Tiered Approach

In line with the commitment to safeguard capacity and support personnel already in the Organization, a majority of UNDP UNCDF/UNV vacancies are advertised using a tiered application process whereby:

  • Tier 0: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV IP staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments, whose posts will be abolished, or contracts will be terminated or not renewed during 2026.
  • Tier 1: Other UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding permanent (PA) and fixed-term (FTA) appointments
  • Tier 2: UNDP/UNCDF/UNV staff holding temporary appointments (TA), personnel on regular PSA contracts, and Expert and Specialist UN Volunteers
  • Tier 3 or no tier indicated: All other contract types from UNDP/UNCDF/UNV and other agencies, and other external candidates

Please make note of the Tier(s) indicated in the vacancy title, if any, and ensure that you satisfy the eligibility to apply.

Background

The Fiji MCO is committed to mainstreaming social and environmental sustainability across all programming through the consistent application of UNDP’s Social and Environmental Standards (SES) policy. This framework ensures that projects maximize social and environmental benefits while proactively avoiding, minimizing, or mitigating adverse risks. By embedding the SES into UNDP operations, its possible to enhance transparency, strengthen accountability, and improve the delivery of sustainable development outcomes for our partners and the communities.

Under the direction of the Resident Representative (RR), the Fiji MCO’s Management and Performance Oversight (MPO) unit ensures the effective delivery of all programmes and projects while maintaining organizational integrity. The unit oversees compliance with UNDP policies and coordinates the implementation of Social and Environmental Standards (SES) through localized strategies tailored to regional needs. Beyond compliance, the MPO unit provides high-level guidance on portfolio management, pipeline development, and project Quality Assurance, with a rigorous focus on results-based monitoring and donor reporting. By utilizing corporate tools such as the Integrated Financial Dashboard (IFD) and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), the unit actively monitors management trends, performs cost-efficiency analyses, and ensures the MCO remains agile and financially sound.

Following MPO’s mandate to oversee policy compliance and coordinate the UNDP Social and Environmental Standards (SES), a dedicated Social and Environmental Standards Analyst (SESA) is essential. This role will strengthen the Pacific Multi-Country Office by providing first-line quality assurance and second-layer oversight for priority projects. The Analyst will be responsible for tracking compliance, conducting spot-checks, and providing expert troubleshooting for risk mitigation measures. To ensure global alignment, the incumbent will follow a matrixed reporting line to both the RBAP Risk Management and Oversight team and the BPPS SES team.

Duties and Responsibilities

The SESA will work from UNDP Pacific MCO. The SESA will be reporting to the MPO Team Leader.  The SESA may be required to travel across 10 Pacific island countries. In such events, all travel costs will be covered by UNDP in accordance with UNDP’s travel policies.

Ensure SES Policy Compliance

  • Support MCO in ensuring programmes and projects are meeting the quality standards while they conduct Social and Environmental Screening in accordance with SES Policy Guidelines 
  • Provide recommendations to Senior Management in identifying avenues for improvement towards SES Standards 
  • Liaise with MCO Gender Analyst, Project Civil Engineers/ Gender Analysts and Regional Bureau Team to enhance the measures leading to improvement to SES Policy compliance in Project implementation 

Ensure SES Oversight and Quality Assurance 

  • Support the Programme/ Project team to conduct a thorough quality review of early drafts of Social and Environmental Screening Procedure (SESP) to ensure proper identification a categorisation of risk in design and implementation stages of Programme/ Projects.
  • Provide technical support to Programme/Project teams to carry out needed social and environmental targeted assessments and management plans in a timely manner. 
  • Guide the preparation of Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIA), Strategic Environmental and Social Assessments (SESA), and targeted assessments, providing additional quality assurance support for priority projects.
  • Provide oversight of Environmental and Social Management Frameworks (ESMF), Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMP), and issue-specific plans and frameworks.
  • Proactively track progress of moderate/substantial/high risk and other priority projects’ implementation of required Social and Environmental Standards and provide technical support to programmes/ projects in course correction if the assessments and management plans are not mitigating the high substantial risks. 
  • Provide technical support to MPO in overseeing and quality assurance to MCO annual SESP action plan. 
  • Work closely with Project Engineers especially with the Projects working on Construction components. 
  • Keep an oversight and provide inputs to the Management on the status of project level grievance redress mechanisms and give recommendations for improvement. 
  • Provide advice on effective disclosure and consultation processes with potentially affected stakeholders.

Facilitate SES Capacity Building 

  • Work with the Team Lead to conduct a MCO capacity assessment to identify baseline quality of Social and Environmental Standards documentation, capacity needs, priority risks, and opportunities. 
  • Support the Team Lead in developing and coordinating the implementation of an action plan to strengthen implementation across the MCO priority outcomes, clarifying the oversight and quality assurance process, roles and responsibilities, and a learning plan. 
  • Support regular capacity development, awareness raising, trainings and other learning opportunities for the CO team and implementing partners.
  • Support in conducting an assessment of national capacities/safeguards to identify key gaps, with guidance on how these gaps should be approached across the MCO priority outcomes. 
  • Formulate training models and conduct training sessions for partners and programmes/projects of moderate/substantial/high risk. 
  • Guide projects to develop a robust Grievance Redress Mechanism as well as Project Engineers for developing/ designing civil engineering related Monitoring and Reporting template. 
  • Maintain a vetted and trained pool of high caliber SES consultants, at global and regional levels and across a range of SES topics, for deployment to support SES implementation.

Facilitate SES Knowledge Management

  • Document lessons learned and best practices to facilitate learning 
  • Track and share precedents that have implications for the entire portfolio to ensure an aligned and consistent approach (e.g. identification of indigenous peoples). 
  • Maintain a database of project safeguards documents and examples that can be used as reference points. 
  • Work with the team to prepare an annual report on Social and Environmental Standards implementation in the office as well as progress made on the annual action plan, capturing key lessons learned recommendations for how to strengthen implementation moving forward.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organisation

Competencies

Core Competencies

  • Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline
  • Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements 
  • Learn Continuously:  LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback
  • Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible 
  • Act with Determination: LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident
  • Engage and Partner:  LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships
  • Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination 

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies 

2030 Agenda: Engagement and Effectiveness        

  • Effectiveness  Social and Environmental Standard

2030 Agenda: Planet

  • Nature Environmental Governance: Global Environmental Governance

Business Development: Knowledge Generation     

  • Ability to research information and to turn it into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or
  • responsive to a stated need. 
  • Ability to apply existing concepts to new situations, and to develop new concepts to generate workable solutions and new approaches. 
  • Knowledge of relevant concepts, conceptual models, and theories that can be useful in addressing new situations.

Business Management: 

Risk management

  • Identify and organize action around reducing, mitigating and proactively managing risks

Monitoring and Evaluation

  • Ability to systematically monitor results of strategies, programmes, and activities with a view to make sure that they are being implemented effectively; 
  • Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback and reporting on the consistency or discrepancy between planned activities and programme management and results.
  • Ability to make independent judgment of the management and results of strategies, programmes and activities based on set criteria and benchmark, keeping in mind the needs and concerns of client, current and upcoming.
  • Knowledge and understanding of monitoring and evaluation frameworks, concepts, methodologies, systems, processes, and tools. Ability to make an independent judgement based on set criteria and benchmarks. Ability to anticipate client's upcoming needs and concerns

Communication

  • Ability to communicate in a clear, concise, and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience.
  • Ability to manage communications internally and externally, through media, social media, and other appropriate channels.

Business Direction & Strategy: System Thinking          

  • Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

  • Advanced university degree (master's degree or equivalent) in Environment, Sociology, Economics, Community Development, Civil Engineering, or related field is required, OR
  • A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree)in the areas stated above,  in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience:

  • Minimum two (02) years (with Master’s degree) or four (04) years (with Bachelor’s degree) of practical experience in the area of environmental and social safeguards.

Required skills:

  • Experience  in  social and environmental standards and impact assessment in an international development context, preferably experience in undertaking safeguards risk screening, developing ESMPs, and conducting FPIC processes

Desired skills

  • At least 5 years of experience in applying social and environmental safeguards, assessments, and management.
  • Direct experience in design and/or implementation of sustainable development projects in the Pacific Region
  • Relevant safeguards oversight experience in an international development organization 
  • Knowledge of and experience applying the UNDP SES or similar frameworks
  • Previous experience working with a multi-lateral/international funding agency and/or a GEF-financed, UNDP-supported project will be an added advantage

Required Language(s)

  • Fluency in English is required.

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination. 

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles. 

Right to select multiple candidates

UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

Use of AI by candidates

Applicants are invited to read UNDP’s guidance for candidates on using AI responsibly in UNDP recruitment and selection

Scam alert

UNDP does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process. For further information, please see www.undp.org/scam-alert.

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