Technical Advisor/Marine Ecosystems

Cabo Verde became the first pilot Joint Office (JO) of the Ex-Com agencies (UNDP, UNICEF, UNFPA and WFP) on 1 January 2006. This was a major step in the UN reform towards the harmonization and simplification of UN activities in small countries. The Joint Office model consists of a single UN office of the participating agencies, led by one representative who equally represents all the participating agencies. The JO has one organizational structure and a single program/common country program encompassing the activities and mandates of all participating agencies, and uses one set of business processes, rules, and regulations under a “support agency”. Since 2010, with the discontinuation of WFP Office in Cabo Verde, following the graduation to a Middle-Income Country in 2008 , the Joint Office is now comprised of three agencies - UNDP, UNFPA and UNICEF.

Cabo Verde offers a unique setup. In 2006, UNDP, UNFPA and UNICEF joined forces and created a Joint Office to harmonize and streamline the activities of the UN agencies, funds and programs in the country. The Joint Office builds on the mandates of the three agencies and combines their strengths. It implements one Common Country Program with one budget under the direction of a Joint Resident Representative who is accredited on behalf of the three agencies. Thus, the Joint Office offers fully integrated support to the Government of Cabo Verde. In the Joint Office, a future UNV will thus get hands-on experience with three important UN agencies and actively support programmatic UN integration which goes beyond the ambition of the current reform of the UN development system.

The JO has one organizational structure and a single programme/common country programme encompassing the activities and mandates of all participating agencies, and uses one set of business processes, rules and regulations under a “support agency” arrangement. In Cabo Verde, UNDP systems are used.  The Joint Office is the leading entity in the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2023-2027 which is fully aligned with the National Sustainable Development Plan and with Agenda 2030. A joint UNDP, UNFPA and UNICEF Common Country Programme Document (CCPD) for 2023-2027, is based on four results areas aligned with SDGs (People, Planet, Prosperity, and Peace), with a strong focus on building systems and partnerships for SDG implementation in the country, leading to the need for innovative, creative and integrated solutions both on programme and operations.

Under the direct supervision of the National Directorate of Environment the International UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

Technical supervision, advice and quality assurance:
- Provide strategic analyses on issues relating to marine conservation management with a view to identifying appropriate ‘entry points’ and recommending appropriate strategic responses through the best possible project support.
- Lead and provide technical supervision, guidance and support to the project technical team (including consultants and local stakeholders) so it can carry out efforts outlined in the project document.
- Provide the necessary technical support to develop technical briefs and terms of reference for technical experts and consultants engaged for work envisaged.
- Lead in designing and putting in place as required, quality control/peer review mechanisms for technical reviews/contributions from consultants, government experts and the private sector to ensure the highest quality of outputs/products, publications, discussion papers and briefs.

Support to the Project Manager with project planning, M&E and reporting:
- Provide leadership for any necessary update and revision of indicators, baselines, targets, and means of verification,
- Provide advice and inputs to the preparation of project progress reports, including reports to Project Donors as required, focusing on capturing results, lessons, and follow up actions;

Capacity building of the implementing partners and knowledge transfer:
- Lead in the development and provision of oversight in capacity building, including mentoring of local counterparts by consultants at community level, and identify appropriate training opportunities;
- Mainstream lessons and best practices learned elsewhere into capacity building activities for the project teams;
- Transfer and apply technical knowledge and experience from his/her academic back-ground and professional experience to enhance technical knowledge of relevant staff of the Project.

Partnerships, advocacy and resource mobilization:
- Develop and maintain strategic networks and partnerships with relevant donors and development partners working on activities of interest with a view to mobilize re-sources to ensure achievement of the goal marine conservation;
- Search and analyze information and activities relating to marine conservation, identify possible aspects/themes of cooperation, advise on strategically linking the project with other national, regional and global initiatives by other development partners, the private sector, and communities;
- Identify opportunities for advocacy, policy dialogues, and technical discussions with the Government, development partners and all relevant stakeholders; and
- Perform other tasks as may be requested by the National Project Coordinator, Steering Committees and other project partners.