Senior Technical Advisor, Targeted Scenario Analysis TSA (Home-Based Part-time 70%)

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 policy and guidance to support the results of UNDP’s Strategic Plan. BPPS staff provides technical advice to Country Offices; advocates for UNDP corporate messages; represents UNDP at multi-stakeholder fora, including public-private, government and civil society dialogues; and engages in UN inter-agency coordination in specific thematic areas.

UNDP's 2022-2025 Strategic Plan highlighting 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’ Hubs on Nature, Climate, Energy Chemicals and Waste work with governments, civil society, and private sector partners to integrate natural capital, environment and climate concerns into national and sector planning and inclusive growth policies; support country obligations under Multilateral Environmental Agreements; and implement the UN’s largest portfolio of in-country programming on environment, climate change, and energy. This multi-billion-dollar portfolio encompasses:

Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services including forests;

Sustainable Land Management and Desertification including food 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, digital transformation, capacity development, human rights, gender equality, health, technology, and South-South learning.

UNDP has developed its new Strategy for Food Systems to focus its vision and enhance its support to transform food systems. Food Systems is fundamental to the sustainable development of the 170 countries the UNDP supports. 

Food Systems is tasked to support UNDP Country Offices with food systems-related challenges in a way that is aligned with UNDP´s Food System’s strategy. Targeted Scenario Analysis (TSA) is an innovative analytical approach developed by UNDP that captures and presents the value of ecosystem services within a country’s relevant national or sectoral decision-making framework to make the business case for sustainable policy and investment choices. The TSA methodology was initially developed for the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Conference of Parties in 2010 and finalized and published in 2013. Through TSA, practitioners working with governments and private enterprises can generate and present data related to the management of ecosystems in a more relevant way to the policy and investment questions facing decision-makers. The product of a TSA is a balanced presentation of evidence for a decision-maker that weighs the pros and cons of two scenarios: continuing with business as usual (BAU) in a particular sector or region vs following a sustainable development path in which ecosystems are more effectively managed TSA methodology is captured in a guidebook referenced by Alpizar, F. and Bovarnick, A. (2013): Targeted Scenario Analysis: A new approach to capturing and presenting ecosystem service values for decision-making. UNDP Food Systems supports the TSA Global work by hiring a TSA Technical Senior Advisor, who will also manage TSA efforts under the FOLUR Impact Program.  

The Food Systems, Land Use and Restoration (FOLUR) Impact Program is an initiative supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) that seeks to transform the global food system by promoting sustainable, integrated landscapes and efficient commodity value chains. The Impact Program consists of a global platform and 27 country projects targeting the production landscapes of eight commodities: beef, cocoa, corn, coffee, palm oil, rice, soy, and wheat. FOLUR envisions a world where producing food creates sustainable environmental benefits and flourishing landscapes. 

The global platform, led by the World Bank, supports and coordinates implementing agencies, participating countries, and core partners to achieve transformational impact. The FOLUR global platform’s core partners include the Good Growth Partnership (GGP) led by the UNDP Food Systems team, has been contracted by the WB in late 2021 to support FOLUR global platform activities, based on 3 pillars: Program Capacity Strengthening; Policy and Value Chain Engagement; Knowledge Management and Communications. 

As of 2024, the UNDP Food Systems team is expanding its support to FOLUR pillars by providing technical assistance on UNDP’s Targeted Scenario Analysis tool, in order to strengthen FOLUR Country Projects' capacity to support governments and the private sector to accelerate and deliver targeted sector policy reform at national and sub-national levels.

Scope of Work 

The Senior Technical Advisor, TSA will support the implementation of Food Systems/FOLUR TSA studies. 

The Advisor will perform the overall management of TSA studies designed and implemented by UNDP and FOLUR partners, including:

1. Lead the design and delivery of the crucial virtual training and a comprehensive training package to at least 14 Country Projects (CPs), encompassing the 5-Step methodology, case studies, challenges, results, and best practices, is a pivotal part of our project.
2. Conduct analysis to define opportunities for TSA application, including ProDoc revisions and direct consultations with CPs in at least 14 countries.
3. Ensure a handholding process to implement TSA in up to 4 CPs: a) Pre-TSA training, negotiations, and QA to the TSA 5-Step implementation process: assessing technical options, supporting FOLUR project design, developing TOR for each TSA intervention, identifying and selecting consultants, detailed TSA training for government officials, private sector executives, TSA consultants, technical staff, project teams, other stakeholders, and support TSA launching workshops, b) Address technical queries and issues during TSA implementation and review draft reports, coordinate peer-reviews, technical approval of final TSA reports, policy briefs, best practices documents.
4. Design one knowledge exchange virtual global workshop for decision-makers to be implemented in Q1 2025: Policy reform processes, challenges, solutions, cost, and impacts.
5. Advance the production of the TSA Guidance 2.0, incorporating lessons, filling economic/policy analysis gaps, and case studies.
6. Manage Portfolio oversight: Planning, programming, consultants’ roster, communications (webpage content production, blogs, briefs, policy papers, lessons processing), financing proposals, progress reporting and budgeting, and overall coordination
7. Maintain a global TSA work plan and pipeline, prepare progress reports, provide information to update TSA webpage content, and coordinate the TSA team.
8. Oversee global TSA quality standards and ensure implementation lessons are shared between the national TSA studies in at least 4 countries.
9. Liaise with COs to ensure sufficient budgets for the TSA studies in at least 4 countries. 
10. Coordinate and participate in TSA-related training and specialized national and international events to discuss TSA methodology and prepare policy papers, including results, impact, and innovative TSA applications.
11. The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the unit and the Organization.

Institutional Arrangement

• The incumbent will work from home base.
• The incumbent will be supervised by the Global Head, Food Systems. He/she will liaise with the UNDP Food Systems team members, other UNDP staff both at global and country office level, partners agencies focal points and donors. 
• The incumbent will be responsible for providing his/her own working station (i.e., laptop, internet, phone, scanner/printer, etc.) and must have access to a reliable internet connection.
• Given the global nature of the work, the CoFSA Interventions Advisor is expected to be reasonably flexible with his/her availability for regional and country events to be undertaken during this assignment 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 Economics, Social Science, Sustainable Finance, Environment or other closely related field is required. or
• A first-level university degree (bachelor's degree) in the same fields with additional 2 years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of advanced university degree.

Min. years of relevant Work experience    

• Minimum of 10 years (with master’s degree) or 12 years (with bachelor’s degree) of professional experience in the environmental finance and/or economics sector with provision of technical advice.

Required skills and competencies   

• Experience in economic analysis (TSA), biodiversity finance & policy.
• Experience with multilateral & bilateral environmental and development agencies, cooperation (donor) agencies, private sector, financial sector, international NGOs, local governments.

Desired additional skills and competencies            

• Relevant experience with UNDP and GEF in multiple regions (global) would be an asset.
• Experience in Latin American Countries (LAC) with the expertise in distance learning: design of online training programs and delivery is an asset.
• Team leader experience in implementing TSA studies at country level is an asset.
• Strong institutional partnership development and managing experience is an asset,
• Experience in overseeing global TSA quality standards is desired. 

Required Language(s)

• Fluency in written and oral communication in English is required. 
• Fluency on Spanish is desired.

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.

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