Adaptation Specialist

Result of Service

The consultant will be responsible for overall coordination of the execution of the GCF funded project Nature4Cities at the regional level, and shall ensure the following: • Project activities and deliverables are carried out as outlined in the Project Document. • Proper coordination between the local project management unit, key local stakeholders and the rest of the regional project team. • Development of annual work plans. • Budget planning and reporting. • Drafting communication material and lessons learnt. • Organization of meetings and workshops. • Technical review of the final deliverables. The consultant will be responsible of the following: Day to day activities will include: • Monitor and manage project implementation, monitor work progress, and ensure timely delivery of outputs in all 13 cities according to GCF project’s requirements, • Serve as focal point for all 7 national teams working in the region, providing technical input and operational guidance to implement activities. • Provide input to management and technical reports and other documents as described in the project document. • Manage, coordinate and facilitate the work of the Administration and Financial Officer. • Advise the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) experts in developing and implementing a comprehensive monitoring and reporting system. • Systematize national material on shared folders for a common regional use on knowledge management, capacity building and communication activities. • Report to the Regional Project Steering Committee regarding project progress. • Report on a monthly basis on the IPMR UNEP platform on project progress. • Inform the UNEP programme officer immediately of any issue or risk which might jeopardize the success of the project. • Provide inputs to the development of concept notes to multilateral funds, such as the Green Climate Fund, the Adaptation Fund or similar, ensuring alignment with national priorities and insight from local regulations, and ongoing and past projects. • Provide inputs to the website designer for the development of the online portal on urban EbA, ensuring all materials are uploaded and available. Closing project activities include: • Act as main focal point for countries’ Nationally Designated Authority once local teams finish implementation and outstanding activities will require UNEP closure. • Generate and process final financial report with the regional financial team. • Prepare detailed technical reports and overview budget reports as per the GCF requirements, especially the last Annual Project Report expected in March 2025 • Organize a final project event with all key stakeholders to review project outcomes, lessons learnt, challenges, and successes. • Organize one final Regional Project Steering Committee Meeting to present project results and closure. • Act as a Liaison with the 3 implementing partners of the project, coordinating final products delivery, providing technical revision, following-up on payment requests and delivery and closing up of agreements. • Close all financial commitments with vendors, implementing partners, consultants and/or partner agencies. • Coordinate the transfer and documentation of any remaining assets or equipment to relevant entities. • Complete all final evaluations of consultants for officer in charge approval.

Work Location

Panama City, Panama

Expected duration

8 months

Duties and Responsibilities

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the leading global environmental authority that sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the coherent implementation of the environmental dimension of sustainable development within the United Nations system and serves as an authoritative advocate for the global environment. 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. The UNEP Latin America and the Caribbean Office (LACO), located in Panama City, Panama works closely with the 33 countries of the region – including 16 small island developing States – with a population of about 588 million people. The office works to serve the needs of the region and its activities are integrated into the work programs approved by the United Nations Environment Assembly of UNEP (UNEA). The Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region is the second most urbanized region in the world, with ~80% of the population living in cities. Within the next two decades, this proportion is projected to reach ~85%, thereby ranking the cities of the LAC region among the fastest-growing in the developing world. The rate of urban expansion is faster in small and medium-sized cities relative to mega cities. This rapid urbanization and the associated expansion of cities is degrading urban and peri-urban ecosystems – including wetlands, green spaces and forests – that provide a wide range of ecosystem services for urban communities. To address the vulnerability of urban communities, governments in the LAC region need to develop and implement cost-effective, low-risk solutions, such as Nature-based Solutions (NbS) by protecting, maintaining and rehabilitating priority ecosystems in urban areas. As a result, UNEP is working with the governments of, Honduras, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Ecuador, Uruguay, Panamá and Cuba to execute a Readiness project “Nature4Cities - Increasing resilience through Nature based Solutions in Latin-American cities” funded by the Green Climate Fund (GCF). The aim of the project is to increase the capacity of participating countries to design and implement Nature Based urban development strategies that ensure urban resilience to climate change through five main areas of work: (1) Strengthening the knowledge base of national and local governments to assess the potential for Nature Based Adaptation and Mitigation Solutions in urban areas in the context of broader climate change strategies; (2) Reinforcing enabling policies and institutional frameworks to increase adoption of NBS in urban planning; (3) Strengthening partnerships between key actors to accelerate the adoption of NBS solutions; (4) Defining climate finance strategies through innovative public, private and blended financial mechanisms and facilitating access to climate finance for the sustained implementation of NbS; (5) Accelerating upscaling and replication through a regional Urban NBS platform. UNEP LACO seeks to support countries in Latin America to implement the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the new Paris Agreement and the priority actions defined in the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) of Latin American countries. To achieve this, UNEP is seeking an Adaptation Specialist for the Nature4Cities project, under the supervision and guidance of the UNEP Programme Management Officer for Adaptation of the Climate Change Unit for Latin American and Caribbean Office, while working in close collaboration with the Regional Team and National Coordinators for Nature4Cities who will be responsible for overall coordination of the execution of the GCF funded project Nature4Cities. The consultant will work from the UNEP office in Panama, 40 hours per week, from Monday to Friday on a full time basis.

Qualifications/special skills

ACADEMIC: - Bachelor’s degree in environment, natural resources management, architecture, urban development, economic development, or a closely related field is required. - Master’s degree in environment, natural resources management, architecture, urban development, economic development, or a closely related field is required. PROFESSIONAL: - A minimum of 5 years of work experience related to architecture, urban planning or similar is required. - At least 2 years’ experience as a lead project manager in urban development, urban planning, environmental management or related sectors is desirable. - At least 2 years of working experience with international organizations and multilateral funds such as the GCF is desired. - Demonstrated solid knowledge of ecosystem-based adaptation to climate change, ecological restoration and sustainable use of natural resources is desirable. - Experience in the public participation development process associated with environment and sustainable development is an asset. - Proven experience in working and collaborating within governments is desirable.

Languages

- Fluency in Spanish is required - Fluency in English is required

Additional Information

Not available.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.