Office/Unit/Project Description

UNDP is the knowledge frontier organization for sustainable development in the UN Development System and serves as the integrator for collective action to realize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNDP’s policy work carried out at HQ, Regional and Country Office levels, forms a contiguous spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP invests in the Global Policy Network (GPN), a network of field-based and global technical expertise across a wide range of knowledge domains and in support of the signature solutions and organizational capabilities envisioned in the Strategic Plan.

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’s staff provides technical advice to Country Offices, advocates for UNDP corporate messages, represents UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora including public-private dialogues, government, and civil society dialogues, and engages in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas. BPPS works closely with UNDP’s Crisis Bureau (CB) to support emergency and crisis response. BPPS ensures that issues of risk are fully integrated into UNDP’s development programmes. BPPS assists UNDP and partners to achieve higher quality development results through an integrated approach that links results-based management and performance monitoring with more effective and new ways of working. BPPS supports UNDP and partners to be more innovative, knowledge and data driven including in its programme support efforts.

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.

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 pledges under the Paris Agreement, including ambitious National Determined Contributions, with climate change mitigation and adaptation interventions fully embedded in the national development planning and budgetary processes. The Climate Hub will build 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, UNDP’s Digital offer and other relevant portfolios on youth, gender, health, climate security among others.

The UNDP Climate Hub is responsible for:

• Thought leadership on Climate and to be the custodian of UNDP policy positions on Climate;
• Strategy and vision formulation;
• Pipeline development in coordination with the other hubs and the Vertical Fund Programme Support, Oversight and Compliance Unit;
• Provision of integrated policy and programme support to Country Offices;
• Global engagement, advocacy in collaboration with BERA;
• Integration across thematic areas;
• Strategic Partnerships development and resource mobilization;
• Lead and Support global flagship initiatives and partnerships on Climate;
• Serve as focal point with relevant UN coordination mechanisms and Conventions (UN Framework Convention on Climate Change);
• Cross-organization knowledge and learning; and
• Innovation.

UNDP is recruiting a Programme Specialist, Indigenous Peoples and Local Community Engagement, to develop and implement a coherent and overarching strategy to support the rights and initiatives of Indigenous Peoples and local communities on climate solutions, with a focus on the forest and land nexus. The Specialist will provide strategy and policy guidance, programme and partnership support, as well as support for capacity building, innovation, knowledge management and communications, thus ensuring that Indigenous Peoples’ and local solutions, traditional knowledge, rights and participation impact climate policy, and ensure a just transition.

Scope of Work

a.           Provision of Programme & Partnership advisory support

• Advise and support the design, implementation and monitoring of programmes related to Indigenous Peoples and local communities, within the scope of UNDP’s climate, forests & land portfolio, informed by the advice of regional and country teams.
• Develop partnerships between Indigenous peoples and the private sector to pilot channeling finance to Indigenous Peoples for their nature & climate services, notably from impact investors and philanthropies.
• Guide and Support delivery of UNDP’s direct grants to Indigenous and local communities and leverage these into a larger area of work to enhance NDC implementation.
• Support the Indigenous and community dimensions of UNDP’s work on forest landscapes and sustainable trade, including bridging producer-to-market opportunities and partnerships.
• Develop, pilot and fundraise for area of work on forest monitoring and mapping for Indigenous Peoples.

b.           Lead  Strategy & Policy advice

• Lead the social inclusion & IPs agenda under UNDP’s delivery of the UN-REDD Programme.
• Co-lead, with UNDP’s Nature Hub, the updating of UNDP’s IPs strategy.
• Collaborate and provide inputs into the Inclusivity Pillar strategy in coordination with the gender and youth components.
• Participate in the UNFCCC LCIP Platform, the UNPFII, and other international convening platforms, as requested by the Climate Hub’s leadership team.
• Follow UNFCCC and CBD negotiations relevant to IPs and LCs to inform, complement, and advance all work listed above.
• Coordinate with UNDP’s Inclusivity Pillar, Nature Hub, SGP and Local Pillar on work areas related to UNFCCC and CBD work streams impacting Indigenous Peoples, local communities, and social inclusion.

c.            Provision of Global Capacity Building & Innovation support

• Ensure  capacity building efforts on Indigenous Peoples advocacy, diplomacy, and full and effective participation in multilateral fora on climate change and forests.
• Organize and host annual trainings for Indigenous Peoples on advocating at the UNPFII as well as trainings on advocating at UNFCCC.
• Facilitate capacity building, innovation and peer-to-peer learning, on topics of strategic importance to UNDP’s engagement with Indigenous Peoples and local communities on forest and land-based solutions to climate change, including direct grants, sustainable trade, forest monitoring.

d.           Facilitate Knowledge Management & Communications

• Ideate and oversee the production of communications materials that highlight Indigenous Peoples’ cosmovision and traditional knowledge that helps protect nature and address the climate crisis.
• Create and produce opportunities, events, communications and knowledge products to highlight and center the role of Indigenous practices and traditional knowledge in solving climate and biodiversity crises; and demonstrate cross-cutting work.
• Capitalize on opportunities for collaboration with different portfolios, e.g. organize, co-organize, or participate in different knowledge exchanges, events, and activities to promote Indigenous Peoples rights in topics including NDCs, NBSAPs, climate finance; Indigenous Peoples’ rights; consultation and FPIC, governance; etc.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary forthe efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Institutional Arrangement

• The Programme Specialist, Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities, reports to the Global Policy Advisor, Climate, Forests & Land Pillar, in close coordination with the Pillar’s Partnerships advisor. S/he will be part of the larger Climate Hub, contributing to the Climate Promise (with a focus on the AFOLU sector), the Carbon Markets Pillar, and the Social Inclusion work.

Competencies

Core

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

Minimum Qualifications of the Successful IPSA

Min. Education requirements    

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in International Relations, Development Studies, Environmental Policy, Indigenous Studies, Human Rights, or other closely related field is required. or
• A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the areas mentioned above, in combinationwith an additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Min. years of relevant work experience               

• Minimum of seven (7) years (with a master’s degree) or nine (9) years (with a bachelor’s degree) of relevant professional experience in the areas of climate justice, climate policy, Indigenous Peoples’ rights, REDD+, or related topics.

Required skills   

• Experience and knowledge of Indigenous Peoples’ rights and related UN frameworks and processes.
• Previous experience in conducting consultations and incorporating IP and local community perspectives, including on the ground experience on issues related to community-based adaptation, agriculture, labor markets/value chains, land-use, energy, forests, and/or biodiversity.
• Proven track records of sound understanding of sustainable development, NDCs/relevant climate policy instruments and UNFCCC processes.

Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section

• Experience working with national and international non-governmental organizations, Indigenous Peoples’ organizations, grassroots organizations, development partners, and in developing countries would be an advantage.
• Candidates who identify as Indigenous People are encouraged to apply and considered as an added advantage

Required Language(s)   

• Fluency in English and Spanish is required.
• Knowledge of Portuguese, French and/or an Indigenous language is an asset.