Programme Specialist, Team Leader - Climate Energy and Environment (Nationals Only)

1. Provide effective UNDP leadership in sector policy development and provision of high-quality technical and policy advisory services relevant to Climate, Energy, and Environment focus areas to the Government, UNDP and the UN System and other key stakeholders

• Serve as the UNDP focal point for the provision of overall technical and policy support to the government on matters related to inter alia integration of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), National Adaption Plans (NAPs) and other climate change action strategies into sector, national, and sub-national development plans and budgets, promotion of climate and disaster risk informed development, promotion of access to clean renewable energy systems, enhancing environmental sustainability and sustainable natural resources management and overall technical and policy advisory support for achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
• Provide top quality climate change, disaster risk reduction, renewable energy environmental sustainability and sustainable natural resources technical and policy advisory support to relevant Government institutions and counterparts with focus on strengthening institutional capacity for policy, strategies and programmes formulation, implementation, monitoring and reporting. 
• Support conducting of thorough climate, disaster and environmental risk and vulnerability assessments to effectively contribute to resilience building of ecosystems, people and livelihoods and contribute to collaborative preparation/revision of Common Country Analysis (CCA), UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF), UNDP Country Programme Document (CPD), project documents, Annual Work Plans (AWPs) and other internal and government planning documents.
• Identify opportunities in the practice areas for new programme/project development including joint programming with UN agencies.
• Operationalize the implementation of UNSDCF/ CPD in collaboration with the main partners and other UN Agencies while seeking and identifying the possibilities for joint programming and interagency collaboration.
• Analyze and present thematic issues in coherence and adherence to UNDP policies and the Strategic Plan signature solutions in the focus areas.
• Identify, in close collaboration with national and international partners, strategic programme areas of cooperation with a particular focus on the NDCs, NAPs, Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy, Renewable Energy Strategy, and other strategic national strategies.
• Keep abreast of all significant developments, both in Kyrgyzstan and internationally, on climate change mitigation and adaptation from various platforms such as Conference of Parties (COPs) for various UN Conventions (UNFCCC, UNCBD, UNCCD and related frameworks), disaster risk reduction, renewable energy and sustainable natural resources management, environmental protection and monitoring,  natural resources-based livelihood systems and nature-based solutions to climate and disaster risks, climate resilience and low carbon green growth for sustainable development resilience building and green growth, gender responsive and inclusive green solutions and coordinate closely with counterpart government institutions, international stakeholders, lead agencies and adapt work plans and programme strategies, as required. 
• Prepare regular strategic and technical notes, briefings to the attention of the Senior Management on emerging priorities, areas for strategic investments and development of new partnerships.
• Collaborate with UNDP Regional Hubs and HQ platforms to apply in country programming new global and regional initiatives, policies and knowledge products.

1. Provide leadership to ensure (i) the strategic positioning of Climate, Energy, and Environment team through development of new pipeline projects, (ii) the oversight of Climate, Energy, and Environment and its expected results and (iii) day-to-day management of the Climate, Energy, and Environment

Strategic positioning of Climate, Energy, and Environment team

• Assist in defining the strategic direction of the Climate, Energy, and Environment team.
• Provide technical expertise and lead the development of new initiatives in the areas of Renewable energy, environmental sustainability, sustainable natural resources management, climate change and disaster risk reduction followed by strategies to build partnerships and mobilize resources.
• Ensure effective and agile leadership of the Climate, Energy, and Environment team to meet the challenges experienced during implementation of the programmes and projects with positive responsiveness to opportunities and promptly address of externalities. 
• Draft unit strategy/position papers and prepare presentations in line with the developed mandate to present to a variety of audiences.
• Contribute to UNDP integrator role and make substantive contribution to Result Groups (RGs) of the UN Country Team (UNCT).
• Ensure operationalization of the CPD through timely development of relevant pipeline projects and effective and efficient implementation of ongoing climate, energy, and environment, and disaster risk reduction programmes and projects in collaboration with the main partners and other UN sister Agencies.
• Provide leadership to design and formulate UNDP climate and disaster resilience, renewable energy and sustainable natural resources management programmes, translating UN/UNDP and national priorities into sector and sub-national / local interventions.
• Represent the Unit in meetings as well as with donor coordination meetings related to the Unit thematic areas. 

Oversight of Climate, Energy, and Environment

• Provide leadership and directions to ensure effective and efficient management of the Climate, Energy, and Environment team.
• Review the Unit portfolio projects and suggest necessary programmatic changes/ amendments to ensure alignment with National Priorities, UNSDCF, UNDP strategic Plan, CPD, in addition to ensuring the proper incorporation of cross cutting themes (i.e. environment/climate change, youth/women employment, PWDs, human rights, gender mainstreaming, LNOB, etc). 
• Lead the development of new initiatives and programmes in the areas of Climate, Energy, and Environment.
• Ensures mainstreaming of environment, climate change, DRR and renewable energy issues into all aspects of the CO’s programmatic interventions 
• Prepare Unit work-plans while ensuring complementarities and coordination within the portfolio and with other CO Thematic Areas.
• Ensure timely and well-sequenced execution of approved work plans and programmes, using multiyear framework for planning, budgeting and reporting, including the development of strategies to ensure delivery acceleration and timely reporting of results while managing risks of exposure to audit recommendations and maintaining UNDP standing and reputation.
• Ensure effective utilization of technical and financial resources of the Unit to achieve the unit expected outputs.
• Ensure strategic and operational oversight of planning, budgeting, implementation and monitoring of the programme, tracking use of financial resources as per commitments with key partners and in accordance with UNDP rules and regulations.
• Perform effective monitoring of results to measure the impact of climate change and disaster resilience building, energy access, sustainable natural resources management programmes including the coordination of necessary evaluation exercises (Results of monitoring and evaluation used to draw crucial lessons and constructive learning for timely readjustment of programme).
• Monitor the implementation of the portfolio Work Plans, undertake regular reviews, report on progress and make necessary revisions.
• Prepare financial projections and monitor progress and delivery of the portfolio in close collaboration with Partnerships and Results team.
• Ensure the effective implementation of the cost-recovery strategies and systems, including the systematic set-up and implementation Direct Project Costing (DPC) or Delivery Enabling Services (DES) in close collaboration with Partnerships and Results team and the Operations teams.
• Advise the senior management team on delivery implementation challenges and seek support from the other team leaders to resolve obstacles and bottlenecks.
• Ensure the timely organization of project audits under the portfolio and follow-up for prompt implementation of audit recommendations including updates in the Comprehensive Audit and Recommendation Database System (CARDS).
• Oversee the timely periodical progress and financial reporting in compliance with UNDP rules and regulations to all cooperating partners, donors, Government stakeholders and UN counterparts while ensuring the need for informative, clear and transparent reporting against signed project documents and committed resources and timetables highlighting transformational changes. 
• Systematize the effective application of RBM tools throughout the full programme cycle from the design to implementation and reporting and during the timely closure of projects.
• Lead the preparation of public communication and advocacy materials in close collaboration with the Communication Unit.
• Oversee and ensure maintenance of risks and issues logs of each programme/project within the Unit, including the management and mitigation of risks and issues timely and appropriately while raising them to senior management attention as required. 

1. Ensure coordination, build synergies, expand, and strengthen strategic partnerships and support resource mobilization and innovative financing models to support effective implementation of relevant Climate, Energy, and Environment Areas and their scaling up

Coordination and Synergy Building

• Ensure coordination and build synergies within the unit and across the country programme as well as with UNCT and other stakeholders including the private sector, the civil society, the academia, and beneficiaries.
• Coordinate with the other unit heads to ensure complementarity/harmonization with the activities and plans of the other units.
• Coordinate and build partnerships with UNCT Result Groups (RGs) to enhance programmatic synergies in the areas of Climate, Energy, and Environment. 
• Coordinate with the Communications unit to ensure proper visibility programmes' activities and timely reporting to Cooperating Partners.
• Engage regularly with the Partnerships and Results team, to ensure alignment of programme goals with the government’s and UNSDCF/UNCT priorities.
• Maintain close coordination with both Programme and Operations teams by providing technical and programme support including the development of joint programmes when needed. 

Partnerships Strengthening and Resource Mobilisation

• Develop and consolidate strategic partnerships, with government, non-government and private sector entities, development partners for joint programming and resources mobilization to achieve CPD outcomes/outputs.
• Determine and develop programmatic areas of cooperation based on strategic goals of UNDP, country needs and development partners’ priorities.
• Initiate, nurture, and coordinate partnerships with UN Agencies, IFI’s, government institutions, bi-lateral and multi-lateral donors including the GCF, GEF and other Trust funds, private sector, civil society for programme support and implementation.
• Prepare substantive briefs, advocacy materials and technical reports to report on the areas of cooperation, and for identifying further opportunities for collaboration.
• Represent UNDP on the UN Joint Team Task Forces, Result Groups (RGs) and contribute to joint planning, programme, and policy development, monitoring and evaluation (M&E) and advocacy activity.

• Identify sources of information related to policy-driven issues and make a synthesis of good practices and lessons learned directly linked to programme and policy applications.
• Ensure a robust evidence base documented experience from the projects implemented under the portfolio, with research and analysis carried out, where possible.
• Coordinate capacity development support to national implementing Partners (IPs) and Responsible Parties (RPs) in collaboration with the national partners, the Partnerships and Results team and the Operations team.
• Draft and advocate the adherence to UN/UNDP policy positions on relevant issues.
• Establish an advocacy network at national level and linking to regional and global networks. 
• Contribute to local and global knowledge networks and communities of practice.
• Capture and analyse results, and produce timely results reports for office reporting, with special focus on tracking capacity change and gender equality impact.
• Communicate results using multi-media channels to share results and knowledge products.
• Organize learning and training relating to the Unit’s area of expertise for CO’s staff and implementing partners
• Supervise the recording, documenting and dissemination of best practices and lessons learned. 
• Ensure the visibility of unit activities through regular updating on achievements, and provide advice on the visibility materials (newsletters, publications, blogs etc.).
• Proactively participate in UNDP regional and international fora on relevant thematic areas (This could include engaging in thematic discussions, contributing with analytical papers, publications, knowledge networks…etc).

• Provide day to day direction and leadership to guide and support the work of the unit team (including advisors, technical and programme specialists and support staff, consultants etc.), quality assurance, troubleshooting and supervision to the unit team.
• Advise on staffing requirements and administer recruitment processes in collaboration with Partnerships and Results, and the Operations team including the preparation of job descriptions, the composition of panels, the assistance with the written tests and interviews, etc.
• Ensure timely preparation and finalization of the Performance Management Document (PMD) or performance evaluation assessments for the Climate, Energy and Environment personnel.
• Regularly organize unit meetings, document the deliberations as well as agreed action points and ensure the timely follow-up of their implementations programme.
• Lead and coordinate the Climate, Energy, and Environment contribution to cross-unit activities including the office response to corporate requests or periodical exercises such as the Results Oriented Annual Report (ROAR), the Integrated Workplan (IWP) exercises or similar processes.

• Ability to select, prioritise and control the organization’s programmes and projects, in line with its strategic objectives and capacity; ability to balance the implementation of change initiatives and the maintenance of business-as-usual, while optimising return on investment

• 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

• 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

• 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

• Ability to identify funding sources, match funding needs (programmes/projects/initiatives) with funding opportunities, and establish a plan to meet funding requirements

• Disaster and Climate Risk Governance 

• Climate Change Adaptation: strategies