Mission and objectives

As the United Nations lead agency on international development, UNDP works in 170 countries and territories to eradicate poverty and reduce inequality. We help countries to develop policies, leadership skills, partnering abilities, institutional capabilities, and to build resilience to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Our work is concentrated in three focus areas; sustainable development, democratic governance and peace building, and climate and disaster resilience. UNDP’s mandate is to end poverty, build democratic governance, rule of law, and inclusive institutions. We advocate for change, and connect countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life.

Context

The Africa Sustainable Finance Hub (ASFH) implements various strategic interventions that seek solutions to assist governments and partners in addressing financing gaps and counter challenges threatening the achievement of sustainable development. In doing so, ASFH aims to strengthen the SDG financing ecosystems at regional and country levels to help unlock public and private capital to accelerate the achievement of SDG targets and the AU Agenda 2063 across the African region. Accordingly, the ASFH engages different actors in the financing for sustainable development landscape and promotes an array of financial resources as guided by the Addis Ababa Action Agenda (AAAA), including innovative financing instruments such as carbon markets, to increase financing available to support Africa region recover from the pandemic and build back better over the long-term. At AFSH, we strive to provide services that are based on deep understanding and the best available knowledge of instruments and processes. Our work involves quantitative and qualitative analysis, contributing to relevant research reports, desk analysis on climate change mitigation-related topics, and organizing and implementing expert workshops. This position is in the Carbon Markets and Climate Finance Unit which supports the development of regulatory guidelines, standards, and policies relevant to greenhouse gas estimations, mitigation actions, and the technical assessments of projects and program of activities submissions and entity competence. The Unit provides substantive and technical input and advice to the UNDP Country Office Network and acts as a liaison between collaborating partners while overseeing the implementation of partnership programs.

Task Description

Under the Carbon Markets and Climate Finance Lead, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks: 1. Project/program management • Project Management: Support the design, review, and implementation of projects targeting carbon markets with the potential to generate International Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs), ensuring alignment with UNDP project management guidelines outlined in the Programme and Operations Policies and Procedures (POPP); • Donor Reporting: Prepare and review quarterly and annual donor reports, ensuring timely submission and compliance with reporting requirements and quality standards; • Partnership Development: Conduct donor intelligence research and analysis to identify potential new partners and funding opportunities, maintaining a database of prospective donors and their strategic priorities. 2. Research analysis: • Conduct a thorough analysis of existing national and global policies and regulations on carbon markets and climate finance, prepare reports, white papers, policy briefs, and presentations, as well as communicate research findings, best practices, and policy recommendations to diverse audiences; • Collaborate with Ministries, departments, public institutions, and the private sector to analyze their current strategies, identify opportunities for decarbonization, and provide advisory services on implementing net-zero strategies, carbon pricing mechanisms, and optimizing CO2 in their value chain through existing policy and regulatory requirements. 3. Knowledge product development: • Project manage and coordinate the dissemination of our knowledge products through various channels, including online platforms, training, workshops, and media outlets, to reach targeted audiences and maximize impact: • Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to gather input, feedback, and data for knowledge product development, ensuring relevance, accuracy, and usability of the final outputs; • Assist in developing a new knowledge launch that integrates investor relations with comprehensive climate finance reporting. 4. Technical Support: • Support Governments in translating international climate agreements into national targets, policies, and governance arrangements: • Work with regional civil society to raise awareness and knowledge about climate finance, its impacts, and the implications of the global discussion for the region: • Provide state-of-the-art advice on renewable energy options and associated technologies, climate-related insurance as relevant to loss and damage, as well as policy approaches to the just transition and climate justice: • Develop a bottom-up strategic roadmap for clean energy in the region facilitating private sector participation in clean energy transition pledges to accelerate the transition in the region: • Contribute to the needs assessment, identify suitable partnerships, and lead stakeholder mapping, in addition to participation in workshops, and contributing to the development of strategic roadmaps and reports: • Monitor developments from major climate change-relevant institutions online (e.g., the UNFCCC), summarize key takeaways, and ensure information is communicated internally in a timely fashion: • Draft communications materials such as external webpage content, Intranet news updates, publications, slide decks, or blog posts as needed; • Support climate change policy-related grant administration such as compiling progress reports, tracking and reviewing project results, responding to information requests, coordinating project activities, and following procurement procedures, among other areas as needed. 5. Administrative and Budget: • Organize preparations for AFSH meetings and events on climate policy, including meeting scheduling, meeting agenda and room preparations, note taking, providing on-site support and receiving guests, and following up with notes and action items; • Manage files, reports, and assets for the Unit’s climate policy team in online collaboration and information storage platforms (e.g., SharePoint and Microsoft Teams); • Efficiently execute a variety of routine administrative and operational tasks, including procurement, human resources procedures, contracting, and budgeting support, among others.

Competencies and values

Professionalism; Integrity, Teamwork, and respect for diversity; commitment to continuous learning; Planning and organizing; Communication; Flexibility; Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement.

Living conditions and remarks

The World Bank classifies South Africa as an upper-middle-income economy, one of only eight such countries in Africa. Yet the country is currently ranked just 109th out of 191 countries on the United Nations Human Development Index (HDI). South Africa is a developing country. The country is diverse in all possible aspects, from language to religion, owing to the many, many ethnicities unified in this nation. In South Africa, you can find some of the most “Westernized”, wealthy, and progressive facets of the African continent, but also some of its most dire problems. The Economy of South Africa is the third largest in Africa and the most industrialized, technologically advanced, and diversified economy in Africa overall. South Africa remains a dual economy with one of the highest and most persistent inequality rates in the world, with a consumption expenditure Gini coefficient of 0.67 in 2018. High inequality is perpetuated by a legacy of exclusion and the nature of economic growth, which is not pro-poor and does not generate sufficient jobs. The South African economy was already in a weak position when it entered the pandemic after a decade of low growth, expanding only by an average 1% percent between 2012 and 2021, leading to a contraction of income per capita of 5.6% during this period. Longstanding structural constraints, such as electricity shortages, continue to be binding. South Africa experiences regular power outages known as “load-shedding.” According to the United Nations Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) Travel Advisory: for South Africa, the security situation in South Africa demands constant vigilance. Health hazards are HIV – throughout the country; and malaria – mainly in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and Kwazulu-Natal provinces. Candidates from Sweden is encouraged to apply. UN Volunteers receives the below entitlements: • A Monthly Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA): $2442.60 per month; • A once off entry lumpsum of $4000 at the start of the assignment; • Medical insurance; Life cover, and annual leave; • Access to all learning platforms; • A once off exit lumpsum at the end of the assignment.

Level of Education: Bachelor Degree

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: No requirements