Environmental Finance Regional Programme Associate

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 staff provides technical advice to Country Offices; advocates for UNDP corporate messages; represents UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora, including public-private, government and civil society dialogues; and engages in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas.

BPPS’s Hubs on Nature, Climate, Energy and Waste, with the support of the Vertical Fund Programme Support Oversight and Compliance Unit, works with governments, civil society, and private sector partners to integrate nature, climate, energy and waste related concerns into national and sector planning and inclusive growth policies, support country obligations under Multilateral Environmental Agreements, and oversee the implementation of the UN’s largest portfolio of in-country programming nature, climate change, energy and waste. 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.
• Sustainable Energy.
• Extractive Industries.
• Chemicals and Waste Management.
• Environmental Governance and Green/Circular Economy and SCP approaches.

The newly established UNDP Climate Hub is the arrowhead of UNDP’s commitment to the “Climate Promise” that aims to support programming countries designing and implementing ambitious National Determined Contributions, with climate change mitigation and adaptation interventions fully embedded in the national development planning and budgetary processes. The Climate Hub builds on UNDP’s existing over USD 4 billion country-level climate portfolio on Climate Change Policies and Strategies, Climate Change Adaptation, Climate Change mitigation, Climate and Forests, covering over 142 countries, as well as on UNDP’s Nature portfolio, UNDP’s Sustainable Finance Hub and UNDP’s Digital offer.

This work advances crosscutting themes on innovative finance, digital transformation, capacity development, human rights, gender equality, health, technology, and South-South learning.

Under the overall supervision of the Regional Technical Advisors (RTAs) and direct coordination and guidance of the Environment Regional Team Leader (RTL), the Environmental Finance Regional Programme Associate will facilitate the effective delivery of the environmental finance portfolio in Africa by providing support and oversight throughout the development, implementation, monitoring/evaluation and closure of vertical funds projects assigned to him/her. Under the overall supervision of the Regional Technical Advisors (RTAs) and direct coordination and guidance of the Environment Regional Team Leader (RTL), the Regional Programme Associate Environmental Finance Regional Programme Associate will facilitate the effective delivery of the environmental finance portfolio in Africa by providing support and oversight throughout the development, implementation, monitoring/evaluation and closure of vertical funds projects assigned to him/her. This includes effective portfolio data management and monitoring to maximize COs’ timely compliance with UNDP and various vertical fund requirements.

The Environmental Finance Regional Programme Associate will work in close collaboration with the Operations, Programme, and Project teams in the COs, and global team/staff to resolve, in liaison with the RTA and PMSU head, the complex programme and operational-related issues and to ensure a consistent quality service delivery.

UNDP adopts a portfolio approach to accommodate changing business needs and leverage linkages across interventions to achieve its strategic goals. Therefore, UNDP personnel are expected to work across units, functions, teams, and projects in multidisciplinary teams to enhance and enable horizontal collaboration.

• Coordinate document processing related to project development in the region (regional and country level projects) as relevant to all stages of the project cycle;
• Collection, analysis and checking for accuracy and consistency of information against established formats;
• Updating the team project database e.g., Project Information Management System (PIMS+);
• Tracking required information for project completion and/or processing requirements;
• Timely and pro-active follow-up on correspondence with project proponents, Country Offices (COs) and Headquarters; and
• Conduct final quality check of documentation for submission ensuring accuracy and compliance with formats and guidelines according to the established SOPs.

2) Monitoring and support to projects (after approval from Vertical Funds)

• Effective and timely communication to COs on the processes relating to Delegation of Authority (DOA) and ensure COs receive a DOA Letter, the approved final UNDP Project Document, and any other associated/necessary documents and requested clearance (including financial and technical clearance) once the team receives an approval/endorsement from a source of funds;
• Ensures Annual Work Plans are submitted for Regional Technical Advisor’s (RTA) approval and Authorized Spending Limit (ASL) issuance;
• Support the Regional Technical Advisors in reviewing projects’ annual and multi-year work plans in a timely manner, ensuring compliance with Donor requirements in terms of budgeting and identify irregularities;
• Assist the Management and Programme Support Specialist in regional portfolio analysis ensuring all data necessary for the analysis is collected from COs and consistent for any specific projects under his/her portfolio;
• Assist COs in completing budget revision processes in time for on-going projects under his/her portfolio

3) Portfolio Monitoring and Support (includes projects under development and under implementation)

• Ensure all project information in the database (PIMS+) is always correct and up to date from the creation of a project in PIMS+ until the project’s operational and financial closure for projects under his/her portfolio;
• Actively monitor project delivery and submission of progress reports and budget revisions for the region, identifying reasons for shortfall in delivery and alert RTAs of any projects with concerns;
• Undertake financial monitoring of the portfolio in the region and analyze individual projects’ budgets and budget revisions in close coordination with the COs and RTAs;
• Assist in all aspects of regional portfolio management, including tracking of standard project related management actions, monitoring and evaluation requirements and progress reports (TPR/APR, PIR) including processing of required documentation;
• Maintains the electronic project database fully updated and, where necessary, organizes and maintains hard-copy files of all projects and associated information and official documentation;
• Assist in the preparation, updating, and dissemination of PowerPoint and other presentations and in managing dissemination of information that describe the work and achievements of Nature Hub via the media;
• Conduct financial follow-up and advise Country Offices (or executing agencies in case of regional or global projects without Project Principle Resident Representatives) about the deployment of the funds and the project closure, as well as, the preparation of the quarterly reports flagging to the RTA any discrepancies, need for action, or progress in disbursement;
• Maintain close contact with COs on projects in varying stages of the project cycle, tracking project development and/or implementation progress against established timeframes for project maturation and/or the attainment of implementation milestones as indicated in project annual work plans, recommending courses of action as appropriate and bringing to the RTAs’ attention all technical issues that require attention/resolution;
• Draft correspondence and assist with other administrative tasks, as required;
• Backstop other members of the Team and performs ad-hoc tasks, as required, to ensure the Team will deliver at the highest standard;
• Support in all aspects of the organization of meetings, seminars, and workshops including making timely conference room booking, assisting in preparing, sending, and following up on invitations, agendas and/or background documentation, etc.

4) Facilitate Country Office Capacity Support

• Ensures information flow between COs and HQ on the regional portfolio to meet all reporting requirements;
• In coordination with RTAs, advise environmental focal points on procedural issues, approval processes and associated timeframes related to vertical funds project cycle management, according to the UNDP POPP, the relevant Programming Manual, and any other appropriate Advisory Notes and guidelines;
• Assist COs, Europe and CIS Team, or HQs on staff recruitment processes and consultant procurement processes, including the development of TORs, finalizing advertisements, long and short listing, organizing interviews, ensuring necessary records and documentation throughout the recruitment process, etc., as requested by RTAs;
• Work in close collaboration with the VF Program Support Oversight & Compliance Management and Programme Support Unit and the operations, programme, and projects’ staff in COs as required for resolving complex issues related to project administration or portfolio management;
• Organize training programmes and workshops in the region as appropriate, including logistics, communications with COs, documentation requirements, and any other logistical and administrative support.

5) Self-Development, Learning, Knowledge Management

• Learn from and contribute to corporate knowledge tools including programming manual and PA training manuals;
• Organize and participate in training programmes and workshops as required, oversee logistics, documentation, and preparation/review of budget and authorization of expenses;
• Coordinate focal area knowledge management activities. Manage dissemination of information through Power Point or similar means, resulting in public awareness of the work and achievements of the team;
• Undergo training in UNDP and vertical funds programme requirements.

Core Competencies

• Achieve Results: LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline.
• Think Innovatively: LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements.
• Learn Continuously: LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback.
• Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible.
• Act with Determination:  LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident.
• Engage and Partner: LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships.
• Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination.

Functional/Technical competencies

Business Development: Knowledge Generation

• Ability to research information and to turn it into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need.
• Ability to apply existing concepts to new situations, and to develop new concepts to generate workable solutions and new approaches.
• Knowledge of relevant concepts, conceptual models, and theories that can be useful in addressing new situations.

Business Management 

• Project Management: Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals.

Business Management: Monitoring & Evaluation

• Ability to systematically monitor results of strategies, programmes, and activities with a view to make sure that they are being implemented effectively;
• Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback and reporting on the consistency or discrepancy between planned activities and programme management and results.
• Ability to make independent judgment of the management and results of strategies, programmes and activities based on set criteria and benchmark, keeping in mind the needs and concerns of client, current and upcoming. Knowledge and understanding of monitoring and evaluation frameworks, concepts, methodologies, systems, processes, and tools.
• Ability to make an independent judgement based on set criteria and benchmarks.
• Ability to anticipate client’s upcoming needs and concerns.

Procurement

• Procurement Management: Ability to acquire goods, services, or works from an outside external source.

2030 Agenda: Engagement & Effectiveness 

• Effectiveness: Performance analysis on programming.

Business Management: 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.

Administration & Operations

Events management (including retreats, trainings, and meetings): Ability to manage events, including venue identification, accommodation, logistics, catering, transportation, and cash disbursements, etc.