Background

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the United Nations systems designated entity for addressing environmental issues at the global and regional level. Its mandate is to coordinate the development of environmental policy consensus by keeping the global environment under review and bringing emerging issues to the attention of governments and the international community for action. UNEP’s mission is to provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations. UNEP categorizes its work into seven broad thematic areas: climate change, disasters and conflicts, ecosystem management, environmental governance, chemicals and waste, resource efficiency, and environment under review.

The National Coordinator in BiH will be responsible for providing operational and technical support to UNEP Vienna Programme Office (Head of Office, Associate Programme Management Officer – WB Projects Coordinator) and will be in charge for the overall implementation of UNEP projects and initiatives in the country and the region, ensuring successful implementation of the projects’ activities and attainment of projects’ objectives. These tasks refer both to the provision of support relevant for operational management for projects, as well as assuring the high-quality outputs of activities implemented within the projects.

The incumbent will be based in the UNEP BiH Office in Sarajevo

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Overall development and implementation of the UNEP portfolio activities and respective workplans

• In cooperation with UNEP Europe and Vienna Office, supervises and ensures the timely implementation of the projects relevant activities as scheduled in the work plan;
• Preparing a detailed work plan for the project in cooperation with UNEP Western Balkans Coordinator and in consultation with the team;
• Provides overall coordination and takes overall management responsibility and accountability for successful implementation of activities under the programme;
• Providing guidance and reviews of technical specifications of project outputs and activities;

• Leads the preparation and implementation of project activities;
• Organizing and coordinating project activities such as workshops, studies and publications, subcontracts, equipment, and administrative support;
• Secures proper and efficient use of programme budgets, as per the project document,
• Ensures full accountability, transparency, and the principle of competition in the allocation of resources, procurement of services, works and goods and selection of recipients;
• Ensures regular communication and coordination with programme counterparts and beneficiaries, as well as develops and maintains effective mechanisms for integrating and responding to their feedback and insights;

• Liaises with the local governments, relevant ministries, CSOs, and other relevant institutions to collect, analyze and disseminate information relevant to the Project,

• Encouraging shared learning with national partners;
• Ensuring that the Project produces the outcomes at the required standards and within the specified cost and time limits;
• Supporting tender processes necessary for the implementation of the project activities;
• Coordinating the field activities among beneficiaries, consultants, services/goods providers and others;
• Identifying and ensuring synergy with other relevant ongoing/new projects;
• Identifies the risks on time, and suggests corrective measures.

2. Contributing with technical advice and support in defining and implementation of the UNEP portfolio activities

• In cooperation with Europe Office and Vienna Office develops the scope of the work and TORs and other procurement documentation required to identify and facilitate recruitment of experts and consultants;
• Co-developing relevant policy briefs, lessons learned documents, communication materials, website updates, and other relevant publications;
• Identifies sources of information related to policy-driven issues, identifies, and synthesises best practices and lessons learnt directly linked to the relevant area of responsibility;
• Providing advice related to the project processes to the Europe and Vienna Office project team;
• In accordance with the agreement with UNEP staff, participates in high-level consultations and working meetings.

3. Monitoring of project implementation and reporting of the overall UNEP portfolio activities

• Monitoring implementation of the project activities;
• Ensuring close coordination with project partners and overall tracking of M&E indicators;
• Coordinating and implementing the Monitoring and Evaluation activities;
• Proposing, developing and implementing changes and/or new solutions for the Monitoring and Evaluation activities;
• Liaising with other international organisations and other relevant partners (stakeholders, governments representatives, NGOs, etc.) in the field to ensure coordinated implementation of the activities related to Monitoring and Evaluation process within the portfolio;
• Assessing all results and reports of existing Monitoring and Evaluation framework;
• Carrying out regular follow-up and monitoring of implementation activities;
• Carrying out regular monitoring and reporting on risk and mitigation measures;
• Ensuring timely preparation and submission of required reports, including technical and financial reports to relevant parties;
• Providing regular updates on the portfolio development progress to key stakeholders;
• Collecting all relevant financial and other documentation, and control accuracy of reports on the expenditure of the funds;
• Keeping risk and issue logs based on the information acquired on the field;
• Providing regular progress reports regarding tracking of M&E indicators.

4. Ensure gender equality mainstreaming within UNEP portfolio

• Supporting the UNEP team in ensuring gender mainstreaming throughout project implementation, as well as in ensuring gender sensitive work plans, budgets, reports, research, and analyses;
• Ensuring that all data when collected and compiled are gender and age disaggregated and evaluated from a gender point of view.
• Ensuring knowledge on gender equality is incorporated in Project knowledge management activities and products

Competencies

Functional Competencies:

Advocacy/Advancing A Policy-Oriented Agenda

Level 1.2: Preparing information for advocacy

• Identifies and communicates relevant information for a variety of audiences for advocating UNEP’s mandate.

Results-Based Programme Development and Management

Level 1.2: Contributes into results through primary research and analysis

• Assesses project performance to identify success factors and incorporates best practices into project work.
• Researches linkages across programme activities to identify critical points of integration.
• Monitors specific stages of projects implementation.

Building Strategic Partnerships

Levle 1.2: Maintaining a network of contacts

• Ability to work with multiple stakeholders across a wide range of disciplines.
• Ability to work with diverse partners and ensure coherence in activities.
• Maintains an established network of contacts for general information sharing and to remain up to date on partnership related issues.
• Analyzes and selects materials for strengthening strategic alliances with partners and stakeholders.

Innovation and Marketing New Approaches

Level 1.2: Enhancing processes or products

• Generates new ideas and proposes new, more effective ways of doing things.

Resource Mobilization

Level 1.2: Providing inputs to resource mobilization strategies

• Analyzes information/databases on potential and actual donors.

Promoting Organizational Learning and Knowledge Sharing

Level 1.2: Basic research and analysis

• Generates new ideas and approaches, researches best practices and proposes new, more effective ways of doing things.

Job Knowledge/Technical Expertise

Level 1.2: Fundamental knowledge of own discipline

• Understands and applies fundamental concepts and principles of a professional discipline or technical specialty relating to the position.
• Possesses basic knowledge of organizational policies and procedures relating to the position and applies them consistently in work tasks.
• Strives to keep job knowledge up to date through self-directed study and other means of learning.
• Demonstrates good knowledge of environmental sectors and applies it in work assignments.
• Demonstrates in-depth understanding and knowledge of the current environmental issues in the country.

Client Orientation

Level 1.2: Establishing effective client relationships

• Researches potential solutions to internal and external client needs and reports back in a timely, succinct and appropriate fashion;
• Organizes and prioritizes work schedule to meet client needs and deadlines.

Core Competencies:

• Demonstrates integrity by modelling the UN’s values and ethical standards;
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNEP and UN system;
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability;
• Treats all people fairly without favoritism;
• Fulfills all obligations to gender sensitivity and zero tolerance for sexual harassment;
• Demonstrated excellence in clear, concise and convincing writing and communication skills;
• Self-development, initiative-taking;
• Highly organized with strong analytical and research skills;
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively as part of a collaborative team;
• Ability to identify areas of potential conflicts and take appropriate steps to deal with these;
• Promotes sharing of knowledge and experience, and actively works towards continued personal learning and development;
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude;
• Remains calm, in control and good humored even under pressure;
• Informed and transparent decision making.

Required Skills and Experience

Academic Qualifications/Education

• Advanced university degree (Master degree or equivalent) in Law or Economics; or similar area
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the areas stated above, in combination with additional two years of qualifying work experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience

• Minimum five years (with MA degree) or seven years (with BA degree) of professional experience: at least four years of experience in providing support to development and implementation of multilateral environmental agreements and internationally funded projects in BiH and in the Western Balkans in field of environmental protection and management;
• Demonstrated experience in support to managing complex projects and projects component, particulary in politicaly sensitive environment;
• Experience in putting together costed, results-oriented action plans, as well as in ensuring that such plans are effectively implemented;
• Demonstrated experience in working with government, donors and international organisation;
• Experience in co-operating with all local stakeholders including government officials, scientific institutions, NGOs and private sector;
• Experience in managing tasks of similar complexity and nature;
• Good understanding of environmental protection and enhancement challenges in Bosnia and Herzegovina;
• Demonstrated experience in working with local government.

Languages Requirements

• Fluency in English and languages of people of BiH

Other Requirements

• Excellent understanding of energy and environmental sector in BiH;
• Knowledge//understanding of environment and relevant EU directives;
• Excellent computer skills (especially Microsoft Office applications).