Environment and Water Management Field Officer (NPSA-8)

• Support and offer process-based assistance to partner LGs in the design and setting in function of a performance management system (including good governance benchmarks in the environmental governance area);
• Support capacity development of environmental/communal affairs departments and water utilities in partner LGs;
• Provide technical advice and support to partner LGs (LG Councils and administration) in the process of introducing new tools and solutions, aimed at improving environmental management and quality of water supply and sanitation service delivery;
• Support the Project’s efforts to strengthen financial and operational performance of local water utilities;
• Support institutionalized partnerships between LGs and water utilities, towards sustainable service delivery based on oversight by LG Councils and the citizens;
• Assist in the anchoring of adequate disaster risk management policies and frameworks in relevant LGs;
• Analyse, identify and support needed regulatory changes at the local level, from viewpoint of environmental governance and good municipal performance;
• Facilitate productive interaction between citizens, water utilities, LGs, higher government level institutions, as well as assist in conducting annual citizens’ satisfaction surveys;
• Pro-actively promote and support LGs and water utilities to introduce and apply good governance benchmarks in their work;
• Coordinate the work of selected service providers, acting as conduit and facilitator between contract agents and designated LGs’ and water utilities' management;
• Organize Project field events, including training, workshops, meetings, etc. and ensure oversight and quality of delivery;
• Provide regular updates to the Project Manager with substantive data inputs based on project experiences and monitoring of progress against set targets;
• In his/her designated area of responsibility, support strengthening of water sector professional organizations to act as knowledge and advocacy hubs for sector-specific improvements in the relevant legislative frameworks;
• Duly collect data and all relevant information at the local level, so as to contribute to measurable review of results and longer-term Project effects, as per the Project monitoring and evaluation plan and logical framework;
• Support sharing and scaling-up successful approaches in the broader UNDP local governance, and the environment teams.

2. Provide assistance with the selection, design and implementation of environmental infrastructure projects in the designated area of responsibility:

• Contribute to designing and promoting of the Project-set performance criteria within partner LGs and water utilities, and regularly monitor progress against set targets;
• Support the annual performance assessment of LGs and water utilities, serving as entry point for determining the on-budget support for environmental infrastructure projects;
• Assist in the identification of critical environmental infrastructure projects originating from local development strategies to be supported through on-budget support provided by the Project;
• Provide support in the development of project proposals and the necessary technical documentation, including pipeline projects (with focus on environmental infrastructure);
• Provide quality assurance, oversee and report against the implementation of project-funded environmental infrastructure projects in the designated area of responsibility;
• Prepare analytical reviews, systematically capture lessons learnt and development effects from the on-budget support to partner LGs;
• Provide assistance to partner LGs and water utilities to access public/other types of funding and implement priority projects originating from integrated local development strategies;
• Provide partner LGs and water utilities with information on public financial mechanisms supporting local development in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and support, in close cooperation with the Project team, specific efforts geared towards linking public funding institutions or mechanisms with local strategies and their strategic priorities regarding environmental governance, underlining provision of water supply and sanitation services;
• Prepare relevant ad hoc and periodic reports related to the implementation of this function within the region

3. Support partnership building, networking and advocacy in the Project implementation, as well as in the broader UNDP local governance/local development/environment programme:

• Capture and ensure wide promotion and visibility of Project achievements, particularly with regard to local success stories;
• Support building ownership of partner LGs to project outputs and objectives;
• Encourage inter-municipal cooperation and environmental governance within the designated area of responsibility;
• Ensure regular communication and coordination with Project counterparts and develop and maintain effective mechanisms for integrating and responding to their feedback and insights;
• Encourage active participation of all stakeholders in order to promote empowerment and ownership of local counterparts and stakeholders;
• Contribute to knowledge sharing among the wider local governance thematic team within UNDP

4. Ensure gender equality mainstreaming within the Project work:

• Support gender equality mainstreaming in Project implementation;
• Ensure that relevant Project documents are written using gender sensitive language

Institutional Arrangement

• The incumbent will report to the MEG Project Manager, as part of the UNDP Good Governance Sector.

• Nationals or others legally authorized to work in Bosnia and Herzegovina are eligible for consideration (country of citizenship or place of permanent residence)

• Demonstrate focus on achieving quality results and impact
• Efficiently establish appropriate plans and resources for self and others to accomplish goals 

b) Think Innovatively:

• Propose new ideas, approaches, and solutions to problems

c) Learn Continuously:

• Actively pursue opportunities for learning and self-development professionally and personally
• Proactively seek feedback, demonstrates a desire to learn from others as well as from experiences, both positive and negative
• Contribute to the learning of others

d) Adapt with Agility:

• Seamlessly adapt to working within new situations or contexts, with new people, and in different ways
• Be comfortable with ambiguity and effectively managing multiple demands

e) Act with Determination:

• Pursue everything with motivation and drive
• Demonstrate courage, self-motivation, and initiative to act on opportunities without being prompted by others

f) Engage and Partner:

• Demonstrate and encourage teamwork and co-creation internally and externally to achieve joint objectives and results
• Establish and develop networks that deliver powerful collaborations

g) Enable Diversity and Inclusion:

• Treat all individuals with respect, consider ethical implications and respond sensitively to all differences among people
• Fully accept and value all people, creating an inclusive environment
• Understand that inclusion is multi-faceted (e.g. race, gender, age, disability, culture, etc.)
• Understand and appreciate issues from the perspective of others
• Treat everyone fairly and equally
• Demonstrate honesty and transparency

Cross-Functional Competencies

a) Business Acumen and Commercial Thinking:

• Ability to understand and deal with a business situation in a manner that is likely to lead to a good outcome
• Knowledge and understanding of the operational frameworks in the organization and ability to make good judgments and quick decisions within such frameworks

b) Entrepreneurial thinking:

• Ability to create clarity around UNDP value proposition to beneficiaries and partners and to develop service offers responding to client needs based on UNDP’s organizational priorities and mandate

c) Effective Decision Making:

• Ability to take decisions in a timely and efficient manner in line with one’s authority, area of expertise and resources

d) Negotiation and Influence:

• Ability to reach an understanding, persuade others, resolve points of difference, gain advantage in the outcome of dialogue, negotiates mutually acceptable solutions through compromise and creates ‘win-win’ situations

e) Knowledge Facilitation:

• Ability to animate individuals and communities of contributors to participate and share, particularly externally

f) UNDP Representation:

• Ability to represent UNDP and productively share UNDP knowledge and activities; advocate for UNDP, its values, mission, and work with various constituencies

g) Partnerships Management:

• Ability to build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts, and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies

h) 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

People Management Competencies

a) Demonstrate Empathy and Emotional Intelligence:

• Read a group’s emotional currents and power relationships, identifying influencers, networks, and organizational dynamics; adapt leadership styles at the appropriate times
• See the positive in people, situations, and events

b) Build an Enabling Workplace:

• Create a working environment where people are engaged and want to do their best; empower and enables team members to perform and have a positive workplace experience

Technical Competencies

a) Legal:

• Knowledge of applicable legal framework
• Negotiation

b) HR – People strategy and planning

• Workforce planning
• Job design

Desired additional skills and competencies

• Knowledge and expertise in the area of water supply and sanitation;
• Understanding of the overall administrative and institutional set-up of water supply and sanitation service provision in Bosnia and Herzegovina;
• Familiarity with key public documents, strategies and trends related to water management sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Knowledge of and previous experience in the duty station region (Mostar).