Programming and Policy Analyst

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

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, forms a contiguous spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP invests in the 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 the 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’s staff provides technical advice to Country Offices, advocates for UNDP corporate messages, represents UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora including public-private dialogues, government and civil society dialogues, and engages in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas. BPPS works closely with UNDP’s Crisis Bureau (CB) to support emergency and crisis response.  BPPS ensures that issues of risk are fully integrated into UNDP’s development programmes. BPPS assists UNDP and partners to achieve higher quality development results through an integrated approach that links results-based management and performance monitoring with more effective and new ways of working.  BPPS supports UNDP and partners to be more innovative, knowledge and data driven including in its programme support efforts.

UNDP’s 2018-2021 Strategic Plan emphasizes the critical links between environmental sustainability, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and broader efforts to achieve the goals of the 2030 Agenda and Paris Agreement. As part of the Global Policy Network in the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, UNDP’s Nature, Climate Change, and Energy (NCE) Team promotes and scales 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.

The NCE Team works with governments, civil society, and private sector partners to integrate natural capital, environment and climate concerns into national and sector planning and inclusive growth policies; support country obligations under Multilateral Environmental Agreements; and implement the UN’s largest portfolio of in-country programming on environment, climate change, and energy. 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; Renewable and Modern 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 on natural capital, environment and climate, 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) which  includes the Global Environment Facility Trust Fund (GEF Trust Fund); the Nagoya Protocol Implementation Fund (NPIF); the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF); and the Special Climate Change Fund (SCCF)). As part of UNDP’s partnership with these vertical funds, UNDP 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.

The Programming and Policy Analyst will work under the direct supervision of the Director and Executive Coordinator – EF & Global Lead - NCE and will directly support him/her, and the Directorate as needed, in managing their day to day work, enabling them to deliver timely and effectively on strategic and corporate priorities.

The Programming and Policy Analyst will also work closely with the Principal Technical Advisors and Management and Programme Support Unit to facilitate delivery in key environmental finance activities.

The Programming and Policy Analyst will be based in New York, USA and may be required to travel.  UNDP staff may be periodically redeployed, in accordance with capability, consent, and due process, to a different duty station as needed.

 

Portfolio Management, Quality Assurance, and Technical and Compliance Reviews

• Conduct analysis of vertical fund policies, decisions, strategy papers and guidance documents, and synthesize key information to produce policy briefs;
• Contribute to assessing and adapting policies for different contexts on key emerging policy agendas;
• Regularly inform directorate staff on vertical fund requirements, trends and issues;
• Review and critically analyze key corporate-level documents to ensure all briefs and presentations are complete and accurate;
• Conduct quality assurance, technical reviews and completeness check of GCF project ideas, concept notes and funding proposals to assess projects, and advise the Directorate on the eligibility, alignment with VF requirements and policies, quality, and technical soundness of the proposals;
• Conduct compliance reviews of legally binding conditions and covenants in the GCF FAAs;
• Monitor fulfillment of GCF FAA conditions and covenants to ensure compliance to deadlines and review the reporting of conditions and covenants in Annual Performance Reports (APRs);
• Support the Directorate on the compliance review and negotiation of term sheets and FAAs;
• Undertake analyses of data and information, compiling syntheses, reports, charts, tables, graphs, presentations, etc. as required;
• Track action items for the Director and Executive Coordinator – EF & Global Lead - NCE and ensure follow-up;
• Undertake specific ad-hoc assignments for the Director and Executive Coordinator – EF & Global Lead - NCE of a substantive nature under his/her guidance.

Key Results: Policies and guidance notes are drafted and proposals and reports for the vertical funds are quality assessed and reviewed for compliance with donor policies at the directorate level. The Director and Executive Coordinator – EF & Global Lead - NCE and the Directorate are provided key data and information, analyses, presentations, and substantive and technical reports related to VF programming.

Programming Procedures, Training, Reporting and Programme Support

• Manage and update the VF Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in coordination with relevant Directorate staff and Principal Technical Advisors, and ensure the quality and coherence of programming procedures with UNDP corporate policies, and Fund policies and requirements;
• Maintain and update annotated standard templates and tools;
• Prepare training materials and contribute to training sessions, webinars and capacity building seminars for country offices and regional hubs on specific topics related to Environmental VF Programming;
• Contribute and participate in global/regional meeting of practitioners and present the latest developments in policies, decisions, strategies and programming guidance;
• As requested by Principal Technical Advisors, provide technical support to programming teams in the regional hubs developing new GCF ideas and concepts and/or advancing funding proposals;
• Obtain data and information as required by the Directorate and organize in the shared workspace;
• Manage the UNDP-GCF Entity Work Programme (EWP) in consultation with the Directorate;
• Oversee the management and monitoring of the global GCF pipeline and approved portfolio;
• Regularly monitor and report to the Director and Executive Coordinator – EF & Global Lead - NCE on the progress of the global GCF pipeline and the approved portfolio;
• Contribute to the effective data collection, information sharing, and reporting in the corporate project information management system (PIMS+).

Key Results: The Directorate, global BPPS NCE unit and regional hubs are provided with guidance, tools and training required for developing Environmental VF proposals.

Planning and coordination

• Backstop the Director and Executive Coordinator – EF & Global Lead - NCE while s/he is on mission or leave by liaising with staff, preparing and sending materials, providing inputs to agendas, and etc.;
• Prepare and draft briefing notes, background materials, policy position papers, guidance notes, presentations, reports and talking points for the Director and Executive Coordinator – EF & Global Lead - NCE in a well-organized and timely manner;
• Organize and plan meetings, as needed, for the Director and Executive Coordinator – EF & Global Lead – NCE;
• Maintain records, files, and documents as needed for the Director and Executive Coordinator – EF & Global Lead – NCE;
• Intercept and route all incoming communications to the Directorate, monitoring responses and ensuring timely follow-up;
• Prepare correspondence, directives, and comments on behalf of the Director and Executive Coordinator – EF & Global Lead - NCE  for signature and follow-up when required;
• Provide the Director and Executive Coordinator – EF & Global Lead - NCE and Directorate with other support as needed.

Key Results:  The Directorate runs smoothly and efficiently and the Director and Executive Coordinator – EF & Global Lead - NCE spends minimal amounts of time and effort on planning and routine matters.

Partnership Support, Advocacy, Communications and Knowledge Management

• Provide information as required, as requested, and as appropriate, to internal and external parties;
• Maintain informal communication channels and networks with other Special Assistants, Programme Associates, and other contacts close to key partners to facilitate communication and access;
• Manage and maintain a library of relevant knowledge products, whether at the global, cross-regional or region-specific level to proactively share documents with team members and respond to their specific requests for information;
• Contribute to the development and review of knowledge products in close coordination with HQ and regional hub teams by analyzing and sharing lessons learnt and programme evaluation results;
• Draft and coordinate input to the preparation of NCE Directorate publications, including regional newsletters and the NCE profile;
• Act as the NCE focal point for environmental vertical fund and UNDP branding policies and guidance;
• Manage and coordinate communications with authors/designers of Directorate publications;
• Facilitate communication, engagement, and partnership of the NCE cluster with the GCF Secretariat on technical and strategic topics including (but not limited to) programming issues, pipeline discussions, corporate level agreements, standard templates, data management, etc.;
• Liaise with the GCF entity relations team for UNDP to maintain regular discussions on key matters and facilitate virtual and in-person meetings between UNDP and GCF;
• Participate in global/regional programming conferences/structured dialogues and Board meetings;
• Coordinate ongoing partnership efforts with UN entities, academic partners, and relevant alliances on relevant thematic areas;
• Conduct research and analysis and draft materials to support mobilizing, fostering, and strengthening of strategic partnerships and advocacy activities with UN entities and other relevant bodies, including permanent missions, NGOs, civil society, academic partners, and other stakeholders.

Key Results: Information on the NCE cluster is provided to all internal and external parties. Close and regular engagement and discussions with environmental vertical funds’ focal points and other partners on key matters are maintained and the Director and Executive Coordinator – EF & Global Lead - NCE  is able to communicate and engage effectively with all key partners.
 

Core

Innovation

• Ability to make new and useful ideas work.

Leadership

• Ability to persuade others to follow.

People Management

• Ability to improve performance and satisfaction.

Communication

• Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform.

Delivery

• Ability to get things done while exercising good judgement.

Technical/Functional

Brief & Speech Writing    

• Ability to prepare quality briefs and/or speeches.

Design Thinking    

• Knowledge of method(s) for practical, creative resolution of problems and creation of solutions, with the intent of an improved future result.

Knowledge Management    

• Ability to capture, develop, share and effectively use information and knowledge.

Partnerships    

• Ability to engage with other agencies, donors, and other development stakeholders and forge productive working relationships.

Report Writing    

• Ability to prepare quality reports.

Data Analysis and Visualization

• Ability to evaluate, transform, and model data to derive relevant findings, and undertake and provide analysis of data to assess unit performance and/or trends.

Monitoring and Evaluation

• Knowledge of methodologies, assessment tools, systems and apply practical experience in planning, monitoring, evaluating and reporting and ability to apply to practical situations.

Quality Assurance

• Ability to perform administrative and procedural activities to ensure that quality requirements and goals are fulfilled.

Education

• Master’s degree in Environmental Management, International Relations, Public Administration, climate change policy and finance, sustainable development, or other closely related field.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 2 years of work experience, with increasing independence, in an environment/climate finance field in an international organization;
• Experience working at, or with, environmental vertical funds like the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) and/or the Green Climate Fund (GCF), etc.;
• Experience working in UNDP/UN or an international organization and knowledge of UNDP policies, procedures and practices is an advantage;
• Pre-existing knowledge of the UN and UNDP Rules and Regulations, organizational structures, and tools such as Atlas and PIMS+ would be a great asset.
• Expertise in vertical fund policies, programming, and processes is an advantage;
• Experience working with developing countries on climate change adaptation and/or mitigation programming;
• Experience working in at least one of the following regions: Asia and the Pacific, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Africa, or Latin America and the Caribbean;
• Expert Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint skills, familiarity with e-presentation techniques and ability to operate with on-line web-based applications;
• Excellent drafting, presentation and communication skills, both oral and written.

Language Requirements

• Excellent knowledge of the English language, with exceptional writing, presentation, and communication skills.

Important information for US Permanent Residents ('Green Card' holders)

Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment. 

UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.

Applicant information about UNDP rosters

Note: 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.

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