UNDP
Job Description
Background and Organizational Context
UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.
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.
Office/Unit/Project Description
The BIOFIN is a global initiative launched in October 2012 by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to respond to the needs for detailed national level analysis regarding biodiversity finance and boost the mobilization of financial resources for parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to achieve the Aichi Targets. It is a global partnership seeking to address the biodiversity finance challenge in a comprehensive manner by building a sound business case for increased investments in the management of ecosystems and biodiversity, with a focus on the needs and transformational opportunities at the national level. In Malawi the implementation of the Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN) started in 2019 under the Environmental Affairs Department within the Ministry of Forestry and Natural Resources aimed supporting the development of a comprehensive resource mobilization strategy for implementation of the NBSAP.
One of the key outputs of the BIOFIN initiative in Malawi was the development of a national Biodiversity Finance Plan (BFP) aimed at identifying and prioritizing a mix of suitable biodiversity finance solutions to reduce the envisaged biodiversity finance gap.
The BFP development has been a two-year process that began with the development of the Policy and Institutional Review. The Biodiversity Expenditure Review and the Finance Needs Assessment. These consultancies unearthed the policy and institutional framework in Malawi and established the bottlenecks in the implementation of the NBSAP II. The PIR also established the opportunities that the framework presented. This process was followed by the biodiversity expenditure review that established that Malawi spent US$164 million on biodiversity from 2015-2020 which represented 1.3% of the national budget spending. The BER review also established that 83% of the expenditure was from the national budget.
At the initial workshop which took place on 8th July 2021 a total of 35 finance solution proposals were discussed which were later prioritized to 11. From this workshop, 11 proposals were validated to form Malawi ’s Biodiversity Finance Plan. Among these 11 proposals, five proposals have since been earmarked for BIOFIN Phase 2 Implementation. These relate to the payment for ecosystem services, inclusion of biodiversity coding in the national budget, a carbon scheme and recapitalization of statutory funds
The National BIOFIN Technical Coordinator will provide technical advisory services to the BIOFIN Project Team of BIOFIN phase 2, based in the Environmental Affairs Department, with reference to the biodiversity finance plan and the implementation of five (5) Biodiversity Finance solutions prioritized for implementation. S/he will work with the program analyst responsible for Environment within the RSG portfolio.
In UNDP the activities of the BIOFIN project falls directly under the Resilience and Sustainable Growth (RSG) portfolio. To align the Malawi Country Office structure to the UNDP Strategic Plan, as well as respond to the integrated priorities outlined in Malawi’s Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS III), and recently the Malawi Vision 2063, a portfolio approach has been in use over the last ten years to drive programmatic coherence, efficiency, and value for money. The Resilience and Sustainable Growth (RSG) portfolio is one of three programmatic portfolios in the Malawi country office and is aligned to the Responsive Institutions and Citizen Engagement (RICE) portfolio as well as the Development Impact and Advisory Team (DIAT), all of which are supported by an Operations Team.
Under the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) for Malawi, the RSG portfolio aligns directly to Pillar 3: Inclusive and Resilience Growth, while contributing to Pillar 2: Peace, Inclusion and Effective Institutions.
Scope of Work
The National Technical Coordinator will coordinate, support, and provide technical backstopping in the implementation of project activities in the respective areas. This includes the daily responsibility to manage and coordinate the conduct of activities and delivery of results in accordance with the project document and agreed work plans.
Duties and Responsibilities
Following approval of the Malawi National Biodiversity Finance Plan (2022) the National BIOFIN Technical Coordinator will be responsible for the development of Country Implementation Strategy as per BIOFIN template as well as the development of the 5 finance solution proposals prioritized as per BIOFIN template including activities, budget, risks, targets and indicators in consultation with stakeholders
S/he will, as well in consultation with UNDP Program Analyst responsible for environment, perform the following:
Project Management Leadership
- Develop TORs and support the recruitment process of national team that will be implemented the 5 finance solutions selected;
- In consultation with the UNDP Country Office and global BIOFIN team elaborate/revise the work plans and budgets;
- Ensure that technical activities and administrative requirements are managed and executed in a timely and appropriate manner including within planned budget and within UNDP and donor rules and regulations;
- Participate in recruitment processes for consultants as appropriate;
- Develop a multiyear implementation plan;
- Support the work of the National BIOFIN Steering/Advisory Committee;
- Ensure a timely identification of risks in implementation at the national level and communication to the global BIOFIN team;
- Organize regular meetings of the national team and monthly calls with the Technical Advisor from the global BIOFIN team. Ensure participation of national BIOFIN team members in regional technical calls;
- Lead project monitoring, reporting and evaluation at national level. Prepare BIOFIN progress reports for submission to UNDP and project partners;
- Establish and maintain links with other national and international programmes (e.g. NBSAP) and projects including UNDP-GEF projects;
- Lead the process of capturing and documenting lessons from project implementation and make recommendations to the National Steering/Advisory Committee for more effective implementation of activities;
- Develop proposals for finance solutions to present to the global BIOFIN team;
- Participate in all regional and global BIOFIN webinars and workshops where possible.
Policy Development
- Provide other inputs into policy development processes as per government requests/emerging opportunities (national/sectoral development plans/NBSAPs/legislation on biodiversity finance) and report on these inputs to the UNDP Country Office and the global BIOFIN team. E.g. the PES framework
Project Outreach and Communication
- Oversee the identification, selection and supervision of national consultants and experts, in close collaboration with the UNDP Country Office;
- Lead an extensive stakeholder consultation/engagement process for the development of all deliverables, involving actors from the public and private sector, civil society and academia;
- Engage national stakeholders and strongly position BIOFIN objectives and processes towards relevant government departments and partner institutions to catalyze transformational outcomes;
- Ensure the inclusion of organizations representing indigenous/woman/vulnerable groups where possible;
- Work with national and international counterparts, NGOs and other groups to ensure effective coordination and communication of BIOFIN project objectives, activities, and finance solutions and on data and information provision, expert review and verification;
- Prepare detailed reports and analyses of national BIOFIN project results and impacts including in preparation for COPs and at project’s end.
Reporting/Communication/M&E
- Signal any delays in national deliverables compared to the workplan to the UNDP Country Office and the Global BIOFIN Team;
- Lead project monitoring, reporting and evaluation at national level, draft monthly and quarterly reports for review by the lead expert and submission to the global BIOFIN team;
- Develop workshop reports for all technical workshops;
- Develop briefing notes, case studies, press releases, web articles and other media products as required.
Technical Tasks and Responsibilities
- Act as principal technical contact for national BIOFIN implementation with the global BIOFIN team with regards to all questions and issues that arise during national implementation.
- Provide key technical leadership on all finance issues and assure horizontal integration and consistency of work streams/studies.
- Provide technical coordination and technical backstopping of the national BIOFIN Team
- Ensure drafts of all work are sent to the global BIOFIN team regularly to provide backstopping and assure feedback is adequately integrated into national reports.
- Lead and coordinate the implementation of the five prioritized biodiversity finance solutions
Partnerships
- Ensure that development of the finance solution proposals is in line with the templates provided;
- Undertake an exit interview with the UNDP Country Office and the BIOFIN Technical Advisor to document the main lessons learnt during the assignment.
Institutional Arrangement
The National BIOFIN Technical Coordinator will jointly report to the Director of Environmental Affairs as well as the RSG Portfolio Manager at UNDP whilst working closely with the program analyst responsible for environment. S/he will collaborate with the Malawi Revenue Authority, National Planning Commission (NPC), and Ministry of Finance (MoF). The project will not be able to provide logistical support for meetings within Lilongwe. Logistical support and the DSA will be provided for workshops. The coordinator will be supported by officers in the Biodiversity Unit of the Environmental Affairs Department.
Required skills and competencies
Core competencies
- Achieve Results: LEVEL 2: Scale up solutions and simplifies processes, balances speed and accuracy in doing work
- Think Innovatively: LEVEL 2: Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic/integrated thinking
- Learn Continuously: LEVEL 2: Go outside comfort zone, learn from others and support their learning
- Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 2: Adapt processes/approaches to new situations, involve others in change process
- Act with Determination: LEVEL 2: Able to persevere and deal with multiple sources of pressure simultaneously
- Engage and Partner: LEVEL 2: Is facilitator/integrator, bring people together, build/maintain coalitions/partnerships
- Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 2: Facilitate conversations to bridge differences, considers in decision making
Cross-Functional & Technical competencies
- Strategic Thinking: Ability to develop effective strategies and prioritized plans in line with UNDP’s objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, potential risks and opportunities; linking the vision to reality on the ground, and creating tangible solutions
- Strategic Thinking: Ability to develop effective strategies and prioritized plans in line with UNDP’s objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, potential risks and opportunities; linking the vision to reality on the ground, and creating tangible solutions. Ability to leverage learning from a variety of sources to anticipate and respond to future trends; to demonstrate foresight in order to model what future developments and possible ways forward look like for UNDP.
- Effective Decision Making: Ability to take decisions in a timely and efficient manner in line with one’s authority area of expertise and resources
- Results-based Management: Ability to manage programmes and projects with a focus at improved performance and demonstrable results
- Project Management: Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals
- Risk Management: Ability to identify and organize action around mitigating and proactively managing risks
- Partnerships 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
Required skills
- Experience in dealing with international and national experts and institutions.
- At least 3-year previous experience or involvement in the BIOFIN Initiative
- Sound understanding of key software packages (MS Office)
Required Skills and Experience
Education
Master’s Degree or equivalent in finance, economics or a closely related field.
Experience
At least 5 years of experience in management or public finance, preferably at senior level in government.
Desired skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section
- Evident exposure to environmental issues and/or biodiversity;
- Knowledge of the BIOFIN initiative and process.
Language
- Fluency in both written and spoken English and Chichewa is required
Disclaimer
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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.
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