Technical Officer - UGI

Under the overall Programme Framework of Climate Resilient Green Growth, UNDP has been supporting the Government of Ethiopia’s efforts to achieve middle-income status and zero-net emissions by 2025. In this context, UNDP is providing support to strengthen implementation capacity of the key sectors involved in the National Green Economy Strategy. In this connection, the “Ethiopian NAMA: Creating Opportunities for Municipalities to Produce and Operationalize Solid Waste Transformation (COMPOST) was designed by the Government of Ethiopia with the technical and financial support of UNDP and the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

The COMPOST project is designed to promote greater use of Integrated Solid Waste Management (ISWM) and Urban Green Infrastructure (UGI) approaches in Ethiopian cities and towns that will assist the Government of Ethiopia in achieving the objectives of its Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP II). This will be achieved through four outcomes: i) strengthening the regulatory and legal framework and institutional coordination mechanisms to integrate ISWM and UGI within urban systems; ii) a developed market-based system with micro and small enterprises (MSEs) that are supported professionally to ensure financial sustainability of compost production and utilization; iii) implementation of a Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action (NAMA) that transforms the capacity of integrated urban systems to generate large emission reductions; iv) operationalized urban systems that integrate ISWM and UGI, with quantified GHG emission reductions, within a NAMA framework.

At the end of its lifetime, the COMPOST project will deliver direct annual emission reductions from UGI initiatives and ISWM equal to approximately 306,000 and 132,321 tCO₂e, respectively. These will accrue from the annual generation of 45,489 tonnes of compost from 151,629 tonnes of household organic waste, and the reforestation of 33, 309 ha of degraded land by the end of the 5-year project lifetime. By assuming a lifetime of 20 years for compost facilities and managed landfills as well as for carbon sequestration and the generation of renewable biomass for thermal energy, the direct emission reductions generated by the project will be 8.33 MtCO₂e, giving a GEF abatement cost of 0.80 US$/tCO₂e. The number of direct jobs created through composting by the end of the 2021 will be 744, of which at least 50% will be for women and youth. Additional direct jobs will be created by the UGI activities of the project, such as in nurseries, and digging and planting of trees. The project will produce co-benefits such as increased resilience of urban areas to drought and flooding hazards, and improved quality of life in urban areas.

The project consists of four components and will be implemented over a period of five years.

Component 1:      The enabling framework created and enforced to support ISWM and UGI   

Component 2:      The private sector value chain for compost is created and professionalism is   promoted to support sustainable production and utilisation of compost   

Component 3:      Architecture for Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action (NAMA) development and implementation is established

Component 4:      Integration of UGI and ISWM in urban systems, including design and implementation in 6 cities and towns (Adama, Bahir Dar, Bishoftu, Dire Dawa, Hawassa and Mekelle)

This UNDP and Ministry of Urban Development and Housing (MoUDH)-implemented, GEF-financed project will seek to implement a private sector-driven and market-based approach towards promoting integrated solid waste management and urban greenery.  .

Under the direct supervision of the project manager, Head of Urban Climate Resilient Bureau at the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing (MoUDH), and UNDP Country Office Climate Resilient Green Economy team leader and Energy and Low Carbon Development Analyst, the Technical officer will be responsible for the day-to-day management and implementation of the GEF project, including all project administrative matters and substantive outputs. All work of the technical officer will be carried out in line with the project document and Country Programme Action Plan and in full compliance with UNDP Rules and Regulations. The management and coordination process will be pursued through undertaking appropriate actions in project formulation, implementation and evaluation. Strong emphasis will be placed on ensuring cohesion with the other project initiatives.

1. Planning and implementation of the Urban Green Infrastructure(UGI) part of the “Ethiopian Urban NAMA- Creating Opportunities for Municipalities to Produce and Operationalization of Solid Waste Transformation (COMPOST) “project

• Lead the participatory UGI implementation processes at all levels, having analyzed the social, economic and environmental trends in the localities, regions and country as a whole, and establish the implementation plans for the project, having taken into consideration the grassroots aspects;
• Coordination of specific activities with regard to transposing UGI standards, development of tools and protocols for enforcement instrument, and stakeholder consultations on how the improved green spaces are to be used including the harvesting of fuel wood;  
• Coordination of the capacity building program for potential Micro and Small Enterprises involved with nurseries, tree plantations and urban agriculture;  
• Assistance in blending operations of compost with chemical fertilizer in conjunction with ATA;            
• Ensure implementationof resettlement action plan for illegal settlers within the project boundary according to UNDP’s displacement and resettlement standard
• Providing inputs into the UGI curriculum in collaboration with project experts and TVET Colleges;
• Propose areas for continuing support, based on changing country and regional trends, priorities, social and economic conditions;
• Ensuring the projects under implementation are abided by the relevant environmental laws and regulations of the Government of Ethiopia (GoE);
• Submit required and other UGI reports progress for management information, oversight and action.

2. UGI management, monitoring and oversight 

• Coordinate the UGI activities with relevant activities and initiatives of MoUDH and the selected City Administrations and other Government institutions;
• Manage UGI implementation in accordance with objectives, schedule and planned budget;
• Coordinate awareness creation on all project activities;
• Prepare Terms of Reference for goods and services to be recruited and participate in the recruitment process and oversee their performance and ensure their optimal performance;
• Hire, train, supervise and manage experts under the project office;
• Monitoring and collection of data from 6 cities (Cities included in the project) on:
  • The vegetation growth of degraded areas proposed for UGI activities of the project;
  • Progress of seedling plantation in UGI areas, including the amounts of blended compost used during the course of the project;
  • Monitoring of harvesting of fuel wood, growth of peri-urban forests and displacement of chemical fertilizers with compost in pilot UGI areas using best practices and under the guidance of the PM;

• Monitor progress and identify risks for timely action and early resolution.

3. Building strategic partnerships and alliances

• Ensure cooperation between the participating institutions of the project UGI initiative;
• Maintain dialogue with partners and stakeholders to advocate, promote and advance organizational issues, priorities, interests and competencies for a successful UGI implementation;
• Facilitate institutional linkages with the related initiatives, and participate in the meetings, inter-agencies missions and working group consultation processes;
• Coordinate and communicate with the relevant stakeholders at all levels, for effective UGI planning, implementation, monitoring and overall management for the achievement of results.

4. Building knowledge and capacity

• Contribute substantially to knowledge-building initiatives at national, regional and local levels;
• Through day-to-day interactions, develop a network of knowledge-sharing on UGI;
• Assistance to PM in the formulation of NAMA documentation, including inputs into the MRV mechanisms for UGI-related baselines and utilizing the experiences from monitoring  UGI activities of the project; and  
• Participation in information dissemination activities on UGI;
• Contribute to the UNDP website, newsletter, booklets, etc;  
• Contribute knowledge and experience to the corporate and CO knowledge sharing networks and platforms.

Corporate Competencies:

• Demonstrates integrity by modeling the UN’s values and ethical standards
• Promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of UNDP
• Exerts strict adherence to corporate rules, regulations and procedures.
• Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability

Functional Competencies:

Management, Technical and Operational Effectiveness

• Demonstrates strong analytical and technical skills applied to managing programmes / projects, and human and financial resources
• Demonstrates excellent communication skills, including strong competence in verbal and written English
• Ability to plan, design and implement an effective M&E system for UGI, training in M&E development and implementation and/or facilitating learning-oriented analysis sessions of UGI data with multiple stakeholders, data and information analysis and analytical report writing;
• Willingness to undertake regular field visits and interact with different stakeholders, especially primary stakeholders;
• Knowledge of  silvicultural practices and plantation technology;
• Experience in implementing social forestry practices;
• Familiarity with the country’s Climate Resilient Green Economy Strategy;
• Ability to work under  pressure;
• Experience  working in  projects is an asset;
• Experience in working with harmony
• Ability to quickly grasp and synthesize inputs from a range of sources, especially those related planning, service delivery and monitoring and evaluation
• Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision and seriousness about quality and timeliness of work
• Builds effective relationships with clients, focuses on impact and result for the client and responds positively to feedback
• Ability to establish and maintain contacts with senior-level officials of the government required. Excellent interpersonal skills are essential part of the job
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude
• Good knowledge of the Results Management Guide and Toolkit
• Good ICT skills

Leadership and Self-Management

• Focuses on result for the client and responds positively to feedback
• Consistently approaches work with energy and a positive, constructive attitude
• Remains calm, in control and good humored even under pressure
• Demonstrates openness to change and ability to manage complexities.

Education:

• A Bachelor or a Master  degree in forestry, natural resource management,  environmental science or other related field

Experience:

• Minimum of 2 years hands-on experience in urban green initiatives for Master degree, or 4 years of experience for Bachelor Degree where past experience in monitoring and evaluation of projects would be considered an asset;

    Language Requirement:    

• Fluency in both written and spoken English and Amharic.

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All posts in the SC categories are subject to local recruitment.

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