Chief Technical Advisor (Part time-50%; Home-based)

UNDP - United Nations Development Programme

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Background
 
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UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

This TOR combines the technical requirements of two projects funded by the GEF (Global Environmental Facility) in Samoa and the Cook Islands.

Project 1 – Enhancing biodiversity considerations and effective protected area management to safeguard the Cook Islands integrated ecosystems and species Project.

The project aims to reduce and mitigate negative environmental impacts of the key development sectors (agriculture, infrastructure, tourism) in the Cook Islands, which are the main national drivers of biodiversity and habitat degradation. This will be achieved through mainstreaming integrated, sustainable management of land and coastal waters across key partners National Environment Service (NES), Infrastructure Cook Islands (ICI), Cook Islands Tourism Corporation (CIT), and the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) government agencies, as well as private sector and communities through policy development and communications and awareness. Building upon the achievements and lessons learnt of the GEF-5 Ridge-to-Reef project, the GEF-7 project strategy also includes improving management effectiveness of targeted protected areas, as well as expansion of the protected area system through establishment of a 118-ha community conserved area safeguarding globally significant biodiversity within the cloud forests of Rarotonga.

Project results are expected to generate multiple environmental benefits, including 2,401 ha of priority catchments under improved management, and improved management of 1,260 ha of terrestrial protected areas and 14,453 ha of marine protected areas. An estimated 9,588 people (75% of the resident population of the country), of whom 51% are women, are expected to directly benefit as a co-benefit of the GEF investment, including local communities living within and benefiting from the ecosystem services provided by the priority catchments, people benefitting from the biodiversity resources and ecosystem services of the target protected areas, and management and staff members of NES, MoA, CIT, and ICI, as well as other stakeholders benefitting from strengthened capacities.

Through improved management in the agriculture, forestry and other land use (AFOLU) sector, 217,154 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent of greenhouse gas emissions mitigated are estimated to be achieved through increased carbon sequestration and reduced emissions.

The objective of the project is to safeguard globally significant biodiversity and core ecosystem services through mainstreaming environmental issues in key development sectors, facilitating more inclusive natural resource governance, and improving the management effectiveness of conservation areas to be realized through the following three component strategies and four outcomes.

Component 1: Mainstreaming safeguards to conserve biodiversity and maintain ecosystem services across key development sectors.

  • Outcome 1: Biodiversity and ecosystem services safeguards embedded in national and island governance frameworks, and policies, and institutional capacities strengthened across key development sectors (i.e., agriculture, infrastructure, tourism)
  • Outcome 2: Ecosystem services restored, maintained and enhanced, and globally significant biodiversity safeguarded in priority catchments and managed areas.

Component 2: Improving the management framework to effectively conserve a national protected areas system representative of Cook Islands biodiversity.

  • Outcome 3: Globally significant biodiversity protected across Cook Islands through effective selection, design, management, monitoring and enforcement of its PAs system.

Component 3: Raising awareness, managing knowledge, mainstreaming gender and monitoring, evaluating and disseminating project results.

  • Outcome 4: Globally significant biodiversity protected across Cook Islands through effective selection, design, management, monitoring and enforcement of its PAs system.

The project will be implemented over 72 months (6 years) starting in March 2023. UNDP is the GEF Implementing Agency and the Cook Islands National Environment Service (NES), is the project’s lead Implementing Partner and responsible party.

Project 2 – Enhancing integrated sustainable management to safeguard Samoa’s natural resources (GEF-7) Project.
The biodiversity and natural resources of Samoa provide the ecological foundation upon which the country depends for its physical, cultural, social and economic well-being. It provides the food, fiber, fuel, freshwater, medicinal plants and building material. This is exemplified in that around 80% of the population, largely subsistence, directly depends on the land and sea for food and income. While agriculture, in the past was the backbone of Samoa’s economy, its decline, in large part due to decimation of the taro export due to the Taro Leaf Blight, a deadly non-native fungus that caused the extinction of the Samoan taro varieties. There are a number of pressures on Samoa’s biodiversity, an important one of which is invasive species, the impacts of which have been extensive and costly, both financially, ecologically and culturally, including in particular effects on the productivity and economic output of primary industries such as agriculture, forestry and fisheries, as well as threatening the integrity and biodiversity of natural ecosystems and their processes.

As a consequence of invasive species, the five-million-year history of the Samoan archipelago that has resulted in the evolution of a unique native flora and fauna is being threatened by the rapid spread of invasive species. While conservation efforts have been made to maintain Samoa’s rich biodiversity in reserves and protected areas, considerable efforts are being spent on managing invasive plants that are outcompeting native species.

The project recognizes that these land and seascapes of Samoa underpin the lives and livelihoods of a large number of local communities and that implementation of a coherent and integrated strategy to promote improved measures for prevention and management of invasive alien species (IAS) is an integral part of the solution. The main objective of the project is to equip and empower local communities to safeguard Samoa’s indigenous species, natural ecosystems and food production systems from Invasive Alien Species (IAS) and unsustainable land use practices. The project will be implemented for six years through the following three main components.

  1. Enhancing institutional and technical capacity in safeguarding indigenous species, natural ecosystems, and production systems from IAS.
  2. Demonstrating integrated management of catchments from ridge to reef to safeguard indigenous species, natural ecosystems and food production systems from IAS and unsustainable land use practices.
  3. Gender mainstreaming and knowledge management.

The project will be implemented over a duration of 72 months (6 years) from January 2023. UNDP is the GEF Implementing Agency and the Government of Samoa Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE), is the project’s lead Implementing Partner and responsible party.

Both projects are nationally executed as per UNDP National Implementation Modality (NIM) procedures. According to UNDP guidelines on National Implementation Modality (2011), the Governments are of Cook Islands and Samoa responsible for the management and delivery of programme activities to achieve project outcomes/outputs. Government regulations, rules and procedures therefore apply to project implementation to the extent that they do not contravene the principles of the Financial Regulations and Rules of UNDP.

Both projects will be monitored, and evaluation will be conducted in accordance with established UNDP and GEF procedures and oversight and compliance monitoring will be provided by the project team and the UNDP Multi-Country Office (UNDP-MCO) in Samoa with support from the UNDP Regional Bureau for Asia-Pacific (RBAP) region in Bangkok.

The Chief Technical Advisor (CTA) will be responsible for providing strategic direction and overall technical backstopping to both project teams in the implementation of activities as defined in the project document and in the inception report. He/She will render technical support to the Project Manager/Project Coordinator (PM/PC), Project Technical Consultants recruited by the project and the implementing partners to implement the activities and deliver key outputs, that lead to the desired outcomes of both projects. The CTA is expected to divide his/her time equally between the project and be present in Samoa and Cook Islands at least for 20% of the total time during the contract period. This could be divided between two or more missions.  

Duties and Responsibilities
 
The hired CTA will work with the Samoa multi-country office providing support to the two projects by working closely with the Implementing Partner, the Project Coordinator/ Manager and PMU. Reports and documentation will be shared with the Project Managers in a timely manner, with copy to the UNDP MCO Assistant Resident Representative of Environment and Climate Change Unit. 
  • He/She will work under the guidance of the respective Project Coordinators/Managers, the CTA is expected to provide technical advice, support and capacity building to the project team and assist the PMs to organize and supervise the work of the project hired consultants.
  • Under the supervision of the PC/PM, the CTA will coordinate the provision of the required technical inputs, including assisting in executing the implementation strategy, recruiting and supervising experts and technical advisors’ inputs, and ensuring coordination and leveraging resources from other initiatives. The CTA will provide guidance and support on both strategic project matters, quality control of technical expertise and aspects of day-to-day management as required.
  • In addition, the CTA shall submit a proposal at the beginning of the quarter including the specific deliverables and working days that is planning to cover in three months for both projects. The CTA is expected to generate a monthly report indicating the deliverables provided and working days (timesheet) to be used as the basic supporting document for the monthly payment.
  • For Samoa Project, oversee and guide the preparation/update of the NISSAP (National Invasive Species Strategy and Action Plan), IAS (Invasive Alien Species) decision-making tools, biosecurity protocols and regulations, cost-recovery strategy for biosecurity, integration of IAS prevention and management in CIMPs and PAs and capacity building aspects, etc.
  • Oversee and coordination of the technical inputs from the international and national consultants.
  • The scope of work for the CTA will include, but not necessarily be limited to, the following key activities:
  • Ensure that project activities under each outcome are planned and executed in a timely manner with high technical standards and implemented following the planned outcomes to achieve defined indicators. 
  • Provide strategic review and planning towards achieving metrics and indicators (e.g. METTs, capacity scorecards, etc.) 
  • Oversee and support a capacity building and training programs for all relevant national and local agencies, special interest groups and local communities. 
  • For Samoa IAS project, support/oversee and guide the conduct of technical consultations and workshops to develop the IAS policy, strategies, CIMP planning, PA-IAS interfaces, and knowledge management and M&E planning and IAS prevention and management and related guidelines, tool kits and manuals and regulations for financial mechanism for biosecurity, etc.
  • Provide substantive contributions to the technical components of the project, including high-quality technical inputs on the reports produced by consultants, technical service providers, subcontractor, and PMU staff.
  • Prepare and/or review technical documents and terms of reference, reviewing deliverables among the project activities and outputs, organizing technical meetings, and providing technical guidance on project activities.
  • Ensure consistency and coherency of the approaches across the project sites.
  • Develop and implement protocols to ensure coordination between IP, other partners in policy development and implementation.
  • Develop and initiate the implementation of the project sustainability plan.
  • Provide technical advocacy among key stakeholders, assisting government agencies and service providers in design and implementation of project interventions.
  • Ensure that the indicators included in the project results framework are monitored annually in advance of the GEF PIR submission deadline and provide inputs to the annual GEF Project Implementation Reports (PIRs) and other progress reports.
  • Carry out visits to project sites and the activities in the field.
  • Manage and monitor the project risks initially identified and submit new risks to the Project Manager for consideration and decision on possible actions if required; update the status of these risks by maintaining the project risks log.
  • Provide guidance for the revisions to the annual and multi-year workplan, as needed.
  • Advise and support the Project Manager and the PMU in the review and update of the GEF tracking tools at Mid-term and Project end.
  • Provide technical inputs to the development of knowledge products (including brochures, briefs, lessons learnt reports, etc.) and supervise their dissemination.
  • Provide technical support to government partner agencies and other stakeholders with development of essential skills through training workshops and on the job training, thereby increasing their institutional and technical capabilities.
  • Conduct an exit debrief with the respective Project Managers on completion of contract.
  • The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.
Competencies

Core Competencies:
  • Achieve Results: LEVEL 3: Set and align challenging, achievable objectives for multiple projects, have lasting impact 
  • Think Innovatively: LEVEL 3: Proactively mitigate potential risks, develop new ideas to solve complex problems 
  • Learn Continuously: LEVEL 3: Create and act on opportunities to expand horizons, diversify experiences
  • Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 3: Proactively initiate and champion change, manage multiple competing demands 
  • Act with Determination: LEVEL 3: Think beyond immediate task/barriers and take action to achieve greater results
  • Engage and Partner: LEVEL 3: Political savvy, navigate complex landscape, champion inter-agency collaboration
  • Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 3: Appreciate benefits of diverse workforce and champion inclusivity
     

Cross-Functional Competencies:

Business Direction & Strategy

  • System 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.
  • Effective Decision Making: Ability to take decisions in a timely and efficient manner in line with one’s authority, area of expertise and resources.

Business Development    

  • Knowledge Generation: Ability to research and turn information into useful knowledge, relevant for context, or responsive to a stated need.
  • Collective Intelligence design: Ability to bringing together diverse groups of people, data, information or ideas, and technology to design services or solutions.

Business Management

  • Results-based Management: Ability to manage programmes and projects with a focus at improved performance and demonstrate results.
  • Partnership 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.

Partnership Management

  • Relationships Management: Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understanding.
     
Required Skills and Experience
 
Education:
  • Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in a subject related to Biodiversity Conservation, Natural Resource Management or Environmental Sciences or field related is required. Or
  • A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the above-mentioned fields of study, in combination with an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.
Experience:
  • Minimum 7 years (with Master´s degree) or 9 years (with Bachelor´s degree) of demonstratable project advisory experience in biodiversity conservation, natural resources management or ecosystems/landscape restoration preferably related to Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs) is required. 
  • Sound understanding of Project Cycle Management, with demonstrated experience in designing and facilitating processes to enhance project implementation and its adaptive management through the application of M&E tools, including results-based management logical frameworks is required.
  • Experience in coordinating and supervising multiple parties in their implementation of technical activities in partnership with a variety of subnational stakeholder groups, including community and government is required. 
  • Experience in working with communities, including community-based management and co-management initiatives, NGOs and multiple sectors of government, using mechanisms to develop common visions among stakeholders and including consulting with senior executives and civil servants is required.
  • Demonstrated ability to lead on project planning, change processes, results-based management and reporting, strong leadership and team-building skills is required. 
  • Excellent computer skills (key MS applications) and ability to use information technology as a tool and resource is desired. 
  • Proven experience in innovative and creative methods of engaging with various project stakeholders remotely is an advantage. 
  • Working in the public sector, United Nations and/or any other international organization and/or development agency is a strong advantage.
  • Previous experience working with a GEF-supported project is an asset.
  • Familiarity with risk management in international development projects is desired. 

Language Requirements:

  • Fluency in English (oral and written) is a requirement.
  • Working knowledge of another UN language is desired. 

Travel:

  • UNDP will cover the cost of travel of the individual to the duty station, as well as their return to their home upon completion of their services. At least 2 missions should be planned for each project during the contract period, with a minimum of 13 days per combined mission.
Disclaimer
 

 
Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment. 

 
UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.
 
Applicant information about UNDP rosters
 
Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.
 
Non-discrimination
 
UNDP has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.  

 
UNDP is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer that does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status. 
 

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