Project Analyst (Home-Based)

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. 

 Within the GPN, the Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS) has the responsibility for developing all relevant policies and guidance's responsible for UNDP’s Strategic Plan. BPPS staff provide technical advice to Country Offices, advocate for UNDP corporate messages, represent UNDP at multi-stakeholder dialogues including public-private, government and civil society dialogues, and engage in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas.  

 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, Energy, Chemicals and Waste 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. 

 BPPS work 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 and chemicals. 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. 

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

UNDP launched its first Digital Strategy in mid-2019 to harness digital transformation within the organization. Building on a long history of project-level digital support for partners, the strategy represented a systematic and corporate-driven transformation process to reimagine the way UNDP serves its partners and operates its systems and processes. UNDP continues to accelerate these efforts in response to growing demand from partner governments and to support our development partners to ensure that the arc of future digital transformation protects human rights and leaves no one behind.

In line with the Digital Strategy 2019-2021, Digital Strategy 2022-2025 maintains and accelerates the momentum that has already been generated across UNDP and among its partners. Many of the components are already in place such as the Accelerator Labs, the Digital Advocates Network, a comprehensive IT transformation, and the Chief Digital Office (CDO).  

Being a part of the BPPS the Nature Hub and Climate Hubs embarked on a road to accelerate digital transformation in collaboration with the CDO in the Executive Office, bringing digital technologies and data into different levels of decision-making processes and programming within the portfolio. The Nature Hub is working with multiple partners and stakeholders to advance the digital transformation for green transition. A new global project ‘Green and Digital Transformation Support Programme’ which aims to provide global support to enable scaled digital support to countries’ green transition, through Digital Public Goods / Infrastructure for transparency and green finance; data capacity building; and Digital Readiness assessment and demonstrations.

There are several ongoing DPGs being scoped, developed, and implemented within this context to enhance transparency and access to environmental finance: 

Climate Transparency DPG: Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) systems combined with national carbon registries require digital systems for countries to access climate finance. Both digital systems are an important technological element for countries to ensure transparency and credibility in reporting Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement, as well as to enable countries to more easily trade carbon credits effectively to secure finance for climate change mitigation. 

Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) DPG: PES is an innovative cash transfer mechanism that can directly provide benefit sharing of climate finance to farmers and local communities, which UNDP has a long-standing experience in supporting governments for policy and implementation. Leveraging on emerging technologies, of which many are open source, UNDP will design and develop the base architecture and convene partnerships with existing providers, to create a coherent, working PES system for countries newly embarking on a PES mechanism.

Digital Public Infrastructure for Planet – Research & Advocacy aims to bring together a consortium of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) experts and climate change, biodiversity and circular economy related experts, organizations, and advocates to identify the potential of DPI in response to the urgent challenge of climate change and nature degradation

In addition, a Digital Readiness Assessment (DRA) tool is also being developed to support the DPG deployment and find entry points to digital opportunities. The DRA is a survey-based system that provides quick, high-level insights into a country's digital capabilities and opportunities. This may be applied to countries in parallel to embarking on digital system development and will need the knowledge to be effectively managed.

Within this overall background, UNDP is seeking a Project Analyst to support the Digital for Planet team on knowledge management, project implementation, maintenance of a Community of Practice, and an overall digital transformation agenda.

Scope of work

The Project Analyst will be expected to:

 Project Management Support

• Monitor, coordinate and support project member work plans. 
• Raise any risks or issues to the project manager and task team for resolution;
• Contribute to the preparation of documents, reports, and presentations on digital transformation for environmental sustainability;
• Support DPI implementation of the annual budget plan
• Process HR and Procurement Tasks. This includes assisting in recruitment by preparing job descriptions, scheduling interviews, and supporting onboarding processes for new hires or consultants.
• Provide assistance and support for geospatial information systems (GIS), georeferenced data management and visualization, and Remote Sensing projects related to the Digital for Planet portfolio.
• Support contract management by preparing ToR, reviewing, and processing contracts with consultants, vendors, and service providers. 
• Facilitate procurement by preparing requests for proposals, evaluating bids, and ensuring timely purchase orders and agreements. 
• Coordinate with stakeholders and support the development of concept notes, and presentations related to Digital Public Goods, data capacity building, local innovation and Digital Readiness Assessments. 
• Provide administrative support in setting up meetings, including scheduling, sending out meeting invitations, and preparing meeting materials.

   Knowledge management and advocacy across all digital for planet workstreams 

• Plan and support in-person workshops and side events; organization of internal webinars; newsletters drafting and distribution; Community of Practice (CoP) on digital for planet
• Support the maintenance of the UNDP Digital for Nature subsites and Climate Hub intranet space, sparkblue,  providing a centralized knowledge base for UNDP teams and partners
• Support the completion of the DPI donor commitments blogs, events
• Support planning and execution of UNEA 7, the Summit for the Future, and three major COP events, ensuring digital is embedded in key international policy discussions.   

Stakeholders' coordination Support

• Support the coordination with project partners and stakeholders to ensure effective communication and collaboration 
• Ensure bringing in relevant project members, task team advisors, and supervisors to relevant meetings; 
• Attend and support partnership meetings with external institutions.

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 Project Analyst will work from home; 
• The incumbent will report to, and be directly supervised by, the Global Lead Digital for the Planet based in New York, USA.
• The incumbent will liaise closely with the respective workstream managers on opportunities for engagements and share learnings 
• The incumbent will be given access to relevant information necessary for the execution of the tasks under this assignment; 
• The incumbent will be responsible for providing her/his own workstation (i.e. laptop, internet, phone, scanner/printer, etc.) and must have access to reliable internet connection; 
• Given the global scope of this assignment, the incumbent is expected to be reasonably flexible with his/her availability for such consultations taking into consideration different time zones.

Competencies

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

Minimum Qualifications of the Successful IPSA

Min. Academic Education   

• An advanced university degree (master's degree or equivalent) in Geospatial Engineering, Climate Change Science and Management, Data Science, Computer Science, Economics, Environmental Management, Energy, Statistics or relevant field is required; or
• A first-level university (bachelor's degree) in the said fields with an additional 2 years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of an advanced university degree.

Min. years of relevant

Work experience       

• Applicants with a master's degree (or equivalent) in a relevant field of study are not required to have professional work experience. 
• Applicants with a bachelor's degree (or equivalent) are required to have a minimum of two (2) years of relevant professional experience in supporting project management, knowledge management and event coordination. 

Required skills and competencies              

• Experience supporting digital tools (and projects) for nature protection and climate change mitigation and adaptation.
• Experience planning and organizing communities of practices, webinars and other events

Desired additional skills and competencies       

• Proven track record of coordination with project partners stakeholder relationships at the national or international level;
• Experience of geospatial information systems (GIS), remote sensing, and data management.
• Experience of managing knowledge management platforms.
• Prior work experience with UNDP.
• Experience working on Digital Public Infrastructure, Digital public good for climate transparency and nature protection.

Required Language(s)

• Fluency in English is required.
• Knowledge of another UN language is an asset.

Equal opportunity

As an equal opportunity employer, UNDP values diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate and, as such, we encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles in the organization. Our employment decisions are based on merit and suitability for the role, without discrimination. 

UNDP is also committed to creating an inclusive workplace where all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, are valued, can thrive, and benefit from career opportunities that are open to all.

Sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse of authority

UNDP does not tolerate harassment, sexual harassment, exploitation, discrimination and abuse of authority. All selected candidates, therefore, undergo relevant checks and are expected to adhere to the respective standards and principles. 

Right to select multiple candidates

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.

Scam alert

UNDP does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process. For further information, please see www.undp.org/scam-alert.