National NDC Coordinator - Republic of Fiji (Partnerships Specialist) - Retainer

Job categories Partnerships

Vacancy code VA/2023/B5002/26252

Department/office ECR, AUMCO, Water, Environment & Climate (WEC)

Duty station Home based

Contract type Local ICA Specialist

Contract level LICA Specialist-10

Duration Retainer contract up to 12 months (max. 220 working days) with possibility to extend based on performance and availability of funds

Application period 26-Jun-2023 to 10-Jul-2023

Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement.

Functional Responsibilities

The National NDC Coordinator serves as the NDC Partnership’s interface in the country and operates as a liaison between the country and other NDC Partnership members. The role is purely one of coordination and support facilitation. Working on behalf of the partner government, the Coordinator plays a key role in ensuring the smooth implementation of the Country Engagement Process, by supporting ongoing coordination efforts between the Support Unit, the various partners in the NDC Partnership, the Pacific NDC Hub, and Fiji’s Climate Change Division. 

This involves working with the Government of Fiji to refine its support objectives over time, coordinating the implementation of the National Climate Finance Strategy, and serving as an anchor to assist the NDC Partnership in communicating and coordinating services at the country level. The Coordinator will also liaise with the NDC Partnership Support Unit for vertical information sharing, including both contributing to and accessing knowledge products. The following responsibilities are part of the Coordinator’s role in Fiji:

Summary of functions: 

• Facilitation of Fiji’s National Climate Finance Strategy and NDC Investment Plan 
• Mobilization of resources for implementation 
• Coordination and communication with key stakeholders
• Organize NDC-related meetings as needed 
• Identifying lessons learned and results
• Capacity building 

Facilitation of Fiji’s NDC Implementation 

• Support Fiji and the NDC Partnership Support Unit in initiating NDC Partnership in-country engagement; 
• Coordinate, track, and monitor the support provided by development partners on the National Climate Finance Strategy and NDC Investment Plan and populating and regularly updating Fiji’s monitoring/reporting tool for climate finance working collaboratively on ongoing initiatives such as the Capacity Building Initiative on Transparency to establish internal reporting and tracking systems and processes. The Coordinator will work closely with the CBIT project team in contributing and establishing online based NDC tracking tool.
• Provide recommendations, on a case-by-case basis, for selecting the most appropriate implementing and development partner/s for each action/priority, and identify roles and responsibilities of each stakeholder;
• Collaborate with the Support Unit to document changes in the operating context and provide support to the government and stakeholders in decision-making processes.

Mobilization of resources for implementation 

• Support the country in following up on and mobilizing partner support for its needs and priorities (and update those along the way as needed following the government’s guidance) along with a preferred process for coordination of country engagement under the NDC Partnership, as proposed and agreed upon by the Government of Fiji;
• Organize regular coordination meetings with country and regional-level development partners and donors to discuss anticipated new requests for support and outstanding priorities in the NDC Investment Plan and the National Climate Finance Strategy;
• Engage with partners in the country to link needs to services and resources in accordance with the National Climate Finance Strategy and NDC Investment Plan, including by providing the government’s inputs on the alignment of partners’ country strategies with priorities and gaps identified through ongoing consultations with key stakeholders in the Strategy and Investment Plan; 
• Identifying further needs for Technical Assistance for priority based on National Climate Finance Strategy and NDC Investment Plan; 
• Provide inputs, as necessary, to project development and preparation for potential funding by donors; 
• Support coordination with the Pacific NDC Hub on potential areas of support.

Coordination and communication with key stakeholders

• Ensure that communications relevant to NDC Partnership engagement are shared with relevant national and international level stakeholders;
• Facilitate periodic coordination and information exchange among partners in Fiji, with the aim of leveraging and mobilizing their respective advantages in support of the implementation of the NDC Implementation Roadmap;
• Track, monitor and assess the implementation of the National Climate Finance Strategy and NDC Investment Plan, including monitoring and reporting on gender equality, and coordinate periodic reporting of partners to the NDC Partnership;
• Assess progress outcomes of the NDC Partnership in-country engagement and make recommendations for adjustments;
• Assess the needs and challenges of line Ministries in implementing the NDC. 
• Collaborate with the Support Unit to document changes in the operating context and provide support to the Climate Change Division and stakeholders in decision-making processes.

Organize NDC-related meetings as needed 

• If requested, facilitate national country-specific multi-stakeholder NDC dialogues, which may serve one or more of the following objectives:
• Intersectoral multi-stakeholder dialogues to promote "a whole-of-government approach" in implementing NDCs and their integration in development policies;
• Support the government in conducting meetings among development partners and other key stakeholders, in order to maximize synergies, avoid duplication and mobilize support for identified needs and gaps for successful NDC implementation; 
• Multi-stakeholder dialogues with the private sector and/or civil society organizations;
• Multi-stakeholder dialogues within specific sectors or on a certain topic (i.e., Measurement, Reporting and Verification [MRV], gender equality, etc.);
• Other support needed by the Climate Change Division to coordinate development partners.

Identifying lessons learned and results 

• Assist in tracking the progress of in-country engagement and provide periodic progress updates to the NDC Partnership Steering Committee, through the Support Unit;
• Liaise with the Support Unit to access and/or feed into global knowledge products;
• Assist the Support Unit in the identification and dissemination of information on best practices and lessons learned from in-country engagement.

Capacity building 

• Conduct ongoing capacity development (i.e., technical assistance and formal/informal on-the-job training) of the government in preparation for fully taking on the facilitation role in the future.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

Education:

• Advanced degree in public policy (climate/environment), climate finance, public finance, economics, sustainable development, or a similar field.
• A bachelor’s degree with two additional years of work experience can be accepted in lieu of an advanced degree.

Experience:
Required

• At least 5 years of experience in climate/environment and sustainable development in Fiji and/or the Pacific.
• Demonstrable experience working in climate change tasks in Fiji and/or the Pacific including, but not limited to, mitigation and adaptation action, government policy and legal frameworks, MRV, M&E systems, and results-based management.
• Demonstrated skills in managing and aligning diverse groups of stakeholders, including development agencies, non-state actors / civil society, financial institutions, the private sector, and others.

Language Requirements:

• Excellent writing, editing, digital, and oral communication skills in English.
• Proficiency in Fijian and other local languages is an asset.