Policy Specialist

Under the supervision and overall guidance of the Climate, Environment and Resilience (CER) Programme Analyst/Team leader, the Policy Adviser acts as advisor to Senior Management on all aspects of CO programme in the area of Environmental and Climate policy, including conservation and sustainable use of natural resources, integrated landscape management, green economy, environment and health, climate and disaster resilient development. The main role is to support programme strategic planning, resource mobilization, identification of new programme directions, country programme implementation and management support in the assigned area.

The Policy Adviser works in close collaboration with Programme and Operations teams in the CO, Programme staff in other UN Agencies, UNDP HQs staff and Government officials, technical advisors and experts, multi-lateral and bi-lateral donors and civil society to successfully implement the UNDP programme.

Summary of Key Functions:

• Support CO programme management in line with UNDP strategic direction in the assigned area of responsibility and supervision of the assigned programme and project team under the portfolio
• Support resource mobilization and establishment / maintenance of strategic partnerships
• Provision of top-quality policy advisory services to partner institutions and facilitation of knowledge building and management 

1. Support CO programme management in line with UNDP strategic direction in the assigned area of responsibility and coordination of the assigned programme/project team under the portfolio.

• Thorough analysis of sector related situation in the country and provision of support in preparation and revision of CPD, UNSDCF and other strategic documents;
• Support the design and formulation of CO programme within the assigned area of responsibility;
• Support the analysis and presentation of UNDP policies, programme, projects and their implementation to partners;
• Perform substantive research and analysis on specific thematic areas;
• Support the CER Team Leader in effective management of the portfolio in the assigned area of responsibility focusing on quality control throughout the programming full cycle;
• Advisory support in monitoring and analysis of portfolio operation. Support effective monitoring, measuring the impact of the portfolio activities and evaluation;
• Support the portfolio and CO business processes mapping and establishment/revision of internal Standard Operating Procedures, control of the workflows in the Programme Unit.

2.  Support resource mobilization and establishment / maintenance of strategic partnerships

• Support the implementation of the CO partnerships and resources mobilization strategies to achieve programme outcomes;
• Ensure development of project concepts and proposals in the areas of environmental management, climate change adaptation and mitigation, green and circular economy, disaster risk management;
• Support the CER portfolio in creation and coordination of partnerships with the UN Agencies, IFI’s, public institutions, bi-lateral and multi-lateral donors, vertical and multilateral funds, private sector, civil society etc.;
• Determination of programmatic areas of cooperation, based on strategic goals of UNDP, country needs and donors’ priorities, including determination of programmatic priorities derived from the UNDP Green Recovery and Policy, Global Green New Deal, EU Green Deal, German Climate Initiative and other initiatives and growth strategies; 
• Within the limit of responsibilities to ensure UNDP active role among the donor community in the assigned area of responsibility by leading and actively engaging in thematic UN Agencies / donor coordination groups;
• Support in donor mapping, preparation of substantive briefs on possible areas of cooperation, identification of co-funding opportunities.

 3. Provision of top quality policy advisory services to the national partner institutions and facilitation of knowledge building and management 

• Identification of information sources related to policy-driven issues. Identification and synthesis of best practices and lessons learned directly linked to country policy goals in the assigned areas;
• Support coordination of development of instruments and institutional modalities that will address the country problems and needs in collaboration with the Government and other strategic partners;
• Provide substantive inputs in the activities of steering committees, multi-stakeholder commissions, expert groups or other coordinating bodies in related practice area, including sound contribution to communities of practice at regional/global level;
• Provide support to UNDP CO and the National Authorities in accessing new financing, emerging donor’s funds, etc. working closely with Ministries in setting-up advocacy campaigns & building their capacity;
• Support establishment of advocacy networks at national level and linked to national and international networks. Relevant, high-impact advocacy campaigns are implemented with key partners;
• Provide recommendations for specific training needs and other personnel capacity building initiatives.

Core Competencies:

• Promoting ethics and integrity, creating organizational precedents
• Building support and political acumen
• Building staff competence, creating an environment of creativity and innovation
• Building and promoting effective teams
• Creating and promoting enabling environment for open communication
• Creating an emotionally intelligent organization
• Leveraging conflict in the interests of UNDP & setting standards
• Sharing knowledge across the organization and building a culture of knowledge sharing and learning. 

​Functional Competencies:      

Advocacy/Advancing A Policy-Oriented Agenda:

• Creates effective advocacy strategies
• Performs analysis of political situations and scenarios, and contributes to the formulation of institutional responses

Support in Results-Based Programme Development and Management:

• Provides information for linkages across programme activities to help identify critical points of integration
• Provides information and documentation on specific stages of projects/programme implementation
• Provides background information to identify opportunities for project development and helps drafting proposals
• Participates in the formulation of project proposals

Support in Building Strategic Partnerships:

• Effectively networks with partners seizing opportunities to build strategic alliances relevant to UNDP’s mandate and strategic agenda
• Identifies needs and interventions for capacity building of counterparts, clients and potential partners
• Promotes UNDP’s agenda in inter-agency meetings

Developing new approaches:

• Seeks a broad range of perspectives in developing project proposals
• Identifies new approaches and promotes their use in other situations
• Creates an environment that fosters innovation and innovative thinking

Resource Mobilization

• Analyzes information on potential bilateral and multilateral donors and national counterparts to recommend a strategic approach
• Identifies and compiles lessons learned
• Support in developing a resource mobilization strategy at the country level

Advocacy for UNDP’s Goals:

• Performed analysis of political situations and scenarios, and contributes to the formulation of institutional responses
• Uses the opportunity to bring forward and disseminate materials for global advocacy work and adapts it for use at country level 

Min. Academic Education:

Advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in Natural or Environmental sciences, Environmental Policy, Environmental or Nature Resource Economics or related discipline.

Min. years of relevant Work experience:

Required Language(s) (at working level): 

Fluency in Armenian and English.  Knowledge of Russian is an advantage