Environmental Policy Specialist

Paramaribo

Organization: UNDP - United Nations Development Programme
Location: Paramaribo
Grade: Mid level - NPSA-10, National Personnel Services Agreement
Occupational Groups:
- Political Affairs
- Legal - Broad
- Environment
Closing Date: 2024-12-21

Background

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP: we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a ‘leave no one behind’ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.

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

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 offers a spectrum of deep local knowledge to cutting-edge global perspectives and advocacy. In this context, UNDP invests in its 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 UNDP’s Strategic Plan.

UNDP's 2022-2025 Strategic Plan highlights our continued commitment to eradicating poverty, accompanying countries in their pathways towards the SDGs and working towards the Paris Agreement. As part of the Global Policy Network in the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, UNDP's Nature, Climate Change, Energy, and Waste (NCE&W) Hubs promote and scale up integrated whole-of-governance approaches and nature-based solutions that reduce poverty and inequalities, strengthen livelihoods and inclusive growth, mitigate conflict, forced migration and displacement, and promote more resilient governance systems that advance linked peace and security agendas.

In recent decades, biodiversity finance tools and solutions have demonstrated their importance for achieving biodiversity goals and broader sustainable development objectives. Improved choice, design and implementation of effective, well-tailored finance solutions will strengthen countries’ chances of achieving national and global biodiversity targets. Biodiversity Finance Plans have become increasingly recognised as a relevant tool to help countries to identify and fill the biodiversity finance gap, including through the work of the Biodiversity Finance Initiative www.biofin.org. In December 2022, parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity adopted the Montreal-Kunming Global Biodiversity Framework. This included numerous targets with relevance for financing. Target 19 on resource mobilisation includes reference for countries to design and implement national biodiversity finance plans.

The GEF created a global programme to support countries to design a national Biodiversity Finance Plan. A Biodiversity Finance Plan includes a systems analysis of a country's economy including to map existing financing mechanisms, subsidies with potential harmful impacts on nature, drivers of biodiversity loss and gain, public and private expenditures committed towards biodiversity objectives and a country's national financial needs for biodiversity. The biodiversity finance plan itself consists of a series of actions with the aim to significantly scale up available funding, green or phase out harmful finance flows and improve the effectiveness of available expenditures. The programme allows for active sharing of experiences across countries and includes a knowledge sharing platform and the provision of continuous technical support to country teams.

The implementation of the project in Suriname falls under the GEF8 Umbrella programme for the development of the first National Biodiversity Finance Plan. The overall implementation of the project will be led by the Project Lead/Senior Finance Expert with the support of a technical team and in coordination to a government project director and the National Steering Committee.

For the implementation of the GEF8-BFP Umbrella program at the national level, UNDP is recruiting a national team composed of a Senior Finance Expert (Project Lead), a Project Support Associate, a Policy Specialist and a Biodiversity Finance Specialist.

The Environmental Policy Specialist will lead the production of the Policy and Institutional Review and will provide initial input to support the Project Lead to develop the Biodiversity Finance Plan.

Scope of Work

Under the over-all guidance of the Senior Finance Expert (Project Lead), the Environmental Policy Specialist (‘the policy specialist’) is expected to lead the production of the Policy and Institutional Review (PIR) and provide initial inputs to start development of the Biodiversity Finance Plan, following the guidance provided by the latest version of the BIOFIN Workbook and with detailed data.

The Policy Specialist will also, as much as possible, provide input to all other national outputs, including critical stakeholder analysis for the Biodiversity Expenditure Review (BER) and summarize critical priorities and policies for the latest part of the methodology Biodiversity Finance Plan. The specialist should provide input to the feedback on the BIOFIN methodological framework.

The Policy Specialist will assess and describe major biodiversity related policies, legal framework and identify existing finance solutions relevant to biodiversity finance as described in the most recent version of the BIOFIN Workbook. The Specialist will focus on the most recent National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) that would ideally be in the process of alignment with the new Kunming Montreal GBF Framework.

The Policy Specialist will review BER and CPEIR consortium deliverables, produce drafts and analyses that will be reviewed and ultimately validated by the Senior Finance Expert (Project Lead) and the BIOFIN Global Team.

1.) Lead and provision of policy advisory support for the Policy and Institutional Review (PIR)
	Support the Senior Finance Expert (Project Lead) in the conception and preparation of the PIR. Plan and implement the PIR step of the BIOFIN methodology. Identify relevant stakeholders to inform and participate this step. Stocktake and analyse relevant biodiversity related policy instruments and studies (such as harmful subsidies analysis that might be delivered prior or parallel to this step of the methodology), these include NBSAPs and beyond. Develop an inventory of existing Biodiversity Financing Mechanisms in the country. Review existing economic valuation studies relevant to the BIOFIN process. Review legal framework relevant to the BIOFIN process. Review other sources relevant to BD finance. Identify existing national positive and negative incentives/subsidies following available guidance.
2.) Provision of the policy advisory support for Biodiversity Expenditure Review (BER)
	Ensure availability of clear description of relevant stakeholders, sectors, and institutions to inform the BER analysis.
3.) Advise and support the Biodiversity Finance Needs Assessment (FNA)
	Ensure the relevant findings of financial mechanisms that contribute to biodiversity finance and potential areas in need of finance
4.) Guide and support on formulation of the Biodiversity Finance Plan (BFP)
	Support the Senior Finance Expert (Project Lead) with a summary of findings, finance mechanism baseline, and initial preparation guidance of the BFP. Advise and support detailed feasibility analyses on a range of financing mechanisms depending on knowledge and experience.
5.) Facilitate Project Outreach and Communication
	Preparation of workshops, meetings, networking, and presentations as required, to complete the Policy and Institutional Review. Provide substantive comments and feedback on how to improve the existing methodologies.
6.) Facilitate Knowledge Management and Reporting
	Document decisions and assumptions made while completing the Policy and Institutional Review (PIR) Document lessons learned from conducting the BFP project ranging from institutional considerations to technical issues. Prepare reports and case studies, as required, for submission to global meetings (e.g. CBD COP). Provide insights and recommendations for the BFP.
The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Institutional Arrangement

The Environmental Policy Specialist will be under the direct supervision of the Senior Finance Expert (Project Lead). At the national level, Suriname will have as a part of the National Project Management Unit (NPMU), a full-time dedicated Project Lead/Sustainable Finance Expert, a Finance Specialist, an Environmental and Forest Policy Specialist supported by a cost-shared full-time Project Associate, and consultant team, comprised of Technical/Policy Lead, Policy and Institutional Review, Finance Specialist, Environmental Finance Expert and others, as needed.

UNDP shall be entitled to intellectual property and other proprietary rights over all materials that have a direct relation to the project.

Competencies

Core

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 & Technical competencies (insert up to 7 competencies)

Thematic Area	Name	Definition
Business Direction and Strategy	System Thinking	Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system
2030 Agenda - Planet	Nature	Ecosystems and Biodiversity Programme: Nature-positive economy and Biodiversity Finance
Business Management	Project Management	Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals
Business Management	Communication	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

Minimum Qualifications of the Successful NPSA

Min. Education requirements	Advanced University Degree (master's degree or equivalent) in Environmental Science, Forestry, Engineering, Law, Public Administration, Business Administration, Economics, or related field is required. Or A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the arears mentioned above, in combination with 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 5 years (with master’s degree) or 7 years (with bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience in Environmental Science, Forestry, Engineering, Law, Public Administration, Business Administration, Economics, or related field is required.
Required skills	Experience in gathering and processing data and information. Proven experience in collaborating with international and national experts and institutions. Proven experience supporting analyses and drafting reports on environmental, public, and public finance-related policies. Proven experience in preparing publications, reports, and presentations. Experience in writing to a varied and broad audience in a simple and concise manner. Experience with the government, environmental policy and legal framework, and environmental financial mechanisms. Experience in collaborating with international and national experts and institutions. Knowledge of key software packages (MS Office).
Desired skills and competencies	Proven experience in working in a high-pressure environment with sharp and frequent deadlines, managing many tasks simultaneously. Experience with the government, environmental policy and legal framework, and environmental financial mechanisms. Experience in collaborating with international and national experts and institutions. Familiarity with the functioning of the government of Suriname would be an asset.
Required Language(s)	Fluency in Dutch is required and fluency in English is an asset.

Disclaimer

Important applicant information

All posts in the NPSA categories are subject to local recruitment.

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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