In Country Facilitator (Home based Retainer) - Gaborone, Botswana

Botswana is committed to ambitious climate action through its revised 2024 NDC, which targets a 15% economy-wide emissions reduction by 2030 compared to business-as-usual and prioritises adaptation across key sectors. As Botswana prepares its NDC 3.0, it will need to build on lessons from NDC implementation and ongoing initiatives, while aligning climate commitments with national development priorities, including Vision 2036 and the National Development Plans.

At the same time, Botswana is preparing its first Biennial Transparency Report (BTR1) under the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF), with support from a GEF-funded project to strengthen data systems, institutional arrangements, and capacities for tracking NDC progress and climate finance. The parallel NDC, NAP, and BTR/ETF processes require sustained coordination across government and development partners.

The Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET), through the Department of Meteorological Services (DMS), leads these efforts. The NDC Partnership supports Botswana in coordinating technical and financial assistance through its Country Engagement Strategy. A dedicated In-Country Facilitator embedded within government is therefore needed to strengthen coordination, align partner support with national priorities, mobilise resources, and support the implementation and monitoring of the NDC.

Under the supervision of the NDC Partnership Country Engagement Specialist and in close coordination with the Climate Change Coordinator based in the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, and in close collaboration with the Focal Points of the NDC Partnership at the Ministry of Environment and Tourism and Ministry of Finance, the Facilitator will support Botswana to:

• Strengthen governance and multisectoral coordination for climate action.

• Advance NDC 3.0, NDC implementation, and BTR/ETF processes.

• Align and mobilise technical and financial support for priority climate actions.

• Strengthen MRV, transparency, and tracking of NDC progress and climate investments.

• Promote whole-of-society engagement, including the private sector and civil society.

• Enhance coherence between climate planning processes and national development frameworks.

• This is a retainer national vacancy / position for twelve 12 months, maximum of 220 working days, with possibility of an extension depending on satisfactory performance and on availability of funds. 

• This is a Homebased position, meaning that the incumbent will not work from a UNOPS office but from the government facilities. Therefore, the incumbent will need to use his/her own laptop and software. 

• As this is a Local Position, in order to be eligible, the incumbent should be a national of Botswana or have a valid residence in Botswana.

• Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

The embedded facilitator will serve as the NDC Partnership’s interface in the country and operate as a liaison between the country and other NDC Partnership members. The role is one of coordination and supportive facilitation. They play a key role in ensuring the smooth implementation of the Country Engagement Process, by supporting ongoing coordination efforts between the Support Unit of the NDC Partnership, the various partners of the Partnership, and the government of the Republic of Botswana.

1. Governance, Coordination & Stakeholder Engagement

• Support the secretariat functions of the National Climate Change Committee (NCCC) and its technical working groups (TWGs), including agenda preparation, documentation, and follow-up on action points.
• Provide dedicated coordination support to the DMS for the alignment and advancement of NDC 3.0, BTR, NAP, and related processes.
• Strengthen coordination mechanisms with key line ministries (e.g., Ministry of Minerals and Energy; Ministry of Lands and Agriculture; Ministry of Local Government and Traditional Affairs; Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure) by supporting sectoral focal points.
• Support the establishment or strengthening of sectoral coordination mechanisms where required, including defining roles, responsibilities, and reporting pathways for sectoral focal points involved in NDC implementation.
• Facilitate engagement with non-state actors, including the private sector, civil society organisations, youth groups, and academic/research institutions to foster inclusive climate action.
• Support the dissemination and socialisation of the NDC Implementation Plan and Investment Framework across government and non-government stakeholders.
• Liaise with relevant district-level structures to ensure local perspectives inform national NDC and NAP processes.
• Facilitate cross-government dialogue on climate policy coherence to ensure alignment between sectoral development strategies and national climate commitments.

2. Resource Mobilisation & Partnership Alignment

• Support the drafting and updating of Requests for Support (RFS) for NDC 3.0, NAP development and implementation, BTRs, and priority sector interventions, and ensure the focal points channel them through the NDC Partnership.
• Map development partner programming in Botswana and maintain a national partner support tracking database, using NDC Partnership templates and tools, to identify gaps and avoid duplication.
• Convene or support regular donor and development partner coordination meetings (at least twice per year) focused on climate finance and NDC-aligned investments.
• Conduct country self needs assessments in collaboration with line ministries to identify support gaps and develop concept notes for bankable projects.
• Support the MET and the Ministry of Finance in engaging with climate funds (e.g., Green Climate Fund, Adaptation Fund) and development finance institutions to mobilise resources.
• Support the development of a pipeline of priority climate investment opportunities aligned with national mitigation and adaptation priorities and suitable for submission to international climate finance mechanisms. Including supporting initiatives like Botswana country platform for mobilising scaled up support.

3. Policy Alignment & Enabling Environment

• Support the finalisation, validation, and operationalisation of the NDC Implementation & Investment Plan.
• Coordinate the work of sectoral Technical Working Groups (TWGs) established for NDC sectors (e.g., energy, transport, water, agriculture, waste and others).
• Facilitate national and district-level consultations for the development of NDC 3.0 Investment Planning and the ongoing NAP and BTR processes.
• Review relevant policy and strategy drafts to provide recommendations on integrating NDC targets and climate resilience into sectoral plans, national budgets, and frameworks like the National Development Plan (NDP)12 /13, and Vision 2036.
• Support the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development and the MET in their efforts to develop or strengthen a national climate finance strategy and budget tagging and tracking system.
• Identify policy, regulatory, or institutional barriers to NDC implementation and propose actionable recommendations to address these gaps.

4. Monitoring, Reporting & Transparency Systems

• Support DMS and relevant line ministries to develop and operationalize systems for online tracking of NDC implementation, including the use of the BTR1/ETF framework and the CBIT project's tools.
• Assist in the collection, validation, and analysis of quarterly implementation data from line ministries and development partners.
• Prepare Quarterly Country Engagement Update (CEU) Reports for submission to the NDC Partnership Support Unit.
• Maintain and update the national project mapping and support tracking database using NDC Partnership tools.
• Develop quarterly and monthly internal progress briefs for the DMS and MET leadership.
• Proactively identify implementation bottlenecks and coordinate problem-solving sessions with relevant ministries and partners.
• Support the strengthening of institutional arrangements for climate data management and inter-agency data sharing to ensure reliable reporting under the Enhanced Transparency Framework.

5. Capacity Building & Knowledge Management

• Support the design and delivery of training programs for government officials and other stakeholders on NDC implementation, MRV/ETF systems, climate finance readiness, project development, and gender-responsive climate action.
• Contribute to the development of guidance materials, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and templates to support NDC-related processes.
• Facilitate peer learning and knowledge exchange with other countries in the region (e.g., South Africa, Rwanda, Namibia, and Zambia) on best practices in NDC implementation and transparency.
• Produce knowledge products such as policy briefs, case studies, and success stories to document and share lessons learned from Botswana's climate action.
• Support the organisation of annual learning and reflection events to assess progress, adapt strategies, and strengthen the evidence base for future NDC updates.
• Contribute to strengthening national institutional capacity to sustain NDC implementation beyond the duration of the Facilitator position.