Global Technical Specialist - Ecosystems and Biodiversity- IPSA 11

Office/Unit/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 Change, Energy, and Waste (NCE&W) 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’s Hubs on Nature, Climate, Energy and Waste, with the support of the Vertical Fund Programme Support, Oversight and Compliance Unit, works with governments, civil society, and private sector partners to integrate nature, climate, energy and waste related concerns into national and sector planning and inclusive growth policies, support country obligations under Multilateral Environmental Agreements, and oversee the implementation of the UN’s largest portfolio of in-country programming nature, climate change, energy and waste. 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 addition to UNDP’s bilateral partnerships in Nature, Climate, Energy and Waste, UNDP is an accredited multilateral implementing agency of the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the Multilateral Fund (MLF), the Adaptation Fund (AF) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF). As part of UNDP’s partnership with these vertical funds (VFs), UNDP’s Environmental Finance Unit supports UNDP’s Nature, Climate, Energy and Waste related Hubs and provides countries specialized integrated technical services for eligibility assessment, programme formulation, capacity development, policy advice, technical assistance, training and technology transfer, mobilization of co-financing, implementation oversight, results management and evaluation, performance-based payments and knowledge management services.

With its technical focus, UNDP’s Nature, Climate, Energy, and Waste (NCE&W) Hubs are organized into substantive technical teams (Biodiversity, Water and Oceans, Climate Change Mitigation, Climate Change Adaptation, Chemicals & Waste) led by a Director who leads and provides the strategic direction for his/her respective hub, supported by a team of Principal and/or Senior Technical Advisors (PTA/STA) being the team leader within each area. Each team leader supports and guides a team of Regional Technical Advisors (RTAs) and Specialists (RTSs). As well as being a member of a technical team, each RTA/RTS is also a member of a regional team, which consists of RTAs/RTSs from all technical teams working together under the leadership of the NCE&W Regional Team Leader. The regional teams are based in regional hubs from where they support UNDP’s country offices and partners in their region. The technical teams are organized around core thematic areas of nature, climate, energy, and waste.

UNDP recognizes healthy biodiversity and ecosystem services, including soil fertility and water provisioning, as the foundation of human wellbeing and sustainable development. It sees nature-based solutions as essential solutions for tackling multiple developmental challenges, be they land degradation and desertification, climate crisis, inequality and poverty, insecurity and migration.  UNDP’s Ecosystems and Biodiversity Programme adopts the view and an approach that bringing the development agenda to the biodiversity discourse enables it to engender increased public, business, and government support for biodiversity conservation and sound ecosystem management, broadening the support base necessary for achieving global biodiversity goals.  UNDP, as a convener, mobilizes global, national and local level actors, governments, businesses, non-governmental organizations, and communities to communicate the value of biodiversity for it to be integrated into national and local development, and sector and fiscal planning processes and practices. UNDP is supporting implementation of 300 country-level terrestrial and marine ecosystems and biodiversity projects in 120 countries.   These combined with a set of global projects and programmes, such as the Biodiversity Finance Initiative, Nature for Development Programme, Green Commodities Programme, linked to country level work, connect people on the ground to the national, regional and global decision makers and influencers, and foster exchange and learning between communities, landscapes, governments in different countries and continents. 

The Global Technical Specialist works under the overall supervision and leadership of the Senior Technical Advisors (PTAs) for Ecosystems and Biodiversity, and liaise closely with the Regional Team Leaders for NCE&W based in UNDP’s Regional Hubs in Panama, Addis Ababa, Istanbul, Amman, and Bangkok (depending on the country s/he is supporting) and in close collaboration with other technical Specialists and Advisors at both global and regional levels.    

The Global Technical Specialist for Ecosystems and Biodiversity will be home based and will be required to travel based on country demands. 

The Global Technical Specialist will provide support to all the regions based on demand in any particular country over the contract period, supporting the Director and Senior Technical Advisors of the Nature Hub and teams of Regional Technical Advisors (RTAs) located in the UNDP Regional Hubs in ensuring quality implementation oversight of large nature-related portfolio. This will include liaison with UNDP Country Offices, RTAs, RTSs, Government stakeholders, project teams, and other relevant consultants.

Innovation, Strategic Leadership, Policy Dialogue and Advocacy (10%)

• Contributing to a strategic understanding of, and engagement with, the substantive technical issues, institutions, and processes within the region, including establishing contact and developing strategic partnerships with other agencies, donors, NGOs, the private sector, scientific institutions and the like; 
• Participating in the development and implementation of UNDP’s global and regional strategies on environment and sustainable development within the BPPS, GPN and beyond; engagement in policy and advocacy work with external partners where relevant
• Providing policy development support and guidance to country offices and governments; 
• Supporting the development of strategic UNDP policy position papers and internal briefing notes; 
• Facilitating policy analysis and the development of technical tools and guidance; 
• Maintain trusted relationships with country offices, government and non-governmental partners’ role within the region; 
• Keeping the NCE&W Regional Team informed of trends and issues with respect to the substantive technical area and contribute actively to regional NCE&W programming and Business plans; 
• Keeping the Senior Technical Advisors and RTL informed of trends and issues in the region;

Development Impact (75%)

• Assisting with inception and start-up of programmes/projects, ensuring the implementation teams’ understanding of technical and operational aspects of the projects, and strong technical and operational capacity of project management units;
• Supporting UNDP country offices and programme/project implementation partners in project supervision, and timely and quality implementation, providing troubleshooting and guidance for adaptive management;
• Undertaking virtual and physical supervision missions aimed at (a) verification of results and (b) troubleshooting to manage technical quality assurance risks;
• Undertaking technical quality assurance of the Annual Work Plan (AWP) cleared by the CO, ensuring alignment with the approved project document and technical robustness of proposed AWP activities in line with the approved project result framework; 
• Undertaking risk management oversight including conducting risk-based second tier portfolio oversight and address escalated GEF project risks/critical issues through Action Plan;
• Providing oversight for monitoring and evaluation support including quality and timely completion of the annual Project Implementation Reports (PIRs) reports and technical oversight related input during mid-term reviews (MTRs) and terminal evaluations (TEs);
• Facilitating production of project communication pieces effectively showcasing socio-economic and environmental impacts of individual projects and its linkage to the UNDP Strategic Plan priorities and targets.

Portfolio Management (5%)

• Assisting in the maintenance of programme/project and portfolio information and corporate information systems;
• Facilitating the identification, and sourcing of technical expertise and support including assisting with the preparation of TORs, identification and evaluation of experts and reviewing reports.

Learning, Knowledge Management and Self Development (10%)

• Evaluating, capturing, codifying, synthesizing lessons and stimulating the uptake of best practices and knowledge, including the development of knowledge materials;
• Peer reviewing, commenting on, and seeking to improve the technical quality of programmes/projects, policies, practices, guidelines, advisory notes, publications and the like; 
• Contributing to the preparation of regional Community of Practice meetings; 
• Supporting the preparation and delivering of training courses;
• Responding to queries on programme/project progress, impacts and lessons;
• Developing and carrying out a personal learning plan (5%).