implement the UN’s largest portfolio of in-country programming on environment, climate change, and energy. 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;
• 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.

In 2010 UNDP launched the Green Commodities Programme (GCP) –currently known as Food and Agricultural Commodity Systems (FACS)– to improve the national economic, social, and environmental performance of agricultural commodity sectors. FACS works within agricultural commodity production in countries of UNDP operation where the programme can have significant impact on the livelihood of farmers and their communities and can protect high conservation value forests and important vulnerable ecosystems.

Since 2014, the Food and Agricultural Commodity Systems (FACS) Community (formerly known as Green Commodity Community) fulfills pivotal learning through sharing, knowledge management and connectivity function towards the Food and Agricultural Commodity Systems (FACS), the Good Growth Partnership (GGP), the Food and Land Use Restauration (FOLUR) Programme led by the World Bank, the SECO Sustianable Landscape Programme (SLPI) and a growing number of other initiatives.

The FACS Community is a safe learning space welcoming global change makers, local leaders and practitioners from international organizations, government, business, and civil society. It offers a range of services to its members that allow them, among other things, to collaborate with their project stakeholders, take part in learning events, receive coaching, access guidance documents, find answers from peers & experts about specific innovative solutions & tools, grow their networks, meet at global in-person & virtual events etc.

In 2021 the Community launched its Digital Platform both in web and mobile versions. The platform provides a neutral and multilingual space for country practitioners, local leaders and global changemakers to shape, share and learn the progressive practices and innovative solutions which will transform food and agricultural commodity systems.

Today the community counts more than 400 members from 32 countries working on 10 food and agricultural commodities, and is planning to double its size by 2025 and expand its geographical and commodities portfolio.

 Scope of Work 

Within the Food and Agricultural Commodity Systems (FACS), the Community of Practice Analyst will be ensuring the effective operations of the FACS Community and guiding the Community Lead, Community Manager, and Community Adviser in delivering the key processes as follow:

a- Manage the FACS Community Digital Platform and Community Data Analysis:

• Coordinate and liaise with the digital platform (Hivebrite) providers on new features, upgrades and renewals, and respond swiftly to arising technical issues (bugs, errors, glitches).
• Proactively guide and assist prospective community members in setting up their profiles.
• Create groups, tabs and sub-groups using relevant branding materials (banners, thumbnails, logos etc.) and upload necessary content (posts, videos, resources) using the required platform formats.
• Keep oversight of and maintain the FACS Community membership database.
• Gather and analyse the FACS Community data and information (membership, events, subscription to digital platform) including preparation of flowcharts, tables and slides for donor reporting and other purposes as needed.

 b- Coordinate FACS Community Learning Events and Operations:

• Oversee event logistics, from pre-planning through delivery and post-event wrap-up and evaluation including technical support with the usage of various videotelephony software programs (e.g. Zoom) and other digital tools  (Mural, Miro, Mentimeter, Otter etc.).
• Maintain internal FACS Community filing system up to date on SharePoint and perform other administrative tasks as needed.

c- Facilitate knowledge and capacity building, knowledge sharing and advocacy 

• Organize training, workshops, and capacity building activities in a consultative manner, involvingtechnical experts and stakeholders that may include the government, private sector, NGOs,donors, and/or academia.
• Identify, synthesize and document best practices and lessons learned that are generated from the project and implementing partners.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for theefficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Institutional Arrangement

• The incumbent will work from home;
• The incumbent  will work under the supervision of the FACS Programme and Knowledge Management Analyst. In the course of the assignment he/she will work closely with the FACS Community and other FACS team members. He/She will also liaise with the FACS Community global changemakers and national  practitioners, FACS advisors, UNDP Country Offices, staff from the Regional Hub for Latin America and the Caribbean and others as needed;
• The incumbent will be given access to relevant information necessary for execution of the tasks under this assignment;
• Given the global nature of the Community work, the incumbent is expected to be reasonably flexible with his/her availability for regional and country CoP events to be undertaken during this assignment taking into consideration different time zones;
• the incumbent will be responsible for providing his/her own working station (i.e. laptop, internet, phone, scanner/printer, etc.) and must have access to a reliable internet connection;
• the incumbent will engage regularly with the supervisor by email, Teams and Zoom on a weekly and/or as needed daily basis.

Competencies

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

Minimum Qualifications of the Successful IPSA

Min. Education requirements          

• Advanced university degree (Master´s degree or equivalent) in Economics, Science, Humanities, Arts, Social or Political Sciences, Administration, Information and Communication Technology, or other related fields is required. or
• A first-level university degree (Bachelor’s degree) in the above fields in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Min. years of relevant work experience

• Applicants with a Master’s degree (or equivalent) in a relevant field of study are not required to have professional work experience.
• Applicants with a Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) are required to have a minimum of two (2) years of relevant professional experience in community-related projects.

Required skills            

• Proven work experience in managing online platforms.
• Proven experience with digital tools & software (video conferencing, interactive presentations, visual collaboration).
• Proven experience in data collection and analysis.
• Proven experience organizing and supporting events and workshops.

Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section      

• Experience at the UN, or at similar international or bilateral organizations will be an advantage.
• Experience supporting complex and distributed global teams will be an advantage.
• Experience in supporting the preparation of material & documentation for events is desirable.

Required Language(s)            

• Fluency in English language.
• Fluency in other UN Language is an asset.

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: No requirements